Third and Fourth year vet students are eligible to apply for 2-week structured externships throughout the year, gaining hands-on experience and in-depth instruction from our skilled medical team, typically while earning course credit through their veterinary school. Externs spend their days learning the ins and outs of our HQHV spay-neuter clinic procedures, partnering on treatment plans and critical care cases, and performing sterilization procedures. With an average of 55 surgical patients per day, externs may complete anywhere from 5-100 surgeries during their 2-week rotation, depending on initial skill level. To apply for an externship, fill out a vet student volunteer application, and select the checkbox for “externship”!

Please note, we do not currently offer housing or travel solutions for externship students. Now Scheduling for 2027.

Fellowship participants enjoy 8-10 weeks of immersion in all things related to humane community cat management (next available is Summer 2027). Trap loan and trapping through staging HQHVSN clinics and providing TNR for local and regional caregivers will become second nature. Students learn the intricacies of trapping cats – even those elusive kitties – and dealing with all manner of caregivers. They will learn how to set up and organize a HQHVSN clinic utilizing one skilled veterinarian caring for over 50 cats. Summer Fellows will manage trap inventory and various constituents utilizing several specialized software programs to keep it all nice and tidy. They will collaborate with local animal shelters to respond to community needs and to find the best outcome for every individual cat. Interested candidates will have the opportunity to gain practical clinical skills managing a multitude of feline medical and surgical cases. Fellows will participate in weekly shelter medicine rounds relevant to community cat management and present a case presentation at the end of the summer. They will graduate the fellowship with the confidence to take on any project in community cat management and will have developed the skills to succeed! This is a unique opportunity for individuals who dream of making significant impact in animal welfare and are interested in lifesaving programs for Community Cats. Fellows will build practical skills through a blend of didactic study and hands-on clinical and field training. Students of all experience levels are welcome to apply. Opportunities to perform surgery will be dependent on each student’s experience and competency. This is a rigorous full-time position with substantial time spent outdoors in the Florida summer and a $3500-$5000 stipend, depending on course length.

This course uses a combination of self-paced online modules and hands-on clinical training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively and humanely manage populations of unowned, free-roaming, community cats. Students will explore evidence-based strategies for mitigating the negative impacts of the country’s large population of community cats, including topics ranging from legal, environmental, and public health issues to socio-economic and animal welfare considerations. Students will join Operation Catnip for a tour and overview of our lifesaving programs, and come along on a visit to meet a caregiver of a managed cat community. The course culimates with a daylong HQHVSN clinic where students and DVM coaches perform lifesaving surgeries on community cats. After completing the course, students will be able to make a compelling case for humane community cat management programs, develop productive collaborations with local organizations and cat caregivers, organize a large-scale trap-neuter-return clinic, and perform routine feline spay and neuter surgery. For more information, search VEM5342 in the course catalog.

The Operation Catnip (OC) Spay Intensive Externship for Advanced Surgical Students is a 2-week intensive surgical experience in a HQHVSN clinic. It is intended to provide students with an opportunity to fine tune their feline spay technique under the supervision of our medical director. Students will also have the opportunity to complete numerous pediatric spays and may have the opportunity to do other necessary procedures such as enucleations and amputations. 

Externs will work with staff and caregivers to intake cats for our daily clinics, do pre-surgical examinations, surgery, and post-operative care.  

The ideal candidate would be a veterinary student seeking a future career in HQHVSN, community cat management, and shelter medicine. Students should be passionate about cats and should enjoy working with people, including underserved populations. Candidates must be able to perform a normal cat spay in under 15 minutes. Next Available is Summer 2027