Offsite Electives
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Advanced level experience with equine lameness relative to managing mechanics.
The Forever Vets externship program is designed to assist veterinary students in the exciting, albeit challenging, transition from university medicine to general practice. Externs will gain hands-on experience in small animal and exotic internal medicine, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, pathology, emergency response, leadership, client communication and more as they partner with a multitude of experienced mentors who specialize in differing areas of medicine. They will have the opportunity to identify and improve upon their personal strengths, weaknesses and interests as they practice in our nine general practice clinics and our new urgent care hospital. Students will not only build a strong foundation in clinical skills with an involved approach to training, but they will also have the unique opportunity to collaborate with and to direct varying teams of support staff. Forever Vets hospitals are open seven days a week with extended hours, providing externs with any number of hours required by their university's curriculum. Our structure incorporates case study reviews, personalized follow-ups, and continuing education opportunities with both our medical director and owning veterinarian. Forever Vets' mission to create a positive impact in the community extends beyond Jacksonville's borders; we strive to advance the field of medicine and grow the next wave of veterinary pioneers.
The student will attend a 2-week streak of theoretical and practical classes on Diagnostic Pathology, including Clinical Pathology, Microbiology, Parasitology, and Virology allotted in the morning period. In the afternoons, the student will be on the necropsy floor, performing postmortem examination of assorted animal species, as well as preparing technical written reports about the necropsy findings. In cases of zero necropsy cases for the day, the student will be shadowing the resident on biopsy duty, accompanying surgical specimen trimming and reading at the multi-headed scope and Pathology rounds.
During a COPLOW externship, students can expect to participate in daily read-outs of current cases received from submitting veterinarians, learn about diagnosing ocular pathology lesions histologically, assist with grossing (trimming in the eyes and other tissues received), attend any rounds available, and learn about comparative ocular anatomy from the lab’s founder and professor emeritus, Dr. Richard Dubielzig.
Poultry Medicine with the largest integrator in the USA. The extern will learn side by side with staff veterinarians all aspects of modern broiler production starting with primary breeders through broilers and processing. Staff veterinarians have over 100 years of combined experience in poultry medicine.
Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health (LPH) is located in Columbia (center of South Carolina). There are 3 sections: Animal Health Programs, Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center (CVDC), and SC Meat and Poultry Inspection Department (SCMPID). This rotation involves interaction with Animal Health Programs veterinarians, SC State Veterinarian, CVDC pathologists, and SCMPID veterinarians. The student will travel to livestock/poultry producers, livestock auction markets, and LPH activities to ensure compliance with all South Carolina and Federal regulations. Rotation often includes the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center with livestock necropsies and subsequent testing.
Dairyside Veterinary Service (former owner started practice in 1956) is a 5 doctor practice that has a total of over 75 years of experience in dairy, small ruminant, equine, and swine ambulatory services. Practice area encompasses part or all of 4 counties and is situated in rural south-central Pennsylvania in an agriculture intense area that includes both animal and crop/orchard/truck farming. Farms range in size from hobby farms up to 2500 head dairy farms.
Veterinary students will be expected to participate actively in all aspects of large animal practice on a daily basis. This includes, but is not limited to, animal handling of all species worked with, physical examination, diagnosis, and treatment protocols. Students will also have extensive experience with on-farm surgical procedures and anesthesia. Close supervision and mentoring will be available at all times. Student safety will be of utmost importance.
Dr McCaffrey is a certified hospice and palliative care veterinarian. She received this certification through the IAAHPC in 2018. Following certification she opened Senior Pet Vet, a mobile integrative practice focused solely on the care of senior patients in need of hospice or palliative care. Referrals come from local general practitioners as well as regional specialty centers. Dr McCaffrey has also completed the acupuncture course at Chi University (2019), so acupuncture is regularly used in case management.
The student completing this elective will gain valuable insight into quality of life conversations with pet families. There will be frequent exposure to in-home euthanasia utilizing a variety of techniques (intravenous as well as intraorgan). Integrative case management for palliative/hospice cases will be seen regularly. Complex oncology/internal medicine cases are frequently encountered, students will learn how to manage multiple chronic and life limiting diseases with comfort care being the primary focus. Multi-modal and alternative pain management strategies will be covered as well.
Assuming availability of an owner-donated animal, a wet lab will be performed during the externship teaching intra-organ euthanasia techniques.
A full day of the externship will be dedicated to visiting and touring through a pet crematory.
Students can expect in-depth case review/lessons on incoming hospice patients.
Veterinary students will have the chance to gain abundant mixed animal practice experience in suburban/rural Kentucky.
Allegheny Veterinary Service in Elkins, is a privately owned, premier facility complete with a pristine, well-equipped small animal and equine hospital located in the mountains of West Virginia. Our mission is to offer state-of-the-art point of care veterinary medicine, serving as an oasis of care in rural West Virginia.
Facility is a 7000 sq ft small animal hospital, well-equipped equine haul-in facility, and busy large animal ambulatory service. Owner and senior veterinarian is internship trained, ABVP certified (Equine), and teaches in the equine/pre-vet program at West Virginia University. We embrace teaching and mentorship as part of our culture.
What to expect from us:
- One on one learning – We generally only take one student at a time to ensure that you get actual hands-on experience.
- Variety of cases – Caseload and type will depend on the time of year.
- Small animal cases
- Annual exams & preventative care
- Advanced orthopedic procedures: Bone plating, CBLO and more.
- Internal medicine, infectious disease, dermatology, ophthalmology and small amount of exotic patients.
- Chemotherapy, hospice care.
- Equine cases
- Ambulatory and Haul-in
- Preventative care and Referral level cases
- Lameness, imaging and sport horse
- Neonatal emergencies with Small amount of repro
- Emergency: lacerations, colic workups, medical colic treatment
- Ophthalmology: cyclosporine implants, uveitis management, enucleations
- Surgery: Castration, cryptorchids, neurectomy, minor orthopedics
- Food animal
- Primarily 4H projects/goats/sheep/beef cattle
- Pot-bellied pig surgery and care
- Minor herd management (health plans, palpations, ultrasound for pregnancy)
- Small animal cases
- Excellent medicine – We are well equipped with the right equipment to provide the best care for our patients including: ligasure, surgical laser, endoscopy, in house labs, ultrasound and more.
- Extensive laboratory experience – Learn how to read fecals, urinalyses, skin cytologies, FNAs, uterine cytologies and more. Learn how to process and package samples for outside diagnostic labs.
- Surgical experience – Depending on the level of experience and time of year, we work with our local humane society to get surgical experience for our students. Senior externs can expect to have some excellent hands-on surgical time.
- Fun and Inspiring working with a GREAT staff in a fantastic atmosphere.
- Tenured staff with one RVT and two other advanced assistants who are RVT board eligible. All staff are willing to teach and enjoy having students.
- Housing – Several options are available provided by us.
What we expect from you:
- Engagement – Research about ongoing cases. Look up drugs that you are unfamiliar with. Formulate questions about medications and treatments. We do not expect you to know everything! But, the more you engage with us, the more we will engage with you and the better your experience!
- Professionalism – Our clients LOVE our students. Practicing your professionalism and communication (both verbal and nonverbal) will develop soft skills that are essential to success in the veterinary profession.
- Teamwork – Our team loves to teach. Stay busy, chip in, ask where you can help, and you will reap benefits from the entire staff!