Rural vs Urban EMS: Which One Builds Better Clinical Skills?

If you’re a vet student gearing up for clinical EMS, you’ve probably asked yourself this classic question: Should I go rural or urban? Each environment offers unique opportunities, and knowing what to expect can help you get the most out of your placement and build the strongest clinical skillset possible.

Rural EMS placements can feel like a plunge into the deep end - which is no bad thing. You’re likely to encounter a wide variety of species, cases, and situations in a short space of time. With fewer vets on site, students often get more hands-on opportunities and greater independence.

Benefits of rural EMS include:

• Broader case exposure: From calvings to colics to dehorning, the diversity is unmatched.

• More responsibility: You may be trusted with more work, especially on quieter days.

• Problem-solving skills: Limited resources mean you learn to think on your feet and fast.

• Relationship building: Vet-client relationships are often more personal and longstanding.

• Cultural integration: In many rural areas, students may encounter different cultural norms, dialects, or even indigenous populations.

Rural placements also build your communication skills, especially with clients who know their animals inside out and expect practical, no-nonsense advice. Placements may include farmers, pet owners, equine clients and wildlife caregivers and each will require a different tone, language, and level of technical detail.

Urban practices, particularly in small animal medicine, often offer a very different experience. You’ll see high caseloads, fast-paced clinics, and specialist services all under one roof. It’s a great place to polish your technical skills, learn protocols, and witness the ‘gold standard’ of veterinary care.

Benefits of urban EMS include:

• Access to specialists: Opportunities to see advanced diagnostics and referral work.

• Streamlined processes: Learn efficient workflows and how multi-vet teams collaborate.

• Clinical exposure: High caseloads mean repeated opportunities to see key clinical presentations.

• Efficiency: Learn to clinically prioritise and distill key information quickly for consultations.

• Communication confidence: Master communicating efficiently under pressure.

Urban EMS can give you an edge in areas like anesthesia, surgical assisting, or interpreting bloods - skills that require structure and repetition to master. Placements can include exposure to advanced technology, structured protocols, and higher client expectations which helps build confidence, adaptability, and strong customer service skills.

Regardless of the setting, every placement helps you build essential skills such as performing clinical exams and history taking, understanding workflow and case management, working within a team and using one's initiative and mastering effective communication with clients.

The trick is to identify what you want to develop and seek placements that stretch you in those areas. When weighing your EMS options, ask yourself:

• What species or practice type am I least confident in?

• Do I want more exposure to emergencies or routine work?

• Am I ready for autonomy, or do I want close supervision?

• What kind of vet do I want to learn from?

“Rural EMS placements are really valuable as a vet student, especially coming from an urban background, as it gets you out of your bubble and shows you how owners’ priorities and veterinary work can differ in rural settings. It also gives you the chance to experience new places, which is both rewarding and may open your eyes to future job opportunities you hadn’t considered. Most of all, it helps you stay open-minded and adaptable - both key qualities in veterinary practice” - Stella, fourth year vet student at the University of Surrey. 

“Urban EMS placements exposed me to high caseloads and advanced diagnostics, which meant I could rapidly refine my schedule 3 skills and build clinical confidence, especially with assisting during surgeries” - James, third year vet student at the University of Edinburgh.

Both types of placements add completely different layers to confidence and skill set, which means there’s no definitive winner in the rural vs urban EMS debate.

The best placements are the ones that challenge you, teach you something new, and get you closer to the kind of vet you want to become. Aim for balance, reflect often, and talk to others about their experiences.

Have you undertaken a memorable rural or urban EMS placement? Got tips for other students?Share this blog with your peers and swap advice - it could make someone’s next placement their best one yet!