Students share hands-on experiences from VCA Metzger Animal Hospital externship

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently gathered to share their experiences in the Penn State Pre-Veterinary Student Externship Program at VCA Metzger Animal Hospital, which they participated in earlier this summer.

Throughout the six-week program, students get the opportunity to be an active participant in the daily operations of the hospital, which is one of Pennsylvania’s leading veterinary practices.

Fred Metzger, founder of the hospital and affiliate professor at Penn State, said that through structured rotations, case discussions and team meetings, students gain valuable insight into patient care, clinical decision-making, teamwork, leadership and client communication.

Metzger, who earned his bachelor’s degree in animal bioscience from Penn State before eventually opening the veterinary hospital in 1992, said it was a privilege to help create the program and give something back to the institution that helped shape his career.

“When we created the program, our goal was to provide students with an opportunity that simply didn’t exist when I was an undergraduate,” he said. “We wanted aspiring veterinarians to experience the realities of clinical practice firsthand: working alongside veterinarians, technicians and hospital teams while caring for real patients and learning how medicine is practiced in a modern referral and emergency hospital.”

Throughout their externship, students observe and learn from the vets and vet techs during examinations, diagnostic testing and interpretation, imaging and surgical procedures, emergency cases and more.

Jennifer Koehl, assistant teaching professor and undergraduate program coordinator, said exploring these many facets of veterinary medicine gives students an invaluable experience.

“In a relatively short period of time, students gain exposure to a wide range of clinical experiences,” she said. “Every year, I hear exciting stories about the cases they have seen. These experiences not only help them become stronger, more well-rounded applicants for veterinary school, but also allow them to confirm their career goals.”

For their presentations, each student shared a case study from their time in the program. They included information about their patient's history, exam findings, diagnostics, treatments plans and outcomes, along with personal observations and reflections.

For example, Cassandra Lanzoni — a third-year animal science major — discussed her time with a 10-year-old golden retriever named Copper, who was taken to the hospital after his owners noticed he was having pain in his abdomen and a racing heartbeat. He was eventually diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma and put on a treatment plan including a splenectomy and chemotherapy.

Allison Hoover, a third-year veterinary and biomedical sciences major, presented her experience helping care for a three-year-old corgi named Addie. Her symptoms turned out to be immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, a condition in which the body’s immune system destroys its own red blood cells.

Addie was put on a variety of treatments including immunosuppressants, anti-clotting medications and a blood transfusion, and both she and Copper made good progress after receiving care.

Chandler Cook, a fourth-year veterinary and biomedical sciences major, said one of the highlights of her experience was the opportunity to observe some of the specialized surgical procedures offered at the hospital.

“Orthopedic surgery was already an area of interest for me, and seeing these procedures firsthand was especially impactful,” she said. “I also developed a strong appreciation for emergency medicine and am grateful for the exposure and mentorship I received throughout the internship.”

Ryan Seeger, a fourth-year animal science major, said one of the stand-out memories for him was observing how effectively the team at the hospital worked together during emergency situations.

“Every day brought something new, and there was always an opportunity to learn from a different case,” he said. “I am truly appreciative of the support, guidance and opportunities provided by the entire VCA Metzger Animal Hospital team.”