Veterinary Internship

Are you looking for a Wildlife Veterinary Internship, pre Vet Internship, pre vet volunteer opportunity or Vet Tech Internship, or veterinary clinic volunteer opportunity? Look no further.

Veterinary internships, pre-veterinary internships and veterinary volunteers at Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center

Have you been searching the internet for “volunteer vet,” “wildlife vet or veterinary internships near me,” pre-vet internships, pre-vet volunteer opportunities, or Vet Tech Internships? Are you a qualified vet looking for volunteer vet opportunities? Or have you always wanted to volunteer in a veterinary clinic and are searching for vet clinic volunteer opportunities? You have come to the right place! At Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center, we offer a wide variety of internships for veterinary professionals, including veterinary internships for undergraduates.

Our Wildlife Veterinary Internship Abroad Program

Veterinary Internship students will work directly with an experienced wildlife veterinarian and trained rehabilitation staff. Over 3,000 wild animals are admitted to the rescue center on an annual basis and include orphans, injuries, electrocutions, confiscations, and surrendered pets. In addition, there are 800 non-releasable wild animals in the Life-time Care Sanctuary that require medical management. The case-load will vary widely depending on the time of year and the species, age, and condition of the animals admitted to the center during the internship. Typical species include parrots, passerines, raptors, monkeys, sloths, various small mammals, iguanas, turtles, and other reptiles. This internship will help prepare you for a career in Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Internship students will assist our veterinary team in the clinic performing exams, treatments, surgeries, and various procedures. You will assist in the intake of injured and orphaned wildlife, provide routine daily cleaning and feeding for the animals currently residing in the clinic, collect blood and other laboratory samples, conduct laboratory analysis in our in-house laboratory and assist in necropsies to determine the cause of death. Interns should expect a busy, highly variable environment with a high number of emergency cases and/or confiscations coming in at a moment’s notice. The level of participation in clinical cases for each Veterinary Internship student will depend greatly on the student’s skill and experience level and the number and type of cases received by the rescue center during the internship period.

What qualifications or experience do I need?

We are seeking serious, passionate individuals with the desire to dedicate themselves to helping us return Costa Rican wildlife back to the wild where they belong. Coursework in pre-vet, veterinary medicine, or a similar field is required. Previous participation in a veterinary internship, pre vet internship, or veterinary internship for undergraduates is a plus but not required. Some experience working with animals is preferred, particularly in a clinic setting. Spanish language skills and experience traveling to a tropical country and living in a group setting are helpful but not required. Flexibility, ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, and maintaining a positive attitude in stressful situations are essential. Rabies vaccinations and international health insurance are highly recommended. If traveling from a country where Yellow-fever occurs, you will need a Yellow-fever certificate.

Vet Tech Internships

Description of Program

Vet Tech Internship students will work directly with an experienced wildlife veterinarian and trained rehabilitation staff. Over 2000 wild animals are admitted to the rescue center on an annual basis and include orphans, injuries, electrocutions, confiscations, and surrendered pets. In addition, there are 800 non-releasable wild animals in the Life-time Care Sanctuary that require medical management. The case-load will vary widely depending on the time of year and the species, age, and condition of the animals admitted to the center during the internship. Typical species include parrots, passerines, raptors, monkeys, sloths, various small mammals, iguana, turtles, and other reptiles.

This Vet Tech Internship will help prepare you for a career as a Wildlife Veterinary Technician. Vet Tech Internship students will assist our veterinary team in the clinic performing exams, treatments, surgeries, and various procedures. Vet Tech Internship students will also assist in the intake of injured and orphaned wildlife, provide routine daily cleaning and feeding for the animals currently residing in the clinic, collect blood and other laboratory samples, conduct laboratory analysis in our in-house laboratory and assist in necropsies to determine the cause of death.

Vet Tech Internship students will get practical experience taking blood samples, crop, and cloacal smears and conducting post-mortems. In the laboratory, Vet Tech Internship students will learn how to conduct gram stains, biochemistry, fecal analysis, and avian and reptile hematology.

Interns should expect a busy, highly variable environment with a high number of emergency cases and/or confiscations coming in at a moment’s notice. The level of participation in clinical cases for each Vet Tech Internship student will depend greatly on the skill and experience level of the intern and the number and type of cases presented during the internship period.

Vet Tech Internship Qualifications & Experience

We are seeking serious, passionate individuals with the desire to dedicate themselves to helping us return Costa Rican wildlife back to the wild where they belong. Enrollment or graduation from a veterinary technician or veterinary nursing program preferred. Participation in a Vet Tech Internship or volunteering for a veterinary clinic is a plus. Some experience working with animals is required, particularly in a clinic setting. Spanish language skills, as well as experience traveling to a tropical country and living in a group setting, are ideal but not required. Flexibility, ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and the ability to maintain a positive attitude in stressful situations is essential. Rabies vaccinations and international health insurance are highly recommended. If traveling from a country where Yellow-fever occurs, Vet Tech Internship students will need a Yellow-fever certificate.

Please reach out via email to jeanne.marie@rescatewildlife.org if you have any questions about the internship or the application process, we look forward to connecting with you.