Externship FAQs
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about our externship program.
Q: Why are all your externship rotational?
Q: How far in advance of graduation can I apply for your externships?
Q: If I am considering an internship. When should I visit?
Q: How many externs do you take at a time?
Q: Do you require an externship visit in order to be selected for an internship?
Q: What is the dress code?
Q: What else should I bring?
Q: What time should I arrive?
Q: Why do you only allow externs in the operating theaters by invitation only?
Q: If I am invited to join the surgeon in the OR how do I proceed?
Q: My University assigns us a two week block for externships, will I be expected to work the weekend?
Q: Why are all your externship rotational?
A: Quite simply the externships benefit you as much as it benefits us. We get a chance to get to know you and watch you interact with our staff and clients within all our specialties. If we allowed only focused externship, you would not have a clear idea of what our internships are like and you would only be exposed to one or two specialists. All our specialists participate in the intern selection process. Therefore, we try to provide you with the most exposure, to as many specialists, as your time allows. From our perspective, more interaction is better. Additionally, some services just can’t support a focused externship and we never want to provide a sub-optimal learning experience.
Q: How far in advance of graduation can I apply for your externships?
A: This is a two part answer. First, some universities have specific rules that require students to apply for and get approval by October or November of their 3rd year for an externship in their forth year. This is why we often book 12 – 18 months in advance. If on the other hand, if you are visiting on you own vacation time, then you can schedule any time. We appreciate as much lead time as possible, in order to work out the best time for your visit, and if you plan to visit for the five day or extended externship it is best to contact us 2 – 3 month in advance of your requested visit date.
Q: If I am considering an internship. When should I visit?
A: Optimally, it is best to visit before December and to come for at least two days. Once the student application deadline has passed at VIRMP, hospitals begin their review and selection process and many hospitals try to complete the process either before Christmas or the first week of January. This is also a busy time of year in most specialty hospitals (lots of emergencies between Thanksgiving and New Years) and in most hospitals this means the specialists, are still seeing their normal case load, emergency transfers, and trying to work their way though all your application packages. This can be a pretty stressful time for them and is definitely a very stressful time for 4th year students (with finals, the NAVLE, state boards, internship applications, etc…). We do take visitors during the entire month of December, but these dates are often some of the first dates filled, since this is also during winter break for most schools. We also limit the number of visitors to ensure you get the most out of a visit.
Q: How many externs do you take at a time?
A: In order to provide you with the best experience, without compromising patient care, overloading the specialists or detracting from our current interns experience; we limit externship to no more than three on any given day and will take no more than two 5 day or extended externships in a given week.
Q: Do you require an externship visit in order to be selected for an internship?
A: No, visiting is not mandatory for selection to our internship program, but it might give you an edge if you are really interested in our program at all. However, a two day, five day or extended externship can really make or break your decision to highly rank us and it gives us a chance to get to know you. In any given year the numbers fluctuate, but on average between 30 - 50% of our internship group may not have visited prior to selection.
Q: What is the dress code?
A: Please see the externship page
Q: What else should I bring?
A: Ideally, what makes you comfortable in a clinical setting. This is likely to be your favorite tools like your stethoscope. See the above mentioned page for additional ideas on items you might consider bringing.
Q: What time should I arrive?
A: We ask you to arrive by 7:45 am on your first day, this is outlined in the schedule we emailed you. For any additional day, just follow the schedule.
Q: Why do you only allow externs in the operating theaters by invitation only?
A: All or our operating rooms have external viewing windows and the procedure is often viewable from one of these windows. Additionally, some surgeons prefer a less crowded OR. Lastly, veterinary medicine, in general, is seeing an increase in multidrug-resistant post surgical infections, and by limiting the number of people in the OR we can limit the patient’s potential exposure to these poly-resistant strains of bacteria. This is also the reason we only allow our scrubs (which never leave our building) in the operating theater. Please do not solicit OR invitations. Each surgeon can best evaluate his / her schedule and will know if they can extend an invitation. If you are visiting for less than the extended externship, you may not skip or alter your schedule just because you were invited into the OR. The goal of the 2 and 5 day externships is to meet as many specialists as possible, not focus on a specific area.
Q: If I am invited to join the surgeon in the OR how do I proceed?
A: Inform either CiCi or Robert (the senior OR nurses) and they will provide you with guidance on our expectations while you visit the OR. These guidelines must be strictly followed while you are in the OR. Failure to follow the guidance will result in immediate expulsion from the OR. If at any point during the procedure the OR becomes too crowded you will be asked to leave please do not take it personally as our primary concern is the well being of the patient and we will not compromise patient care.
Q: My University assigns us a two week block for externships, will I be expected to work the weekend?
A: No we give you a break with options. You only have to come in Monday through Friday. We have had many externs that choose to stay late or come in on weekends, simply because they were interested in following a specific case or want to spend more time with either the emergency or medicine service on their own time. Additionally, if you have been invited by a surgeon to observe in the OR and that surgeon is on call for emergencies, you have the option of coming in for any emergency surgeries that occur during your normal off time. In order to be called in, you must let the surgical intern and the surgeon know of your interest, provide a phone number and any limitations (i.e. don’t call after a specified time).
