Shape Your Future with an Internship that Includes a Diverse Caseload 

Desert Pines Equine is southern Nevada’s only full-service primary care, referral, and emergency hospital for horses, providing sports medicine, surgery, internal medicine, reproduction, preventive care, ambulatory, emergency, and critical care services. Our thriving seven-doctor practice includes two surgeons, an internist, and excellent support staff. Our mission is to provide professional, high-quality, progressive medicine with compassionate care and excellent customer service to our clients and their horses. 

Las Vegas is known as the entertainment capital of the world but Vegas includes so much more than just the iconic strip. There is a thriving equine community beyond the glow of the neon lights, with a diverse horse population competing in events such as show jumping, dressage, eventing, racing, western pleasure, western cow-horse, cutting, and rodeo. As we move into fall, we welcome some of our largest events, including the Las Vegas National Horse Show, Longines FEI Jumping World Cup, and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The practice has served as the official veterinarians for the National Finals Rodeo since 1985, when the rodeo moved to Las Vegas from Oklahoma City.

Internship Opportunities

The internship opportunities at Desert Pines Equine have been designed to provide the hands-on learning experience and knowledge-base growth needed by first-year veterinarians to become skilled general practitioners or advance into residency programs. We consider our interns an integral part of our practice and our goal is to provide a rewarding educational experience. Interns will rotate with each doctor at Desert Pines Equine every two weeks, until released to see appointments independently. Rotation experience will include providing direct care for hospitalized patients, assisting with or performing surgical procedures, performing or assisting with diagnostic procedures, running anesthesia, and accompanying veterinarians in the field in order to learn a variety of approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and communication. Through the established relationships of our veterinarians with clients, interns will have enhanced opportunities to practice newly acquired skills. In addition, interns will participate in bi-weekly Journal Club/Case presentations, allowing for improved research skills and knowledge.

Internship Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Health & LTD Insurance
• AVMA Professional Liability Coverage
• Vacation, sick days & rotating holidays
• Continuing Education stipend
• AVMA & AAEP Membership

Internship Requirements for Acceptance

• Completion in good standing of a DVM or VMD degree at an accredited university.
• A passing score on the NAVLE.
• A veterinary license and accreditation to practice in the State of Nevada.
• All required board tests must be completed by the beginning of internship.

About Desert Pines Equine Medical & Surgical Center

At Desert Pines Equine Medical & Surgical Center, our mission is to provide professional, high-quality, progressive medicine with compassionate care and excellent customer service to our clients and their horses. Desert Pines Equine is a well-established six-doctor practice with a surgeon, an internist, and excellent support staff serving as southern Nevada’s only fully-service equine veterinary hospital. The clinic has two large exam/treatment rooms, ICU stalls, a barn for hospitalization, and a surgical suite. The clinic also has state-of-the-art equipment, including digital radiography, 1 and 3-meter endoscopy, digital ultrasound, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, power-float dental equipment, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and class IV laser, IRAP processing, PRP and an in-house laboratory. The practice is currently 40% ambulatory with 60% in clinic caseload. Las Vegas has a diverse horse population with equestrians from dressage, jumping, show, racing, and the rodeo arena. The clinic sits just 20 minutes from the Red Rock National Conservation Area. You may think you know Vegas, but beyond the strip, the city has a small-town feel and a robust horse community. With over 310 sun...ny days a year, it serves as a great climate for outdoor activities such as trail running, mountain biking, mountain climbing, golf, team roping, trail riding, and competing in equestrian events, to name a few. Plus, it is home to professional sports teams, including The Raiders (NFL) and The Las Vegas Golden Knights (NHL), and many national equestrian events, from show jumpers to professional rodeo.

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Connections working at Desert Pines Equine Medical & Surgical Center