The externship at Ardmore Companion Animal Hospital will provide a two- or four-week immersion in small animal general practice in a privately owned, well established, and thoughtfully run hospital. The instruction will be focused on applying what the extern has learned in school to practicing in the real world, including coaching on how to diagnose and manage challenging cases within a client’s budget, and how to communicate effectively with clients and coworkers. The geographic location of the hospital in an essentially rural town very near the tech-centric city of Huntsville, Alabama, means that the clientele ranges from farmers to rocket scientists, with a caseload equally varied. Since boarded specialists are 30-90 minutes away for our clients, we have the opportunity to manage complex and challenging cases in medicine, dermatology, ophthalmology, and surgery. Our only limitation is the creativity and comfort level of our staff veterinarians.

The extern will be expected to involve themselves directly in every aspect of the veterinarian’s role in the practice. Independence in surgery will be dictated by the student’s level of experience.

The supervising veterinarian, Dr. Wendy Rosenbek, is a 1987 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She will coach the extern on how to build a career that can make it possible to practice happily for a lifetime in this incredibly rewarding, but potentially highly stressful profession. Her goal will be to arm each extern with some tools not found in the college curriculum that should be helpful irrespective of which specific career path the student chooses and some insight into the specifics of private practice and practice ownership.