Vetco Total Care general practice hospitals are committed to the growth and development of future veterinary technicians and vet assistants. We are excited to offer student externship opportunities where you can collaborate with doctors and teams to learn valuable, real-world clinical, surgical, communication and leadership skills. 
WHY SHOULD I APPLY?

Throughout your externship, you will gain hands-on experience with medical, surgical, diagnostic, and dental procedures in our state-of-the-art general practice hospitals. Practice your clinical skill set while being mentored and guided by experienced licensed veterinary technicians and veterinarians who are committed to your learning and growth.

Veterinary technician externs are eligible to receive educational course credit hours or hourly wages as a veterinary assistant and enjoy generous Petco discounts on supplies, training, grooming, and veterinary care.

Your well-being is important! Vetco Total Care does not require after hours, on-call, late night or overnight shifts.

WILL THIS EXTERNSHIP COUNT TOWARD MY PROGRAM'S REQUIREMENTS?

We work with Penn Foster, PIMA and other veterinary technician programs for site approval and are glad to help you with any documentation required.   

Take the first step toward an extraordinary veterinary technician externship by completing this form. Got questions? Email us at vetprograms@petco.com and let's talk!
WHAT WILL I LEARN AND DO? 
Throughout your externship, you will gain practical experience with a broad range of administrative, clinical, surgical, diagnostic, and dental procedures in a state-of-the-art general practice hospital.

We have listed the most common program requirements below. Please ask us about specific skills not listed. 
  • Hospital SOPs and safety protocols
  • Effective client communication and education
  • Front desk duties, administrative tasks 
  • Patient discharge procedures
  • Sick + preventive care examinations
  • Obtaining vitals, patient history and writing a SOAP
  • Drawing and administering vaccines and other injections
  • Applying topical, ocular and ear medications and treatments
  • Safe restraint methods
  • Venipuncture 
  • Small animal medicine + surgery 
  • Dentistry, including digital dental radiographs
  • Clinical Digital Radiology
  • Ultrasonography using the Butterfly iQ+ Vet ultrasound
  • Integrating artificial intelligence technology into general practice through: Vetology AI Radiograph Interpretation and VetScan IMAGYST AI Microscope
  • Nutrition
  • Small Animal Emergency Critical Care (by location)
  • Zoo/Exotic Animal Medicine (by location)
  • Clinical Pathology using in-house IDEXX analyzers
  • Anesthesia
Externs only perform care that is outlined by each Veterinary State Practice Act and only under the direct supervision of a veterinarian or Licensed Veterinary Technician. Vetco Total Care does not perform medically unnecessary and cosmetic procedures. 
Externships may not be available in all Vetco Total Care locations. 
OK! HOW DO I APPLY?
Review these requirements, then click apply to get started! 
  • You are currently enrolled in an AVMA CVTEA accredited veterinary technology program. 
  • VTC hospitals are open Monday through Saturday from 8 am – 6 pm with no after-hours or on-call. Externship hours are flexible based on your schedule and program requirements.   
  • You're a team player who enjoys working in a diverse and highly inclusive environment where all people are welcome as they are.
  • You're open to learning from everyone on staff and receiving constructive feedback.  
  • You possess strong observational, analytical, critical thinking and communication skills. You love to identify and analyze problems and provide medically-sound recommendations.
  • You maintain a calm, respectful and professional manner with colleagues, clients and patients. You can adapt to stressful situations that come with working in a veterinary hospital. 

Questions? Email us at vetprograms@petco.com. ​​​​​
Learn more about Vetco Total Care. 

Got questions? Please email us at vetprograms@petco.com.