For DVM and nursing students interested in ER, VEG externships provide the opportunity to train alongside our experienced doctors and nurses. Through mentorship and hands-on experience, students get a crash course in what it’s like to work in veterinary emergency, so they can decide whether they want a future in ER too!
A VEG DVM EXTERNSHIP: AN ER-FOCUSED ALTERNATIVE TO A DVM INTERNSHIP
With our DVM externship—offered to 3rd and 4th year students—participants have the flexibility to choose when they want to start and which location they want to extern. Externs are paired up with a senior doctor who will give them an inside look at what it's like to work in ER—from working with customers, to diagnosing a variety of emergency conditions, to developing emergency treatment plans, and more. The experience gives students a true understanding of what it’s like to work in emergency vet med, as well as confidence and clarity about whether ER is their passion. And the stats don’t lie!
We’ve received 799 applications to our DVM externship program already this year!
Last year, 80% of our DVM externs said that the program helped solidify a newfound interest in working in ER.
DISCOVER THE VEG EXTERNSHIP FOR VET MED NURSING
For students interested in a career in veterinary nursing, the VEG nursing externship program is available at any point in their schooling, and they can choose when they want to start and where they want to extern. With one-on-one support from a credentialed veterinary nurse, each extern will learn everything from triaging emergency cases, to running diagnostic tests, to working with customers and patients. The program’s success is truly in the numbers:
We’ve received 274 applications to our nursing externship program already this year!
80% of our nursing externs were hired into roles at VEG after graduation. We’d call that a success!
To top it off, in 2024, 348 DVM and nursing externships were completed at 71 different VEG hospitals—and an additional 350 externships are actively underway!
A VEG EXTERNSHIP IS LIKE THE ULTIMATE VET MED INTERNSHIP
So what do participants really think of our DVM and nursing extern programs? We asked some of the students about their experiences, and this is what they had to say:
What was your favorite part about your VEG extern experience?
“I've really been enjoying everything. I am definitely seeing a variety of cases, plus lots of exotics, which I've never really worked with, so that's an amazing experience. Also I was able to scrub into a foreign body surgery last week on a beautiful ragdoll cat!”
—Colleen Leung, DVM Extern, San Jose, CA
“The team has been spectacular. Truthfully, I’ve had moments where I have to remind myself that I don't actually work here. The doctors are amazing, the nurses are amazing, and I'm sad that I only have three shifts left! I am learning a ton and the doctors are challenging me and teaching me so much!”
—Jaren Martin, DVM Extern, Denver, CO
“This was my third externship and by far my favorite. It was so helpful having a mentor, especially right at the beginning when I was still getting used to the set up of VEG. I had a great learning experience and everyone at Shrewsbury was so welcoming and kind!”
—Kelsey Durant, Nursing Extern, Shrewsbury, MA
“I’ve gotten to see lots of cases and everyone has been so kind. Dr. Boiskin has been great at explaining things and testing my knowledge. It definitely has been a great new learning experience, I wish I could have had more time!”
—Amanda Thomas, DVM Extern, Lincoln Park, IL
What was the best thing you learned?
“I currently work in a GP veterinary hospital and have learned that my heart is in ER medicine. I loved the atmosphere of VEG, and the open concept environment made me realize that animals do a lot better than when they're taken to the back with their owners. I will always be grateful for the opportunity I've had with VEG and extremely grateful to all of the staff, who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone to better myself as a person.”
—Taylor Breiten, Nursing Extern, Commack, NY
“I had the best time at my externship. Everyone was very welcoming, and I learned a lot from all of the staff, not just my mentors. My skills and confidence have greatly improved, and I was sad to leave at the end of my externship.”
—Miriam Newman-Marshall, Nursing Extern, Columbia, MD
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Are you ready to learn the foundations of ER the VEG way? Excited to see what it’s really like to work in ER? Our 2025 DVM externship application, which runs January through June, opens on 8/1, and applications for our nursing externship are always open here.
