Action | Elimination of restriction on practical training only in final year of veterinary school |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 7/1/2015 |
As a rising third year student, I am honored to have the opportunity to work towards joining the veterinary medicine community. As a future veterinarians, we strive to gain as much experience as possible to become competent doctors. However, as a pet parent, I can certainly empathize with a clients' potential concern with allowing a student to work with their pets. By the same token, as an owner and future veterinarian, I want nothing more than to be 110% confident in every procedure I perform on an animal, no matter how small. Even a practice which may be perceived as minor (such as a physical exam) can reveal significant clues to a potential, underlying health concern. The best way to work towards achieving excellence is to practice and receive constructive feedback from a licensed, supervising veterinarian. Any hesitant clients should know how grateful we are as students for the opportunity to learn from their pet, and not a single student would ever want to place an animal in a potentially compromising situation. They can also rest assured they are in fact investing in their own pets' futures by ensuring futuring veterinarians have sufficient experience and skills to treat patients, so that one day this student becomes a doctor who is capable of saving another four-legged family member.