The New ER Doctor program is designed to transform recent DVM grads and practicing non-emergency veterinarians into exceptional, confident VEG ER doctors. This 6-month deep dive into the action of emergency is a structured, immersive program like no other. Integrating academic and clinical teachings with individualized mentorship, this program fuels a passion for the ER and creates a deeper meaning around life-saving veterinary heroics.

New ER Doctors (yes, NERDs!) experience a program that includes 3-4 hospital shifts per week (days, swings, and nights), weekly case discussions, literature reviews, and hands-on training at state-of-the-art facilities. Doctors in the program get an up-close, firsthand experience, working and learning from top emergency doctors and specialists.

Through this intensive 6-month program, NERDs discover the unique rewards of customer-focused care and emerge from the program feeling confident to take on any case that walks through the door.

Too often, mentorship is promised but not delivered. When you’re a part of the NERD program, you never go it alone in the ER. You’re supported through guidance and feedback, working alongside experienced VEG doctors, while receiving 1:1 feedback:

• Daily – from the senior doctor on every shift

• Weekly – through weekly rounds and office hours with the Director of NERD Education

• Monthly – through growth-focused goal-setting meetings with your Medical Director

From hands-on training to weekly didactic learning, NERD program participants earn over 160 RACE-approved CE hours in just 6-months—this takes most doctors 10 years to complete!

NERD extensive CE includes:

• Small Animal Emergency Surgery

• Small Animal Critical Care Lab

• Basics of Abdominal Ultrasound

• Abdominal, Thoracic, and Cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound

• Flexible GI Endoscopy

• Exotic Companion Animals in the ER

• RECOVER ALS and BLS Rescuer CPR Certification

• Radiology Rounds

• Journal Club

industry-leading compensation in the NERD Program & beyond

As a NERD, you’ll spend 6 months dedicated to learning from specialists and experts in emergency medicine, all while receiving industry-leading compensation and benefits. Between base salary and all the components of the training program, VEG invests $100,000 in each NERD! We do this because we believe in your abilities to become skilled and competent doctors who will save pet lives The VEG Way.

the benefits grow once you become an Associate Doctor:

• Unlimited ER CE

• 6 PTO shifts

• Equity ownership

• Student loan repayment

VEG Campus Ambassadors are DVM students who believe in the VEG mission and our revolutionary impact on emergency veterinary medicine. Serving as our on-campus liaisons to the student body, our ambassadors spread the word about all the exciting things going on at VEG and learn life-long leadership skills along the way!

a peek into the Campus Ambassador experience

• Help plan and manage VEG-related events on campus

• Serve as a source of knowledge to your peers about VEG opportunities

• Be on the lookout for any sponsorship opportunities and campus trends

• Wear awesome VEG swag for free!

We help you along in your journey as a Campus Ambassador and a fully expensed orientation at VEG is just the beginning. You’ll receive semester stipends, professional headshots, and have the opportunity to make lasting connections with other veterinary professionals. Engage with ambassadors from AVMA accredited vet schools and network with our doctors, nurses, hospital managers, and other key roles at VEG. The support you’ll feel is unparalleled, with 1:1 mentorship from a VEGgie who truly cares about your growth.

What does it take to be VEG Campus Ambassador? We’re looking for students who are:

• Self starters

• Emergency medicine enthusiasts

• Organization-minded with great time management skills

• Rock stars at creating and facilitate presentations

• Ready to change the vet med world!

The VEG Externship Program provides students with an exciting, well-rounded emergency medicine experience. Students in the program work alongside our skilled emergency doctors and support staff, and may even have hands-on learning opportunities. Emergency medicine is unpredictable in nature, it keeps you on your paws! Students will focus on learning how to communicate effectively with our clients, diagnose a variety of emergency conditions, develop emergency treatment plans, and collaborate with support staff in a fast-paced environment- all the while being fully immersed in the VEG culture.

a role as an extern includes:

• A chance to work alongside highly skilled emergency doctors

• Potential opportunity to scrub in for surgery

• Learning to diagnose a variety of emergent conditions

• Develop treatment plans & assist with medical records

• Learning to effectively communicate with clients

• Collaborating with staff in a fun, fast-paced environment

how to apply

The program runs from January through June and again from July through December.

The VEG Scholarship awards a rising final year student of an AVMA accredited veterinary school their final year’s tuition costs. This scholarship helps reduce student debt to the graduate who exemplifies our core values and vision—because they are the future of VEG!

who should apply

• Veterinary students entering their 4th and/or final year of school

• Students enthusiastic about practicing emergency the VEG Way

• Desire to work in emergency medicine and join VEG post graduation

• Externship with VEG strongly preferred (but not required)

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how we envision our recipient:

• An ER Champion. They live and breathe ER medicine, and want to do it the VEG Way.

• They’ve got grit. This person has overcome obstacles that life has thrown at them with grace and determination.

• A visionary and a leader. They want to break sh*t and push the VEGolution forward to transform the industry.

candidates MUST

• Be enrolled in an AVMA accredited veterinary school

• Be on track to graduate on time

• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and/or be in top ⅓ of their class. Students who do not have access to class rank or GPA may still apply but additional information will be required upon application.

how to apply

2025: Reach out to students@veg.vet for more information. Must have signed a 2025 NERD offer to be eligible.

2026: Application is opening on Feb 24th, 2025. Those graduating between September 2025-August 2026 are eligible to apply, as these graduation dates coincide with our 2026 NERD cohorts.

Reach out to students@veg.vet with any questions!