Veterinary Extern - General Practice

Veterinary Student Externship

Randall Road Animal Hospital | South Elgin, Illinois

Get Hands-On experience. Build Your Confidence. Grow Into the Veterinarian You Want to Be.

Are you looking for an externship where you can put your veterinary knowledge into practice, develop your clinical skills, and learn from a team that wants to see you succeed?

We want your externship to be more than a chance to observe. We want you to ask questions, get involved, explore your interests, and gain valuable experience that helps prepare you for life as a practicing veterinarian.

Join us for an opportunity to experience small animal veterinary medicine in a clinical setting, learn alongside an experienced veterinary team, and build confidence as you take the next steps in your veterinary journey.

An Externship Designed Around Learning

Build Hands-On Clinical Skills

The best learning happens when you can connect what you’ve learned in the classroom with real-world patient care. Depending on your training level, case availability, and supervising veterinarian approval, you may have opportunities to participate in clinical activities such as:

• Performing physical examinations and gathering patient histories
• Developing diagnostic and treatment plans
• Learning diagnostic techniques and interpreting laboratory results
• Assisting with patient handling, restraint, and monitoring
• Participating in medical workups and treatment discussions
• Observing or assisting with surgical and dental procedures
• Learning about anesthesia, patient monitoring, and perioperative care
• Practicing client communication and discussing preventive care recommendations

Our goal is to help you connect the dots between classroom learning and clinical decision-making while developing the practical skills you’ll use throughout your career.

Learn From Experienced Veterinary Professionals

An externship is an opportunity to learn not only how medicine is practiced, but also how veterinarians think through cases, communicate with clients, and collaborate with their teams.

You’ll have opportunities to ask questions, discuss clinical findings, learn from real-world cases, and gain insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of practicing veterinary medicine.

Discover the Value of Team-Based Care

Great veterinary medicine takes a team. Experience how veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants, and client service professionals work together to provide compassionate care for patients and their families.

From patient intake to diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up, you’ll gain a better understanding of the many moving parts that contribute to a successful veterinary practice.

Grow Your Confidence and Clinical Judgment

Every case is an opportunity to learn. We encourage students to stay curious, think critically, ask questions, and use feedback to strengthen their skills.

Whether you’re refining your examination technique, learning to approach a challenging case, or gaining confidence in client conversations, we want you to leave your externship with new knowledge and a clearer vision of your future as a veterinarian.

What You Can Expect

• Exposure to the daily operations of a small animal veterinary practice
• Opportunities for supervised, hands-on learning appropriate to your level of training
• Clinical case discussions and opportunities to ask questions
• Exposure to patient care, diagnostics, treatment planning, and client communication
• Insight into the teamwork and professional skills needed to succeed in veterinary medicine
• An opportunity to explore your interests and identify areas for continued development

Specific experiences will vary based on your training level, patient caseload, scheduled procedures, and hospital protocols.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome veterinary students who are enthusiastic about small animal medicine, eager to learn, and ready to make the most of their clinical experience.

Whether you’re preparing for your clinical rotations or approaching graduation, we’d love to help you build on your veterinary education in a supportive clinical environment.

Take the Next Step in Your Veterinary Journey

You’ve spent years learning the science behind veterinary medicine. Now it’s time to see that knowledge come to life.

Apply today to learn, grow, and gain valuable clinical experience with Randall Road Animal Hospital.

National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is a leading North American pet health care company with nearly 1,300 locations spanning general practice veterinary hospitals, Ethos emergency and specialty hospitals, and pet resorts and equine veterinary care. With approximately 40,000 team members, we care for pets and support pet families in communities across the United States and Canada.  Our purpose is to give pets and the people who love them more quality years together, and our mission is to make care more personal, easy and accessible while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life. Across NVA, we support our teams with the resources, expertise and opportunities they need to deliver exceptional care and help shape the future of veterinary and pet care.

Purpose: Give pets and the people who love them more quality years together

Mission: Transform the pet family experience to be personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life. 

Values: Care Deeply, Do What’s Right, One Team, Own It, Shape What’s Next 

One NVA: Bringing General Practice & Ethos Together

NVA is built to make care personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine across every stage of a pet’s life. 

At National Veterinary Associates, we want to make sure your experience connecting with us is seamless and straightforward. Here’s what to expect when interacting with us: