Externships Small Animal Private Practice

Multi-Doctor, Private Practice Veterinary Clinics in Southern California Welcome Vet Med Externs

Bixby Animal Clinic, Lakewood Pet Vet, and Lincoln Animal Hospital are a group of multi-doctor, private practice hospitals located in the Long Beach/Lakewood area of Southern California. We're an authorized clinical site for UC Davis, Western University, University of Arizona, Oregon State, and many others. Our practices focus on small animal GP, Urgent Care, and Surgery, and we're dedicated to the development and training of veterinary students during their clinical year.

We believe all new grads should be prepared to provide the best medical care to their patients on Day One as licensed DVM.

Your externship will be overseen by the hospital’s Medical Director, who will engage in regular check‑ins throughout your rotation. Each day you’ll be paired with a senior clinician, and students should expect to actively participate in the wide variety of cases we see. You’ll have hands‑on experience every day of your rotation, including washing in on surgeries. Our collaborative team of 21 associates, along with our on‑call, board‑certified orthopedists, cardiologists, internists, and criticalists will ensure that you’ll have a well‑rounded understanding of the cases we see at the hospital.

And with our 5:1 ratio of hospital staff to doctors, so you’ll be amply supported by our RVTs, Doctor's Assistants, and Front Office.

All of our hospitals completed recent, major expansions. Our 4th location in Torrance, CA, opened in September 2024 and offers specialty and emergency services as well. Each location is outfitted with the newest technologies, including endoscopy, digital full‑body and dental x‑ray, ultrasound, cold laser, and in‑house lab with Idexx Catalyst, Snap Pro, Abaxis PTPTT, and CBC machines. Visit , , and  to find out more.

You can also search for the hospital name on You Tube for tours of each location.

To find out more about our hospitals and the externship opportunities we offer, please contact Joan Carlson at 562‑367‑0028, or email her at

Students must be enrolled in an AVMA‑accredited program.