Learning Opportunities

Experience veterinary medicine in a different context and expand your skillset through clinical training, service, and research opportunities.

snake

Pathways Program

Explore professional interests outside of traditional small- and large-animal medicine, through curriculum recommendations, career guidance, and mentorship. Faculty mentors dedicated to each pathway also provide resources for additional support like experiential opportunities, professional organizations, conferences, and training.

Professional pathways include:

  • Industrial livestock medicine: Veterinary involvement in production animal health activities associated with large-scale production systems and allied industries. Career fields include feeding operations, food safety, animal welfare, pharmaceuticals, and research.
  • Veterinary diagnostics: An integrated approach to medical testing used to identify and characterize disease processes and deliver diagnostic and consultative services. Examples of diagnostic specialties include toxicology, radiology, and microbiology.
  • Non-traditional species: Aspects of veterinary medicine related to the care and research of zoological companion animals (avian, reptile, aquatic, and exotic), free-ranging wildlife, and wildlife kept under human care (zoo animals).
  • Population health: An interdisciplinary approach to managing the health of a population to improve the health outcomes of individuals within that group. Career fields include public health and epidemiology.
four vets in barn with ram

Off-Campus Training and Service

Colorado State University cultivates relationships with partners from around the world to create learning opportunities for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students. Expand your global perspective and develop your professional skillset by experiencing veterinary medicine in diverse environments, cultures, and locations, all while working with a variety of new people and unique animal species.

Topics include herd and livestock health, mixed animal outreach, equine health care, rural medicine, public health and food safety, shelter medicine, and emergency and critical care.

Regional, national, and international experiences are available in Africa, Alaska, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Navajo Nation, and Scotland.

Veterinary Summer Scholars Program

Gain practical research skills with expert insight and mentorship from a faculty member. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, complete a ten- to twelve-week research project during the summer term.

Learn more and apply

vet students and cattle

Rural Veterinary Medicine

Recognizing the national need for food supply veterinary medicine, the D.V.M. Program offers courses, training opportunities, and resources that ensure students are well equipped to enter the rural workforce.

  • Spanish for the Veterinary Professional: Graduate certificate promotes enriched interactions between veterinarians and Spanish-speaking farm workers by teaching the language necessary to communicate directly about animal health and wellbeing. Topics include obtaining health histories, diagnosing and explaining common illnesses and conditions, giving treatment recommendations, and describing protocols for preventative veterinary care. Intercultural aspects related to working with a diverse workforce are also included as a capstone experience to the program.
  • Rural Practice Management Externship: Two-week externship that covers four tenets of practice management: financial literacy, culture, communication, and client recruitment and retention. Students participate in presentations and project-based classroom learning during week one, followed by hospital visits during week two.
  • Well-being and counseling services: D.V.M. Student Psychological Counselor educates students about resilience, compassion fatigue, self-care and risk factors for mental health conditions to help combat unique challenges faced by rural veterinarians.
  • Financial management support: On-staff financial education specialist and practice management expert help students develop skills in personal and business financial management, practice management, and business planning.
woman points to computer

Research Opportunities

A rich network of research scientists and clinicians provides opportunities for all D.V.M. students to travel and gain new experiences in veterinary science through formal and informal research projects. During the required first-semester course, VM603 Veterinary Science: Research and Methods, students learn about the various research opportunities available.