After reading many of the comments from the general public, I believe there are a few clarifications that must be made.  First of all, I appreciate your concerns--the way the petition reads as posted by the DHP, it seems to remove all protections for patients and clients; it does not.  The petition seeks to remove the limitation of client animal exposure to fourth year.  HOWEVER, all of the other regulations regarding veterinary students will remain the same.  This means that the requirement for direct supervision by a licensed veterinarian, being enrolled in an accredited program, and written client consent will all still apply. 

What will this mean for students and the veterinary school?  The change will allow greater directed instruction of the students as the veterinary profession gets more and more specialized.

What will this mean for the public?  You and your animals will still receive all of the same protections.  It does not mean that first year students will be performing surgeries, it means they will have more opportunities to practice skills appropriate to their level of training; things like performing physical examinations. 

What will this mean in the long term?  In the long term, changing this regulation will result in better veterinarians in Virginia.  Something that benefits both us as students and you as pet owners. 

Has this been done in other states before?  Yes, in fact most other states that have veterinary schools in them have regulations that are more lax than the changes proposed here.  (To view North Carolina's state regulations regarding veterinary students, please visit www.ncvmb.org and visit section 90-187.6 article e of the Practice Act).  This allows respected veterinary schools, like North Carolina State and University of Pennsylvania, to have extra programs in place for students to improve their hands-on skills outside of the curriculum. 

I hope this has been helpful in clearing up some of the misconceptions that arose due to the way the petition was posted here.  We in the veterinary profession only want what is best for you and your pets, and nothing means more to us than their health and safety.