Learning Opportunities

The shelter medicine program at WSU provides veterinary students a learning opportunity in community-based, primary care facilities during their final year of the DVM degree program where they can have a positive effect on the health and behavior of shelter animals.  

A 6-week summer experience on a dairy farm or local food animal veterinary practice for first- and second-year veterinary students. The program provides hands-on experience to prepare veterinary students for a career working with livestock. 
If you are a current student, see more information on our internal website.

Aquaculture medicine remains an underserved and largely-unknown specialty within the scope of veterinary practice. Only a small number of veterinary schools incorporate fish health classes into their core curriculums and fewer still offer insight into herd health management of aquatic species for production (human consumption) and/or mitigation (wildlife supplementation) purposes. This program was created in the hopes of exposing veterinary students, those who have a proven and focused interest in the field, to a variety of salmon and trout hatcheries, natural resource agencies, aquatic health professionals, and fish diagnostic laboratories within the Pacific Northwest.

 A 2-week rotation focusing on infectious disease and infectious disease diagnosis in the Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology department and the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL). Veterinary students will gain experience within the field of diagnostic medicine with an emphasis on bacteriology, mycology, virology, serology, parasitology, and molecular techniques.
Contact: Claire Burbick, DVM, PhD, DACVM

During a 2- to 4-week externship, veterinary students are introduced to the combined anatomic pathology residency/graduate training program offered within the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) and the Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology department.
Contact: Chrissy Eckstrand, DVM, PhD, DACVP