At a glance
- Add practical veterinary medicine work experience to your resume by observing and learning directly from local vets.
- Work at a veterinary clinic in Brasov, or a dog shelter on the outskirts of the city.
- Get real insight into the day-to-day life of a vet, and how they interact with pet owners.
- Live with a Romanian host family, and seize the opportunity to explore Eastern European life.
Is this Veterinary Medicine internship in Romania right for me?
Do you love working with animals? Are you planning on a career in veterinary medicine? Then this project is perfect for you! This internship will add value to your CV, and give you plenty to talk about in interviews and essays.
If you don't have previous experience, don't worry. You'll have a supervisor to guide you, and we encourage you to get involved and ask questions. If you're proactive and enthusiastic, the vets will be more than happy to help you learn as much as possible.
Our Veterinary Medicine placements in Romania run year-round, and you can join at any time for a minimum of one week. We recommend staying longer so you can learn as much as possible.
What will I be doing on my Veterinary Medicine placement in Romania?
You will have loads of opportunities to gain veterinary medicine work experience in Romania, by working alongside local vets. Here are some of the tasks you will help with:
- Assist local vets as they perform basic medical procedures
- Help take care of the animals under the vet’s care
- Deal with pet owners and help reassure them during an emotionally trying time
Assist local vets with medical procedures
As a Veterinary Medicine intern in Romania you will be working alongside experienced local vets. You will observe as they work, and we encourage you to ask many questions and make notes!
If you show enthusiasm and interest, you may also get an opportunity to assist. They will be able to guide you through various basic medical procedures. These may include:
- Vaccinations
- Operations
- Laboratory work
- Post-mortems
- Inspections
- Routine treatment of pets
Help take care of the animals
Apart from assisting vets with medical procedures, you will also be able to help look after the animals in their care. If you are interning at a veterinary practice, you will assist in feeding pets that stay overnight and clean their enclosures. At the dog shelter, you’ll help local staff with feeding and cleaning.
Reassure pet owners
One of the most important parts of a vet’s role is interacting with pet owners. You can probably imagine how traumatising it must be to witness your pet feeling under the weather or injured. This is why being gentle and reassuring with the owners is also important.
During your time as a veterinary intern in Romania, you will get to interact with a range of pet owners. It will give you a lot of insight into how vets handle difficult situations with pet owners.
Where you will be working as a veterinary intern in Romania
Brasov
You will be based in the ancient city of Brasov. With its terracotta-coloured roofs, gothic spires, medieval gateways, baroque buildings and pedestrian friendly streets, it’s almost like a fairy tale come to life. Although it may seem quaint and almost old-fashioned at first sight, the city is bursting with modern hustle and bustle.
Your working day will be spent at either a veterinary clinic in the city or a dog shelter on the outskirts of Brasov. The dog shelter is understaffed, and they need extra pairs of helping hands.
Evenings and weekends will normally be your free time to explore.There are always other Projects Abroad interns and volunteers around and plenty to see within Brasov and the Transylvania region in your spare time.
You will be living with a host family during your stay. They will introduce you to Romanian culture, traditions, and food. Be sure to make the most of your time with them to learn as much as possible about local life.
What your typical day will be like as a Veterinary Intern in Romania
Your day will start with a healthy breakfast around your Romanian host family’s table. From here, you will head to the animal shelter or veterinary clinic using public transport. On your first day, Projects Abroad staff will be there to show you the way.
Your work day typically starts around 8am and finishes at around 5pm. The mornings are usually reserved for general surgery where locals bring their pets to be treated. During these times you will learn how to handle animals and reassure their owners. You’ll observe how a diagnosis takes place and how vaccinations are given.
Once you’ve finished with that, you will be able to help out with other necessary tasks. This might include cleaning, running errands, or assisting with some administration.
After a morning of hard work, you will get an hour and a half’s lunch break. If your host family lives close by, you can head home to eat and rest for a bit. Alternatively, you will be able to enjoy a packed lunch at the shelter.
If you’re based at the animal shelter, your afternoon shift will include spending some time with a number of the dogs. You could take them for walks and train or socialise them.
As 5pm draws closer, you may help feed shelter animals or, if you’re working at a clinic, those that are staying overnight.
Evenings and weekends are your free time to explore. Make the most of your time in this magnificent country by going on weekend excursions with fellow interns and volunteers. Also, enjoy plenty of meals with your local host family and spend time conversing with them. It’s the very best way to learn more about their life and culture.
What are the aims and impacts of our veterinarian placements in Romania
The aim of this project is to offer you the opportunity to gain practical experience and learn directly from local vets.
Doing a Veterinary Medicine internship here will give you a deeper insight into veterinary practices both in Romania and in general. Local vets are eager to get you as involved as possible and will enjoy teaching you about their work.
At the same time, you will also contribute to the welfare of animals in the city of Brasov. Romania joined the European Union in early 2007, and is one of its most disadvantaged members. As an intern, you will be based at either a shelter for stray dogs or a busy practice, catering to the full spectrum of society (and their pets). You will provide local vets with much needed extra hands to help more animals.
Join our Veterinary Medicine internship in Romania and gain practical experience working with animals.
Management plans
We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.
Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.
Measuring our impact
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
You'll stay with a host family in Brasov. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Romania and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
Volunteering in Romania will give you a unique taste of life in Eastern Europe. With a diverse range of activities, you’ll find plenty to do during your free time.
This is the ideal destination for architecture lovers, with stunning, old buildings lining the streets. The Biserica Neagră is one example of haunting gothic architecture, with its stone walls blackened by a fire that raged through the area in the 17th century.
It’s not just the buildings that are worth checking out, but the streets as well. More specifically, you can squeeze your way through one of the narrowest streets in Europe!
It’s worth taking a weekend trip to Transylvania to visit Bran Castle, the home of legendary Count Dracula. While you’re there, you can tour ASTRA Museum and delve into the magical world of Romanian folklore.
You’ll likely be amongst many other volunteers during your trip. This gives you the option to explore either on your own or in a group.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
Meet the team in Romania
Not quite what you’re looking for?
Take a look at the following pages where you'll find collections of similar projects:
Enquire Now
Our accreditations
