Veterinary Externship Programme – VetnCare (Northern California)

Supporting Your Journey Into Practice

At VetnCare, we’re passionate about supporting veterinary students as they prepare to enter clinical practice. Our externship programme is designed to provide meaningful, hands-on experience in a supportive and collaborative environment.

During your time with us, you’ll work alongside experienced veterinarians, gain exposure to real clinical cases, and develop the confidence and practical skills needed to transition successfully into practice.

Programme Objectives

Throughout your externship, you’ll build essential clinical and professional skills to support your move from veterinary school into practice.

You will gain exposure to:

• Patient history taking and clinical examinations
• Diagnostic planning and case workups
• Treatment planning and case presentations
• Preventive care consultations
• Urgent care case management
• Dentistry and dental radiography
• Surgical workflow and perioperative care
• Client communication and case discussions
• Emergency medicine (location dependent)
• Exotic animal medicine (location dependent)

This experience will help you develop clinical reasoning, communication, and teamwork skills essential for modern veterinary practice.

You’ll also have the opportunity to explore potential new graduate career pathways within VetnCare.

Your Externship Experience (2 Weeks)

Week 1: Understanding the Practice Environment

• Shadow veterinarians during consultations
• Observe diagnostics, treatment planning, and case management
• Gain exposure to surgery and dentistry workflows
• Learn how a busy veterinary hospital operates

This week focuses on building context—understanding decision-making, teamwork, and patient care delivery.

Week 2: Hands-On Clinical Experience

• Take a more active role in consultations (under supervision)
• Perform physical examinations
• Present case findings to supervising veterinarians
• Assist with surgical and dental procedures where appropriate

This week is about applying your knowledge, building confidence, and experiencing life as part of a veterinary team.

By the End of Your Externship, You Will Have:

• Experienced VetnCare’s Advanced General Practice model
• Gained exposure to a wide range of medical and surgical cases
• Built confidence in clinical reasoning and patient care
• Developed relationships with veterinary teams
• Explored potential new graduate career opportunities

Why Choose VetnCare for Your Externship?

Hands-On Clinical Exposure
Work across medical, surgical, urgent care, and dental cases.

Supportive Mentorship
Learn from experienced veterinarians committed to developing future clinicians.

Real-World Experience
Understand how veterinary teams collaborate and deliver high-quality care.

Collaborative Culture
Join a team-focused environment where learning and support are prioritised.

Career Pathway Opportunities
Externships provide a direct pathway into VetnCare’s new graduate programmes.

Where Our Externs Go Next

Many of our externs go on to build their careers with VetnCare.

Through the programme, you’ll:

• Experience our culture and clinical approach
• Build relationships with our teams
• Gain insight into our new graduate pathways

Our goal is simple:
To help you grow, build confidence, and find a practice environment where you can thrive.