Interships, Externships & Fellowships

Student Internships

The Penn Vet Working Dog Center is excited to offer internships for college students seeking academic credit within the guidelines of their academic institution. 

Limited high school internships are available.

Internships are in the areas of veterinary medicine, dog training, behavioral science, non-profit management, criminal justice, database management, and statistical analysis. An emphasis on research is integral to each of these areas.

Our internship program is designed for students with a serious interest in working dogs to gain practical experience while helping the Penn Vet Working Dog Center achieve our mission of developing a detection dog breeding/training program that will implement, test, and disseminate the knowledge gained.

Duties can be tailored to fit into different educational majors as much as practically possible such as non-profit management, digital media, etc.

Intersession Interns

Rolling admission process available for fall and spring.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, please contact our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at pvwdcoutreach@vet.upenn.edu for current opportunities.

Summer Interns

We offer two (2) types of summer internships.

1. Research - Behavioral Science
2. Applied - Behavioral Science

Please contact our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at pvwdcoutreach@vet.upenn.edu for summer 2021 opportunities.

Veterinary Student Externships

• The Externship rotation for veterinary students is Monday thru Friday. We are open from 7 am to 7 pm so students can plan on spending between 8 and 10 hours a day at the Center.
• All aspects of working dog medicine including nutrition, behavior, training, dentistry, sports medicine, conditioning, disaster response, reproduction, emergency first aid, preventive medicine and genetics will be addressed.
• There is both a research and practical component to this externship.
• Students in their clinical year are welcome to apply for a two-to-four-week rotation at the center. We accept summer interns as well. Housing is not provided. No stipend is provided.
• Interested? Please complete the Penn Vet Externship application...

Requirements and Information

• Students must provide a letter indicating current vet school enrollment, have an adequate rabies titer, health insurance and liability insurance.
• The WDC does not provide housing and we do not handle visas.
• We accept students only from AVMA accredited schools.

How to Apply

• Download full position description (PDF)
• Submit a cover letter outlining your reasons for requesting acceptance, dates you wish to do your externship, resumé, and a minimum of one letter of recommendation to Dr. Cindy Otto at cmotto@vet.upenn.edu.
  

Ovarian Cancer Detection Veterinary Student Internship

This summer research internship at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center is funded by the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization (OCSA). This is a paid summer internship for a first- or second-year veterinary student who is interested in learning more about medical detection and the role of detection dogs. The selected intern will be immersed in ovarian cancer detection research and gain hands on experience with our scent detection canines. There is a focus on study execution, data acquisition, data analysis and writing. 

Requirements

• First- or second-year veterinary student
• Comprehensive understanding of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center’s medical detection program and ovarian detection research
• Attention to detail and ability to work well with others are essential
  
• Dog handling experience is helpful but not necessary
  
• Writing experience helpful, but not required
  
• Internship runs from mid-May to mid-August; hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
  
• While the core elements of this internship are on-site at the PVWDC, there are components that can and will need to be done remotely
  

How to Apply

Deadline: March 12, 2021, 4 pm (EST)

• Email your cover letter, resume, and one letter of recommendation together in one email to our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at pvwdcoutreach@vet.upenn.edu. Separate emails will not be considered.
• Select applicants will be contacted for an interview.
• One stipend is available for this position.

Veteran Fellowship

We appreciate the men and women who have served our country and recognize the special contributions that American soldiers make to the future generation of working dogs being training at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.

We have partnered with organizations on campus to provide opportunities for Veterans wishing to continue to serve at home.

• Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania Students Veteran Association (UPSVA)... 
• Learn more about the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic...