Calling all aspiring veterinary professionals: apply now for your dream internship!

Banfield Pet Hospital now accepting applications for its NextVet™ internship, providing students ages 16+ with the op-purr-tunity to spend a summer immersed in vet med

VANCOUVER, Wash., February 8, 2024 – As part of the practice’s ongoing commitment to giving back and doing good for people, pets and the profession, Banfield Pet Hospital – the leading provider of preventive veterinary care and part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of practices – announced applications are now open for its first-of-its-kind NextVet^™ internship program.

Now in its third year, NextVet underscores Mars Petcare’s broader commitment to building a stronger future for pet professionals by helping to strengthen and diversify the veterinary pipeline amid the industry’s ongoing workforce shortage. This summer, 30 passionate students across 14 states will have the opportunity to participate in a paid internship working directly with Banfield hospital teams to learn the ins and outs of providing care to pets and the people who love them.

“NextVet demonstrates Banfield’s larger commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive profession by opening doors for students from all backgrounds to explore a career in veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Alea Harrison, chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital. “This unique internship program provides students with support and coaching from experienced hospital teams – a critical need as the industry looks to create a more sustainable future for veterinary medicine.”

Banfield has previously hosted two classes of committed interns, 28% of which are still with Banfield in various roles, and many who continue to inspire through their academic achievements in veterinary programs at some of the top universities in the U.S. This includes:

• 2023 NextVet student Riannah – who was hired on as a veterinary assistant and now client service coordinator following her internship – reflected on her experience last summer working alongside her hospital team in southern California.
  
  “NextVet enabled me to make connections and learn hands-on skills that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else,” shares 2023 NextVet intern Riannah. “I’ve made lifelong friends with teammates who share like-minded goals, and who push me to reach those goals by being people I can look up to. I’m so happy with where I’m at in my veterinary career journey and am so excited to continue to grow and learn with Banfield.”
  
  
• Shelby, a veterinary assistant and 2023 NextVet intern, is completing her second year at Duke University and taking the veterinary skills she learned alongside the Banfield Uptown team in New York last summer to help shape her degree focus. Shelby has the exciting opportunity to work with the Duke Canine Cognition Center and is currently working on an individualized degree program and graduation with distinction research, which she hopes will be a culmination of her passion for companion animal medicine and intellectual curiosity. Check out this video to hear more from Shelby about her NextVet experience:

NextVet is an extension of Banfield Pet Academy^®, a program established 15 years ago to inspire future veterinary professionals by introducing them to veterinarians and veterinary technicians in their community. Since its launch, the program has reached more than 100,000 kids, with a record 11,000 youth impacted in 2023. Banfield has made all three editions of Banfield Pet Academy curriculum for elementary, middle and high school students available at no cost to the entire industry on Banfield Exchange.

To learn more about how students ages 16+ can apply to be a NextVet intern, visit jobs.banfield.com/NextVet.

About Banfield Pet Hospital®
Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1955 and today is a pioneer in preventive veterinary care with more than 1,000 general veterinary hospitals in 42 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Mexico. More than 3,600 Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary care to over three million pets annually. Banfield collects data from each of these visits in the U.S.'s largest electronic veterinary health records system. Our goal is to be here for pets, people, and society through the Banfield Gives Back program. As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of practices, Banfield is committed to its purpose — A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS — because pets make a better world for us. Press seeking additional information are invited to call the Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595.