Extern Plus Syllabus
Our Extern Plus Program is a 3-week (40 hours per week) program designed to deliver an overall experience of the operation of a high-volume, high quality spay/neuter facility. It is identical to the Extern Program for the first two weeks, but offers an additional third week focused on surgery practice. Students receive training on all medical positions in our clinic, which includes support staff duties, and instruction is given not only by our veterinarians, but also our RVTs, assistants, transport drivers, and the occasional administrative staff member.
Of course, a main draw of the program is the surgery instruction and practice. In fact, 10 out of these 15 days will involve some amount of surgery, and, dependent on each student’s ability and the availability of animals, most students will perform between 35 and 50 surgeries in the 3-week period. Our goal for the Extern Plus Program is to polish the student’s surgical skills, with emphasis during the third week on sterilization procedures to enhance their organizational skills, and make most efficient use of time.
Because of the fluctuating nature of our business, the exact curriculum moves according to patient/case availability. We always show our students the most interesting surgeries that come through the door, and with 120 surgeries in our clinic a day, there are always of wealth of new patients to choose from!
Our Extern Plus Experience Includes (but is not limited to):
Our Extern Plus Program is a 3-week (40 hours per week) program designed to deliver an overall experience of the operation of a high-volume, high quality spay/neuter facility. It is identical to the Extern Program for the first two weeks, but offers an additional third week focused on surgery practice. Students receive training on all medical positions in our clinic, which includes support staff duties, and instruction is given not only by our veterinarians, but also our RVTs, assistants, transport drivers, and the occasional administrative staff member.
Of course, a main draw of the program is the surgery instruction and practice. In fact, 10 out of these 15 days will involve some amount of surgery, and, dependent on each student’s ability and the availability of animals, most students will perform between 35 and 50 surgeries in the 3-week period. Our goal for the Extern Plus Program is to polish the student’s surgical skills, with emphasis during the third week on sterilization procedures to enhance their organizational skills, and make most efficient use of time.
Because of the fluctuating nature of our business, the exact curriculum moves according to patient/case availability. We always show our students the most interesting surgeries that come through the door, and with 120 surgeries in our clinic a day, there are always of wealth of new patients to choose from!
Our Extern Plus Experience Includes (but is not limited to):
Patient check-in and admissions protocol/procedures
Pre-surgical physical examination
Patient selection
Patient monitoring and recovery
Front desk discharge
Recheck examinations
Drug review
DEA regulations and flow of controlled drugs in the practice
Drug records/logs
Pre-operative sedation protocol
Individual patient drug preparation
Patient records
Anesthesia machine operation and maintenance
Induction and intubation
Pain management
Emergency drug protocol
Shelter programs (including visit to local area shelters)
Feral cat programs
Participation in animal transport program
Pack preparation
Kennel facility maintenance and disease control
Anatomy review
Sterile surgical technique (ligatures, pedicle tie, overhand knot, incision placement)
Surgical technique review (efficiency of motion, body mechanics)
Instrument review
Surgical preparation procedures
Identification and management of complications
Surgery
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