CVM Summer Veterinary Internships Take Students to Belize and Thailand
Mississippi State University students took their skills across the globe this summer through the inaugural MSU CVM Summer Veterinary Internships program.
These newly founded internships welcomed undergraduate participants from MSU and nine other universities, with students receiving hands-on animal experience and earning college credits while seeing global health through a new perspective.
“The goal of these internships is to provide students with meaningful exposure to veterinary medicine beyond the program,” program director Dr. Stephen Reichley explained. “Students apply what they have learned, develop new technical and professional skills and gain a broader understanding of how culture, geography, animal production systems and available resources influence veterinary care.”
Opportunities in both Thailand and Belize provided varying, yet equally rewarding, training in fields such as companion animal medicine, large-animal practice, wildlife medicine, marine conservation, international veterinary work and One Health.
Through two weeks in Thailand, students had the opportunity to work alongside one beloved exotic species: elephants. In addition to putting clinical skills to the test, they trained with elephant veterinary professionals to understand the importance of welfare and conservation of these endangered animals. Students also practiced companion animal clinical skills, such as blood draws, injections, IV catheter placement and surgery-related procedures.
“This program allowed me to explore wildlife rehabilitation, companion animal medicine, elephant veterinary medicine and wildlife research,” one participant in the Thailand internship said. “It confirmed my interest in wildlife veterinary medicine, conservation and rehabilitation and helped me understand how veterinary medicine intersects with One Health while respecting different cultures.”
However, the experiences outside of the classroom and within the city of Chiang Mai proved to be just as invaluable.
“I loved the balance of classroom learning, hands-on learning and the opportunity to visit temples, markets and other parts of the city,” one student shared. “I truly felt like I learned a lot while also experiencing the culture and life of Thailand.”
Meanwhile, in Belize, students immersed themselves in a three-week, four-hour course that focused on farm animal, marine and wildlife health.
From working within community veterinary clinics in a new cultural setting to interacting with a variety of new species, internship participants were able to gain a greater understanding of the connection between animal health, agriculture and community well-being and compare challenges in Belize and the United States. Additionally, they worked with livestock through farm visits and hands-on practice, which proved to be one of the most meaningful aspects of the internship.
“The large-animal portion was, hands down, the best learning experience,” one Belize internship participant explained. “We worked with different types of livestock and learned proper animal handling through classroom instruction that was followed by hands-on activities.”
Another student shared that participating in the program was a huge step in reaching an ultimate career goal.
“This study abroad program provided the hands-on learning I needed to keep pushing toward a career in large-animal medicine,” the student shared.
The MSU CVM continues to be a trailblazer for global veterinary education at the college level, providing opportunities for students to receive immeasurable experience across a variety of fields. This shapes them not only professionally, but personally.
“These internships demonstrate how global education can strengthen veterinary training,” Dr. Reichley explained. “Students return with new knowledge and practical skills, but they also come back with greater confidence, a broader perspective and a deeper appreciation for the many ways veterinarians serve animals and communities around the world.”