I find myself in complete agreement that student veterinarians need as much hands on practice as possible.  However, there are many concerns that need to be addressed.

The biggest issue is disclosure:  How will the client be notified that a student is caring for their companion animal?  Will the client be given something in writing at the time the companion animal is brought in?  Will the client be allowed to keep that disclosure for their own files?  What would happen if the client refuses to have a student participate in the care of their pet?

Also, who would be liable if a sentinal event were to occur and the animal is harmed by the student?

How much supervision would the student be required to have and who would monitor that the student is being appropriately supervised?

There is a legal requirement for informed consent when a veterinarian does surgery on an animal.  Will that ifnorm consent explain that a student may be participating in the surgery?  If so, will the consent explicitly state what the student will and will not be doing.  If I take my cat to a vet for a routine spay and I expect that a licensed vet is doing her surgery and I find out later that a student did most of the surgery, would that be considered fraud?  Is the licensed vet billing me for work he did not do?  is that misrepresentation?  All of that violates standards for vets in VA.

Test question for all the student vets who have looked at this issue:

If you did a routine spay for a kitten and her surgery ended at 11:30.  Then  you told the owners she her surgery went well and she was waking up fine at 2:30 pm.

then at 4:40 you write in the kitten's record that she is "non responsive in her cage?"  Should you call the owner?  Should you take vital signs on the kitten?  Should you do an assessment?  Would you be surprised that in VA the Vet Board finds that a licensed vet who does none of the above, but instead turns off the light and leaves the kitten all alone to die did not violate a reasonable standard of care.  It is cosnidered a reasonable standard of care for a licensed vet in VA to leave a non responsive kitten all alone without any care or treatment and the kitten dies. 

Not only do we need students to have more hands on experience, the vet in this case (which is not the vet that I authorized to do the surgery on my kitten) had been a vet for about 1 and 1/2 years.  Obvisously, she needs more experience and better clincial skills and critical thinking.  I fear for any pet that she treats.

Please contact me at mollymittens7@gmail.com if any of the student vets can tell me why this is a reaonsable standard of care in Va.  Since, no one on the Board can explain to me why it is OK not to call the owners and allow the owners to make an informed decision on transferring the kitten to an overnight clinic. 

Respectfully submitted,

Molly Mittens Mom.