Externships

Typical Activities

The goals in taking on veterinary student externs are to give them an opportunity to see how a diagnostic laboratory operates, to incorporate that understanding into their knowledge of veterinary medicine, and to allow students to explore diagnostics as a potential career path.  Externs engage with WSVL faculty and staff on both daily cases and ongoing research.  Under the guidance of WSVL faculty, examples of activities include:

• Assisting on the necropsy floor

• Drafting necropsy finding

• Reviewing histology slides

• Cutting-in surgical accessions and other submitted tissues

• Giving presentations and doing literature searches

• Field visits

• Examinations of wildlife specimens with personnel from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department

• Participating in current research

Requirements

• Status as a current student at an accredited college of veterinary medicine

• Rabies vaccination and protective rabies titer

• Private health insurance

• Personal copies of histology, pathology, and veterinary textbooks

• Access to a vehicle (strongly recommended)

Success in the Externship

The best externs bring a positive, curious attitude and actively engage in the daily processes of the laboratory.  As the laboratory’s primary function is to serve clientele, externs must be flexible and willing to take part in whatever is required for the day.  With the unique, hands-on experience of a veterinary diagnostic externship comes the possibility of exposure to potentially infectious agents.  Taking care to follow safety procedures and work as a team ensures students get the most out of their externships.