Veterinary

What to Know About the Vet Tech Externships

Completing your externships is an important part of successfully becoming a credentialed veterinary technician. We spoke to our externship team to learn more about the process, why it's important, and how to make the most of your hands-on experience!

Laura Amendola

Aug 31, 2026

7 min read

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Key Takeaways

Externships provide essential hands-on experience. Students apply classroom knowledge while working with real animals and veterinary professionals in clinical settings.
Students complete two required in-person externships. The first focuses on foundational care for dogs and cats, while the second covers surgical care, imaging, and experience with large, exotic, and lab animals.
A proactive and professional attitude can be key to success. Students should prepare early, ask questions, practice their skills, remain open to feedback, and actively engage with their externship teams.

Veterinary technicians are essential in veterinary environments. The work is important and needs to be done correctly. That's why your Penn Foster veterinary technician education includes two mandatory, in-person externships. Getting hands-on experience with real animals under the supervision of credentialed veterinary staff can be essential to your success in this field. It can, however, feel a bit daunting when you're a student gearing up for this section of your program. Read on to learn more about how the externships work and what to expect from this crucial part of your education.

What is the externship like?

“A veterinary technician externship is an invaluable part of a student’s education, offering practical, real-world experience that enhances classroom learning,” says Lindsay Bartkowski, CVT and Penn Foster Externship Coordinator. “Externs develop technical skills, improve client communication, experience the fast-paced nature of veterinary work, and build professional networks—all while learning under the guidance of experienced professionals. It’s a challenging yet rewarding experience that prepares students for the demands of the veterinary field and gives them the confidence to begin their careers as competent, skilled veterinary technicians.”

When preparing for your externship, Maryanne Misso, LVT, MSED, and Veterinary Academy Instructor, advises that "Most clinical sites appreciate students who are engaged, enthusiastic, and eager to improve." A positive attitude can go a long way.

You'll have two required externships in your veterinary technician program in semesters 2 and 4 respectively. The real-world experience you'll gain in these externships will likely stay with you as you prepare for a career as a vet tech and throughout your professional journey.

What do the externships involve?

You'll gain invaluable real-world experience during your externships. You'll complete skills on both small and large animals and work with expert staff at your externship site(s) to apply what you've learned from your studies.

Externship 1:

Done at the end of semester 2
150 required hours (about 10 weeks)
29 Skills focused on foundational animal care techniques on dogs and cats

Externship 2:

Done at the end of semester 4
200 required hours (about 18 weeks)
48 Skills focused on surgical care and imaging techniques on small animals as well as basic large, exotic, and lab animal skills

Your externships must be done in person and you are responsible for finding your own externship site(s). We do, however, have a helpful locator tool you can use to help you find a site. All sites, even if they have been approved in the past, must be approved by Penn Foster.

Why are the externships important to a vet tech’s education?

While the majority of your coursework is online, the externships are in-person. You'll be able to apply what you learned to real-world situations with real animals. You'll also be able to experience what it's like to actually work in a veterinary environment, which can sometimes be crucial to know if it's the right fit for you or not.

“The veterinary technician externships are a crucial component of a veterinary technician’s education for several reasons,” Lindsay told us. “They bridge the gap between textbook learning and real-world application, offering students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a clinical setting and practice their technical skills. It also provides exposure to different veterinary environments and specialties. We hope it helps build professional relationships for networking and mentorship opportunities outside the externship and once they have graduated.”

A benefit of your externships is you'll have a realistic view of what the profession is like. Megan Gerik, RVT and Client Externship Specialist, explains, "Prospective students often underestimate just how broad the veterinary technician profession can be. Vet techs aren’t limited to traditional small-animal practice, they can build careers in emergency and specialty medicine, research, education, industry, shelter medicine, wildlife, leadership, and more. It’s a profession with far more pathways than many people realize."

What should students know about doing the externships?

The externships can be one of the more intimidating components of completing your veterinary technician degree. As part of the externships, you’ll need to find approved sites near you to complete your hours. There are several steps to securing a site, getting it approved, and starting your actual hours, all of which are outlined in our new externship guide.

“When it comes to securing an externship, students should approach the process with preparation, professionalism, and patience,” Lindsay advises. It can take time to find the right site and it can also be frustrating, but it’s all part of the process!

Lusie Crawford, LVT and Veterinary Clinical Leader, shares this advice for when you're getting ready for your externships: "Practice makes progress! Utilize your time as a student to ask questions, practice your skills over and over again and gain confidence. When you are finished with school you will be expected to perform those duties on your own. Just remember, even the "seasoned" technicians started where you are now - it doesn't happen overnight."

What can students do to get the most out of the externship?

Your externships are a great opportunity to learn and grow as a vet tech!

“To get the most out of their externship experience, students should actively listen and engage, be proactive, and approach the opportunity with a mindset focused on learning, growth, and professional development,” Lindsay says.

Lindsay Bennett, RVT, BAS, CFVP, and Veterinary Academy Instructor, adds, "In clinicals, externships, and beyond, strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, a genuine eagerness to learn, the humility to remain open to growth, and the willingness to keep trying are all qualities for success."

We’re here to support you

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the schoolwork and clinical requirements that go into becoming a credentialed vet tech. It may be helpful to keep this sentiment from Megan in mind as you move through your program and approach your externships: "Loving animals may bring you into the profession, but success in veterinary medicine also means connecting with the people who love them, communicating with compassion, and working as part of a team to provide the best possible care." Working in the veterinary field is important, worthwhile work, and the externships, for many people, are the first time they get to see how much this is true firsthand. If you want a thorough, in-depth guide on what to expect from your externships before you get there, read our eBook, What to Know About Penn Foster's Vet Tech Externships.