What is the mission of the New England Wildlife Center?
The primary mission of the New England Wildlife Center is to promote positive values, behaviors and policies toward wildlife and the environment through the medical care and rehabilitation of, education about and humane research into native and naturalized wild animals and exotic pets.
What does an intern at the center do on a daily basis?
As an intern you will assist the hospital staff on all of the day-to-day operations within both the Wildlife Clinic and the Odd Pet Vet (exotic pet practice). You will be involved hands-on with everything from making food plates to assisting in surgical procedures to going out on educational programs. While working directly with our veterinarians and veterinary technicians, you will be responsible for the welfare, care and safety of each patient, as well as educating the public.
Who may apply for an internship position?
We offer internships to a variety of audiences. High School Juniors and Seniors (over the age of 17) and undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career as a Veterinarian or Veterinary Technician make up the largest percentage of our intern group.
What is the average length of an internship?
During the summer season, internships are typically 6-8 weeks. During non-summer months interns may extend their internship longer than the typical 8-week period. On average, interns work 40 hours a week. We are able to offer a more flexible schedule to those with school or work commitments.
What hours will I be expected to work during the week?
The clinic is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. During the Spring / Summer season the clinic day begins at 7am and ends at 7pm. As an intern you will rotate through 2 different hourly schedules. Example: week one you will work 7am-3pm, week two you will work 11am-7pm, week three you will work 7am-3pm again. Although the hours change each week you will always work the same days. During the Fall / Winter months the clinic day begins at 9am and ends at 5pm. We are able to be flexible for those students whose colleges require they be in class on certain days.
When may I apply?
Applications are accepted throughout the year. We are generally very flexible and can accommodate most students who need to work around school and work schedules.
The Summer season (from June 1st to August 31st) is the busiest time of year for internship applications. Interns are encouraged to attend the internship for 8 weeks, however, shorter internships may also be arranged. The deadline for application to the summer program is February 15th to allow for appropriate evaluation and scheduling.
The Fall, Winter and Spring seasons are far less competitive than the summer time. Interns during the non-summer months are encouraged to attend for a minimum of 5 weeks and may extend their internship longer than the typical 8-week period. Fall, winter and spring seasons do not have a deadline. Applicants are accepted or denied on a rolling basis.
When are the application deadlines?
The deadline for application to the summer season is February 15th. You should expect to hear from the Center, in writing, within two months after the deadline. Fall, winter and spring seasons do not have a deadline. Applicants are accepted or denied on a rolling basis.
May I apply for more than one season at a time?
Yes. Our summer season is the most competitive due to the small number of positions available and the overwhelming response. If you are applying for the summer season but can also be considered for another season, your chances of being accepted will be increased.
How do I apply?
Log onto the internship section of our website www.newildlife.com and download the internship application. Submit a completed application, a copy of your current resume, and 2 letters of recommendation via mail.
What additional materials should I include with my application?
A copy of your up-to-date resume and 2 letters of recommendation from former employers or professors should be attached to your application upon submission. If you school has a checklist of required accomplishments you are to meet while interning this should also be attached.
I have a checklist of tasks that I need to meet to get credit from my school. Will I be able to accomplish it?
You should submit a copy of your checklist with your application packet. The internship coordinator will review it and contact you if there are any questions or we are unable to help you meet your school requirements.
Who can write recommendation letters?
Letters can be written by current or former employers who worked closely with you or have directly supervised your work. Letters can also be written by former or current professors.
How do I submit my application packet? Regular mail, email, fax?
Your complete application packet can be submitted via regular mail, email or fax; although regular mail is preferred as it is the most secure. Only complete packets (i.e. complete packet includes the application, resume, 2 letters of reference) will be considered for a position.
What does a “complete application packet” mean?
A complete packet should include: A completed application form, a copy of your current resume, 2 letters of recommendation and, if applicable, your school’s set of requirements.
What do you mean by a list of my school’s requirements?
Veterinary and Veterinary Technician programs often have written requirements for their students to complete while interning. Usually it is a checklist of medical tasks that need to be accomplished in order for the student to earn credit. We review each list on a case by case basis and evaluate whether we will be able to assist the student in accomplishing their required goals.
Where do I send my complete application packet?
New England Wildlife Center
c/o Internship Coordinator
500 Columbian Street
South Weymouth, MA 02190
May I contact the Center prior to submitting an application?
Yes. All questions can be submitted via the internet to the following email address: newildlifecenter@gmail.com. Average response time is 3-4 days.
What happens after I have submitted my application packet?
Please go to The Application Review Process page for the answer to this question.
Is there a stipend offered?
No. We are a small non-profit wildlife hospital and are financially unable to offer stipends.
Why do I need my Rabies shot before I can work in the hospital?
We require that all staff, interns and volunteers who work in the hospital be rabies vaccinated due to the high volume of rabies vector animals that we care for.
The Center for Disease control (CDC) recommends the rabies pre-exposure vaccination for “persons in high-risk groups, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, and certain laboratory workers. Other persons whose activities bring them into frequent contact with rabies virus or potentially rabid bats, raccoons, skunks, cats, dogs, or other species at risk of having rabies should also be considered for pre-exposure prophylaxis.”
Click for more information from the CDC on pre-exposure rabies vaccinations:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Prevention&Control/preventi.htm
Will the Center assist me in paying for my rabies shots?
We do understand that for some the cost can be prohibitive. Unfortunately, we are a small non-profit organization and are unable to assist anyone with the cost of the rabies shots. Interns should check with their insurance carriers to see if pre-exposure rabies shots are covered by their plan.
I am able to afford my rabies shots but I can’t find anyone to administer them?
You should first check with your primary care physician (PCP). Most are able to order the vaccine. If not, check with your local hospitals and travel clinics. Locally, the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mass General Hospital, Passport to Health in Cambridge, MA and the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA can typically administer the vaccinations.
I have been accepted by you as an intern but I am unable to obtain/afford my rabies shots… can I still accept the internship?
No. If you have not completed your rabies shots and have not provided us with a copy of your shot records at least two weeks before your internship is scheduled to begin, your internship offer will automatically be rescinded.
I applied but was not accepted, can I reapply later?
Yes. You can reapply for as many different seasons as you would like. Each time you apply you must start the application process from the beginning.
I currently don’t have health insurance. Am I still eligible for an internship?
No. We are unable to offer an internship to uninsured people.
I don’t have a school advisor; who should I put in place of an advisor?
For this answer you should check with the internship/externship office or work-study office of your school. The school advisor would be contacted if there was a major disciplinary problem or if the student was involved in a medical emergency.
If my application is declined, will you provide a critique of what I could have done better?
Although the Center would like to accept all applicants, we receive far more than we can possibly accommodate. Many wonderful applicants are not accepted, not because there is anything lacking in their application or background, but because of the large number of applicants and limited spaces.
Hello! I have been accepted as a summer intern and am expecting to start on June 1st. However, I have still not received an information packet in the mail with all the details. Should that be coming soon?
Hello. Due to inability to obtain my letter of recommendation on time, I have missed the deadline for the summer internship. I was really excited for this internship (I have visited the center on numerous occasions, am really interested in wildlife, and have an extensive background as an animal sciences student with animal management and care). A few months ago, I checked the application deadline and was sure the deadline was in March. I have the letter of recommendations now and was wondering if it is possible at all to still be considered for an end of summer position, if I apply ASAP? This is my last summer that I am able to partake in such an internship. Please let me know.
Polina Bulgakova
I can also do a winter break session (December 16th-January 19th), if available. However the summer session is more convenient.
Hi Polin, I forwarded your post to Dr. Rob and he’ll get back with you.
Thank you so much! I have my application at the ready.
If I am applying, do the letters of recommendation need to be mailed in by me with the application, or can they be mailed individually by the recommender?
Hi Rose, Thanks so much for your question, please email dr. rob at newildlifecenter@gmail.com. I am pretty sure they can be sent in with your application or separately. Thanks so much.
Hi!
I was wondering, in order to do the internship, do you have to want to pursue vet medicine? Because I am interested in animal behavior/wildlife conservation/environmental studies. Would that still work?
Thank You!
Hi Olivia, Absolutely. Only a small portion of our interns are interested in becoming veterinarians. The vast majority are interested in biology and environmental studies. However, we also have people interested in becoming science teachers, liberal arts majors, math majors – you name it. We look forward to receiving you application. Thanks for your inquiry.
Hello,
If I were to be accepted for a summer internship, would I be able to choose what part of the summer worked best for me? I have commitments in June, but I am available all of July and August. In other words, would I be able to choose what 6-8 weeks worked best for me upon acceptance?
Hi Andrea, Please see the intern application and info on this website. You are able to put in times or availability and if they work with our needs than that is awesome. Thanks, hope to meet you soon. katrina
Hi there, I live in new york city and I am completely in love with this internship, i would like to know if you have any housing accommodations?
thanks much!
Hi Jenna, Yes, we do have housing some accommodations. Please send in your application which can be found on this website. Thank you for your interest! Hope to see you soon. best, katrina
thx for responding my question. i’ve downloaded your application form, i wonder what kind of activities that we will have during the period of intern? i will be very happy if i can assist a surgeon, treat sick animals, learn about diagnosing disease or anything relate to my major, since i am a vet right now
Hi Efri, There is a summary of scope for our program on our website. If you have any other questions, please give our wildlife veterinarian and chief of staff – andrew cartoceti a call at 781 682 4878. hope to see you soon. best, katrina
hi
i am a fresh graduate veterinary student from Indonesia. I am very interested in your internship program for this coming spring. when exactly your spring program start ? is it ok if i just have local insurance to meet your requirements?
thx
Hi Efri,
Thanks for your interest in the New England Wildlife Center’s Internship Program. There is no exact start date for the spring internship period. We take interns year round and can create a schedule that suits your needs. However, the earliest that we can accommodate any new interns is April of 2012. As for insurance, as long as it covers you while you are in the United States it will be okay. To apply to the program, please send a completed application (which can be downloaded from this website), a resume, and two letters of recommendation to Internship Coordinator, New England Wildlife Center, 500 Columbian Street, S. Weymouth MA 02190.
i’m a fresh graduate from veterinary college. i’m from indonesia, just asking when does exactly the spring internship period in your departement start?
is it ok if i just send copy of my medical record about vaccine that shows i was given?
thx
Hi Efri,
Thanks for your interest in the New England Wildlife Center’s Internship Program. There is no exact start day for the spring internship period. We take interns year round and can create a schedule that suits your needs. You can send your medical records to indicate proof of vaccination, however we won’t need your medical records until after you have been accepted to the internship program. To apply to the program, please send a completed application (which can be downloaded from this website), a resume, and two letters of recommendation to Internship Coordinator, New England Wildlife Center, 500 Columbian Street, S. Weymouth MA 02190.
Hi! I was wondering what kind of certification for the rabies pre-exposure vaccination was needed. I received my shots at three different clinics while travelling and got a mess of paperwork, so I asked my local doctor to write a simple medical certification letter instead. Would this be satisfactory?
Hi Isabel. We would prefer to have a copy of your medical record that shows you were the date and possible the type of rabies vaccine you were given. But we would accept a note from your doctor as well. Please ask them to include the exact dates of each of the three vaccinations.
I am very interested in your internship program for this coming January. However, my major is un-related to animals. I have a love for animals and I would love to learn more. Does it matter what my degree is in?
Hi Katie,
Because of the amount of applicants we receive, we do give preference to students who are pursuing a career in the biological sciences. It doesn’t necessarily matter what your major is, just that your career in science would benefit from this internship experience.
Hi,
I was interested in this internship and downloaded the application to look over.
I wanted to ask if letter of recommendation writers were strictly limited to professors and employers only. Would you accept letters of recommendation from other adults who have supervised our work with animals?
I also wanted to ask if interns commonly had large amounts of prior experience with wildlife rehab or veterinary-related employment.
Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Any non-family member who can speak on your character would make suitable letter writer.
We take interns will all levels of experience. Some have worked at other rehabilitation settings…others have never worked with wild animals before.
Hello,
I was interested in the internship you offer for pre-vet students. I would like to apply but am from Wisconsin. I read that you accept students from a variety of colleges and am wondering if there is any housing available with the internship. I read about it on a different site but couldn’t find information on this site about it.
Hi Christine,
There is housing available but it is limited. During the Fall, Winter and Spring we can almost always accommodate students with our housing. But over the summer time, the rooms fill up very fast. As long as you are not applying for the summer session it should be no problem at all.
I am interested in a summer internship and housing but I was wondering, is there a fee for housing or is it free?
Yes, there is a fee of $50 per week for housing.
Also I was interested to know if food would be provided or the responsibility of the intern?
Hi Tammi, We have an intern/staff kitchen but you will need to provide your own food. Thanks. best, katrina
Hello,
I am 27 years old and graduated from Williams College five years ago. I am considering a career change to veterinary medicine, and will soon be enrolling in courses to complete the vet school prerequisites. Am I eligible for an internship at the NEWC?
Hi Elspeth,
Yes, you are eligible if you are enrolled in classes. I look forward to seeing your application.
I am interested in interning shortly after I complete my Bachelor’s degree. Do I need to be enrolled in school in order to be accepted as an intern?
No, as long as you are a recent graduate (within 2 yrs of graduation) and are interested in pursuing a career in the life sciences.