For nearly 20 years, the School of Veterinary Science (Tāwharau Ora) has partnered with clinics and other veterinary businesses to provide our final year students with clinical training in commercial environments. Externship training complements what is provided within our on-site Veterinary Teaching Hospital and provides:
- student experience in highly seasonal work such as pregnancy testing and spring dairy medicine.
- specific aspects of clinical training in areas we believe commercial practice is well positioned to provide, or which the School doesn’t offer or has insufficient clinical service.
Clinical training in externships is a formal component of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc). It is a formally contracted and remunerated arrangement, different and separate to extra mural studies (EMS or “OWNS”), which students arrange for themselves and undertake on their own time. Externship contracts cover a 3-year term, with the option of renewal by mutual agreement.
This level of clinical training is much more than having students ‘seeing practice’. As an externship provider you'd be expected to welcome students into your business and give them an active role delivering clinical services. This requires ongoing commitment and buy in from your leadership and your wider practice team.
Externships in 2025
For the 2025 academic year (starting November 2024) we are looking for an externship provider offering experience in equine theriogenology and foal medicine, for 4 to 10 equine track students.
Due to logistical requirements, applications for this externship will be prioritised by:
- the proposed student experience (50%)
- travel time from Palmerston North (50%)
Apply before 2 September 2024.
Externships in 2026 and 2027
We expect to increase our externship partnerships to accommodate our larger class sizes, beginning their final year in November 2026. New partners may be needed across all species areas.
We welcome applications from around New Zealand.
Applications open 2025. To express your interest or to discuss externships in more detail, please contact:
What you need to provide
To meet our external BVSc course accreditation standards, an externship experience must be similar to that provided in the school’s own teaching clinics. Externships must provide students with:
Hands on training and participation in case management.
At least 1 hour per day of specific tuition
- clinical rounds
- tutorials
- case discussions
- preparation and presentation of a case of topic.
Prompt, meaningful and individual feedback to students, including mid-roster feedback for:
- poorly performing students
- when the placement experience is longer than 1 week.
A lead veterinarian to take responsibility for placements and be the main point of contact
Facilities and management processes which meet the BVSc external course accreditation standards:
- Practice facilities must be clean, tidy and of a good contemporary standard.
- The practice must be compliant with all relevant legislation, including but not limited to: health and safety, controlled drugs, and radiation safety.
- The practice must operate to a high standard of clinical care and be well managed, including paperwork, signage, and stock control.
- You must provide a dedicated space with internet access where students can study within the practice.
All staff involved in the supervision and assessment of students must participate in training opportunities provided by Massey about teaching in a clinical setting.
Choose when and how many students you want to host
The timing of externship placements and the number of students you will host each week is by mutual agreement. Some externship practices take 1 student per week while others take 4 to 5. The number of weeks and students varies between externship providers and can change from year to year.
We need to know externship capacity before July each year, ready for the next clinical training year beginning in November. Once timetables have been set, it is difficult for us to make subsequent changes.
The groups of students you host may change as our new competency-based curriculum rolls out (the first intake in the new curriculum was in 2023). While some practices provide core clinical experience undertaken by all students, some externship rotations are only for students who are ‘tracking’ in a certain type of work.
Support and recognition from Massey University
The quality of the student experience often hinges on the enthusiasm of the lead veterinarian - the person who takes responsibility for placements and the main point of contact. We offer this person an adjunct appointment with the School of Veterinary Sciences, which provides a formal academic title and access to Massey’s Library facilities.
The School of Veterinary Science will work with you to provide a unique externship experience, including training and support for you and your staff.
The lead veterinarian must attend the annual externship conference at Massey for training in teaching and assessment. If the lead cannot attend, you may send another veterinarian who is involved with supervising students.
Join us as an externship practice
Auditing by the School of Veterinary Science
We are required by our course accreditors to audit and ensure externships are providing a high-quality learning experience and are compliant with the required standards. We will visit regularly and monitor student feedback (including placements ratings).
Depending on the number of students you take, externships may be formally audited as part of our 7-yearly course accreditation site visit (next due in 2028).
If problems arise, we raise concerns with the externship lead and provide any support and resources necessary to address them. In the unlikely event that this doesn’t resolve the issue, we can pause externship placements for a defined period of time or agree an end to the contract.
Practices outside Palmerston North
We welcome applications from practices around New Zealand.
If your practice is not located in the Manawatū and it is not possible for students to commute from Palmerston North, we will book accommodation close to your practice. This is generally backpacker-type accommodation with kitchen facilities or a value motel, however we are happy to work with you if you have suggestions or recommendations for local accommodation.
Some students may choose to arrange their own accommodation with friends or relatives nearby.
Join us as an externship practice
Are you interested in partnering with us as a contracted externship practice? Complete the form to express your interest and tell us what experiences you can offer our students.
Application deadlines
To ensure equity and transparency, we conduct an open competitive process when we are seeking new externship partners. If more practices apply than we currently have placements for, priority will be given according to criteria published on this page.