Humane Alliance

Humane Alliance gave me some excellent practical surgery exposure in an encouraging environment, with staff that were more than willing to help me learn. The program really showed me what a well-rounded doctor really is. "

Extern Syllabus

Our Extern Program is a 2-week (40 hours per week) program designed to deliver an overall experience of the operation of a high-volume, high quality spay/neuter facility. Students receive training on all medical positions in our clinic, which includes support staff duties, and instruction is given not only by our veterinarians, but also our RVTs, assistants, transport drivers, and the occasional administrative staff member.

Of course, a main draw of the program is the surgery instruction and practice. In fact, 6 out of these 10 days will involve some amount of surgery, and, dependent on each student’s ability and the availability of animals, most students will perform between 15 and 25 surgeries in the 2-week period.

Because of the fluctuating nature of our business, the exact curriculum moves according to patient/case availability. We always show our students the most interesting surgeries that come through the door, and with 120 surgeries in our clinic a day, there are always of wealth of new patients to choose from!

Our Extern Experience Includes (but is not limited to):

Our Extern Program is a 2-week (40 hours per week) program designed to deliver an overall experience of the operation of a high-volume, high quality spay/neuter facility. Students receive training on all medical positions in our clinic, which includes support staff duties, and instruction is given not only by our veterinarians, but also our RVTs, assistants, transport drivers, and the occasional administrative staff member.

Of course, a main draw of the program is the surgery instruction and practice. In fact, 6 out of these 10 days will involve some amount of surgery, and, dependent on each student’s ability and the availability of animals, most students will perform between 15 and 25 surgeries in the 2-week period.

Because of the fluctuating nature of our business, the exact curriculum moves according to patient/case availability. We always show our students the most interesting surgeries that come through the door, and with 120 surgeries in our clinic a day, there are always of wealth of new patients to choose from!

Our Extern Experience Includes (but is not limited to):

Check-In & Release Protocols

  • Patient check-in and admissions protocol/procedures
  • Pre-surgical physical examination
  • Patient selection
  • Patient monitoring and recovery
  • Front desk discharge
  • Recheck examinations
  • Drug Protocols

  • Drug review
  • DEA regulations and flow of controlled drugs in the practice
  • Drug records/logs
  • Pre-operative sedation protocol
  • Individual patient drug preparation
  • Patient records
  • Anesthesia machine operation and maintenance
  • Induction and intubation
  • Pain management
  • Emergency drug protocol
  • Community Programs

  • Shelter programs (including visit to local area shelters)
  • Feral cat programs
  • Participation in animal transport program
  • Disease Control

  • Pack preparation
  • Kennel facility maintenance and disease control
  • Surgery

  • Anatomy review
  • Sterile surgical technique (ligatures, pedicle tie, overhand knot, incision placement)
  • Surgical technique review (efficiency of motion, body mechanics)
  • Instrument review
  • Surgical preparation procedures
  • Identification and management of complications
  • Surgery
  • Sponsored by:

    Petsmart Charities ASPCA