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VETERINARY
& ANIMAL SCIENCE
STUDY ABROAD IN LATIN AMERICA
Animal health and welfare has important scientific, cultural, and ethical dimensions. In developing countries, the approach to animal care is significantly different and animals are often poorly treated due to resource limitations and cultural misconceptions. Maximo Nivel’s study abroad programs provide students the opportunity to gain insight and make an impact on individual animals’ lives through internships and service learning placements.
Participants may schedule programs using the academic calendar or can take advantage of open enrollment internships and service learning programs, which begin every Monday year-round!
Internships provide opportunities for hands-on experience working with a variety of animal-related issues while assisting veterinary doctors and other animal healthcare advocates.
Animal lovers love Maximo Nivel’s service learning programs, which are focused on dog and cat rescue, adoption, reptile rehabilitation, and zoo management.
Customized programs can be organized to focus on specific knowledge areas with respect to animal welfare, including presentations about animal health and nutrition, livestock management, and exotic animal care (e.g. reptiles, camelids, birds).
INTERESTED?
REQUEST UNIVERSITY INFORMATION & LEARN ABOUT TRAVEL GRANTS!
Why I Maximo Nivel
I had an amazing time conserving turtles in Costa Rica! The work that you do is much needed as well as attracting attention and tourism, beneficial to the local surrounding community. It was a very rural project, situated on the coast and staying in dorm style accommodation but I would recommend the digital detox to anybody! The staff at Maximo and at the program are incredibly welcoming and I have made friends and connections for life on this project!
INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS
VETERINARY INTERNSHIPS IN LATIN AMERICA
What is really important in an aspiring veterinarian’s life, is to not only help an animal of total innocence live a longer, healthier life, but to also educate people on how they can make life better for all animals.
Through Maximo Nivel’s internships in Latin America, veterinary students learn about the challenges to professional animal healthcare in developing countries and leave with a better understanding of the systems and practices that are in effect today. You also gain practical experience in veterinary medicine, increase your knowledge of medical terminology in Spanish, and improve your ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking pet owners. You build an overall professional foundation as a globally-minded practitioner of veterinary medicine.
Internship programs place you directly with veterinary doctors to assist in primary animal care. These small clinics often include an animal shelter as part of their operations. As an intern, you assist with examinations of a large variety of animals, assess different injuries and illnesses, and assist with diagnoses. You may also help prep animal patients for surgery, monitor animals in post op recovery, collect data, and update patient records. In your role as an intern, you get to know the local community as you help tend to their animals—giving you the opportunity to educate and advise owners about proper care, nutrition, and training for their pets.
Intermediate Spanish is required to be effective in a medical internship placement.
SERVICE LEARNING
FOR VETERINARY & ANIMAL SCIENCE STUDENTS
In Latin America, though laws are now being enacted to protect animals, there is still very little understanding of animal rights and what constitutes their proper treatment. There are many hard-to-overcome cultural challenges that create obstacles to animal protection. Domestic dogs and cats are often neglected or abandoned by their owners and exotic animals are frequently, but improperly, kept as pets.
Service learning programs provide you with practical experience in animal welfare and primary care. Service learning placements include shelters, exotic animal
rehabilitation, and a university-run zoo. You learn by helping these organization provide housing, food, healthcare, and adoption services. As a service learning student, you also help to provide exercise, grooming, and basic obedience training. Depending on field condition, you may also get involved with spay and neuter campaigns, community education, and fundraising.
UNIVERSITY COURSES
SPA 202 – Intermediate Spanish II
SPA 301 – Spanish Composition I
SPA 302 – Spanish Composition II
SPA 350 – Latin American Literature
SPA 360 – Latin American Civilization & Culture
SPA 361 – Modern Day Latin America
SPA 371 – Business Spanish
SPA 380 – Intercultural Communication
SPA 420 – Advanced Spanish Grammar
SPA 480 – Advanced Spanish Conversation
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