Summer experience-when to start planning for it

[jenk]

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I'm starting vet school this month and was wondering when would be a good time to start thinking/planning for a good summer externship etc. (I know, I'm thinking too far ahead..😳....)

Does any upperclassman know when opportunities starts arising? Does school usually have a database of what is available? What is your experience, what did you/will you do in the past/upcoming summers?

What would be more valuable to prepare yourself to be a competitive applicant for interships? Things that are more clinical based or research??
Is it hard to find a research position at the school usually?

Sorry for the long post, I'm just a little worry 😕 since I don't really have any plans yet. I don't want to procrastinate too long and missed all the good opportunities and end up wasting my summers. 😱

 

[Kat0303]

Good for you for thinking ahead! But, don't worry. You'll hear all about the summer opportunities throughout the year. My school has summer internship information with application deadlines on the student website. I imagine most schools have that information available to the students.

For me it wasn't difficult to get a research job at school over the summer. Most of the students worked at private clinics, and a few did internships. So, don't worry! You're as in the dark about summer stuff as everyone else in your class, and there should be plenty of stuff to do during the summer to go around. The internships/research stuff don't expect you to have applications in until closer to summer.

Hope that helps!🙂

 

[jenk]

Thanks Kat. That ease my mind up a little bit. I guess I'm just worrying too much!! 😳

 

[spikey]

Hey jenk! Congrats on starting vet school soon! 🙂

I'm a third year, and my classmates and I have been through our two summers (all gone 🙁). What people do in the summer really varies, I think, especially depending on what in particular interests you in vet medicine.

Externships are certainly great things to get you out there and see other practices and aspects of medicine. Your school should know of great places to go, and also, if you go to the internship/residency matching site (http://www.virmp.org/), you can find other places. Usually if they take interns, they take externs too.

Don't feel guilty if you want some of your summer to yourself, too. Its understandable! I chose to work at an animal hospital as an assistant for the first one, and did research with my school for this one. Both really great experiences!

I'm pretty sure, though, that during the year and as you near the summer, your school should be giving you ideas about what to do and what is available during the summer. A good idea is to also talk with the upperclassmen at your school - they should know of some good things to do in the area.

Good luck in school! 😀

 

[jenk]

Thank you, I'm starting to get a little anxious about school.

Thanks for the info. I guess i'll just have to stay put for a little bit....🙄

 

[Alice T]

If you're looking for work experience then i've just got back from an amazing place in France! It's a camel farm/animal park based in the south-west (close to pau and toulouse) and it offers work experience opportunities to gap year students, vet students and advanced animal behaviour courses for vets in practice. I gained loads of hands on experience that i never thought possible and learnt so much at the same time! It's owned by an English family and they take students from all over the globe on things like EMS programmes. If you google 'camelsinfrance' then you'll find the website! It's so good that i'm going back! Enjoy!

 

[McVillesMom]

I'm pretty sure, though, that during the year and as you near the summer, your school should be giving you ideas about what to do and what is available during the summer.

Not necessarily. Every school is different, but ours does very little in this regard - I've done three externships so far (on the fourth now and have one more to go!) and I had to take the initiative to find out about them and set them up entirely on my own. That said, I did get a lot of recommendations from upperclassmen and also talked to one of the faculty about good places to go. I am equine-oriented, so I've spent this summer (my last!) doing equine externships, but last summer I worked at a small animal clinic that was close to home.

I can only speak from an equine perspective, but some of the really competitive places in our area start filling up in December for summer externships. Generally speaking, if you want to do an internship, you should do at least one externship at the clinic you want to intern at (more is better) so they know who you are and what you're like.

Hope this helps you a little! Good luck, and don't worry, you have plenty of time - although it does go by fast!

 

[bern]

Check out the Merck-Merial Summer Scholars Program if your vet school participates (I think most of them do). You get paid about $5000 to do a research project over the summer and they send all the participants to Symposium at whichever vet school is hosting for the year to present posters. All trip expenses were paid, at least when I went.