Several comments in this forum have stated that the proposed regulations require owner consent for any procedures performed by a student/intern.  However, the regulations only require owner consent for a student performing unassisted surgery.   Specifically, the regulations state:  Prior to allowing a preceptee or extern in veterinary medicine to perform surgery on a patient unassisted by a licensed veterinarian, a licensed veterinarian shall receive written approval from the client.    The proposed regulations do not require owner consent for any other procedure. 

If most students are comfortable requesting owner consent for any procedure that they perform, why not broaden the requirement for owner consent in the proposed regulations?    I think that many of the commenters are assuming that veterinarians will inform their clients that a student will be examining their pets or performing a procedure.  Some veterinarians may but others may not.   All clients deserve to know who is practicing on their pets.  Whether clients are informed should not be left up to individual veterinarian practices.   The regulations should consider the client’s rights and interests as well as the student’s. 

The Board also needs to ensure that the veterinary practices where students practice are at the upper end of the continuum relative to clinical competence, professional ethics, and teaching ability.   Currently 25% of the vet school’s list of approved practices in Virginia has one or more veterinarians who have been fined and/or reprimanded.  This is unacceptable and does not provide students with the quality of education they need or their future clients and patients deserve.

Finally there is nothing in the proposed regulations that outlines what students could do in a practice in year 1, 2, 3 or 4.   Unless the Board provides more guidance on what is permissible, practice before the start of the third year should be limited to observation only.