Travel and prepare for your future career
Follow your passion for vet medicine while exploring the world and meeting like-minded people.
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The best Vet Med Summer Program in Italy
The Doctors in Italy Vet Fellowship Program is a unique experience for undergraduate and graduate students to appreciate the breadth of opportunities that a career in Veterinary Medicine can offer while immersed in Italian culture and stunning natural landscapes.
By shadowing veterinary professionals specialised in different disciplines, you will learn about animal welfare and behaviour, basic clinical examination skills, animal nutrition, zoonotic diseases, the importance of the human-animal interactions and many other topics.
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Featured Programs
Check out the programs that may fit your academic and career goals. Where do you see yourself thriving?
Rome, Italy
Located 40 minutes away from Rome, Italy, the animal rescues you’ll be paired with are immersed in nature, with breath-taking scenery. You will spend your time outdoors at the animal rescues and the surrounding hills working with farm animals. You’ll also be able to discover Rome through guided tours and excursions.
Florence, Italy
About 30 minutes away from Florence, in a rural area surrounded by nature, the two animal rescues we partner with are home to goats, sheep, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, and other farm animals. You’ll also work with a horse rescue specialized in equine health.
Milan, Italy
The program in Milan partners with two animal rescues, located one hour away from Milan, and a veterinary clinic in the centre. The animal rescues provide care to farm animals like pigs, sheep, goats, cows, as well as rescued dogs. At the vet clinic, fellows will shadow specialists during clinical hours, surgery, and diagnostic imaging, as well as participate in workshops and presentations.
FELLOWS
In the spotlight
Get to know the Doctors in Italy Vet Fellowship Alumni
Is the program right for me?
The Vet Fellowship is designed for students who are enrolled in a university course in Animal Science, Biology, Public Health, Zoology, or similar, or who have just completed their college degrees and wish to study Veterinary Medicine.
We also welcome graduate vet students, veterinary technicians, and animal care assistants who are looking to expand their knowledge of different species and explore different aspects of the veterinary professions.
To participate, you must be at least 18 years old, there is no maximum age limit.
Program structure
This short-term internship-type program runs for 2 weeks and includes 5 hours per day shadowing animal caregivers and vets and learning how to provide care to the animals at the rescues and clinics, for a total of more than 40 hours of learning and service. The purpose is for you to learn about the lives and health of the animals, guided by experts in veterinary medicine, animal nutrition, animal care, as well as animal rescue professionals.
After having breakfast together, students are transported to the rescues where they spend their mornings. They have lunch together (provided by the program) and then move back to their housing. Some afternoons are dedicated to vet clinic shadowing, others to cultural activities, or spare time to explore the city and its surroundings.
The first Friday is dedicated to a day-trip to a different city nearby. Weekends are free for students to arrange their own travel, or stay in and relax
The fees include: arrival pick-up, housing in the city in a central location, transportation to and from the shadowing sites, public transport cards for exploring on your own, medical insurance, daily breakfast, a group excursion, 4 dinners together, 24/7 on-site support. Part of the fees are used to support the animal rescues hosting the program. Airfare is not included.
HIGHLIGHTS
Learn how to care for animals from 30 species
You will be exposed to a variety of species such as equids, large and small ruminants, wild and domestic pigs, rabbits, llamas, wildlife, birds, dogs, cats and exotic animals. From daily care and feeding, to special needs, hand rearing, and veterinary checks ─ be in the midst of the action, learning the different ways to approach and care for each of them. You will assist veterinarians in clinical settings and during field work in animal sanctuaries and wildlife rescue centres.
HIGHLIGHTS
Spend time with the vets and expand your knowledge
Prepare for Vet School with ethical shadowing and real-life training. Build your experience learning from professional veterinarians and animal carers, along with other students sharing your passion. Gain confidence in your skills and further drive towards your future as a vet.
HIGHLIGHTS
Meet Patty the parrot, Kruzco the llama, Casimiro the bull, and 300+ other animals living free
At the animal rescues, you’ll get inside knowledge on the lives of animals, spending time with a wide variety of animals, each with their own personality. You’ll learn what it takes for them to live a happy and healthy life, how they interact with each other and with their human carers, what types of diseases they need to be checked for, and how a vet can take care of them, whether they have fur or feathers.
TRAVEL
Discover the beauty of Italy
Our expert local coordinators will guide you through an immersive experience in Italy. Summer ’24 Programs are available in Rome, Florence, Perugia, and Milan.
Make friends, discover your city and its stunning surroundings, enjoy Italian food, and travel to dream-come-true destinations during the weekend.
This international experience will develop your cultural competence. it will open your mind to different cultures, and help you thrive in a world that is ever more connected.
It’s a chance for you to challenge yourself and your limits and grow to be a better communicator and a leader in your field.
Financial Support and Scholarships
International education comes at a cost. Discover how our scholarships can help you afford this life-changing experience.
Who we are
We believe there is only one health. We have a background in human medicine and a passion for animal welfare.
We offer ethical and responsible shadowing programs to pre-vet and vet students who share our commitment to animal welfare and respect for all living beings.
We work to internationalize healthcare through technology and education, connecting culturally competent doctors with the community of travelers, digital nomads and remote workers, lowering the language and cultural barriers to accessing healthcare in Italy.
We want to make health professionals of the future used to international settings, aware of differences, and equipped with a worldwide network of contacts that will be so precious in a post-pandemic world.
We abide by the Standards of Good Practice set out by the Forum on Education Abroad ─ the US Standards Development Organization for the field.