Externships during clinical year - how to choose?

[Islandvetgirl2016]

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Hello everyone,

This is my first thread. I am new here and really in need of some advice. I have asked multiple professors and I know no one person can give me an answer. I have to make the decision myself. I am feeling so much pressure of the experiences during clinical year to prepare me for a job right after graduating. Yes, I am trying to find a job right after graduating. Any veterinarians in large animal practice looking for a new grad feel free to contact me! I am also posting this because I know there are other students out there who have this issue.

Any way here is my dilemma. I want to practice large animals - whether its large animal wildlife/zoo, large marine mammals, production animal (cattle), or equine. I love it all. I grew up riding horses so I naturally feel more comfortable with them. However, I love production animal also. Many externship are either Equine surgery/sport medicine ( which I love) or production animal experience (calving season etc.) I have one externship with the WCS which I am so excited for because it is my dream to work for a wildlife/fishery department of a state working to monitor diseases.. rescue release etc. And I have one more externship block to fill. The description of the Senior Veterinary Student Externship in Wildlife Medicine for the California department of fish and wildlife is literally my dream job! (missed the deadline for that application). On the other hand I am trying to be practical about finding a job to pay off my loans so I thought maybe my second externship either horses or cattle. As you can see I am kind of all over the place. How do you know which one to choose? Equine or production and then how do you choose a practice? I have 3-4 practices I am interested in. but then should I choose wehre I am moving after graduation? Or should I choose a location I have never been before for the experience of travel?

 

[pp9]

Hello everyone,

This is my first thread. I am new here and really in need of some advice. I have asked multiple professors and I know no one person can give me an answer. I have to make the decision myself. I am feeling so much pressure of the experiences during clinical year to prepare me for a job right after graduating. Yes, I am trying to find a job right after graduating. Any veterinarians in large animal practice looking for a new grad feel free to contact me! I am also posting this because I know there are other students out there who have this issue.

Any way here is my dilemma. I want to practice large animals - whether its large animal wildlife/zoo, large marine mammals, production animal (cattle), or equine. I love it all. I grew up riding horses so I naturally feel more comfortable with them. However, I love production animal also. Many externship are either Equine surgery/sport medicine ( which I love) or production animal experience (calving season etc.) I have one externship with the WCS which I am so excited for because it is my dream to work for a wildlife/fishery department of a state working to monitor diseases.. rescue release etc. And I have one more externship block to fill. The description of the Senior Veterinary Student Externship in Wildlife Medicine for the California department of fish and wildlife is literally my dream job! (missed the deadline for that application). On the other hand I am trying to be practical about finding a job to pay off my loans so I thought maybe my second externship either horses or cattle. As you can see I am kind of all over the place. How do you know which one to choose? Equine or production and then how do you choose a practice? I have 3-4 practices I am interested in. but then should I choose wehre I am moving after graduation? Or should I choose a location I have never been before for the experience of travel?

How much experience can your school offer in equine or production? For example, my school has a decent equine caseload including foaling, surgery, etc (imo anyways, someone who wants to do equine may feel differently). We lack production med experience and many of my classmates who want production med careers have scheduled as many externships as possible. I would ask around at school if anyone has heard of any good places to extern. I have seen people use the vet student FB group 'Externship Housing Locator' for externship location advice too.

If you hope to be hired by a specific clinic, I would suggest to extern there. However, I would try to schedule it towards the end of your clinical year when you're more confident in yourself and your abilities so you can give the best impression! Travel experience never hurts, but personally I chose most of my externships based on the fact that they were driving distance from my fiance's house, which saved me a ton of money.