Internship Program

 

Performance Equine Vets is accepting applications for a one-year equine internship. Interns will rotate through different services including: medicine, surgery, reproduction, ambulatory, and ICU/emergency coverage. The position will offer new graduates a strong foundation for application to a residency program or continued work in private practice. The position would also offer an excellent opportunity for increased experience and responsibility for those applicants completing a second internship. Duties will include all aspects of equine practice including farm calls, outpatient diagnostics, surgical assistance, and daily care of in-house patients. After-hours ambulatory emergency duty is shared with other veterinarians. On average, each intern will enjoy one night off per week and one 3 day weekend off per month. Technician support is available after hours and on weekends for the hospital and ambulatory calls.

Performance Equine Vets is a progressive practice in Aiken, South Carolina. Not only is Aiken ‘horse country’, but it was also voted “The South’s Best Small Town”. It is a seasonal destination for equestrians of all disciplines as well as a permanent home to many competition, breeding, and training facilities. Performance Equine Vets encompasses over 50
acres, and is a busy, full-service hospital. We offer the latest technologies and advanced medical techniques including radiography, endoscopy, ultrasound, laser, shockwave, stem cell/PRP/IRAP, arthroscopy, fracture fixation, TeleVet, and many other cutting-edge therapies. The main areas of the practice include reproduction, surgery, sports medicine/lameness, internal medicine, and general practice. We pride ourselves on practicing excellent, high-quality medicine.

Facilities include climate-controlled hospital stalls, isolation, surgical suite and recovery stalls, covered lameness area, rehabilitation facilities, ICU and NICU, farrier services, and reproduction center including: breeding and semen collection, ICSI, ET, and foal watch.

Housing on site is available and encouraged; no pets or spouses are allowed. If off-site housing is pursued, interns are expected to obtain housing within a 10-minute radius of the hospital so that response time for emergency shifts are minimized.

Click here to learn more about the Internship Program 

Before application, we recommend having visited our hospital on an externship basis. If an externship is not possible, submit application materials by January 1 and contact us to arrange an interview. Our compensation package includes: housing, salary, emergency call compensation, health/dental insurance stipend, liability insurance, licensing fees, and AAEP membership.

Prerequisites:
Graduate DVM
Must obtain a license to practice veterinary medicine in South Carolina
Maintain a valid driver’s license for the duration of the program

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit:
● a letter of intent
● current resume/curriculum vitae
● a list of three references

Send to: Dr. Stephanie Caston, DVM, DACVS-LA
stephanie@performanceequinevets.com

 

Walking out of my sophomore year and into new experiences, Performance Equine Vets was one of the most pivotal experiences in my undergraduate career development. The first day at the clinic, I was welcomed by the staff with open arms and I even got to live right on site so I was only ever a few steps away from the excitement at the clinic!

I was not eager to enter a reproductive medicine internship but decided to follow that route because of the more flexible hours that would allow me to continue training for my collegiate sport. I was more interested in surgery and clinical medicine (at least that’s what I thought). Working closely with Marcella and Emily, I applied the reproductive equine cycle to real life situations. Marcella and Emily were incredible teachers, helping me to learn when to administer which drugs so that horses would ovulate at the correct time or when to perform treatments on different mares. 

During my time at PEVS, I learned how to perform and interpret rectal ultrasounds on the large herd of recipient mares. Palpating my first mare, I still cannot believe how easy Marcella and Emily made it look. When I first started, I would celebrate finding just one ovary before handing the ultrasound off to the real professionals. By the end of my time at PEVS, I gained so much confidence in everything to do with equine reproduction. Not only was I able to ultrasound mares, but I actually understood what I was looking at and what to do for that mare. PEVS gave me more confidence in the equine world than I could have ever imagined during my undergraduate education. Leaving the clinic, I am certain that reproductive medicine is an interest of mine solely because of the incredible experience I had.

I would also like to point out how amazing the staff and veterinarians are at PEVS. I was given the opportunity to learn from board certified veterinarians and ride along with some of them. Because the staff knew I liked the hospital, they would send me up when something “cool” was happening and I was given the opportunity to see lots of NICU foals, colic surgeries, etc because of the extremely accommodating staff. Everyone at PEVS is happy to have students helping for the summer and excited to see students learn. I was blown away by the positive culture at PEVS and hope one day I can work at a clinic with so many talented veterinarians!

Mary O'Neill

 
My time spent at Performance Equine Vets remains one of the highlights of my pre-veterinary journey and studies. During my six weeks as a working student, I was able to work alongside doctors and ask questions in all areas of equine medicine. The entire staff was so kind and welcoming. Everyone was eager to answer my questions and truly helped me to grow in my veterinary and animal skills. As a student, I worked closely with the techs and nurses at the hospital, learning how to administer fluids, IV and IM injections, oral medications, and so much more. Performance Equine Vets sees a wide range of cases, and I was able to spend time in the hospital, surgery suite, reproduction barn, and on ambulatory rotations. As an equestrian, I had prior experience with horses, but learning through my summer internship allowed me to sharpen my horse handling skills as well as develop new medical skills. Before coming to PEVS, I had little to no foal handling experience; however, working in the hospital, I learned proper restraint techniques and skills to allow techs to record TPRs and ensure that foals were able to receive treatments. 
 
I learned how to place IV catheters and was able to watch during procedures such as embryo flushes and stallion collections. I was able to learn the basics of assessing ultrasounds and radiographs from all over the horse’s body. I even was able to see an EKG being assessed on a polo pony. Many nights, I was able to assist in running bloodwork and observing surgeries for colic cases. It was incredible to see how our surgical patients improved over their time at the hospital. One of the most memorable parts of my time at PEVS was being able to meet clients and see the impact of the treatments we administered to patients. It was so rewarding watching a long-time patient finally be able to head home with their owner, knowing that the entire team had worked hard to improve their medical conditions. I am so thankful for this opportunity and would recommend this experience to any student wanting to gain more equine experience. 
 
Sarah Wehmueller