Employment Information
Practice name
San Luis Rey Equine Hospital
Last Updated
October 6, 2025
Internship Type
In-Hospital
The Internship program at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital is hands on with consistent mentorship encompassing a large caseload. The interns play an integral role at SLREH and are valued members of the team; the senior clinicians depend on the assistance of the interns to manage each case, while providing detailed mentorship and training in exchange.
The large volume and diversity of cases seen at the clinic provide opportunity for substantial advancement of skill set and knowledge base for each intern. Dedicated interns at SLREH will gain experience becoming competent and proficient with a multitude of different surgery, sports medicine & rehabilitation, imaging, internal medicine, and emergency skills. The internship fully prepares each individual for a career in private practice or for a residency position.
Primary duties will include routine clinical, outpatient, and intensive care, patient management, anesthesia, and surgical assistance. Interns are also responsible for assisting the primary clinicians with emergency, imaging, sports medicine, and lameness cases. The interns will gain invaluable hands-on experience while acquiring decision making and client communication skills. The first several months, 100% supervision will be provided. As the year progresses, the amount of direct supervision will decrease based on primary clinician comfort and intern experience.
Services offered but not limited to Computed Tomography, Elective and emergency surgical services, sports medicine and rehabilitation, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and Nuclear Scintigraphy. A full list of services can be found at www.slreh.com. Interns are also exposed to our sister practices which focus on sports medicine ambulatory services, racetrack ambulatory services, and a state of the art rehabilitation center.
Our team is currently comprised of five full time associates, 2 fellows, 5 interns, 6 technicians, 7 barn staff, and 3 office personnel. Our case load is predominately sport horses and racehorses. The hospital has a full elective caseload for orthopedic and laparoscopic surgery, advanced imagining, and sports medicine, in addition to an emergency department.
Living accommodations on the clinic grounds are provided in the form of a furnished five bedroom house (brand new housing), which is shared by the interns. Professional Liability insurance and AAEP membership fees will be paid by SLREH. Additionally, a generous medical insurance package is provided by SLREH. Interns are given paid time off in addition to their regularly scheduled time off. All interns will participate in morning and evening hospital rounds, as well as journal club rounds once weekly.
Internships are offered annually, starting each year on July 1. Externships are not required, however applicants that have visited SLREH may have an advantage. Application should be sent with prerequisites listed below:
DVM or equivalent degree
Letter of Intent
CV
Three letters of recommendations.
If interested we can put eligible candidates in touch with current or past interns to discuss their experience and the position. The hospital is unique in that all clinicians have been past interns at SLREH, and have stayed on or returned following residencies to fill associate or owner positions. Previous interns have gone on to start their own practice, join other referral or general practices, or commence residency programs. Incoming interns will be provided an internship manual and will undergo internship orientation prior to commencement.
2
- Equine general practice
- Racetrack practice
- Sports medicine practice
- Equine/LA surgical residency
- Equine/LA medicine residency
- Equine/LA critical care residency/fellowship
- Imaging residency
- Anesthesia residency
Start date
July 1, 2025
End date
June 30, 2026
Application Deadline
August 31, 2025
Does the practice offer externships?
Yes, please email the practice contact for details
Is an in person visit or externship with the practice required to be considered for an internship?
No
Contact Information
Bonsall
[USA] California
San Diego
92003
4211 Holly Ln
Practice Mailing Address
4211 Holly Ln - Bonsall - San Diego - [USA] California - 92003
Clinical Experience and Responsibilities
Yes
Service rotation description
Nights, Medicine, Anesthesia, Sports Med, Surgery
No
Yes
Yes
No
90-99%
Patient rounds held daily with senior clinicians
Yes
Teaching rounds held
Yes
Frequency of teaching rounds
Weekly
Weekly journal clubs held
Yes
M&M or other specialized rounds held
Yes
Intern has opportunity to attend a professional CE meeting
Yes
Intern has opportunity to complete a study or publication
Yes
Intern has access to current medical textbooks
Yes
Intern has access to online journals
Yes
In the past 5 years, how many studies/cases have been published by interns as the primary author from work pursued primarily during their intern year?
3
Equipment the intern has exposure to within the practice
- Arthroscopy
- Laparoscopy
- Fracture repair sets
- Gastroscopy
- Endoscopy
- Dynamic airway endoscopy
- Stat CBC analyzer
- Stat whole blood chemistry analyzer
- Blood gas analysis
- On site diagnostic lab
- CT
- Digital radiography
- Ultrasound linear probe
- Ultrasound macroconvex probe
- Ultrasound microconvex probe
- Ultrasound endorectal probe
- Nuclear scintigraphy
- Shockwave
- Stem cell capability/utilization
- Advanced podiatry/therapeutic farriery
- Power dentistry
Any additional information the practice would like to share on their internship program:
Interns are typically on a 5 week rotation. Depending on which rotation they are on, they go on ambulatory sports medicine and racetrack work where lameness, pre-purchase exams, radiology, and joint injection procedures are heavily prevalent
Caseload
Total number annual cases
1200
Total number ambulatory cases
200
Total number in-house cases
1000
Avg number of after hour emergencies per week in the busiest time of year
5-10
Avg number of after hour emergencies per week in the least busy time of year
Less than 5
Significant seasonality to the caseload
No
Species other than equids
No
Number of specialty certified clinicians
Number of clinicians in direct support of program
6
Diplomats of the following specialties (including their European Equivalents)
ACVS – American College of Veterinary Surgery - 1
ACVSMR- American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation - 1
Other personnel of note (outside specialists, farriers, dentists, etc)
Outside farrier
Additional certifications/area of expertise represented in the practice
Rehabilitation certification, Certified journeyman farrier (CJF)
Technician present on ambulatory calls
N/A
Overnight technical staff (if hospital present)
No
Other details about technician support of intern doctors
Compensation
Annual Salary
$36-40k
Additional opportunity for emergency compensation
No
Opportunities for additional income (production bonuses, working horse shows, etc).
No
Benefits
Benefits offered
Yes
Value of total annual compensation
Salary is $37,500 and housing is on-site and is $0 cost to intern
Housing offered
Yes
Housing Type
On-site
Paid time off (PTO) offered
Yes
# of PTO days
5
PTO stipulations
Vacation days must be requested well in advance.
Health insurance offered
Yes for employee plus dependents
Amount of health insurance premium intern is responsible for
$0 cost for individual, insurance offered for dependents but cost is not covered. Cost varies depending on plan and amount of dependents.
Dental insurance offered
Yes
Life insurance offered
Yes
Short-term disability insurance offered
Yes
Long-term disability insurance offered
Yes
Liability insurance offered
Yes
CE stipend offered
No
License/DEA fees reimbursed / stipend offered
No
State license required
No
USDA license required
No
DEA license required
No
Association fees reimbursed / stipend offered
No
Student loan payments reimbursed / stipend offered
No
401K program offered
Yes
Employer matching offered
No
Clothing / logo wear stipend offered
Yes
Phone or phone stipend offered
No
Maternity / paternity leave offered
No
Discounted pet care and / or a pet medications policy offered
Yes
Practice vehicle or mileage reimbursement offered
No
Other benefits offered
Housing is offered onsite, and is of no cost to the employee as it is part of the salary package
Contract
Non-compete clause required
No
Non-US residents may apply
Yes
Is visa support provided?
Yes
CAEP
Method internship offers are made
Formal letters via email
Earliest date of internship offer made in the last 3 years
November
Latest date of internship offer made in the last 3 years
May
Average time provided to internship candidates to consider an offer
1 week
Outcomes Assessment
How long has the practice offered internships?
30+ years
Number of interns that haven’t completed the program over the past 5 years, with explanation
1. Left for family reasons.
Number of interns from this program who applied for a residency in the past 5 years
5
Number of interns from this program who entered a residency position directly out of the internship in the past 5 years
3
Number of interns from this program who accepted a second or specialty internship in the past 5 years
12
Number of interns from this program who accepted a residency position in the past 5 years
3
Number of interns retained by the practice as associates in the past 5 years
5
Of the interns that started the program in the past 5 years, how many are still in equine practice (and/or in an advanced training program targeted at specialty equine practice)?
70-99%
Number of former interns currently employed by the practice
4
Are current or former interns from the practice available for reference?
Yes, email the practice contact for details.