By now you know that getting into vet school is highly competitive. Our 4 week pre-vet internship will give you the experience and tools necessary to set you apart from other candidates and prepare you to get into the school you desire.

Follow our vets as they treat sick and injured wildlife and gain insight into the work of our wildlife rescue center and reintroduction program.  In 4 weeks our vets will get the chance to know you. Each participant gets a certificate of completion, and if you really shine you can request a recommendation letter for vet school! Meanwhile you get a first hand understanding of what being a vet is really all about!

At the rescue center, students will shadow and may assist in emergency procedures and necessary surgeries (in particular during our free castration campaign).  Students may learn proper restraint techniques for mammals, birds and reptiles, how to perform physical exams and hands-off evaluations, identify and treat parasites, administer fluids, perform necropsies, as well as learn suturing, wound care and how to identify stages of healing. Patient rounds may be conducted along with topic discussions and presentations.  In our summer sessions, we often have additional vet professors visiting us to share their knowledge. We find that having the chance to learn from various vets gives a more well rounded experience and helps prepare you for vet school interviews. There are labs, lectures and demonstrations, as well as educational field trips throughout the program. 

Among other things, students gain a deeper knowledge of what conservation medicine is and how it differs from exotic and zoo medicine, what role a veterinarian plays in conservation, and when and how animals can return to the wild.  Animals that we often have in care are the Golden Mantled Howler Monkey, White Faced Capuchin Monkey, Collared Anteater, White-nosed Coati, Kinkajou, Agouti, Lowland Paca, Spotted Skunk, Northern Raccoon, Nine-banded Armadillo, White-tailed Deer, Variegated Squirrel, Mexican Hairy Porcupine, Woolly and Common Opossum, and a variety of  birds. When possible, we will also participate in spay and neuter campaigns to help control the local dog and cat population, which threatens wildlife daily. 

Please note: A wildlife rescue center does not see the high volume of cases common in small animal practice. Your experience is dictated by the number and type of cases that arrive. As a result some sessions may involve more time spent on the clinical aspects and some sessions may lean toward the theoretical. However all sessions will encompass a mixture of both. While we cannot guarantee which animal species or clinical cases you will encounter, our facility generally houses 40–70 animals at any given time, with the possibility that these animals may require special care or evaluation.

Additionally, the program experience may vary based on the number of students within your session. Smaller sessions, such as those outside of the months during which most undergraduate institutions are on break, allow for a more intimate experience. Please keep this in mind when choosing which session you wish to participate in.

Getting Into Vet School
Some of the most important criteria for students applying to vet school includes experience in the field, communication skills and references from veterinarians. By participating in our pre-vet internship, you may get all 3 and more! This Wild Sun internship gives students the skills necessary to stand apart from other applicants, to speak intelligently about the veterinarian’s role in conservation, and to show your commitment to your future career.

Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction

Wild Sun began reintroducting Scarlet Macaws to the southern Nicoya Peninsula in February 2019. As students you will learn what we do to care for these birds and the process it takes for a species reintroduction program to be carried out.  Among other tasks, when applicable, you may help micro chip and extract blood for DNA testing.   You may even be asked to monitor the health of recently released Macaws.

Fun

We'll also take the time out to take advantage of some of the natural wonders of Costa Rica!  Be they waterfalls, ocean voyages or beautiful sunsets, adventure awaits.  Each session is slightly different but most weeks you will go on one academic field trip and one fun field trip. This past summer, students enjoyed the ASVO Turtle Sanctuary, Lolo’s Goat Farm, Montezuma Waterfalls, Isla Cabuya Cemetery Island, horseback riding, zip lining, barbecue at Rio Lajas, AsoProLapa Scarlet Macaw breeding center and release site, Vista De Olas cliffside infinity pool with a swim up bar, Bioluminescence tour in Curú Park, hiking Cabo Blanco- Costa Rica's first national park, as well as other outings.