international vet med

2019 Teaching/Training Volunteer Opportunities

While all of World Vets projects provide an enriching volunteer experience, we will have more opportunities available next year, as part of our veterinary field projects, that will allow for teaching/training opportunities for fellow volunteers in relation to performing clinical tasks and duties. These volunteer teaching/training trips will specifically be marked with a graduation cap icon, and can also be found here

The projects marked with a graduation cap icon are ideal for DVM’s and LVT’s that enjoy working with and/or teaching students, and/or those who have participated as instructors on our International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program. As part of these projects, veterinary students will also have the chance to perform sterilizations under the direct supervision and guidance of veterinarians; and pre-veterinary and/or veterinary technology students will also receive instruction and practice in performing clinical tasks related, but not limited to, patient prep/induction, monitoring as well as recovery.

Represent World Vets at your School! Become a Student Ambassador

We are accepting new student ambassadors for the Fall/Winter 2018 academic year!

Have you volunteered on a World Vets field service project or taken part on our International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program? If this experience positively impacted your life or simply inspired you, we encourage you to consider becoming a World Vets Student Ambassador.

Represent World Vets and promote our volunteer opportunities at your school and amongst your peers. Inquire about student ambassador positions at members@worldvets.org.

World Vets volunteers help hundreds of animals over Spring Break

This past month World Vets had veterinary teams in five different countries providing free veterinary services for animals in need.

We had teams in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Ecuador carrying out high volume sterilization campaigns benefiting underserved populations of dogs and cats.

We also had a team in Honduras facilitating annual health exams and treatments to wildlife and exotic species, in addition to students in Nicaragua taking part in our International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program.

See our all of upcoming volunteer opportunities here

 

NEW! Introducing the IVM “Field Project”

The International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program is World Vets student program that is run out of our of Latin America Veterinary Training Center located in Nicaragua. The IVM Program provides English speaking students with a unique training and cultural experience by providing them an opportunity to gain practical veterinary experience within an international context.

In 2018 we will be adapting the IVM Program to a field project setting. In this way students will receive the same hands on veterinary experience, with guidance and supervision from licensed veterinarians and technicians. However, the location and work conditions will vary. Instead of operating out of a teaching facility, students will work in a non-clinic environment and in turn be exposed to practicing veterinary medicine in a field-clinic setting.

Our upcoming IVM “Field Project” will take place in Utila, Honduras from May 12 – 19, 2018. Project information as well as student and instructor registration will open Fall 2017.


What is the difference between the IVM Program and an IVM “field project”?

Location & Work Conditions

The IVM Program takes place at World Vets Latin America Veterinary Training Center (LATC) located in Granada, Nicaragua. The LATC is a teaching facility equipped with up to date medical, surgical, anesthetic and monitoring equipment.

The IVM “field project” that has been scheduled in 2018 will take place in Utila, Honduras. You will not work in a training facility that is equipped like the LATC. Instead you will work in field clinic conditions where we will operate a fully functional mobile surgery setup and travel with the veterinary supplies needed to provide routine veterinary care.

Week Itinerary & Anticipated Veterinary Work

The itinerary for the IVM field project is styled after our small animal veterinary field projects (see below for typical itinerary). Similar to the IVM Program, three full days will be dedicated to “clinic” and performing spay/neuter surgeries. However, there will not be a community outreach day where you will visit a rural community to provide veterinary services. Instead, you will also tend to health consultations and other potential surgical cases (alongside sterilization services) during the 3-day field clinic. With that being said, students and instructors can expect this to be a strictly small animal project, where horses and/or livestock will not be seen and/or treated.


What is the same between the IVM Program and the IVM “field project”?

A Focus on Teaching, Learning and Practicing

Similar to the IVM Program, the IVM field project will emphasize a high quality, low stress and hands on environment for students to learn and practice new skills. Veterinary students will work with DVM instructors to perform sterilizations and surgical monitoring, meanwhile pre-veterinary and veterinary technology students will work with LVT instructors in patient prep and induction.

Student & Instructor Positions

The positions available on the team roster will be for DVM and LVT instructors as well as veterinary students, pre-veterinary students and veterinary technology students. There will not be positions available for “assistants” and/or those who cannot be classified under the category of student and/or instructor.

Those interested in an instructor position should send a copy of their current license and CV/resume to info@worldvets.org to be considered. Licensed veterinarians and technicians must have at least one year of clinical experience to qualify for an instructor position, however, prior teaching experience is not a prerequisite. This is a low cost volunteer opportunity.

Low Volume

While a regular veterinary field project features high volume spay/neuter services, the IVM style field project will consist of low volume sterilization (up to 30 surgeries a day), which will be condusive to teaching, learning and practicing.


IVM Field Project Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival 

Today marks the official arrival day for the project. Participants will be asked to fly into Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport*  located on the island of Roatan, Honduras (Airport Code: RTB). Participants will also be asked to arrive by a designated time as the team will then take a ferry ride from Roatan to the island of Utila.

*Volunteers may also fly directly to Utila, however please note that World Vets will not be providing airport transfers from this airport on arrival and departure days. If volunteers fly into/out of Utila, they will be responsible for their own airport transfers.

Day 2: Group Activity & Free Time

The team will take part in a group activity today that will be arranged by World Vets. This is typically a half day activity giving volunteers the opportunity to do their own exploring and/or sightseeing as well.

Day 3: Free Time | Clinic set up & Orientation

Today is set aside for free time and leisure. Volunteers will be responsible for making their own arrangements today for excursions, activities and/or sightseeing.

In the afternoon, World Vets field service veterinarian and a few volunteers will go to the clinic site to set up and prepare for veterinary services. Late afternoon/evening the team will meet up for a brief orientation to go over how things will run over the next three days.

Day 4, 5 & 6: Veterinary Clinic Days

Veterinary services will be provided in a field clinic setting over the next three days. The anticipated work hours are from 8:30 am until 5 pm. Students will work one on one with licensed veterinarians and technicians in patient prep and recovery and to perform sterilizations. They may also take turns rotating through health consultations (dependent on local demand).

Day 7: Free Time & Leisure

Today is set aside for free time and leisure. Volunteers will be responsible for making their own arrangements today for excursions, activities and/or sightseeing.

Day 8: Departure

Today marks the official departure day for the project. Participants will be instructed to schedule their departure flights for the afternoon as the team will need to take a morning ferry back to Roatan.

Organizing a volunteer trip for your group just got easier! 

If you are a student group, veterinary corporation and/or veterinary practice looking to volunteer abroad or provide an international volunteer opportunity for your colleagues, look no further. World Vets is able to provide a custom trip for groups in Nicaragua!

Aside from communicating your interests and objectives, there would be minimal requirements of you in organizing the experience for your group. World Vets will handle in-country logistics, pre-trip planning and all veterinary-related coordination. We will also facilitate all the veterinary supplies and medicines that would be needed.

Here are some examples of recent and/or upcoming custom trips;

World Vets recently welcomed a student group from Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) of Saskatchewan, Canada. We organized a two week program for them that combined clinic with activities out in the field. They received hands on experience in carrying out tasks related to patient prep and monitoring as well as performing sterilizations under the instruction and guidance of World Vets veterinary staff. They even tended to medical consultations during community outreach visits where they worked with both small animals and livestock, and made a visit to a wildlife sanctuary. What’s more, they helped to collect baseline data that will aid World Vets in monitoring and measuring animal health and wellbeing in the Laguna de Apoyo area.

In the coming months we will host a veterinary cooperate group for a one week small animal field project. As part of this trip they will have 3-4 days dedicated to providing veterinary services and 2-3 days for leisure and sightseeing. Veterinary services will be provided in a field setting and incorporate a rabies vaccination campaign in celebration of World Rabies Day (Sept 28). Read more about this trip

To inquire about a custom trip to Nicaragua for your group, please write to trips@worldvets.org

A few special notes:
  • Our custom trip opportunity is currently only offered for/in Nicaragua
  • Scheduling and dates are subject to availability
  • To be eligible for a custom trip, student groups must have a minimum number of 8 -10 people. Veterinary groups must be able to fill up to 15 positions, where at least 5 of which are DVM and 2 are LVT/RVT.

 

A Record Breaking Success: Cusco, Peru

World Vets has been working in the Cusco region of Peru for almost six years.  During this time have we partnered, and actively collaborate, with locally practicing veterinarians, a well respected animal welfare organization in addition to municipal authorities. Though even despite the duration of our involvement, and the efforts of local partners, spay/neuter continues to be in high demand and much needed.

Our recent campaign was a great testament of this as our veterinary team worked tirelessly with local partners to provide hundreds of free sterilizations, among other surgeries, for local animals in need. In just three days time, over 350 surgical procedures were performed! This is an unbelievable accomplishment that surpasses the total number of sterilizations ever performed on a World Vets small animal project. This outstanding feat not only speaks to the continual demand and need for sterilization services in the area. It also highlights the dedication and passion of our volunteers, and local partners, to help as many animals as possible during a limited amount of time.

However, even though we specialize in providing high volume spay/neuter campaigns, we never lose sight of how critically important it is to provide a profound level of kindness and excellent care to each individual animal. We value patient safety and quality patient care and are proud to be able to facilitate skilled veterinary care for countless animal populations around the world.

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