As a pet owner and citizen of Virginia, I do not support the proposed change to veterinary practice regulations.   This is an extreme change – from allowing 4^th year veterinary students who have completed most of their classwork to allowing 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd year veterinary students to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.  There are no limits or controls on what these students could do – absolutely none -- it is totally up to the supervising veterinarian.   There is no requirement that pet owners or farmers be notified of or consent to the treatment of their animals by these students.   

 All those in favor of this extreme change are mostly students and faculty who say that if I go to a veterinarian who I trust, he will know what the students can or should be allowed to do and I shouldn’t worry.    But veterinarians are human beings who are under pressure, both professional and personal, and they may allow a student to perform a procedure because on that particular day, it helps relieve some of that pressure.   That may benefit the licensed veterinarian but not the client or even the student if not properly supervised.   I think that the regulations should specify procedures or tasks that students can do, depending on how many years of veterinary education they have completed.   In particular, I think that what first and second year students can do should be very limited.  

I would encourage the Board to consider a less extreme change in the regulations – perhaps allowing third year (but not first and second) students to perform some procedures under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.  I think that there should be a requirement that the supervising veterinarian be on premises – in the same room with the students and that clients be notified of and consent to the treatment of their animals by the students.     The last step is very important – not all pet owners or farmers will agree but many will and it’s essential in order for licensed veterinarians to keep good relationships with their clients.