CPT Veterinary Surgery Technician Jobs
Veterinary Surgery Technician roles in clinical and specialty hospital settings qualify for CPT when your program requires hands-on surgical assisting as part of your curriculum. Your DSO must authorize each position before you start, and the work must directly integrate with your coursework in veterinary technology or animal health sciences.
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Intern - Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Specialty
Appointment Type:
Post Doc/Trainee
Job Description:
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:
Iowa State University (ISU) is offering a one year Food Animal Medicine and Surgery specialty internship. The internship is distinguished by a high-volume, diverse caseload for food animals and South American camelids. The caseload is characterized by 65% cattle, 30% small ruminants, and 5% pigs and camelids with a large percentage of the cases being true production livestock in addition to companion and high-value show and genetics livestock. The service additionally performs a large variety of food animal surgeries both elective and emergency.
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, and Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine offers a Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship program designed to prepare interns for specialty residency and/or obtain further proficiency in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. The internship program is one year in duration.
Interns will primarily be assigned clinical duty within the Food Animal and Camelid Hospital and will share primary emergency duties with other food animal medicine residents and interns. Emergency duty will be supported by clinical faculty.
Interns will also have the opportunity to rotate through other clinical services such as equine medicine, theriogenology, food animal field services, radiology, and clinical pathology or additional services depending on intern interests. Interns participate in clinical rounds, seminars, journal club, continuing education programs, and various sections and departmental academic programs. Two weeks are assigned for vacation and/or research opportunities. The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is a state-of-the-art facility that provides specialized care and comprehensive medical and surgical services for companion and large animals throughout Iowa and surrounding states. Our clinicians, residents, interns, technicians, staff, and senior veterinary students work collaboratively to provide 24-hour, high-quality care to animal patients. Iowa State University offers a competitive salary and one of the most comprehensive benefits packages to interns.
Required Minimum Qualifications:
- DVM or equivalent degree.
- Registration with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in compliance with the Controlled Substances Registration Act will be required prior to clinical practice.
- Licensure by the State of Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine upon employment start date.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong interest in food animal and camelid medicine.
To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State Postdocs enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
- Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
- Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
- Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Various voluntary benefits and discounts
- Employee Assistance Program
- Wellbeing Program
Proposed Start Date:
July 15, 2026
Number of Months Employed Per Year:
12 Month Work Period
Time Type:
Full time
Pay Grade:
Post Docs
Original Posting Date:
June 17, 2026
Posting Close Date:
June 30, 2026
Job Requisition Number:
R19398
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.
General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.
Position Title:
Intern - Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Specialty
Appointment Type:
Post Doc/Trainee
Job Description:
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:
Iowa State University (ISU) is offering a one year Food Animal Medicine and Surgery specialty internship. The internship is distinguished by a high-volume, diverse caseload for food animals and South American camelids. The caseload is characterized by 65% cattle, 30% small ruminants, and 5% pigs and camelids with a large percentage of the cases being true production livestock in addition to companion and high-value show and genetics livestock. The service additionally performs a large variety of food animal surgeries both elective and emergency.
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, and Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine offers a Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship program designed to prepare interns for specialty residency and/or obtain further proficiency in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. The internship program is one year in duration.
Interns will primarily be assigned clinical duty within the Food Animal and Camelid Hospital and will share primary emergency duties with other food animal medicine residents and interns. Emergency duty will be supported by clinical faculty.
Interns will also have the opportunity to rotate through other clinical services such as equine medicine, theriogenology, food animal field services, radiology, and clinical pathology or additional services depending on intern interests. Interns participate in clinical rounds, seminars, journal club, continuing education programs, and various sections and departmental academic programs. Two weeks are assigned for vacation and/or research opportunities. The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is a state-of-the-art facility that provides specialized care and comprehensive medical and surgical services for companion and large animals throughout Iowa and surrounding states. Our clinicians, residents, interns, technicians, staff, and senior veterinary students work collaboratively to provide 24-hour, high-quality care to animal patients. Iowa State University offers a competitive salary and one of the most comprehensive benefits packages to interns.
Required Minimum Qualifications:
- DVM or equivalent degree.
- Registration with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in compliance with the Controlled Substances Registration Act will be required prior to clinical practice.
- Licensure by the State of Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine upon employment start date.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong interest in food animal and camelid medicine.
To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State Postdocs enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
- Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
- Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
- Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Various voluntary benefits and discounts
- Employee Assistance Program
- Wellbeing Program
Proposed Start Date:
July 15, 2026
Number of Months Employed Per Year:
12 Month Work Period
Time Type:
Full time
Pay Grade:
Post Docs
Original Posting Date:
June 17, 2026
Posting Close Date:
June 30, 2026
Job Requisition Number:
R19398
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.
General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.
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Get Access To All JobsVeterinary Surgery Technician CPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Veterinary Surgery Technician role qualify for CPT?
Yes, if your veterinary technology or animal health sciences program lists surgical assisting or clinical rotations as a required or elective component of your curriculum. Your DSO will confirm eligibility by reviewing the position description against your academic program requirements. Roles at specialty referral hospitals, emergency surgical centers, and university veterinary teaching hospitals are the most commonly approved settings.
Can I do CPT at a private specialty veterinary practice, or does it have to be a teaching hospital?
Private specialty practices qualify for CPT as long as the work integrates with your curriculum and your school authorizes it. Teaching hospitals affiliated with veterinary schools are common CPT sites, but AVMA-accredited private hospitals with structured training programs are approvable too. Your DSO evaluates the position description, not the employer's institutional affiliation, when making the authorization decision.
How do I find veterinary employers who are familiar with hiring F-1 CPT students?
Use Migrate Mate to search for veterinary surgery technician roles filtered by employers with documented work-authorization hiring experience. Employers already familiar with CPT documentation requirements, EAD verification, and academic affiliation agreements move significantly faster through the onboarding process than those encountering it for the first time.
What happens if my CPT authorization is for part-time hours but the surgical schedule requires full-time availability?
CPT during an active academic term is restricted to part-time status, which USCIS defines as under 20 hours per week. Surgical rotations often involve irregular shifts, on-call duties, or weekend coverage that can push total hours over that threshold. Clarify the expected weekly schedule with the employer before accepting an offer, and reflect the agreed hours explicitly in your CPT request so your DSO can authorize the correct status.
Does CPT in a veterinary surgery role count against my OPT eligibility later?
Only full-time CPT affects OPT eligibility. Twelve months or more of full-time CPT, meaning 20 or more hours per week, eliminates your post-completion OPT entirely. Part-time CPT, regardless of how many semesters you complete it, does not reduce your OPT allotment. If you plan to rely on OPT after graduation, keep each CPT authorization at part-time status throughout your program.