Internship and Externship Openings
Milk Quality Lab: High School Internship Program
The Milk Quality Laboratory High School Internship Program started in 1997. The program is offered only to Tulare high schools as part of their community service program. Students attend during a scheduled class period and receive a pass or fail grade at the end of the semester. The program is designed to expose high school seniors, who are interested in biomedical, agricultural, and animal science fields, to medical microbiology and applied animal health diagnostics. Student interns work with diagnostic laboratory technicians and learn skills and laboratory techniques used in microbiology, livestock research and veterinary medicine. The program exposes the students to a diverse range of activities and allows them to develop responsibility, maturity, and good work ethics. Two to four students per year complete the internship program.
In addition to working in the laboratory during the internship, students also have the opportunity to observe clinical veterinary services provided on-farm to local herds.
Summer Enrichment Program
The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) began over 30 years ago and has welcomed students from around the world. It is designed to provide disadvantaged students with activities that will enhance their veterinary school applications.
Summer 2024 Program Overview
Click here to learn more about the application process!
Veterinary School Volunteer Hours
Gaining veterinary and animal experience through volunteer work is a key component of preparing a strong application at UC Davis. Most veterinary programs require a minimum of 180 hours, but in practice, competitive applicants often report between 2,500 and 3,000 hours at the time of application.
When to Begin Accumulating Hours
Students are encouraged to begin acquiring experience as early as possible. Volunteer hours can be earned during high school, throughout undergraduate studies, or at any time prior to applying. Early and consistent engagement provides the opportunity to build skills, establish professional relationships, and explore different fields within veterinary medicine.
The Value of Diverse Experience
Diversity of experience in addition to the number of hours is key to a strong application. Applicants are expected to demonstrate exposure to a range of veterinary settings and species. This breadth shows a genuine understanding of the profession and a commitment to exploring its many facets.
Examples of relevant experience include:
- Small animal clinics or general veterinary practices
- Large animal or farm-based veterinary work
- Animal shelters, humane societies, or rescue organizations
- Wildlife rehabilitation centers or zoos
- Research laboratories involving animal care
- Specialty or exotic animal practices
Shadowing veterinarians, volunteering, paid work, and internships can all count toward experience hours. Be proactive—reach out to local practices, university-affiliated programs, or student organizations such as pre-veterinary clubs for opportunities.
Documenting Your Hours
UC Davis requires detailed records of your experience, including dates, locations, roles, and supervising veterinarians. Maintaining a well-organized log or spreadsheet throughout your academic journey will help streamline the application process and ensure accuracy when reporting your experiences.
Animal hours are volunteer hours that are not supervised by a certified veterinarian. While vet hours are volunteer hours that are supervised by a veterinarian and in a veterinary setting. Vet hours count towards the required 180 volunteer hours, while animal hours do not count towards the requirement.
Some local recourses for volunteer opportunities: