Commitment: 24-40 hrs/week for 2 weeks minimum and 4 weeks maximum
Available dates: June 1 to June 26th
Application Period: January 15 - March 15
Applicants will be notified of acceptance April 15th.
Essential Functions
- Maintains the cleaning/housekeeping of hospital areas
- Reads appropriate assigned materials
- Maintains a log/journal of experiences
- Observes and learns animal restraint and treatment
- Observes medical and surgical procedures
- Assists with any tasks required by the veterinarian or the veterinary technician
Knowledge and Skills
- Must be 18 years or older and able to lift 50lbs.
- Previous volunteer or work experience with the husbandry of exotic/zoo/aquatic animals and/or in a veterinary hospital is not required but is heavily considered in the application process
- Undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 2 years of study in life sciences or pre-veterinary curriculum with a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Veterinary technician students must have completed a minimum of one year in an accredited licensing program.
- Desire to apply to veterinary school or to work in a zoo/aquarium for veterinary technician students
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to sit, stand and walk for long periods of time.
- Ability to balance, bend, squat, climb, kneel, twist.
- Applicants must be able to navigate exhibit ladders and platforms, and be on his/her feet for extended periods of time.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 0-50lbs.
- Ability to pull and push up to 0-50lbs.
- Full functional range of motion in all major body joints from reaching, twisting, bending, simple and power gripping, fine and gross motor skills.
Mental Demands
The mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Flexibility and adaptability in dealing with high levels of responsibility, empathy, frustration, and patience when it comes to the care of animals.
- Resilience and ability to prioritize sometimes competing tasks and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to take initiative on known tasks and seek opportunities for individual learning when time permits.
- Ability to maintain positive and productive relationships with colleagues and guests, even when differing perspectives present potential for conflict.
- Strong problem-solving skills to analyze issues and find effective solutions and alternatives.
- Flexibility and adaptability to handle changes in schedules or responsibilities.
- Critical thinking and decision-making abilities to handle complex situations.
- Empathy and emotional intelligence to understand and respond to the needs of colleagues or customers.
- Ability to maintain composure and handle difficult situations with professionalism.
- Ability to cope with illness, injury, or loss of animals.
Working Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an individual encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Interns may be asked to work independently, following protocols that create a safe environment for them and for the animals in their care.
- Exposure to injury from animals
- Exposed to working with bio-hazards
- Exposure to variations in temperature, sunlight, humidity, or wetness.
- Wet, dirty, uneven surfaces and walkways.
- Working in confined spaces, ladders, and elevated platforms over exhibits of varying depth.
- Willing to work in cold, wet environments with strong fish and filtration odors.
Commitment and Shift Availability
Interns are asked to make a commitment of at least 2 shifts per week in order to meet the hours requirement of at least 50 hours. Shift times range from 7-9 hours and typically begin at 8:30 am and end at 5:00 pm.
Training
- Aquarium 101, an introduction to the Aquarium’s operations and staff expectations.
- Meetings and evaluations for ongoing training and assessment.
- Veterinary Assistant Interns will train under the supervision of the veterinary and husbandry staff during administration of the facility’s preventative animal healthcare program and any current medical cases.
To Apply
This internship requires the following application materials to be uploaded to your application (PDFs preferred):
- Letter of Interest (upload in cover letter section)
- Resume or CV
- Unofficial transcript
- Recommendation letter from a professor, academic advisor or veterinarian
- Letter of Recommendation can be sent directly to volunteeroffice@lbaop.org if recommender does not wish for it to be visible to student applying. Student must submit application prior to emailing Letter of Recommendation.
This is an unpaid internship. No stipend is provided. Housing and transportation are not provided and are the responsibility of the student.
Application is closed.
