Externship Program
East Rockaway, NY

The focus of our externship program is mentoring veterinary students and helping them learn in a real-world general practice environment outside of the ivory tower. Work in the trenches alongside veterinarians with over 75 years of experience. Assist the doctor working up cases and preparing treatment plans. Assist in surgery, radiology, and more. The caseload is varied and reflects the daily general practice model.

The 3 main areas of focus are General practice/Internal medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry.

Dentistry: How much training have you received in dentistry?? Particular attention is paid to dentistry and dental surgery with Dr Selkowitz. Dr. Selkowitz is bit of a dental nerd and has pursued extensive advanced training in dentistry and loves to pass that knowledge onto veterinary students. Students focus on proper dental prophy technique, dental radiography, and use of dental instruments. Students learn the ins and outs of tooth health. When to extract and when to offer other options like root canal and vital pulpectomy. By the end of the rotation students perform extraction of the canine and fourth premolar teeth on cadaver skulls, learning proper use of exodontia tools and creating mucosal flaps.

General Practice/Internal Medicine: Students will shadow Drs Selkowitz, Xanthos and Dellacamera during clinical hours, observing internal medicine cases assisting in work ups as well as routine health care. During consultations, students are present while history is taken, and the examination performed. Students are then asked to leave the room while the doctor discusses the case with the clients. Next the students are asked to offer rule outs and to formulate a plan with the information they have received.  This technique helps students practice “real world” medicine. Learning how to handle cases not only when clients allow you to work up patients properly, but what to do when you are forced to treat without all the information. Students will perform examinations and discuss their findings with the clinician. Students will assist with radiology and ultrasonography.

Surgery: Students scrub in and assist during surgery. By the end of the second week our externs perform spays and neuters under the direct supervision of one of our experienced veterinarians. Our practice performs many types of surgery not only routine spays, neuters and mass removals but also procedures including intestinal and gastric foreign body removal, cystotomy, splenectomy, gastropexy, limb amputation, pyometra, and enucleation among many types.

Sorry but we can only accept a maximum of two externs at a time to allow each student the opportunity to receive the most hands-on training possible

Each externship block is 2 weeks with the opportunity to perform more than one.

Students must be :

Currently enrolled in an accredited DVM program

Authorized to work in the united states

Carry professional liability insurance

For more information, please contact Dr. Rich Selkowitz at Email: erockvet@gmail.com