Diary of a Vet Student: Changing curricula: Phase 4

21 | ANTI-RACISM POLICIES

 DIARY OF A VET STUDENT

CARLEIGH CATHCART

As with most everything else in life, the curricula at Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) has changed somewhat drastically in response to COVID-19 limitations. Today, we explore the last year of vet school — Phase 4 — in 'normal' times, and how it looks quite different during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Phase 4 — a.k.a. the fourth and final year of vet school — is unique among the years of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at OVC. Rather than classroom-based learning, Phase 4 is (normally) entirely clinical, with hands-on externships and rotations taking place both within and outside of Guelph’s OVC. It is the opportunity us vet students have been waiting for, to truly immerse ourselves in the profession and get our hands dirty (sometimes literally).

This year, though, COVID-19 has dealt a soul-crushing blow to those of us who have been working hard for many years to reach this point in our student careers. Virtually every milestone and privilege of fourth year has been taken away from us, and though one can understand the challenging position our administration has been put in, it doesn’t diminish the immense disappointment we feel nor the reality that these are opportunities we will never get back.

By fourth year, all DVM students have selected one of four ‘streams’ in which to focus their final period of studies. The streams include companion animals (i.e. dog and cat, by far the most populous stream), food animal, equine, and rural community practice (i.e. mixed).

A chosen stream does not ‘lock in’ a vet student to a particular career path; a person with a DVM is licensed to practice on

WHAT IS PHASE 4?

STREAMS & MANDATORY ROTATIONS

any veterinary species. However, the streams allow students to maximize their fourth year by emphasizing their specific areas of interest.

EXTERNSHIPS

Under non-COVID circumstances, every veterinary student must complete an eight-week externship over the summer term at a mixed animal practice, regardless of their stream.

For our class, no academic activity was permitted to start until mid-August, a full three months later than normal. Because of the limitations and time constraints surrounding the pandemic, externships for our class were cut in half to four weeks; they could be completed at any point during the year, and only had to be at a clinic appropriate for your stream.

The loss of half an externship was a significant one, particularly to people like myself who truly intended to practice mixed. Similarly, many of my classmates had arranged their externships in exciting, faraway places, such as the U.K. or New Zealand. Needless to say, those once-in-a-lifetime experiences will be impossible to replicate even if or when travel becomes normalized again.

Regardless of stream, there are some rotations that every student must take, such as anatomic pathology, diagnostic pathology, small animal primary care (at Smith Lane Animal Hospital on campus), and theriogenology (reproduction). The requirements for these and other, stream-oriented rotations have not changed this year, but much of their delivery has.

While some rotations by their very nature remain entirely in-person, such as Ruminant Field Services, anesthesia, and large animal surgery, many have been moved completely virtually, and more still have adapted to a hybrid delivery. These latter rotations offer some lab time or patient interaction, but many activities typically done in person, such as rounding (discussing inpatients and upcoming appointments) at the beginning of the day, are done online.

The hit to our practical experience during what should be a very hands-on year has certainly created some frustration. For example: diagnostic pathology labs without the use of microscopes, running appointments without clients in the room, and never being shown how to take an X-ray. All of these things are at least partially understandable, but nonetheless disheartening.

The North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE, not to be confused with your belly button) is an expensive, seven and a half hour, 360 question, professionally proctored exam that every vet must pass in order to practice in Canada or the U.S. In normal times, there are two writing windows per year: one in late November and early December, and one in April.

Thanks to COVID-19, the professional testing centres at which the NAVLE is written face(d) ongoing capacity issues, thus the writing windows were extended to an unprecedented four months. The lengthened testing window did not solve every snag, however; yours truly had her exam cancelled not once but twice, including the day before. Talk about stressful!

At the beginning of March 2020, I attended a beach party at the veterinary fraternity house, unaware that it was my last vet school hallmark at a time when I anticipated another year’s worth. Since then, the dates of annual ceremonies, fundraisers, parties, passages, dances, performances, and events have come and passed, each marking a sadness that individually means very little, but collectively leaves a cloud of sadness over the loss of community and companionship.

After ten years of university, and navigating several personal challenges throughout, I have long dreamed of walking across the stage, my parents looking on as I officially become a doctor. It is perhaps most heartbreaking of all that convocation will likely never happen for us. While insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it is an incredibly important milestone to me and many others, and I consider it reasonable to mourn the loss of this milestone

ROTATIONS

The fourth and final year of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program this year saw students selecting streams, completing externships, rotations and exams, all the while dealing with changes brought about by COVID-19. CREDIT: PEXELS

NAVLE

GRADUATION AND FOURTH YEAR ‘RITES’

amid all the other tragedies of the past year.

I won’t mince any words when it comes to the impact of COVID-19 on our final year of vet school. It’s been a horrible, disappointing year. I admire the perseverance of my classmates, who maintain a sense of humour and optimism despite the constant deluge of bad news, cancellations, and challenges. I am admittedly defeated on most days even while grateful for my blessings, but I hope with all my heart we are approaching the beginning of the end.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021, the Sapphire Snow Leopards, as we approach the end of our student careers and enter the clinical world. I am proud to have had you all by side on this tumultuous journey.

This is the final part in a series from 'Diary of a Vet Student' exploring how COVID-19 changes have impacted the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).