Ways To Get Veterinary Experience for Vet School Applications

Since the start of your pre-vet studies, you’ve likely anticipated gaining clinical experience — but you might be unsure how to find internship or job shadowing opportunities. You may have wondered, “Can I get into vet school without clinical experience?” It’s incredibly rare — close to impossible — for students to be accepted without clinical experience, since most vet schools in the U.S. require it as part of their admission process.

This guide explores different ways you can gain experience and who you should consult if you have trouble finding the right experiences for you.

Why Veterinary Experience Matters for Applications

The path to becoming a veterinarian is a rigorous one. By gaining experience before applying to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program, you’ll go into the process more aware of the realities veterinarians face. Clinical experience also shows schools that you’re taking the initiative to build critical skills — like professionalism in changing scenarios and resilience — that can take you far in your veterinary career.

Engaging in diverse clinical experiences can also help you clarify your personal career goals and give you more stories to reference when crafting personal statements and during your vet school interview.

Common Types of Experience for Vet School Applications

While it’s tempting to stick to one kind of experience, diversifying can provide you with more insight into veterinary medicine and help you decide what kind of vet you want to become in the future. Regardless of which experiences you choose to pursue, keep a journal to reflect on your feelings and insights.

For support finding any of the experiences mentioned below, start by speaking with your pre-vet studies advisor or calling around to local shelters, clinics, or rescues.

Shadow a Veterinarian

Shadowing a veterinarian allows you to see them in action. You’ll receive a front row seat to everything from client introductions to general wellness checks. Depending on the specialty of the veterinarian you shadow, you may be able to join them in the field as they care for livestock or equine species.  

When shadowing, aim to explore different environments — like zoos, aquariums, clinics, wildlife organizations, shelters, etc. — to gain a well-rounded view of the different kinds of veterinarians that exist, and get different perspectives on animal care.

Volunteer at an Animal Shelter or Rescue

Animal shelters often need extra hands, and volunteering at one can enrich how you approach and handle animals in the future. At an animal shelter or rescue, you can help feed, clean, and provide emotional support for shy or even traumatized animals. You can help socialize them, create games that enrich their time at the shelter, and train them on basic manners and commands to give them a better chance at being adopted into a loving home.

You may also help with community events that raise awareness of pet ownership responsibility or the benefits of spaying or neutering pets, make cute profiles for adoptable animals on the shelter’s website, and more. Under supervision, you may also be able to help animals recover from surgeries or illnesses and administer routine treatments and medication. You’ll be able make a difference in the lives of stray or surrendered animals when they need it the most.

Although the focus of this experience isn’t medical care, it teaches you to care for animals in high-stress situations, read animal body language, and safely restrain them if necessary. This is a great way to build your emotional intelligence and compassion for animals.  

Participate in an Internship or Pre-Vet Summer Program

Internships and summer programs are a great way to gain experience caring for patients under the supervision of licensed veterinarians. Your school may offer summer experiences for pre-vet students, or you can research opportunities offered by nationwide veterinary chains.  

Banfield Pet Hospital offers the NextVet^™ internship, which allows you to shadow different positions that support animal care. You’ll get to watch the Banfield team as they care for animals as well as participate in group sessions that offer insight into different facets of the veterinary industry.

Seneca Park Zoo’s AAB Pre-Veterinary internship is a four-week, paid opportunity that sharpens your research skills, teaches you to provide preventative care for zoo animals such as primates, reptiles, marine mammals, elephants, and much more. With such broad exposure and experience in your arsenal, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the different kinds of care you can provide and what kind of animals you want to work with after graduation.

Another lesser-known option is studying abroad. Some schools have programs that allow you to work closely with veterinarians outside of your country. You can gain insight into veterinary care on a global scale, expand your personal and professional network, and gain clinical experience caring for wildlife, exotic animals, or marine animals.

Gain Large Animal or Avian Experience

Gaining veterinary experience doesn’t necessarily mean looking for indoor opportunities. Spending time with a large animal vet as they’re on a farm or in a stable exposes you to the unique, yet rewarding challenges that come with herd health management, equine care, and livestock medicine.  

Gaining experience on a farm may also allow those drawn to avian medicine to work with chickens. Other opportunities in avian medicine include:

• Raptor rehab centers like Glen Helen
• International Bird Rescue
• Campus farms
• The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV)

AAV offers an Avian Veterinary Clinical Competency Program (AVCCP) designed to build your understanding of caring for companion avian species. Through a series of learning modules, you’ll learn how to:

• Perform visual and physical exams
• Properly care for and provide nutritional advice for psittacines
• Safely handle and restrain birds  
• And more

If avian medicine doesn’t interest you, you can also look for opportunities at large cat sanctuaries, elephant sanctuaries, or primate sanctuaries.

Take Part in Laboratory or Research Roles

Veterinary research plays a critical role in both human and animal health. Lab work and research projects help you build transferable skills that can benefit your career whether you choose to work in a local clinic or choose to train the next generation of veterinarians.

Speak with your pre-veterinary instructors about any upcoming research projects they’re conducting and see if you can join.

How Much Professional Experience Do You Need Before Applying to Vet School?

The exact number of hours you need can vary by school, but Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (Ross Vet) requires applicants to have at least 150 hours. It’s strongly encouraged that pre-vet students gain even more. It can strengthen your application and, more importantly, give you clarity into why veterinary school is the right fit for you.

Remember, the admission team wants to see your commitment to the veterinary field, why these experiences mattered to you, and how they have prepared you for veterinary training.

How To Make Your Experience Count

Keep a journal to log your hours and reflect on what happened each day. Some questions that can help guide you include:

• What happened today that surprised, challenged, or inspired me? Why?
• What’s one thing I learned today that changed how I view veterinary medicine as a career?
• When did I feel most outside of my comfort zone today? How did I respond to it?
• How did I help the team and contribute to animal well-being today?
• How did today affirm or challenge my decision to become a veterinarian?  

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get experience for vet school if I don’t have connections?

If you don’t have immediate connections, start small. Speak with your pre-vet advisor about opportunities or call local vet clinics and animal shelters. If you want a paper trail, send an email instead of calling.

What counts as veterinary experience?

Any experience gained under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian counts. This could be assisting with research, shadowing, completing an internship, or volunteering.

Is shadowing a vet enough?

Only you can decide that. If shadowing is the only way you want to gain experience, aim to shadow vets with different specialties. This will expose you to various work environments and the nuances in caring for different species.

Start Gaining Experience

The sooner you start gaining experience, the more time you will have to explore different specialties and settings. You’ll also have more time to build connections with instructors and mentors who can write glowing recommendations on your behalf.

When you’re ready to start your vet studies, apply to Ross Vet!

Questions for Admissions

Let us know what questions you have about Ross Vet and a member of our Admissions team will be in touch. 

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