Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Tenleytown logo
Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Tenleytown
Washington, District of Columbia

DVM Student Externship/Preceptorship Program — Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Tenleytown

VeterinarianIncludes weekendsContract

Pay as listed: $250 per week · Washington, District of Columbia.

Listed compensation

$250 per week

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h 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 assist the veterinary team with patient care, including gathering histories, performing physical exams, and developing diagnostic plans. They will also participate in surgeries, manage medical cases, and maintain accurate medical records.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Veterinary medicineDiagnostic planningTherapeutic planningSurgery assistance

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for District of Columbia is 109.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 64.3% of District of Columbia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 44 active Veterinarian listings this role was benchmarked against, 82% have no call, 25% require no weekends.

Veterinarian pay on WeekdayDoc is down 5.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Veterinarian Jobs

16 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution16 jobs · 7 employers

6
<$190k
3
$190k-210k
5
$210k-230k
2
$240k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks16 jobs · 7 employers

401k / retirement match
94%
CME allowance
75%
Relocation assistance
75%
Sign-on bonus
63%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Feline-Only Veterinarian – Full-Time or Part-Time

Confidential Employer · New Orleans, Louisiana

$80k-$240k
#2

Feline-Only Veterinarian – Full-Time or Part-Time

Veterinary Practice Partners · New Orleans, Louisiana

$80k-$240k
#3

Hospital Medical Leader or Associate Veterinarian

$140k-$224k
#4

Veterinarian Medical Leader

$140k-$224k
+ 14 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 1.5
Below most Veterinary Medicine listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,029 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Washington

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$642k
Typical market rent
$2,517/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Tenleytown logo

About Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Tenleytown

Veterinary Services
Centreville, Virginia
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Stipend of $250 per week
Professional liability insurance required (AVMA PLIT free for student members)