Veterinary Extern: Small Animal Practice, Hands-on Mentorship

Leader Heights Animal Hospital; Toronto; On-site; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits program

Travel stipend

Work-life balance

Flexible scheduling

Job summary

National Veterinary Associates in York and North Yorkshire is offering an externship for veterinary students seeking hands-on experience in a quality small-animal practice. This opportunity emphasizes strong mentorship and exposes students to a wide range of clinical skills.

Join a supportive team with a focus on work-life balance, flexible scheduling, and diverse case opportunities, including high-volume surgeries and close collaboration with local rescues.

Eligible students may receive a travel/living expense stipend and benefits including medical and dental coverage.

Qualifications

• Veterinary students in the clinical portion of their education.
• Ability to engage in hands-on experiences and learning.

Responsibilities

• Participate in high-volume surgery and dentistry.
• Engage with small mammal medicine, surgery, and dentistry.

Job description

Are you a veterinary student looking for hands-on experience in a supportive, high-quality small-animal practice? Join our team for an externship focused on real learning, strong mentorship, and exposure to a wide range of clinical skills.

•4 FTE DVMs (3 full-time, 2 part-time) — with plans to add another full-time doctor

•6 Certified Veterinary Technicians, 3 unlicensed techs (two preparing for boards)

•5–6 veterinary assistants

We have a deeply skilled support team that allows doctors to practice at the top of their license. Our hospital is fully equipped to support your clinical development, including:

•Digital radiography, ultrasound, and dental radiography

•Radiosurgery unit and electrocautery

•Cryosurgery unit

•Class IV therapeutic laser

•A brand-new dental suite with two dental tables and full Midmark drill/scaling units

•Two new surgical suites outfitted with Cardell or Vetcorder monitoring (ECG, BP, CO₂, temp, pulse ox)

•Lift tables in 6 exam rooms and fold-away tables in 2 feline-friendly rooms

•Why Students Love Rotating With Us

•Long-tenured staff, including several team members with 30+ years at our hospital

•A true learning environment — we’ve trained and hired multiple tech externs over the years

•A fun, relaxed team with a workspace designed to reduce stress (sound-separated from exam rooms = music and teaching without disturbing clients!)

•Strong belief in utilizing technical staff fully — our techs manage anesthesia, client education, and major technical procedures

•Students benefit from seamless exam-room workflow with technician or advanced assistant support

•A genuine emphasis on work-life balance for everyone — flexible scheduling, generous time off, 4-day doctor workweeks, and no weekends or on-call

•We’re located in an affluent, highly educated community with clients who value and trust medical recommendations — meaning excellent compliance and diverse case opportunities.

•Easy access: right off the highway and a major southern York County thoroughfare

•Close to three ERs and several urgent care centers, keeping emergency burden low

•Fantastic for outdoor enthusiasts and still within easy reach of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Harrisburg

What You’ll See & Learn

•Our externs get exposure to a wide range of medical and surgical experiences, including:

•High-volume surgery and dentistry

•Small mammal medicine, surgery, and dentistry (optional for students)

•Integrative medicine: acupuncture, herbal medicine, laser therapy, and soon, chiropractic care

•We work very closely with a local cat rescue, as well as other dog and cat rescues, so you’ll get a lot of hands-on shelter medicine

•Care for the majority of police K9s in York and surrounding counties

•Diverse medical approaches thanks to a multi-generational team that loves teaching

Most externship experiences at Leader Heights range from two to eight weeks depending on student and hospital schedules. All veterinary students (regardless of class year) are encouraged to participate in NVA externships.

Veterinary students who are in the clinical portion of their education are eligible for a travel/living expense stipend. Click HERE* to view list of stipend amountsand HERE for details on the stipend program.

Veterinary students who are in the clinical portion of their education are eligible for a travel/living expense stipend. Click HERE* to view list of stipend amountsand HERE for details on the stipend program.

*An additional $500 travel stipend is offered to the amount listed in the link for externships at this hospital.

National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is a leading North American pet health care company with nearly 1,300 locations spanning general practice veterinary hospitals, Ethos emergency and specialty hospitals, and pet resorts and equine veterinary care. With approximately 40,000 team members, we care for pets and support pet families in communities across the United States and Canada. Our purpose is to give pets and the people who love them more quality years together, and our mission is to make care more personal, easy and accessible while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life. Across NVA, we support our teams with the resources, expertise and opportunities they need to deliver exceptional care and help shape the future of veterinary and pet care.

Purpose: Give pets and the people who love them more quality years together

Mission: Transform the pet family experience to be personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life.

Values: Care Deeply, Do What’s Right, One Team, Own It, Shape What’s Next

One NVA: Bringing General Practice & Ethos Together

NVA is built to make care personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine across every stage of a pet’s life.

At National Veterinary Associates, we want to make sure your experience connecting with us is seamless and straightforward. Here’s what to expect when interacting with us:

- We’ll always reach out via verified LinkedIn profiles or emails ending in @nva.com

- We may also contact you via text message from an identified NVA representative for recruiting-related communication

- All job opportunities and applications are hosted on our official careers site: careers.nva.com

- There is no cost or confidential information required to apply or be considered for a position

If you have any doubts about a communication, feel free to visit our careers page to verify authenticity or email us at [e-mail]. Thank you for exploring opportunities at NVA!

NVA offers a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, vision, a 401k with employer match, and paid time off (including sick time) for all eligible employees. The team can provide more information about compensation and benefits for your specific location during the process. For positions based in Colorado, NVA provides eligible employees with paid sick and safe leave and public health emergency leave in accordance with the requirements of Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act.

NVA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.