Acing Your Externship: 10 Tips on how to be a memorable extern

As a student from a non-traditional veterinary school in the US where we don’t have a teaching hospital on campus, we must complete our clinical training at hospitals all across the country. We start clinics during our third year of school. As a result, we become pros at veterinary externships fairly quickly. Most students only have a week or two to spend on externships, so you must make the most of it! Here are 10 tips that I would like to share to veterinary students as they begin their clinical externships.

1. Show up early, Stay late
An externship is not meant to be a vacation. Treat this time like it is a job interview. Let the staff know that you are serious and excited to be there by showing up early and staying late. Although long days in the clinic can be exhausting, if an emergency walks in at the time that you were supposed to get off, stay! By doing so, you are showing the staff that you are dedicated and excited to learn. Learn as much as you can!

2. Don’t be late
A. Yes, this must be a separate tip! You would think this is common sense, but all practices that I have been to have had multiple students who constantly show up late. I love to live by the saying, “If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on-time. And if you’re on-time, you’re late.” Please show respect and show up on time. This says a lot about your character.

3. Introduce yourself
A. This is a tip that I had to learn from experience. I always had in mind that I’m the guest. So the hospital staff should introduce themselves to ME. Wrong. Most of the hospitals that take externs have numerous externs, tech students, and volunteers rotate through each month. When you work at a practice that has a lot of students come through, it can be exhausting for the staff to introduce themselves over and over. Take the initiative and introduce yourself. Let the staff know that you’re a veterinary student, because this will carry more weight compared to a high school student that is shadowing or volunteering. Plus, it’s always great to know everyone’s names!

4. Ask to help and to participate
A. If you ask, you’ll likely get way more hands-on experience compared to those that don’t. Ask technicians if you can help in setting up equipment, or placing catheters, or cleaning the room. Ask the doctors if you can practice physical exams, scrub in on procedures, or writing medical records. This shows that you are interested and excited to learn. They’ll remember this.

5. Don’t talk to the clients about cases
A. This varies from each externship. When you first arrive, ask the doctor what they expect in terms of client interaction. It’s inevitable that clients will turn to you and ask you questions related to the case. Don’t make it weird by just staring at them. But, also, don’t be the student that runs their mouth and says too much. If you are unsure, simply tell the client, “That’s a great question. I will let Dr. ___ answer that for you.” Or ask the doctor if it’s alright for you to answer the question. In my experience, the doctors are excited to see how students answer questions. Make sure you are on the same page with the doctor that you are shadowing.

6. Dress Appropriately
A. Another one that you think should be obvious, but let’s be real, veterinary professionals are not the strongest when it comes to fashion choices. Find out before your externship what the attire requirements are. Always have business casual clothes prepared to wear under your white coat; this is always a safe choice! Many practices are ok with students wearing scrubs under their white coat, but make sure this is allowed. If you are on equine or large animal rotations, ask before showing up so you can be prepared.

7. Ask questions/Do your homework
A. Even when you don’t have a question, ask a question! Ok… don’t be the annoying student that never stops talking but be sure you’re engaged. We often lie to ourselves when we watch routine procedures or appointments and think that we know how to do it but think if you were by yourself if you had done exactly what that doctor did – odds are that you wouldn’t have! Ask why they are doing things a certain way. You’ll learn a lot from this!

8. Put the phone away
A. I’m addicted to social media, but it can wait while I’m on an externship. There is no faster way today to show that you’re not interested than by being on your phone while something is happening. If you are one that takes notes or looks things up, simply let the staff know that that’s what you’re doing.

9. Meet the entire staff
A. There are so many positions required to run a veterinary hospital. All of these positions will play a role in your visit at some point. Take a moment to talk to the receptionists, the barn crew, the assistants, and the manager. By doing so, I have had some of the best experiences while being an extern because they were so helpful.

10. Ask for feedback
A. The reason we are in veterinary school is to learn. We always have room for improvement. Although you may think you are a top-notch person/student, your preceptor may have a different impression. Be sure to ask for feedback on your performance. We are required to do this with our school, and this has helped me grow so much as a person and clinician. This also once again shows the preceptor that you are willing to learn and grow from this experience.

If you follow these 10 tips, there’s no doubt that you will be a memorable extern! Being proactive and engaged during your externship can lead to a future internship or job after veterinary school.