The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine currently embarks on two international programs a year, both in Mexico.

The Mazunte Project, in which students, staff, and faculty perform sterilization surgeries on community cats and dogs, ultimately helping the local sea turtle population by helping to control the wild dog population—dogs that feast on sea turtle nests.

Equine Welfare in Practice, in which students, faculty, and friends perform routine procedures on working equids in rural Mexico, partnering with Mexican veterinary students and documenting their experience.

The Mazunte Project is a collaboration between veterinarians, students, and volunteers across the United States who come together each January to perform sterilization surgeries in rural and underserved Mexican communities along the Pacific Coast. Our mission is to protect the endangered sea turtle by controlling the dog population that consume the turtle eggs and hatchlings along several of the most important nesting beaches in the world. Our efforts have effectively controlled the packs of dogs that previously dominated the beaches, saving the lives of thousands of endangered sea turtles, and positively impacting the of health of these communities.

Students selected for the Mazunte externship will join a mobile surgical team of roughly 3-6 people, each day traveling from Mazunte to a different Mexican village. They will perform spay and neuter surgeries on dogs and cats, while also supporting the entire team in delivering anesthesia, recovering pets, cleaning, and educating clients. Each student averages 35 surgeries over the course of the externship, with our entire group performing over 500 spays and neuters.

Because of the complex logistics involved in this project and our commitment to providing excellent surgical instruction, we are limited in the number of students that can participate each year. Candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Primary surgical and anesthesia experience (such as RAVS trips, c-Snip rotation, MSU Primary Care rotation, MSU anesthesia rotation, barn cat spay/neuter days, etc.)
• Demonstrated interest/career goals in shelter medicine, public health, small animal surgery, conservation medicine, or small animal general practice
• Spanish language skills
• International experience
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team
• Willingness to work outdoors in temperatures of 80-90 degrees and operative in a primitive/rustic setting without running water or flushing toilets

Additional information: Open to third- and fourth-year students at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Student interviews will be conducted once the pool of students have been identified.

The Equine Welfare in Practice is a practical learning experience where students travel to various regions in Mexico and provide equine veterinary services to locals in collaboration with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), the Universidad Veracruzana (UV), and private equine practitioners in the United States.

Participants, mostly 3rd- and 4th-year veterinary students, travel to Mexico each January, and spend about two weeks visiting multiple rural communities—with down time and sightseeing in between. They treat mostly working equids, including horses, donkeys, and mules, conducting examinations, administering vaccinations, performing surgeries, providing dental care, and practicing routine podiatry. Working in small teams with the guidance of mentor veterinarians, these Mexican and American students care for close to 1,000 animals across 10 communities each year.

Participants document their journey thoroughly—take a look at past years' journeys: 2024 and 2023.