alt=”Upclose with a dog at the shelter”> alt=”Upclose with a dog at the shelter”>Gaining animal handling and veterinary experience is a necessity all prospective veterinary students must do to get into vet school. While working with exotic animals isn’t required, having a range of hands-on experience with a variety of different animals will help create a competitive application. It can be a little more difficult to find opportunities to work with exotic and wild animals as a pre-vet student, but they are available if you know where to look.
The vast majority of veterinary colleges require animal handling, research, and veterinary hours for acceptance. These hours can include shadowing veterinarians, helping at a local animal shelter, volunteering abroad, or any other opportunity to handle animals or work in veterinary medicine. While most schools have a minimum requirement for hours of animal experience, accepted students usually exceed it by far. Many accepted students have over 2,000 hours of animal or veterinary experience at major veterinary schools across the United States and the United Kingdom. Students log their hours and submit them, along with any documentation they may have, with their application.
Getting to work with exotic pets and wildlife is a goal for many hopeful veterinary students. However, it can be a little more challenging to find ways to gain hands-on experience with exotics compared to domestic or food animals.
Many zoos have volunteer programs for teenagers and adults. While many of these programs do not handle animals directly, some may have education positions open that involve working with ambassador animals. Ambassador animals at zoos are handled by volunteers or staff within the park in order to educate guests. They may vary by size and species, but ambassador animals often include small mammals, lizards, and various snake species. Volunteers for these positions often have to undergo multiple hours of training before they are trusted to handle the animals alone. However, this training can be considered hours of experience as well!
Some zoos offer volunteer or internship programs in zoo medicine for pre-vet students. These programs can be very competitive, but look fantastic on a vet school application or job resume. Check sites such as Loop Abroad, the AZA, or local zoos for opportunities to shadow or volunteer in zoo medicine.
Shadowing veterinarians is a common way to get vet hours necessary for vet school acceptance. For exotic animal experience, shadow a vet that works with exotic pets or wildlife. While you may not be qualified just yet to get a paid position as a vet assistant or technician, many veterinary practices have entry level positions to help with their kennels or in reception. You may have to do some research to find an exotic animal specialty veterinarian in your area, as they can be scarce.
Many wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers rely on volunteers to help with animal care. Volunteering at these locations can help you obtain animal handling skills with wild animals as well as working directly with a wildlife veterinarian. If you cannot volunteer with the animals, some wildlife centers allow students to shadow their vets and other team members. Every center will be different, so it’s best to call and ask them directly.
A wild animal that may seem everyday to one person will be considered exotic to another. For example, someone living in Costa Rica may see spider monkeys daily but consider common US wildlife exotic and exciting. One of the best ways to gain hands-on experience with wildlife that does not live in your area is to travel. There are many international animal volunteer programs that allow volunteers to travel and work with wildlife. Some, like Loop Abroad, offer internships or allow students to work directly with veterinarians. Research these volunteer programs closely to determine which are best for you.
Vet schools require animal and veterinary experience hours, but they do not necessarily have to include work with wildlife or exotic animals. However, schools love to see well-rounded prospective students with a range of experience with animals and different work settings. Travel and veterinary medicine experience with exotics can help your vet school application stand out. In addition, volunteer hours look great on an application as it shows a student’s dedication to helping animals in need.
Loop Abroad offers a variety of volunteer and internship opportunities worldwide for high school, pre-vet and current veterinary students. These programs provide much needed animal handling and veterinary experience hours to help students get into vet school and hone their skills in veterinary medicine. Some programs also offer animal research hours. Loop Abroad’s programs are well recognized by major veterinary schools globally, and students will also receive a certificate listing their earned hours of work. In addition, working with wildlife such as Asian elephants, monkeys, cheetahs, and zoo animals can catch the eye of your veterinary college of choice.