Externship Request Goof

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KCgophervet

Lab Animal Vet
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Okay so here's the situation. I am a 3rd year vet student, interested in lab animal, applying for externships for 4th year rotations. I'm currently doing a summer fellowship in lab animal working with post-doc residents (something I hope to be doing in 2 years) and I took their advice seriously when considering where to go for my 4th year. 3 of them highly recommended the good primate experience they got at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I hadn't really looked into it before, but based on their recommendation I found a lab animal externship at MD Anderson CC on the ASLAP website, applied, and booked a 2 week externship there for January 2017.

Here's where the problem comes up: I applied to the wrong externship. Apparently MD Anderson CC has multiple locations in Texas, and multiple lab animal externships. One in Houston is generic traditional lab animal (which is where I erroneously applied), and the one I meant to apply to is in Bastrop and is the primate-focused one.

So my good colleagues and future colleagues, what should I do?? Do I just accept that I mucked it up and go to Houston for some (probably good, but a bit redundant) lab animal experience? Do I hope that I am granted additional externships (another story, but a possibility) and just apply to go to Bastrop the next block and spend 4 weeks in Jan-Feb in Texas (kind of appealing, but not guaranteed)? Or do I email the people in charge of the Houston experience, explain the situation, apologize profusely, and rescind my application?

I don't want to look like an idiot (though clearly sometimes I reflect one) or come off as unprofessional, but I don't want to miss out on a great primate externship either.

Help!
 
If there's a chance you can't do both Houston and Bastrop, I would email, apologize profusely and try to get this straightened out so you get the primate experience. I found primate work very different from other lab animal work and I would encourage you to get som primate experience prior to residency applications. Everyone makes mistakes, relax.
 
I've been to both the Houston and Bastrop locations and if the people in charge of externships are as nice as the people we worked with, then I wouldn't hesitate to contact them to let them know the situation. Bastrop has an amazing facility--I'd definitely not miss the opportunity if possible!
 
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