I have serious concerns about the proposed change to the current requirement that only " students in the final year of his training or after completion of an equivalent number of hours as approved by the board" be qualified to receive practical training. (Although I do believe it is time for the Board to come into the 20th - at least - century and change that misnomer to his/her.) With this change, ANY student who is "duly enrolled and in good standing in a veterinary college or school accredited or approved by the AVMA" may "practice" on an animal. Had I not been privy to instances where animals were unnecessarily harmed due to interventions by students who were not correctly supervised, my concern would be lessened. However, not all "supervising vets" are equally congizant of and attentive to their responsibilities, and until such time as all veterinarians who supervise students are able to correctly and completely provide adequate, safe supervision, I cannot support this proposed change. My pets are my family. I would no sooner allow a student to "practice" on my pet than I would let an intern practice on my grandmother! We clearly have developed far superior regulations relative to practicing on our human patients. Until such time as the veterinary field establishes similar guidelines and oversight, let our less-experienced students stick to observation and simulation. Computers can do amazing things these days. Most vet and medical schools have done away with learning on animals. I'm sure Virginia's veterinary schools have the wherewithall  to provide these first-rate experiences to their students. In the meantime, I will "vote" with my feet, and only work with veterinarians who are in continuous, direct contact with my pets during diagnosis and treatment. I am fortunate that should my pet need advanced diagnosis or treatment, I have the ability to provide out-of-state treatment at facilities that only allow graduated veterinarian to treat them. My wish is for that to be the case for all Virginians.