Back to jobs

4th Year Vet Student Externship

Nashville Zoo

VETERINARY EXTERNSHIPS & PRECEPTORSHIPS

Nashville Zoo Veterinary Department is offering an externship for 4th-year Veterinary School Students, both international and domestic, working towards a career in exotic animal medicine. This internship is posted May 1st through September 30th of every year with interviews in October.

Purpose
The Veterinary Intern assists in every aspect of the medical care of the Nashville Zoo’s animals, including veterinary procedures, clinical lab work, and care of hospitalized/quarantined animals.

Key Responsibilities
-Work with three full-time veterinarians, three full time licensed veterinary technicians, and two full-time hospital keepers.

-Assist with day-to-day operations of the zoo’s medical procedures including preventative and emergency care including examinations, clinical procedures, surgery, and necropsy. 

-Assist doctors in keeping thorough records of all medical cases and procedures. 

-Assist with animal husbandry (cleaning, feeding, and medicating) of hospitalized patients and quarantine animals.  

-Provide laboratory support for veterinary medical technicians, including hematology, parasitology, and cytology.

-Responsible for researching and studying about upcoming and current cases

-Assist with tasks that keep the hospital function smoothly including stocking of medical supplies, wrapping surgical equipment, and maintaining the cleanliness of the hospital.

-Responsible for presenting a 25 to 30- minute presentation towards the end of their externship to the animal care staff on either a current, pertinent topic or on a research project performed by the student.

Reporting Relationships and Supervision

Dr. Louden Wright, Associate Veterinarian
Kristen Nettleton, Hospital Keeper II

Duration
Minimum of 4 weeks

Qualifications

- Must be enrolled in clinical year of Veterinary school

- Internship requires a minimum commitment of 40 hours a week

- Applicants for this position must apply and are required to submit to a criminal background check as well as show recent proof of a negative TB test.

Desired Skills
- Ability to perform duties without direct supervision
- Ability to function as a team with both paid and volunteer staff
- Ability to follow both oral and written direction
- Ability to adhere to the schedule agreed upon
- Ability to interact positively with the public, especially to give them information about the animals and the zoo
- Ability to responsibly use and maintain zoo equipment and tools
- Willingness to work with a large variety of animals
- Ability to lift 30 pounds
- Ability to perform duties outdoors in all weather conditions, as needed

Benefits to Intern
- Gain professional, hands-on experience at an AZA accredited Zoo
- Meet new and exciting people
- Gaining knowledge of Nashville Zoo’s history
- Ambassador for animal and conservation education
- Enhance personal creativity and portfolio
- Volunteer hours for organizational benefits
- Letters of reference for future job opportunities

Note: Nashville Zoo Externships are unpaid. We are, however, able to provide housing. We are not able to provide reimbursement for travel expenses. Academic requirements for institution credit are the responsibility of the student intern to fulfill. Nashville Zoo will make every effort to support the student in their academic goals as they relate to the internship position outlined in the provided position description.

 

 

TO APPLY:

You will need to include the following:

  1. Cover letter stating your interest in zoological/wildlife medicine
  2. Resume
  3. Contact information for two references

 

Applications are open May 1 to September 30

Interviews will be conducted October for the following school year

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

ABOUT NASHVILLE ZOO

Nashville Zoo is a 200-acre institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) whose mission is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. Located in the heart of Nashville, the zoo has an extensive animal collection and attracts more than one million visitors annually, as well as serving a diverse community through outreach programs within greater Nashville and mid-Tennessee. For more information, visit www.nashvillezoo.org

Nashville Zoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace. Weekend, holiday, and some evening work may be required.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Nashville Zoo? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Phone
Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Education

Select...
Select...

Select...
Select...
Select...

U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Nashville Zoo’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...