Veterinary Technician Externship

The Wildlife Center of Virginia offers externship opportunities to veterinary technicians seeking further experience in wildlife medicine. This unpaid training program is supervised by a licensed veterinary technician in addition to three staff veterinarians, a diagnostic intern, and two wildlife rehabilitators. Externships are offered throughout the year, providing space is available during the requested time period. During the externship, technician students assist with daily patient treatments, diagnostics (including radiology, hematology, parasitology, and cytology), hospital maintenance, record-keeping, surgery prep, animal husbandry, and enrichment. Externship students typically work 45 hours a week, but this is dependent on the season and case load. Information for school credit can be provided as needed.

Depending on the length of stay and credit requirements, the student may be asked to give an informal presentation to the staff on a topic to be decided by the student and a member of the veterinary staff. Topics may include a case report on a treated patient, information on a common disease seen in patients admitted to the Center, or a short cross-training class given to the Center’s staff.

If requested, the Center will provide housing for a nominal cost ($75/week) and a student vehicle is available for travel to and from the Center if needed. Externs are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis, and available positions often fill up six to 12 months in advance. Please note that pre-exposure rabies vaccination is required in order to be accepted for an externship.

Please note, this is an unpaid externship.

Application Process

Complete applications have four components, which can be sent to vetexternship@wildlifecenter.org

Following receipt of your application, we will confirm availability and proposed dates for the externship. Final confirmation will occur after we receive a $75 deposit to hold the externship dates. When accepted into the program, students will be sent a copy of the Veterinary Technician Externship manual in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine in preparation for your arrival.