Veterinary Extern - Specialty & Emergency

Overview

Although every Ethos hospital is unique, we all have some things in common: an environment that is supportive, committed to excellent medicine, and provides exceptional service to animals and the people who love them. Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) is a busy emergency and multi-specialty hospital in Charleston, SC with a collaborative and patient-forward approach to care, and a welcoming and supportive environment.

An externship experience at an Ethos hospital like CVRC gives students real-life clinical experience in a multi-specialty hospital, and the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while working alongside experienced clinicians, board-certified specialists, and skilled technical staff. Students are welcomed to take an active role in making their time at CVRC exactly what they want—we encourage externs to ask questions, participate in all-hospital and departmental patient rounds, select topic rounds with specialists, and attend in-house continuing education lectures if occurring.

Our traditional externship consists of rotation through these services, though in some cases, we can offer flexible scheduling to accommodate a student s specific interests. Our services and specialties include:

• Critical Care
• Surgery (combined soft-tissue and orthopedic service)
• Internal Medicine
• Oncology
• Cardiology
• Anesthesiology (coming soon!)
• Physical Rehabilitation
• Clinical Veterinary Pharmacy
• Blood Bank

We are a private practice hospital, and our patients have loving families. Therefore, we are liable for the care and treatment of our patients. Discussion of cases, interaction with staff, and observation of strongly encouraged, though we may limit physical participation within CVRC-approved guidelines. While we recognize the value of hands-on experience, we generally allow participation only in minimally-invasive or low-risk procedures, such as venipuncture/intravenous catheters, urinary catheters, and minor emergency procedures.

That said, externs are always welcome to ask to participate at any time during their externship - consideration for hands-on participation is always left to the discretion of the clinician and staff working with the pet on a case- and extern-specific basis. We appreciate your cooperation and have no doubt that you will find your time at our hospital to be a rewarding learning experience.

Externship experiences at CVRC range from two to four weeks depending on student and hospital schedules. Our externships are typically designed for students in the clinical portion of their training, but we welcome inquiries from students at all levels of education.

Externs at CVRC are responsible for making their own accommodation and travel arrangements, though we can provide guidance regarding locations, as well as information collected from prior extern experiences, if needed. Charleston is an excellent place to visit, with multiple beaches, a wide variety of enjoyable activities to occupy your days off, and a top-notch culinary scene, and our externship schedule is structured to not only allow but encourage our visitors to make the most of their time in Charleston!

CVRC also offers an ER Immerse mentorships intended for new or recent graduates interested in a career in Emergency Medicine. Participation in our externship or prior experience at CVRC is a prerequisite for consideration as a candidate for these mentorships, and we are happy to discuss the program in more detail before or during the externship.

For questions regarding Charleston Veterinary Referral Center externships or the ER Immerse program, please contact Dr. Alyx Tracy via email at  For additional information on our services, please visit our website -

Ethos Veterinary Health is at the forefront of innovation and world-class medicine. As the premier network of over 140 specialty and emergency hospitals across North America, Ethos brings together a dedicated community of more than 1,500 specialized doctors providing care for nearly 2 million pets annually. The integrated and collaborative…