As part of the “Clinical Practice III” course, a spring internship was completed at the small animal clinic “Dierenkliniek IJsselmuiden” in the Netherlands from April 13, 2026, to May 15, 2026.
Dierenkliniek IJsselmuiden is a private veterinary clinic that has been located in IJsselmuiden since 2007. The clinic specializes in the treatment of small animals (primarily dogs, cats, and rabbits). The clinic has a very friendly and pleasant atmosphere thanks to its friendly team, which currently consists of three veterinarians—Ellen Rook (small animal veterinarian and clinic founder), Nienke Koers (veterinary surgeon), Simeon Goudeketting (veterinary surgeon), and veterinarian Piet Breukel—as well as three professionally trained veterinary assistants—Laura Eilander, Alexandra Snippe, and Lindie Dokter.
The clinic’s goal is to provide each patient with individually tailored care, prioritizing the animal’s quality of life above all else. Pet owners play a crucial role in the final decision-making process; therefore, during visits, owners are always provided with detailed information about future diagnostic and treatment options. In collaboration with the owner, we determine what is necessary to maintain the animal’s health, and healthcare, vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment, and scheduled follow-up health checks and visits are adjusted accordingly.
The clinic’s work is very efficient and productive thanks to close collaboration between veterinarians and veterinary assistants, as well as the high-quality “IDEXX Animana” information management system, which compiles the daily work schedule—scheduled veterinary visits, the veterinary assistants’ work schedule, and the lunch break. After each visit, the “IDEXX Animana” system carefully records the animal’s medical history, clinical examination findings, proposed diagnoses, therapy, and follow-up treatment, as well as recommendations.
Despite the clinic’s small size, it is very comfortably furnished and equipped with state-of-the-art, modern equipment, which allows work to be performed with high quality, safety, and convenience while reducing time spent on tasks—making daily work increasingly productive and exciting.
The clinic gladly accepts student interns, allowing them to gain work experience and fully immerse themselves in the role of a veterinarian. I was given the opportunity to perform general examinations of animals, participate in communication with clients, and assist in compiling lists of diagnoses and differential diagnoses, as well as in developing diagnostic and treatment plans. Before and after each visit, the veterinarian took the time to explain what to expect and what was discussed during the visit, as well as answer my questions and point out areas for improvement by providing constructive feedback, and indicating the correct course of action, encouraging me to act differently in future visits, thereby giving me the opportunity to improve.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate (as an assistant) and independently perform surgical procedures—castrations of male and female cats, dogs, and male rabbits. During my internship, I assisted in surgeries for pyometra, abdominal hernia repair, hind limb amputation, and cystotomy with urolith removal.
I also consider it valuable to have experience in continuously monitoring patients during the postoperative period (during which the animals’ respiratory rate, heart rate, mucosal color, capillary refill time, rectal body temperature, blood pressure, and whether urination or defecation was observed) and administering medications SC/IM.
The short internship period (5 weeks) gave me the opportunity to learn, listen, observe, and practice a great deal (acquire practical skills)—which is an invaluable experience for me, so I definitely recommend this internship site to students.
Marija Ņikitina