RAVS volunteer application process
Rural Area Veterinary Services
Please review all volunteer requirements and trip details before submitting an application.
The volunteer application for 2025 RAVS clinics will be available on the following schedule:
- November 6, 2024: 2025 clinic schedule posted
- November 12, 2024: Applications accepted for veterinary and veterinary technician students for all 2025 clinics and professional volunteers interested in clinics scheduled January-March
- December 1, 2024: Deadline for veterinary student and veterinary technician student applications.
To be considered as a RAVS volunteer:
- Read ALL of the information on the what to know and pre-trip preparation pages and be sure that you understand what will be required BEFORE applying for any trips. If you have questions or concerns that are not covered in this material, please contact us.
- Submit a volunteer application using the link below. You will need to indicate which trip(s) you are interested in participating in. Please review the details for each trip on the clinic schedule before making your selections as clinic type and volunteer requirements will vary.
If selecting more than one trip on your application, you must indicate if you are available for all of the selected trips or just one. Students will generally be selected to participate in a maximum of 2 summer teaching clinics (May-Aug) per year, which may or may not be consecutive. Students available for two consecutive weeks will generally be given priority. - You will receive an auto-generated email acknowledgement of your application. If you have not received this within 24 hours, please contact us.
- New professional volunteers only - After your application has been received you will receive an email from RAVS staff to schedule a phone call. If you have not received an email within 3 weeks of applying, please contact us.
- You will be notified by email as to the status of your application. Notification timelines may vary. When roster assignments are made, you will receive ONE of the following notifications:
- Roster Offer: You are conditionally accepted to the trip roster*
- Waitlist Offer: You are being offered a position on the waitlist for a specific trip to act as a backup in the event a volunteer on the roster should drop off, or
- You have not been accepted to the trip(s) you applied for
* A basic background check will be required of all volunteers before final acceptance is confirmed. You will receive an email from our background check provider with instructions for initiating the process.
Volunteer selection
Volunteers are not selected on a first-come basis. A number of factors will be considered when selecting trip rosters and team selection will be designed to provide a balance of experience and skill levels. New volunteers are encouraged to apply!
Unfortunately, there are a limited number of roster and waitlist positions and not all applicants can be accepted. Note that mid-summer clinics (June-Aug) have a much higher application rate. If you are available to participate in a winter, spring or fall clinic, these trips generally have a higher acceptance rate.
Note on volunteer application types
- Veterinarian: U.S. or Canada licensed veterinarian
- Credentialed Veterinary Technician: Registered/certified/licensed veterinary technician (RVT, CVT, LVT)
- Veterinary Assistant: Veterinary assistant working in a full-time clinical position > 1 year
- Veterinary Student: Current student at an AVMA-accredited veterinary school
- Veterinary Technician Student: Current student at an AVMA-accredited technician program
- Support Volunteer: Includes undergraduate pre-vet student with < 1 year full-time clinical experience, shelter/animal control staff, educators and other non-veterinary support personnel
2025 Travel Scholarships Available!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Banfield Foundation, a limited number of travel scholarships will be available for RAVS 2025 clinic volunteers. The aim of the scholarship is to expand access to field clinic opportunities for volunteers who bring an underrepresented perspective to the field and those who may have financial or other barriers to participation. The scholarship is open to credentialed veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants and currently enrolled veterinary and veterinary technician students participating in a RAVS field clinic in 2025. Note: Interested candidates must submit BOTH clinic application AND scholarship application to be eligible for scholarship consideration.
