Veterinary Extern - General Practice

Hands-on Veterinary Student Externship

Lakeside Animal Hospital | Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Build your clinical skills. Learn from an experienced team. Discover the kind of veterinarian you want to become.

Looking for an externship where you can turn classroom knowledge into real-world clinical experience? Join Lakeside Animal Hospital, an AAHA-accredited practice with a long history of caring for pets and their families in the Milwaukee community.

At Lakeside, you’ll have the opportunity to learn alongside experienced veterinary professionals, strengthen your clinical reasoning, and see how compassionate, practical medicine makes a difference in the lives of pets and the people who love them.

Whether you’re exploring your interests, building confidence in the exam room, or preparing for your transition into practice, we want your externship to be a meaningful part of your veterinary education.

Why Choose Lakeside Animal Hospital?

Learn from an Experienced, Established Team

Learn alongside veterinarians and support team members who bring years of experience to the practice. Ask questions, discuss cases, and gain insight into the clinical decisions and client conversations that shape everyday veterinary medicine.

Explore a Variety of Cases

Lakeside provides care for dogs, cats, and exotic pets, offering opportunities to broaden your perspective on general practice and learn about the different needs of the patients we serve.

Experience Quality Medicine and Modern Diagnostics

Our hospital’s diagnostic capabilities include ultrasound, digital full-body and dental radiography, and in-house laboratory testing. You’ll have opportunities to learn how diagnostic information helps veterinarians develop treatment plans and guide patient care.

See the Bigger Picture of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is about more than diagnosing and treating disease. During your externship, you’ll also gain insight into client education, communication, teamwork, preventive care, and building lasting relationships with pet families.

What You May Experience

Your externship will be shaped around your educational goals, experience level, and the hospital’s schedule. Depending on the cases available and the level of supervision, learning opportunities may include:

• Participating in patient histories and physical examinations.
• Discussing diagnostic options, test results, and treatment plans.
• Learning about preventive medicine, wellness care, and client education.
• Observing and assisting with surgical and dental procedures.
• Exploring diagnostic imaging, including ultrasound and digital radiography.
• Gaining exposure to in-house laboratory testing and medical case management.
• Observing care approaches for exotic patients, when cases are available.
• Developing communication and collaboration skills with veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and clients.

Our goal is to help you connect what you’re learning in veterinary school with the decisions and skills you’ll use in practice.

An Externship That Supports Your Growth

We encourage students to ask questions, stay curious, and take an active role in their learning. You’ll have opportunities to discuss cases with supervising veterinarians, learn from the broader medical team, and explore the areas of veterinary medicine that interest you most.

Hands-on activities will depend on your experience, school requirements, patient needs, veterinary supervision, and applicable regulations.

Your Externship Details

• Location: Lakeside Animal Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Practice: AAHA-accredited small-animal and exotic-pet practice
• Duration: Typically 2–8 weeks, depending on student and hospital schedules
• Eligibility: Veterinary students of all class years are encouraged to apply
• Travel Support: Eligible clinical-year veterinary students may qualify for a travel or living expense stipend.

Experience Milwaukee While You Learn

Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lakeside offers the opportunity to learn in an established community practice while enjoying the restaurants, lakefront, neighborhoods, parks, and cultural attractions of a major Midwestern city.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Your veterinary education is full of possibilities. Spend time with a team that can help you explore those possibilities, strengthen your clinical foundation, and gain a closer look at life in general practice.

Apply for a veterinary student externship at Lakeside Animal Hospital and tell us what you’re excited to learn!