Educational Opportunities
The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has a wide range of extra learning opportunities for students looking to broaden or deepen their education:
Leadership Program for Veterinary Students at Cornell University
The Leadership Program for Veterinary Scholars at Cornell University is a unique summer research experience for veterinary students who seek to broadly influence the veterinary profession through a science-based career.
AQUAVET®
A program for students, established scholars, and clinicians that focuses well-being of the aquatic environment and its inhabitants with hands-on field work.
Summer Dairy Institute
An advanced training program for prospective dairy veterinarians held at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Expanding Horizons
This program provides grants to Cornell veterinary students who are interested in veterinary experience in developing nations. Students spend 6-10 weeks in a developing country engaged in either veterinary research or hands-on veterinary experience (this ranges from wildlife rehabilitation to working with local farmers to develop artificial insemination techniques for their dairy herds).
Veterinary Investigator Program
This 10-week summer program exposes first- and second-year veterinary students to biomedical research at the highest level of inquiry and to motivate students to pursue the study of research problems that are relevant to veterinary medicine.
Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation Fellowship Program
This ten-week program allows our first-, second- or third-year veterinary students to participate in current projects at the Equine Genetics Center of the Baker Institute for Animal Health. Start dates are flexible for any consecutive 10-week period between May and September.
Externships and Opportunity Blocks
Externships
Externships are brief (usually 2-4 weeks) work opportunities away from the College for which credit is not given. Students seeking special work experiences may do so through externships. Private and corporate practice, humane societies, governmental agencies, and pharmaceutical/pet food companies offer externships. Compensation may or may not be offered.
Externship Opportunities
Biomedical Research
Business Management
- Veterinary Business Management Association
- Business externships
Corporate Veterinary Careers
Equine
Feline
Food Animal
Government/ Public Policy and Public Health Sites
- AVMA Governmental Relations Student Externship Program
- CDC Summer Student Employment Program
- FDA Student Intern Program
- NIH Student Programs
- U.S. Public Health Officer COSTEP programs
- USDA:APHIS
- USDA: ARS Student Programs
- USDA:FSIS Summer Program
International
- VIDAS
- Rural Area Veterinary Services
- O.C. Hubert Student Fellowship in International Health
- Envirovet
- Christian Veterinary Medicine
- GR Dodge Frontiers for Veterinary Medicine Fellowships
- Centro Ecologico Akumal
- Projects Abroad
- OIE Internships
- GoAbroad.com
- Action Without Borders
Laboratory Animal Veterinary Careers
- American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners
- American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
- Charles River Short Course
Large Animal Resources
- AABP: American Association of Bovine Practitioners
- AAEP: American Association of Equine Practitioners
- AASRP: American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners
Pathology
Poultry
Specialties
Wildlife, zoological and exotic resources
Additional Resources:
- Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment
- American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
- Ecological Health Listserv
Opportunity Blocks
Students in their sixth, seventh and eighth semesters may obtain off-campus clinical experience for credit in institutional setting with established teaching programs, or in facilities offering unique clinical or research experiences. Proposed programs must be approved by the faculty coordinators of the block who will then determine appropriate university credits. Lists of approved opportunity blocks are available at students.vet.cornell.edu.
Internships
Internships are non-degree programs that provide training for practice, clinical teaching, and specialty-board eligibility. Generally, a one-year rotating internship in medicine and surgery is prerequisite for residency programs and for board certification. A directory of available internships is published by the AAVC each year (available in mid-September and accessible online).