DVM Student Externship/Preceptorship Program — Willow Animal Hospital

VeterinarianIncludes callIncludes weekendsContract

Listed compensation

$250 per week

Confirm guaranteed pay, incentives and eligibility with the employer.

Employment & setting
Contract
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Includes weekends
Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job description

We're making an investment in the next generation of veterinary doctors!
As part of the professional veterinary curriculum, colleges encourage off-campus educational experiences in practices outside of the teaching hospital. Practical experience in a well-run and contemporary practice can be a valuable component of your veterinary education, preparing you to deliver better care after graduation. Our program is dedicated to contributing to your practice-readiness and to help you hit the ground running after graduation.
Our program structure:
Our externships are flexible—they can range from two to eight weeks during the year, according to your college curriculum – but are typically two or three weeks in length. Your schedule will include days, evenings and weekends.
Our externship rotations are designed to allow students, under veterinary supervision, to practice the problem-solving, technical and communication skills that they have acquired during their clinical preparation. Externs are given the opportunity to work alongside our veterinary team and are encouraged to participate in all aspects of patient care. A stipend of $250 per week will be provided.
What you'll be doing:
Externs experience the typical caseload of a small animal practice. Under the supervision of your mentor doctor you will gather histories, perform physical examinations, develop diagnostic and therapeutic plans, scrub in to surgery, assist in the management of medical cases, provide wellness care, develop your client communication skills, polish your technical skills and produce appropriate medical records (SOAPs) within the time limits of daily practice.
Who we're looking for:
Extern students are expected to be enthusiastic and effective participants in our patient care activities, upholding the professional and ethical standards of our practice. Students participating in the externship program are suggested to review the Veterinary Practice Act in regard to the scope of duties that may be performed, and to be familiar with the type and degree of veterinary supervision that is required. These should be followed carefully in order to protect both yourself and our practice.
As a veterinary student extern, we expect you to dress and behave in a professional manner and to meet the expectations that we have of all team members as outlined in our employee handbook.
Requirements:
Be enrolled in an accredited DVM program.
You are authorized to work in the United States.
You must carry professional liability insurance. AVMA PLIT liability insurance is free for all student members of the AVMA. You may apply for this coverage on their website. Please check to make sure your coverage is current and submit a certificate of coverage with your application.
About us:
As sponsors of the Veterinary Externship Program, we see ourselves to be part of your educational team, providing instruction, mentoring and evaluation of the students who participate. You will be assigned a mentor and work on the learning objectives as defined by your college program or to meet your specific goals. At the end of the externship your mentor will provide a written evaluation of your performance as required by your college program.
We look forward to working with you!

Key Responsibilities

Externs will perform physical examinations, develop diagnostic and therapeutic plans, and assist in surgeries and medical case management. They are also responsible for providing wellness care and producing accurate medical records (SOAPs) under veterinary supervision.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Diagnostic PlanningTherapeutic PlanningSurgery AssistanceMedical Record DocumentationSOAP Notes

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 88% have no call, 83% require no weekends.

Veterinary Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

Top Veterinarian Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution10 jobs

6
<$185k
1
$185k
2
$200k
1
$220k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks10 jobs

Sign-on bonus
90%
CME allowance
90%
401k / retirement match
90%
Relocation assistance
70%
Loan repayment
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Veterinarian, Partner & Equity Owner

Alliance Animal Health · Richmond, Virginia

$120k-$220k
#2

Veterinarian - Madera, CA

Madera Veterinary Center · Madera, California

$150k-$200k
#3

Feline Veterinarian - Chico, CA

$150k-$200k
#4

Veterinarian - Gloversville, NY

$130k-$185k
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

1.5/ 10
Listing-based score

A signal to investigate—not a guarantee about the workplace.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
Willow Animal Hospital logo

About Willow Animal Hospital

Benefits & Perks

Stipend $250 per week
Mentorship
Hands-on experience