Small Animal/Exotics Work

Cassie Hoy, Ross University

Hello! 5th semester student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine hoping to go into mixed animal medicine after graduation here. I had the opportunity to intern at a Small Animal/Exotics practice over break with a PDF Scholarship. The veterinarians and technicians I worked with were incredibly supportive of my learning more hands-on skills, I'm much more confident with phlebotomy and placing endotracheal tubes now! Every day was something different: allergy dogs, diabetic cats, bird wing clips and even a rabbit neuter - seeing concepts learned in classes like Clinical Pathology and Immunology in the real clinic setting was exciting. While I didn't know everything going on, this was the first time I was able to follow why certain diagnostic tests were being run or how the medication was going to help our patients. We even went over disaster preparedness rules from my Public Health course with hurricane Dorian looming in, that was the only clinic I've been in that was built for evacuation use. The practice owner gave me some awesome tips for handling problems with panicky pet owners - everyone needs to stay calm in situations like that! Overall, I truly enjoyed having the chance to intern and would love to go back. I'm incredibly thankful for the experience and I know what to expect from my future career!