These are just a few of the externships that Ross students took on over the past several months. Typically lasting two weeks, externships allow students to explore their veterinary interests by immersing themselves in a professional environment off-campus. Read on to get a firsthand look into four students’ unique experiences.
High Quality, Low Cost
Name: Carmella Britt, 10th semester student
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Practice: Charlotte Humane Society, a small animal shelter
Not only did Carmella gain lots of surgery experience, she also got practice in anesthesia in addition to routine wellness exams and vaccinations at this animal shelter.
“I started off slowly, spending the first day observing her surgery technique, but very quickly moved to helping with surgeries. By the start of my second week I was flying solo with Dr. Lee very close by should I need any assistance. I felt very confident in both cat and dog neuters by the end having completed 19 in total on my own.”
One Fish, Two Fish, Catfish!
Name: Irene Yen, 9th semester student
Location: Stoneville, Mississippi
Practice: Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Cente, an MSU extension site
Irene worked in the diagnostic services lab that provides aid to catfish producers in the surrounding region. She also participated in field sampling and was exposed to the common diseases of catfish via disease case submissions as well as previously prepared samples.
“Did you know that catfish do not have scales? Or, that aquaculture is the fastest growing food production industry in the United States? I learned this and much more during my externship.”
Moo-ving On Up
Name: Amanda Foard
Location: Rural Indiana
Practice: 4-doctor mixed animal practice that sees beef and dairy cattle, small ruminants and companion animals
Amanda was able to palpate 15-25 cows per day and accompany veterinarians on their trips to local dairy farms.
“Between visits, we discussed different issues each client was facing on their farm--whether it was poor pregnancy rates, abortions, or high somatic cell counts—and the plan of action for each situation. As the clinic has a large percentage of Amish clients, it was fascinating to see the varieties of management practices used without modern milking equipment.”
Networking in North Carolina
Name: Jamie Walkush, 6th semester student
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Practice: The Animal Medical Center, a busy 10-doctor practice open 24 hours with a separate ICU and medical boarding for patients with special needs
Jamie shadowed a different doctor each day, and was able to see many styles of communication and different types of cases.
“One of my favorite aspects of the externship was the networking experience. Everyone was very interested in hearing about my experiences at Ross, and I was excited to represent my school. The doctors treated me as an equal, often asking me for my thoughts on the cases.”