Description
Veterinary Student Externship
Económico Animal Hospital offers veterinary students an immersive clinical externship in a high-volume small-animal practice serving a diverse community in the Los Angeles area. Our hospital combines general practice with urgent and emergency care, providing students with exposure to a broad range of medical, surgical, dental, and hospitalized cases.
Our goal is to provide an educational experience that goes beyond observation. Externs are encouraged to become actively involved in cases, ask questions, develop differential diagnoses, interpret diagnostic findings, and discuss treatment plans with our veterinarians. Clinical participation is based on the student's level of training and is performed under appropriate veterinarian supervision.
Students may gain exposure to general medicine, urgent and emergency care, digital radiography, ultrasound, FAST/TFAST examinations, in-house laboratory diagnostics, dentistry and dental radiography, anesthesia, soft-tissue surgery, orthopedic procedures, hospitalization, fluid therapy, pain management, and patient monitoring.
Externs are encouraged to follow cases from initial presentation through diagnostic workup, treatment, hospitalization or surgery, and discharge whenever possible. This provides students with an opportunity to understand not only individual procedures, but also the clinical reasoning and decision-making involved in managing a case from beginning to end.
Our high-volume environment allows students to encounter a wide variety of presentations during a relatively short rotation. Externs can also gain insight into real-world practice management, client communication, medical documentation, workflow, and collaboration between veterinarians and the veterinary support team.
We welcome veterinary students at different stages of their education. The experience can be tailored to the student's current clinical knowledge, interests, and goals. Students with particular interests in surgery, emergency/urgent care, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, or general practice are encouraged to communicate those interests with our team.
We are looking for students who are motivated, professional, curious, and eager to learn. Questions and case discussions are encouraged, and our veterinarians aim to create an environment where students can strengthen their clinical reasoning, practical skills, and confidence as they prepare to enter veterinary practice!
Application
If you are interested in completing an externship with Económico Animal Hospital, please feel free to reach out! When contacting us, please include the veterinary school you are currently attending, your current year of study, the dates or timeframe you are interested in completing your externship, and any specific areas of veterinary medicine you are particularly interested in exploring.
We look forward to welcoming students who are excited to learn, gain hands-on clinical exposure, and experience the day-to-day practice of veterinary medicine with our team!
Requirements
- Currently enrolled in an accredited veterinary medicine program or a recent veterinary graduate
- Strong interest in small-animal general practice, urgent care, and surgery
- Professional, reliable, and willing to learn in a fast-paced clinical environment
- Comfortable working with dogs and cats of various sizes and temperaments
- Able to communicate professionally with veterinarians, staff, and clients
- Willing to participate in case discussions and accept constructive feedback
- Must follow hospital safety, infection-control, radiation-safety, and patient-handling protocols
- Must maintain patient and client confidentiality
