For a pair of second-year Iowa State veterinary students, this past summer was a departure from their roots.
Sydney Hansen (pictured above) and Megan McFadden participated in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Rural Veterinary Internship Program (RVIP). The program is designed to give students a feel for what life after graduation would be like in a rural veterinary clinic and the clients and community it serves.
RVIP is just one of the efforts the College of Veterinary Medicine is making to encourage students to not only practice in rural communities, but work in a large animal clinical setting.
“I have an interest in working in large or mixed animal medicine as well as an interest in practicing in a rural areas post-graduation,” Hansen said. “I went into the program hoping to gain more experience working in mixed animal medicine as well as continuing to improve my clinical skills.”
Her fellow second-year student had much the same reason for her RVIP internship.
“I really wanted to be immersed in a rural setting working side by side with veterinarians who have been in practice and could provide good mentorship,” McFadden said. “My clinic really offered the patients a large-scale clinic, but with a small-town feel.”
It’s that small town feel that was a departure from their backgrounds. Hansen and McFadden grew up in much larger cities. Hansen is a native of Las Vegas, while McFadden’s hometown is Peoria, Ill., both of which are significantly bigger than Estherville and Carroll, Iowa.
While working at the Estherville Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Shamus Brown, Hansen helped the technical staff with lab work, restrained pets and helped work cattle and other farm calls in the Estherville area.
“I had the opportunity to assist with spays and neuters within the clinic, castrating bull calves on the farm, and assisted in exam rooms,” Hansen said.
Perhaps most importantly she learned about the importance of spectrum of care in a veterinary clinic.
“Every pet and client have different needs,” she said, “and treatment plans need to be adopted accordingly to meet those needs.”
At the Carroll Veterinary Clinic, McFadden (pictured on the left) was able to work with four veterinarians, all graduates of Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She had some of the same experiences as Hansen did as she went on emergency farm calls, worked with horses diagnosed with lameness as well as blood draws, surgeries and general appointments for small animals.
“Everything was really hands-on,” she said, “and it allowed me to learn to stay calm in chaotic situations.
“Sometimes things don’t go to plan out in the country or you get a last minute call when the books are already full. It’s important not to get too worked up about these things.”
The RVIP experience reinforced McFadden’s desire to be a mixed animal veterinarian in rural Iowa.
“This internship really solidified what having good mentorship and a welcoming team environment looks like,” she said.
While Hansen isn’t sure of her post-graduation plans, her RVIP internship was also valuable.
“I’m not exactly sure what I want to do but this summer helped me realize that I do truly enjoy working in rural medicine,” she said. “I could sure see myself working in a rural setting in a few years.”
August 2025
