Alberta’s new veterinary college at the University of Calgary is almost ready to start its second class of veterinary students. The first class will graduate in the spring of 2012.
Unlike the older traditional schools, this one will see hands-on teaching, especially in the senior years, in traditional mixed, specialty, large and small animal practices throughout Alberta.
Ranchers and pet owners may have more exposure to students then ever before, a win-win situation.
Book savvy and smarts are the first requirements for becoming a professional but hands-on, practical experience solidifies it. This is especially true of veterinary medicine.
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Nothing beats real live cases to develop skilled and confident veterinary practitioners, all under the direct supervision and guidance of skilled practitioners who in some cases have many years of experience.
Professors from the college may accompany students on some of their rotations.
The newest Canadian veterinary school in Calgary is made in Alberta for Alberta students. Previously the main route for Alberta students was application to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, which will continue to serve the four western provinces.
About 20 students would get in yearly, in spite of the fact that Alberta has for the last several years taken in approximately 100 veterinarians to our association, both new grads and experienced foreign practitioners.
It’s obvious there is a need for veterinarians and the 30 students that will eventually graduate on a yearly basis from Calgary will increase the opportunity for Alberta’s youth.
The dilemma is how to educate them in problem-based learning, a new method in which cases are handled from beginning to end. In the traditional system, students learned things like microbiology, pharmacology surgery and medicine and then had to assimilate it in the final year.
The final year involved cases at the college that typically were difficult referrals that kept professors happy but did nothing to boost the confidence of budding veterinarians.
The distributed veterinary teaching community (DVTC) will fill the need of students to get practical experience in viable practices.
The DVTC will consist of hand-picked Alberta veterinary clinics from Peace River to southern Alberta. Calgary and area will have the majority because of proximity, and they are fortunate to have world class facilities such as the Calgary Zoo and small animal specialty clinics within city limits.
Veterinarians who work at places like Spruce Meadows or large auction markets are also on board.
All the clinics involved will provide a teaching environment where students will experience what happens on a day to day basis.
Graduate veterinarians must have exposure and experience in all disciplines of veterinary medicine from necropsy to neurology and this teaching will give them a huge amount of hands-on experience.
The clinics will have the college video link through the supernet so cases can be shared with other students.
Clients and ultimately patients will benefit by having many people contributing to animal health problems.
With students soon to graduate comes new knowledge and ideas. This model is a perfect mesh of new techniques with established ways.
We as practitioners know what works for us in the field and in our veterinary practices. But there is always a need to look at change if it improves the outcome and the care of our patients.
I think the end result will be more competent veterinarians who have better communication skills.
Roy Lewis is a veterinarian practising in Westlock, Alta.
