Thank you for your interest in seeing practice at Dooneen Equine Veterinary Clinic.
We are accepting students from March 1st to June 1st 2024.
We currently can offer student placement only to those currently studying Veterinary Medicine. Unfortunately we do not offer transition year work experience.
Dooneen Clinic is an equine ambulatory practice that predominantly does high level stud medicine along with a good mixed caseload of thoroughbred, Sport horse and pleasure horse clients.
We are small hardworking team that believes in trying to maintain a high standard of care for our patients and clients. With that in mind we would expect students who join our team to have the same ethos. We are always willing to teach and invest our time in students who show enthusiasm, diligence and good work ethic.
Our busy period is between March and July and this is the best time to visit to ensure you get maximum exposure to a wide range of cases and get a feel for real-life equine practice during the breeding season. To get the most from your experience we would highly recommend you stay for two weeks and part take in emergency work during evenings and the weekend.. We can only accommodate one student at a time. This is a rural practice and students need to have their own transport to and from the practice. Accommodation is not available on site. We recommend The Old Bank in Bruff as a centrally located option.
Do I need to have Equine experience?
Due to the fact that we are predominantly ambulatory and therefore visiting horses in client’s yards, we do require that you are comfortable and competent around horses.
How to apply:
To apply for an externship/to see practice/ EMS please fill in this form:
For further information you can contact us at info@dooneenequine.ie
Shannon Airport is the closest airport (about 32 kilometres).
Please only confirm if you definitely intend to come.
Visiting students
Information for students who have already arranged to see practice:
The government guidelines during the spring will dictate our exact CoVid policy with regard to visiting students. Decisions with respect to isolation requirements, testing and personal protective equipment will be dependent on the evolving situation. Please remember that all students will be required to spend time in the car with the vets and in clients private yards so we do have to take every care for the health of our staff and our clients. While we will endeavour to communicate the requirements as clearly as possible please contact us by email 2 weeks before your expected start date to confirm the requirements at the time.
Schedule:
The work-day starts at 8.30am we expect you to always be on time. Unless you have made other arrangements, we will expect you at 8.30am on the Monday of the week you have arranged to visit. During the season, students may be asked to work some evenings and be available to attend emergencies with the on call vet. Often lunch during the busy season is eaten in the car as it is not always feasible to return to the practice. Please have a packed lunch, eating is important!
Attire
Please wear appropriate (clean) clothing for working around horses, and to give a professional impression. We recommend sturdy work-boots, jeans/chinos/work trousers and a waterproof, warm jacket and a pair of overalls in the case of biosecurity precautions. Please bring a stethoscope.
Client confidentiality:
This is extremely important. Client confidence is one of the cornerstones of our practice ethos. You must never discuss any case that you see with anyone who is not a member of the practice. If you wish to present a case that you have been involved with at your own university, this is of course possible, but please ask permission and ask a vet for assistance in anonymising any case materials such as photographs, ultrasound images and radiographs. You must never take photos in the hospital or at any client’s premises without the express permission of the vet in charge. Also no information regarding any client patient or member of staff must be shared on social media – please refer to the code of conduct guidelines.
Client communication:
Please do not discuss any of a case with any client, unless expressly asked to do so by the vet in charge of the case. If a client asks you how their animal is progressing, please refer them to the vet in charge.
Safety:
Our primary concern is the safety or you, our colleagues, clients and patients. It is important to always remember that horses can act unpredictably, particularly when nervous or stressed.
Biosecurity:
Please make sure that you completely follow the rules, paying particular attention to isolated and barrier-nursed animals on farms. No neonatal foal is to be handled or treated without wearing gloves.
Questions:
We always welcome interested students and are happy to answer any questions you might have about a case. We appreciate it, however, if you wait for an appropriate moment to do so once the vet has finished dealing with the client. We also ask you not to answer any questions relating to cases that a client may ask you unless you have been expressly told to do so- please politely refer them to the vet in charge of the case for any discussion.
Student paperwork:
We are happy to complete any forms or paperwork you have in relation to your placement. Please be sure to provide them to us in good time so we can complete them before the end of your visit- 5pm on a Friday can be very hectic and may not be a suitable time to ask! If you have any learning objectives or clinical skills to complete, please be sure to inform an appropriate member of staff early in your placement.
Finally- we cannot teach you anything if you do not know what is normal. Please do not attend your placement without knowing your normal vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration) you WILL be asked.
Racing Externships at Dooneen Equine Veterinary Clinic
The Dooneen vet team provides the veterinary services to Limerick, Killarney and Tipperary Racecourses throughout the year. We are aware that there is a lack of access to both recent graduates and to vet students to gain race day experience and general exposure to the structure of racing, the veterinary input on the day and to witness the high level of care that these extraordinary athletes receive. In January 2024 we will be offering a small number of recent graduates and final year vet students the opportunity to come with us for a days racing. This will be race day only and for students separate to our week by week work experience opportunities for veterinary students. To apply please email sabrina@dooneenequine.ie with your name, date of graduation or expected graduation, what dates you would be available and a short statement on why you would like to attend. Please note that these are unpaid externships and much of our racing falls on Sundays and evenings.