Garden State Veterinary Specialists vs. Animal Medical Center in NY for Externship then Internship

[BeYourOwnHero]

Hello all,

I am a third year vet student who is planning my 4th year small animal specialty externship on the East Coast and I have heard good things about both of these facilities for externships and eventual internships. I plan to do an internship and residency after graduation and I am interested in Neurology and Oncology.

I was hoping to hear some feedback from anyone who has done an externship or even an internship at either of these hospitals so I can decide which one to pursue!

Thank you very much in advance!

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[jmo1012]

i havent been to either of these places, but i highly recommend visiting both of them over the summer/fall prior to applying to make sure the environment feels like a reasonable fit for you. both of these places have extremely high caseloads which comes with a set of pros and cons. i would also see if you can email an intern at each place (closer to virmp opening date) and find out what they really think. you'd be amazed at how open and honest people will be! GSVS pretty much requires an interview for applicants, and AMC schedules them after you've applied (and you must be able to attend in order to be considered).

you should look at their websites to help you decide where you want to pursue rather than rely on word of mouth from previous externs, because its a very personal decision why you think you would or would not fit.

 

[laitmanvet]

I went to GSVS last summer for an externship and I wasn't a fan. I didn't end up applying for the internship there. I'm sure some people like it but there were too many turn-offs for me. I highly recommend red bank hospital however. I had a really good externship experience there and it's only a few miles away.

 

[lei325]

Angell Memorial in MA is a really good place, too. Also heard good things from people I know from vet school doing externships at AMC. Definitely agree with laitmanvet; visit first and make sure you like the environment you'll be working in. It makes a huge difference when you like the people you work with.

 

[BeYourOwnHero]

i havent been to either of these places, but i highly recommend visiting both of them over the summer/fall prior to applying to make sure the environment feels like a reasonable fit for you. both of these places have extremely high caseloads which comes with a set of pros and cons. i would also see if you can email an intern at each place (closer to virmp opening date) and find out what they really think. you'd be amazed at how open and honest people will be! GSVS pretty much requires an interview for applicants, and AMC schedules them after you've applied (and you must be able to attend in order to be considered).

you should look at their websites to help you decide where you want to pursue rather than rely on word of mouth from previous externs, because its a very personal decision why you think you would or would not fit.

Thank you very much for the advice! I agree, that getting to know the place beforehand will really help my selection process, I will be sure to visit before I apply for an internship when the time comes for that, unfortunately I am currently located in Indiana, and I will likely not be able to visit before the externship that will be in a few months. I appreciate your input and I will keep it in mind, thanks again.

 

[BeYourOwnHero]

I went to GSVS last summer for an externship and I wasn't a fan. I didn't end up applying for the internship there. I'm sure some people like it but there were too many turn-offs for me. I highly recommend red bank hospital however. I had a really good externship experience there and it's only a few miles away.

Thanks for responding, I appreciate your honesty! Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[BeYourOwnHero]

Angell Memorial in MA is a really good place, too. Also heard good things from people I know from vet school doing externships at AMC. Definitely agree with laitmanvet; visit first and make sure you like the environment you'll be working in. It makes a huge difference when you like the people you work with.

Thank you so much for your input!

 

[jmo1012]

Thank you very much for the advice! I agree, that getting to know the place beforehand will really help my selection process, I will be sure to visit before I apply for an internship when the time comes for that, unfortunately I am currently located in Indiana, and I will likely not be able to visit before the externship that will be in a few months. I appreciate your input and I will keep it in mind, thanks again.

i dont think you need to visit before your externship. and i dont think you have to visit every place for an internship (i wasnt able to visit at all), but i think that if you are going to apply to programs with really heavy reputations, you should try to visit if possible and definitely speak with interns either way. ultimately its just a year of your life though, so if you're super miserable for a year, at least its only temporary

 

[lei325]

i dont think you need to visit before your externship. and i dont think you have to visit every place for an internship (i wasnt able to visit at all), but i think that if you are going to apply to programs with really heavy reputations, you should try to visit if possible and definitely speak with interns either way. ultimately its just a year of your life though, so if you're super miserable for a year, at least its only temporary

You don't need to visit prior to an externship, unless the application close date is before you do your externship. Also, I can guarantee you that most internships will pick from a pool of applicants that have completed an externship with them.

Also, yeah, it's a year of your life...but a year is a surprisingly long time. Take it from a girl who is 9 months deep into an internship. I'm lucky in that I'm working with some really great people and I get along with everyone here really well (also a smaller place). BUT I still struggle, I still have bad days/weeks/months, and I work 90-110 hrs a week sometimes. I also have friends who graduated with me that have been actively looking for a different job/internship since practically the beginning of their internship. You're already sacrificing your paycheck to learn more, gain more experience, and get a rocking reference...but don't sacrifice your mental/emotional health. A bad job is a bad job, even if it's only for a year.