Farm Animal and Production Internships

[CanVet23]

Hey everyone! I am a current DVM student in Canada and am really interested in large animal medicine, particularly food/production animal. I was half thinking of pursuing an internship after graduation (or perhaps after a year or two in practice) and saw that some schools in the US offer an ambulatory farm animal/production medicine internship.

I was just curious if anyone who is completing/has completed one or has any experience with them had some advice? I really like the ambulatory (going TO farms) aspect of production medicine. And so not sure if I would like a large animal medicine internship in the hospital setting (referral cases only kind of thing).

I know Cornell has an ambulatory and production medicine internship - something like that sounds really interesting!

Any advice or information would be great. Thanks so much everyone!

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[KCgophervet]

Hey everyone! I am a current DVM student in Canada and am really interested in large animal medicine, particularly food/production animal. I was half thinking of pursuing an internship after graduation (or perhaps after a year or two in practice) and saw that some schools in the US offer an ambulatory farm animal/production medicine internship.

I was just curious if anyone who is completing/has completed one or has any experience with them had some advice? I really like the ambulatory (going TO farms) aspect of production medicine. And so not sure if I would like a large animal medicine internship in the hospital setting (referral cases only kind of thing).

I know Cornell has an ambulatory and production medicine internship - something like that sounds really interesting!

Any advice or information would be great. Thanks so much everyone!

Would you want to do this in order to then go on and pursue a residency? Otherwise I cannot for the life of me think of a reason to do an internship AFTER a year or two of practice. Otherwise I have no helpful information for you unfortunately, that phrase just stuck out to me and felt like needed clarifying

 

[CanVet23]

I appreciate your input! I guess I was thinking a little more expertise or comfort with the knowledge and a year of a high case-load would be beneficial. But I think you're right that either it's something one could do right after graduating in order to feel more comfortable and be more competitive in the job market when going in to practice. But I have also thought about a residency for sure, it's on the table.

 

[deleted387118]

I did Virginia-Marylands food animal 99% ambulatory internship. PM me if you have specific questions.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Would you want to do this in order to then go on and pursue a residency? Otherwise I cannot for the life of me think of a reason to do an internship AFTER a year or two of practice. Otherwise I have no helpful information for you unfortunately, that phrase just stuck out to me and felt like needed clarifying

Doing an internship and residency after a few years of practice actually makes great sense. I wish more vets did that. Apparently in the U.K., that's the way it's always done.....it's just about impossible to pursue a specialty without a few years in practice. I wish it was like that in this side of the pond.


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[KCgophervet]

Doing an internship and residency after a few years of practice actually makes great sense. I wish more vets did that. Apparently in the U.K., that's the way it's always done.....it's just about impossible to pursue a specialty without a few years in practice. I wish it was like that in this side of the pond.


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Internship and residency yes. Just an internship with no plan to specialize, no way.

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[CalliopeDVM]

Internship and residency yes. Just an internship with no plan to specialize, no way.

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If you're going to do an internship only, I don't see why it's worse doing it after a few years of general practice.......after all, the experience and knowledge is the same. I personally would never recommend an internship only without a residency, but if someone's going to do it, I still think it's better after a few years of practice. Vets who do an internship immediately after graduation do no better in general practice than those grads who didn't do an internship, in my experience of working with them. I think it's much smarter to learn some of the challenges of general practice first if you're looking to do an internship to gain more knowledge to help you in general practice.

 

[KCgophervet]

If you're going to do an internship only, I don't see why it's worse doing it after a few years of general practice.......after all, the experience and knowledge is the same. I personally would never recommend an internship only without a residency, but if someone's going to do it, I still think it's better after a few years of practice. Vets who do an internship immediately after graduation do no better in general practice than those grads who didn't do an internship, in my experience of working with them. I think it's much smarter to learn some of the challenges of general practice first if you're looking to do an internship to gain more knowledge to help you in general practice.

I guess the only way I could even see justifying an internship without going on to a residency is for the additional mentorship and support as a new grad. I just can't imagine going back to insanely lower pay and ridiculous hours without a bigger goal in mind.

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[Lupin21]

I guess the only way I could even see justifying an internship without going on to a residency is for the additional mentorship and support as a new grad. I just can't imagine going back to insanely lower pay and ridiculous hours without a bigger goal in mind.

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agreed. No need to suddenly go back to zero pay to learn things that you already are being exposed to as practitioner and can enhance through specific CE.

 

[CanVet23]

Wow all great input everyone, thank you! My initial thought, as I mentioned, was that right after graduation having some really good mentorship in the form of an internship, before looking for a full time job in practice, would make you feel more comfortable and perhaps make you more competitive in the job market. But it's a good point that an internship.....IS practice, in a way. And if you're smart about finding a practice that HAS great mentorship, they are almost one and the same. I think there is a good chance (at least this is how I feel currently) that I will specialize/complete a residency.

Anyone else complete farm/food animal internships?

Thanks again all!