Georgia Sea Turtle Center Veterinary Student Externship

2028 Veterinary Student Externship

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) opened in 2007, and is the only sea turtle rehabilitation center along the Georgia Coast. The Center, which operates as a department of the Jekyll Island Authority, is a state-of-the-art facility with a dedicated staff conducting education programs, rehabilitation, and research focused on sea turtles, coastal ecology, and other wildlife health and conservation. Through the center’s hospital, rehabilitation, research, and education programs, the GSTC has increased awareness of habitat and wildlife conservation challenges, promoted responsibility for ecosystem health and empowered individuals to act locally, regionally, and globally to protect the environment. The GSTC is located on Jekyll Island – a barrier island along Georgia’s coast – and includes an interactive learning center, a viewing window into the veterinary hospital, an elevated walkway through the rehabilitation pavilion, and a gift shop. Visitors take a self-guided tour through the Center, which is enhanced by daily education programs. The Rehabilitation Department at the GSTC provides veterinary care to sick and injured sea turtles that strand along the coast of Georgia, as well as those that are transferred from other states and facilities. The Center treats sea turtles with conditions ranging from boat strikes and severe trauma injuries to cold-stunning. The GSTC also treats other native wildlife in the state of Georgia with the exception of mammals and song birds. Typical cases we see are all types of native reptiles and occassionally raptors and shorebirds.
Externship Details:

The veterinary extern's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to the following:
- Assist in the daily treatment and care of assigned patients
- Assist with anesthesia and surgery
- Assist in admitting/triaging new patients
- Assist in avian/reptile necropsies
- Assist with daily husbandry tasks, such as food preparation, cleaning enclosures, and water quality testing
- Assist with end of day tasks, such as cleaning, sweeping, mopping
- Participate in proper clinical pathology techniques including venipuncture, Giemsa and Romanowsky staining, cytology sample collection and preparation, and hematology
- Assist with diagnostics including microbiology, radiology, ultrasound, CT, and endoscopy
- Oral presentation at end of externship
This is a full-time externship. Externs will be required to work 40hrs/week, Monday-Friday, weekend(s) depending on caseload. There may be the need for afterhours work depending on case load and other opportunities.

Externship Requirements:
- 3rd or 4th year veterinary student, 4th year preferred
- Strong interest in aquatic animal/wildlife rehabilitation
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Completion of Aquavet 1 course, SeaVet, MARVET, or WildMed prior to externship preferred
- Externship timeframe - 2 to 4 weeks
- Must have transportation during the course of the externship
- Laser therapy certification - course will be sent out prior to start of externship
Housing:

There is the possibility of on-island housing being available at a discounted rate. The houses are 3 bed, 1 bath houses located at the north end of Jekyll Island, a 7-minute drive from the Center. Houses are fully furnished and utilities and internet are provided. The extern is responsible for their own linens, food, etc. There are no pets allowed in shared housing. There is the possibility of shared housing being co-ed.

*All application materials must be submitted by Friday, December 18, 2026*

**All Applicants will be notified of selection by Friday, January 29, 2027**

Student Information
Name

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Email
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Address

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College/University
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Preferred Externship Dates

Please list 3 separate date ranges for your externship (2-4 weeks). If selected, externship date range may be any one of these 3 date ranges listed below, not necessarily your first choice.
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What specific skills do you hope to learn or strengthen with this externship?
What area(s) of veterinary medicine are you interested in?
What previous animal experience do you have? What, if any, of that experience is with reptiles/aquatic animals?
Please list any future wildlife/aquatic/reptile expereinces that you have planned, if already scheduled.
How do you define conservation medicine? How do you see that fitting into your career?
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2028 Veterinary Student Externship

Externship Details:

Externship Requirements:

Student Information

Preferred Externship Dates