CVM opens doors to future veterinary technicians
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine helps veterinary technician students from state community colleges bridge the gap between online learning and real world experience through immersive tours and hands-on lab opportunities.
In October, the CVM welcomed nine students and two instructors from Jefferson State Community College for a large animal lab focused on equine and bovine care. Hosted twice a year by the college, the lab is part of a collaborative effort led by Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer Erin Allen, Veterinary Nurse Training Manager Stephanie Mitchell, Large Animal Research Coordinator Jessica Brown and Dairy & Herd Manager Simon Taylor.
“Our primary goal is to help online vet tech students, who mostly work in small animal practices, complete their required skill lists with large animals, enabling them to graduate and sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE),” Mitchell said. “The session was a tremendous success. Students expressed their gratitude for the hands-on experience with large animals, noting that it significantly boosted their confidence and preparedness for their future careers.”
Mitchell recently hosted tours of the J.T. Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital, Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital and Auburn University Raptor Center for vet tech students from the University of Tennessee at Martin and Pensacola (Fla.) State College. Students from Coastal Alabama Community College will tour the CVM on November 20.
“These tours aim to recruit vet tech students into our internship program,” Mitchell said.
The CVM’s paid Veterinary Technician Student Internship program offers immersive experience working with a talented team of veterinary professionals. Interns can focus on specific areas of interest from a suite of 13 specialty services and two teaching hospitals. The duration of the internship can be tailored from six weeks to a year.
Prospective interns should email a letter of interest to Mitchell, provide proof of enrollment in a veterinary technology program and apply through the CVM’s employment portal.