Learn Skills Of A Veterinary Assistant With Hands-On Experience With Felines!

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Aspiring veterinarians as young as 15 can apply to volunteer in Community Animal Network's veterinary medical program. Hours are 10 am to 2 pm weekdays and weekends and commit to at a least a four month term; most students commit to a one- two day a weekly shift for a year. The program tries try to work around serious "vet track students" quarterly class schedules. Volunteers are accepted into Community Animal Network’s "Veterinary Medical Program" based on a serious interest in learning about cats and/or advancing into veterinary medicine and also those that may have missed their calling to work in the veterinary world. **The program satisfies "Hands-On" animal care experience for "Pre-Vet" students that need to get a job in a vet office prior to applying to veterinary school. DiAnna Pfaff-Martin, the director of the program, helps those that leave in good standing with resume writing, mock interviews and guides students to identify learned skills to discuss with potential employers. Community Animal Network is a veterinary medical rescue and the veterinary medical internship program works in sync with the organizations, "Pets For Seniors" program that provides senior people with mature cats and provides the veterinary services and treatments for the lifetime of the cats. Students in the program learn cat care and treat geriatric cats and those with treatable diseases and conditions that are managed with medications. Board certified feline specialist, Dr. Elaine Wexler-Mitchell. prescribes the treatment plans for the animals medical care. (There are only 150 vets are certified feline specialists in the U.S.). This non-paid internship teaches students to administer pills and medications associated with chronic conditions. Interns learn to groom cats; brush, shave, scruff to trim nails and learn to cut pills, manage pharmacy inventory, help with restocking supplies as well as perform kennel duties, (scooping, sifting and cleaning litter boxes). Veterinary transports are on the weekdays only and interns witness physical exams can be included in observation of treatments. During the summer there are planned excursions; observations of veterinary procedures, surgeries, visiting vet hospitals and the crematorium. However, not all interns can join us based on the days of the week scheduled.