Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA) welcomes matriculating veterinary students from other colleges (in their final or next to final clinical year of veterinary school) who wish to participate in clinical rotations with our veterinary students. Visits are limited to six weeks (with no more than four weeks on one service). Requests for an extension will be determined on a case by case basis. Demonstrated competence and proficiency in both spoken and written English language skills are required to facilitate the educational process and client communications.

Services that may be visited

Schedule for Clinical Rotations

Clinical rotations are scheduled on a space-available basis, with the approval of the service chief, in approximately two-week consecutive blocks of time.

Application Procedure & Requirements

• Depending on your preferred rotations dates, please fill out either the 2025 Clinical Visit Request Form OR 2026 Clinical Visit Request Form. Due to an increased Cornell DVM class size, along with their core course requirements, we are currently extremely limited on availability and not able to guarantee spots and externships. Please contact us at least 4 months in advance of your requested dates for information about availability.
• Provide a detailed CV, including any training or clinical experience.
• Provide a letter of introduction, including the goal/objective of an externship in your service of interest, your current year in veterinary school, your university, the service(s) you wish to attend, and the proposed rotation blocks/dates of the visit (based on the clinical rotation dates listed on the Clinical Visit Request Form).
• Submit the completed request materials (Clinical Visit Request Form, detailed CV, and letter of introduction) via email to cvm-profservices@cornell.edu for consideration and/or review.
• Because we are located in a rabies-endemic area, proof of a rabies vaccination/titer results is required! Without this proof you will be unable to attend your rotation.
• Proof of a negative Tuberculin (TB) test within one year of your visit dates is required for Wildlife, Exotics and Lab Animal Services. Without this proof you will be unable to attend your rotation.
• Infection Control Guidelines - These procedures are to be performed prior to entering the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.
  1. Clothing MUST BE thoroughly laundered before being worn. Bring more than one pair of coveralls or lab coats.
  2. Footwear must be carefully and thoroughly scrubbed clean and disinfected using the following procedure:
     • For rubber over boots, scrub well with a detergent. (Detergent with bleach, mixed at 2 ounce per gallon of water works well for this.)
     • After scrubbing, mix a fresh solution of detergent in hot water and fully immerse the boots for at least 15 minutes. (IF available, a disinfectant can be used in place of detergent.)
     • Rinse boots with water, allow to dry completely.
     • For other footwear, clean and scrub as described above. Use a toothbrush to get into any grooves in the soles. After cleaning, if boots cannot be immersed, allow the soles of the shoes to stand in a shallow container in a solution of 1:32 bleach solution (4 oz. per gallon) for a minimum of 5 minutes. Allow boots to dry completely.
  3. When traveling from abroad, prior to arrival, launder all clothing that you will be bringing during your visit that has been worn at farms or while in contact with animals in a foreign country. Remove all dirt or debris from shoes, equipment, or other articles before packing them and entering the U.S.
  4. DO NOT bring equipment (pocket organizers, thermometers, hoof picks, lead ropes, fanny packs) to our facilities unless they are new.
  5. Stethoscopes are the exception. Your stethoscope must be thoroughly cleaned. To clean, first remove any organic matter with a wet sponge. Using a 4x4, wipe with Nolvasan solution, covering all surface areas, allow to dry. Wipe off with water and soft cloth, spray or wipe stethoscope with alcohol and allow to dry. Use Q-tips to clean the small parts and remove the cover on the head of the stethoscope and clean separately following the above procedure.
  6. Effective at the end of the Spring 2023 semester, Cornell will no longer require visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or obtain a medical or religious exemption. New visitors will not need to provide proof of vaccination prior to beginning their visiting training program. We urge everyone to follow CDC guidelines and stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

Applications to attend our rotations are reviewed and approved by the section chiefs of the services in the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.

Costs

Weekly fees may be charged by the College for Extern visits.  Student visitors are responsible for all personal arrangements and expenses associated with their visits. All students will be charged a $200 non-refundable processing and application fee once your visit is approved by the service.