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Summer Students & Externships
Gain practical, hands-on experience to equip yourself for a successful career in veterinary medicine.

Roadmap to your future.


Ready to take the next step in your career? 
BluePearl clinician career paths

DVM/VMD externships.
Shadow the leaders in veterinary medicine.
How it works:
During your externship experience, you will be able to work with our veterinary specialists, highly skilled emergency doctors, interns, residents and nursing staff. Whether you spend a few days or a few weeks in our hospital, our goal is to provide you with real-world learning in a fast-paced clinical setting to aid in your transition from student to veterinary professional.

Please note: Externships are not the same as paid employment with BluePearl.  Associate benefits do not apply to visiting students.

Criteria:
  • Must be enrolled in an AVMA or NAVTA approved program.
  • Must be able to provide proof of professional liability insurance.
---  Apply Now

Summer Student Patient Care Associate.
Spend your summer immersed in specialty and emergency medicine.
How it works:
As a summer student patient care associate, you’ll be employed as a temporary BluePearl Associate for <90 days between the months of May and September. During that time, you will be immersed in specialty and emergency medicine to augment the medical knowledge and technical skill you’ve acquired thus far in school. You will assist doctors, technicians and advanced patient care associates with all aspects of patient care and client communication.

Please note: Summer student patient care associates are temporary employees, and full BluePearl Associate benefits may not apply.

Criteria:
  • Must be a full-time student enrolled in an AVMA-accredited DVM/VMD or veterinary technician/technologist/nursing program.
  • Must be available for a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks during the months of May to September.
  • No prior emergency or specialty medicine experience is required. However, animal experience is preferred.
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See the programs through the eyes of our participants.

"BluePearl's summer student worker position is a great opportunity for students exploring specialty and/or emergency medicine! BluePearl maintains an environment that fosters learning and promotes new experiences. The staff encouraged me to practice new skills, and they were patient with me as I learned. Doctors involved me in their cases and helped me fill my knowledge gaps about disease processes. Something I found very unique about this experience is how I was able to customize it to fit my career goals." Elianna Brookhouse The Ohio State University
"Before being accepted to veterinary school, I worked on BluePearl’s emergency service as well as with the critical care team. This is where I found my passion for emergency medicine, and it helped me guide my decisions for which electives and area of emphasis I chose during vet school. I learned how to perform many new diagnostic tests and bettered my technician skills during this job, which I find is very valuable going into veterinary school." Lauren Doster University of Georgia
"I did a 2 week externship at a large BluePearl specialty hospital last summer. Getting to experience how an emergency department works having multiple specialties to coordinate patient care with was very eye-opening. I was able to rotate through the specialties during my time there and learn about each department’s role in patient care. I really enjoyed my experience and would highly recommend an externship or employment as a veterinary assistant to get more clinical exposure to different specialties or a specialty of interest." Ayla Mollen University of Wisconsin-Madison


Ready to take the next step?


We're here for you every step of the way. Use the links below to get in touch or search available externship and summer student opportunities.

Looking for vet assistant or vet tech externship opportunities?
You've come to the right place!
------  VA/VT Externship Application