490 Veterinary Studies Internship (1), or (2) (Prerequisite: Permission of department). There is a maximum of 3 credit hrs of internship, total.

The purpose of this internship is to provide Pre-Veterinary students with clinical experience in veterinary medicine under the supervision of a practicing veterinarian. This internship is ALSO for students who want a career working with animals, in a non-veterinary capacity, to gain experience by working with a certified or experienced animal professional in that area. This can include animal trainers, animal groomers, zoos, wildlife rehabilitators, animal pest removal services, department of natural resources, and other facilities. A maximum of 3 semester hours may be earned, total. Earned hours DO fulfill the requirements for Biology electives for a major, minor, or collateral, but simply serve as added credit hours (Please note, that this will change for the academic year of 2023 - 2024, so that internship credit will count towards a Biology degree. Please contact Dr. Barbeau for more information.). The goal of this internship is not to pad credit hours into your program but to provide you with valuable experience and training that cannot be acquired in a traditional classroom.

1) This course will be for BOTH students who want to apply to a veterinary program after their undergraduate work, and for students that want to prepare for a career working with animals in a non-veterinary capacity.

2) Students participating in this internship can gain experience in the following two categories: A. In regional veterinary facilities, including non-profit spay and neuter clinics (e.g., Spay Neuter Intervention of the Pee Dee or SNIP), or Lucky Dog Rescue, working closely with veterinary professionals. This will provide valuable experience for students desiring to pursue veterinary medicine as a career. Furthermore, veterinary programs require work experience on applications, and this internship would assist in accountability for such experience. B. Working with professionals in careers such as Animal Training, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Zoos, Pet Therapists, Pet Groomers, Nuisance Animal Control, and Department of Natural Resources, to name some possibilities.

For information about internship opportunities at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue of Florence, SC, contact Dr. Barbeau, and click HERE for internship description, and HERE for general volunteer opportunities. For information about internship opportunities at Black Creek Wildlife Center, please contact Dr. Barbeau. For all other internship opportunities, contact Dr. Barbeau.

Internship Teaching Methods: We will follow some of the same guidelines already in place for normal Biology Internship (Biol 498). The Internships require a total of two supervisors. In this case, the two supervisors will be the veterinary studies advisor involved (Dr. Tamatha Barbeau), and the supervisor at the location of your internship.

Textbook and / or Materials: No textbook or materials are required for this course. However, all students enrolling in the internship are required to attend an orientation session with Dr. Barbeau during the first week of classes. Additional orientation and training will be provided on-site at the internship facilities involved.

Credit hours: The guidelines in this syllabus are for those registered to earn 1 credit for Biol 490: Veterinary Studies Internship. Students may take 1 credit hour (3 hours/week for 13 weeks) or 2 credit hours (6 hours/week for 13 weeks). There is a maximum of 2 credit hrs in a single semester. There is a maximum of 3 credit hrs for this internship course.

Professional Conduct: Students participating in the Internship are required to always maintain professional conduct with co-workers. Unprofessional conduct will be considered a violation of the Honor Code for students at Francis Marion University, and can result in failure of the course. You are expected to act professionally and represent yourselves, your department, and your university with pride and dignity. Be on time, dress appropriately, and treat people and animals with respect. This is a professional opportunity, in addition to an academic one. You are expected to comply with all guidelines and regulations provided by your host site.

Definition of Unprofessional Behavior: Any behavior that is contentious, threatening, insulting, or potentially litigious or otherwise interferes with an individual's or group's professional responsibilities, self-respect, or ability to collaborate productively with others. It is behavior that creates an unsafe, intimidating, hostile, destructive, or offensive work, academic or clinical environment.

Examples of unprofessional or disruptive behavior include but are not limited to the following:
o Inappropriate conduct such as shouting, or use of vulgar, profane, or abusive or threatening language.
o Intimidating behavior. o Refusal to cooperate with others.
o Conduct that constitutes sexual harassment.
o Refusal to adhere to stated facility / staff policies.
o Inappropriate comments written in official documents that impugn staff or faculty.

Course Requirements: The purpose of this course is to provide valuable experience for students desiring to pursue a career in either the veterinary field or a field working with animals in a non-veterinary capacity. Individual students are assigned to pre-determined locations within the Pee Dee region, and students will work closely with their intern supervisor and take an active role in providing care and support for animals.

1. You must speak with the Veterinary Studies Coordinator to be enrolled in Biol 490, and enroll before the end of the drop/add period for the semester. Then, you must attend the Biol 490 (Veterinary Studies Internship) orientation session by the end of the first week of the semester.

2. You must keep a weekly journal of your Internship activities (skills, techniques, and other things you have learned) at your location. Remember that HIPAA regulations prohibit you from providing me with any names or personal details of facility staff. I recommend keeping this journal in a traditional three-ring binder. You must E-mail your weekly journal (as Word, Google Doc, or PDF document) to the Veterinary Studies Coordinator no later than Sunday at midnight of each week of your internship.

3. At the end of each semester, you need to write a final report describing the value of your internship experience (skills gained, and how it has affected your goals and career choices). This should be double-spaced and 1 - 2 page Word document, which meets the following requirements:
• All reports must use appropriate sentence structure, grammar, organization, punctuation and spelling.
• All reports must demonstrate evidence of logical development of thought, clarity, and organization.
• All reports must be submitted by email (attachment) unless instructed otherwise.
Your must E-mail your final report to the Veterinary Studies Coordinator no later than midnight of Reading Day.

4. At the end of the semester, the intern must submit a completed Student Intern End-of-the-Semester Questionnaire. Please fill this out and return it to me by Reading Day.

5. Your location supervisor must fill out and submit the Biol 490 Student Intern Evaluation form They can place the completed form in the sealed envelope and return it to you, for you to bring to me. They can send it through regular mail (see address below), OR it can be sent via E-mail to the Veterinary Studies Coordinator by Reading Day.

Grading Methods:

Assignment	Percent of Final Grade
Attend Orientation Session	10%
Weekly Journal	20%
Final Report	50%
Completed Student Intern Evaluation Form	10%
Completed Student Intern Questionnaire	10%

Should you or your site manager need to contact me:
Tamatha Barbeau, PhD
Professor of Biology
Veterinary Studies Program Coordinator
Francis Marion University P.O. Box 100547, Florence, SC 29502
Office: 843-661-4651
Fax: 843-661-4660
E-mail
Web: people.fmarion.edu/tbarbeau