Volunteer with Rural Area Veterinary Services
Each year we are joined in the field by more than 250 dedicated volunteers from throughout the United States and around the world. While the majority of RAVS volunteers are veterinary students and professionals, opportunities exist for volunteers of all backgrounds, including non-veterinary support.
Volunteers join the RAVS program for many reasons—community service, clinical experience and supportive mentorship, connecting with colleagues from around the country and visiting new places are a few of the draws for volunteers. Many students find the RAVS clinic experience to be one of the most rewarding and educational experiences of their veterinary training. Professional volunteers often discover huge reward in working to increase equitable access to veterinary care as well as in sharing their knowledge and skills with students.
Participating in a RAVS field clinic will not be a restful vacation. Living and working as part of a team of dedicated volunteers can be an amazing opportunity and a life-changing experience. But field medicine is not for everyone. It will be physically and mentally demanding – patient caseload is high and the flow is fast-paced; you will walk many miles during the day; often working outdoors in all types of weather and may not have access to temperature-controlled environment; sleeping arrangements are usually indoor camping style and aren’t always totally dark or quiet. It is important that you honestly evaluate your personality, physical capacities and learning style before applying to participate. If you have any questions about the volunteer experience, please contact us.
Volunteer Roles & Assignments
Clinic assignments are made based on prior experience, volunteer interests, clinic operations and team need. All volunteers are expected to work as a team and share in all duties. This includes clean up, packing, paperwork, instrument prep, and occasionally cooking. Be ready to pitch in and lift boxes, scrub, and sweep. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, this is not the program for you.
For more information on volunteer roles and clinic operations, check out this clinic walk through video and the detailed volunteer position descriptions below.
Please review and ensure that you can meet all pre-clinic training and preparation requirements before submitting a volunteer application.
For more information on specific RAVS volunteer opportunities and responsibilities, please review the volunteer position descriptions:
- Veterinarians
- Credentialed Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants
- Students (veterinary and veterinary technician)
- Support Volunteers (educators, shelter staff, pre-vet students, general clinic support, etc.)
Continuing Education
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians participating in a surgical teaching clinic with five or more clinic service days are eligible to receive up to 30 hours of RACE approved continuing education credit. To be eligible, volunteers must complete the pre-clinic training assessment and participate in all clinic orientations and rounds. Participants can earn CE credit for one clinic per year.
