Veterinary Externship

About the South Carolina Aquarium

We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums with a mission to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research and by providing an exceptional visitor experience. We invite you to join the #1 visitor attraction located in one of the Top Cities in the World (Conde Nast, 2023).

At the South Carolina Aquarium, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. Our culture is built on having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together to increase our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission. It brings us together in ways that help us stand out. We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

Externship Description:

The South Carolina Aquarium invites students who are entering or are in their final, clinical year of veterinary school at the time of externship, to apply for 4-week veterinary externship at the South Carolina Aquarium. The externship period will run from March 3 to August 29, 2025. The South Carolina Aquarium is unique in that it abides by its mission to promote conservation and educational outreach highlighting the local wildlife of South Carolina.

During the externship, students will assist the Veterinary Department in providing health care to the South Carolina Aquarium's animal collection, which includes aquatic and terrestrial turtles, snakes, amphibians, teleosts, elasmobranchs, seabirds, raptors, aquatic invertebrates, and mammals. Clinical application will heavily focus on reptile and fish medicine. During the externship period, students will have the opportunity to assist or participate in case rounds, physical examinations, history taking, record keeping, diagnostic application, surgery, anesthesia, and necropsy in an aquarium/zoologic setting. Students will also be encouraged to practice communication, review the scientific literature, and problem solve while reviewing individual cases. Students will be on-call with the veterinary staff during the weekends of their externship period.

Students may also have the opportunity assist the veterinary staff and the Sea Turtle Care Center staff in managing the health and husbandry of sea turtle patients admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center.

Please note that the South Carolina Aquarium does not sponsor for employment visa status. Only those candidates who are authorized to live and work in the United States will be considered for any position, paid or unpaid.

How to Apply:

Required:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter (recommended: combine the cover letter with your curriculum vitae into one file for uploading)
• Two Letters of Reference
  (Letter writers should submit directly to Dr. Lauren Michaels at )

Please provide expected graduation date and availability. Though we cannot guarantee availability during these time periods, we will do our best to work with students and their schedule. Students applying for anything less than a 4 week externship will not be considered.

This is an unpaid externship. Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the student applicant.

Applications are due no later than August 5, 2024. Students will be notified of their application status by August 31, 2024. For general questions regarding the application process or the externship, please email Dr. Lauren Michaels at .

Thank you for your interest in our externship program We look forward to receiving your application.

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