Find a clinical placement
Once you have passed the preliminary (MCQ) examination, the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) encourages you to gain practical experience in a private veterinary practice as you prepare for your final (clinical) examination. Before you start, you will also need to arrange some form of limited, specific or conditional registration with the veterinary board in the state or territory where you would like to gain experience.
To help you find that experience, we maintain a list that connects candidates like you with veterinary clinics looking to host. Register your details and we will include you on the list shared with clinics across Australia. You will need to be an AVA student member first, which is free and takes only a few minutes if you have not joined yet.
Get covered, free
Without appropriate insurance, securing a clinical placement can be difficult. As an AVA student member you can apply for free professional indemnity and public liability insurance through Guild Insurance and receive a certificate of cover to support your placement applications. Cover applies to unpaid work experience only; it does not extend to paid positions in a practice.
SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO YOU AS AN AVE CANDIDATE
Return to work program
Free registration for AVA Students. Structured modules to help you prepare for Australian practice and the clinical examination.
Library and resources
Clinical guidelines, factsheets, the Australian Veterinary Journal and the EBSCO database to support your study.a
Special Interest Groups
Join any of our special interest groups at no cost and explore the breadth of the profession you are entering.
CONNECTION AND SUPPORT
Connect with other AVE candidates on the AVA’s Member Hub (Circle)
The AVA Member Hub, powered by Circle, is AVA’s online community platform. It gives you a dedicated space to connect with your colleagues across Australia, tap into expertise and stay engaged beyond events and conferences.
Not on the Member Hub yet? Click on the button below for more information:
Questions?
Read our FAQ’s
Questions about the AVE pathway or your membership? Reach out to Dr Reggie, our Early Career Membership Officer, or your AVA Student Committee any time.
Student membership is what makes you eligible, and it unlocks the free insurance cover certificate that clinics will expect you to have. Without that cover, finding a clinic willing to host you is much harder.
No. It is voluntary work experience to help you prepare for the Final (Clinical) Examination. Your insurance cover through being a Student Member applies to this unpaid experience only, not to paid work. If a clinic later offers you a paid role, that is a separate arrangement you negotiate directly with them.
Opening your clinic to a vet finding their feet here is one of the most valuable things a practice can do for the profession.
Limited, specific or conditional registration with the board in the state or territory where you want to gain experience. The requirements vary by jurisdiction, so check directly with the relevant board.
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