For recently graduated vets or any licensed vet wanting to gain experience in the field of conservation medicine, we offer a special 12 week program. Like all rescue centers in Costa Rica, Wild Sun is under the official care of a licensed Costa Rican veterinarian. However, due to the financial realities of a non-profit operation, on-site vet hours are limited during the week. Needless to say, animals can arrive at any moment for any number of emergency situations. We offer our veterinary internship to 2 vets at a time to help manage cases while under the direct supervision and mentorship of Costa Rican licensed veterinarians.

At the rescue center, in addition to practicing animal husbandry and rehabilitation in the ICU, our vet interns maintain a watchful eye on all of our wildlife cases. You will be expected to do rounds daily, to make sure medicines are being administered and that injuries are being treated properly. You will have access to our hematochrit, microscope, ultra sound, incubators, oxygen machine and other veterinary equipment to help in diagnosis and treatment of the animals in our care. In times of emergency, you may be the first responder in charge of administering fluids and stabilization until animals can be seen by our chief veterinarian. If procedures are necessary, you will assist and help perform surgeries alongside our veterinarians.

You will be in constant communication with our vet who will have the final say in all decisions for treatment and care, yet we will rely on your observations to make necessary judgments. On Thursdays, you will spend 2 hours with our vet talking about all of our cases and rehashing all decisions for further learning and practice.

Among other things, vet interns gain a deeper knowledge and practical experience in conservation medicine.  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.