While I agree that veterinary students should have the opportunity to gain real-world experience working in a veterinary practice, I strongly disagree that they should be allowed to practice with as little supervision as is now currently allowed.  I also strongly oppose the notion that the owners of the animals these students are practicing medicine on do not "need to know" that their animals are being treated by individuals who are not fully qualified and licensed veterinarians. 

Owners have the primary responsibility for the well-being of their animals, not the veterinarians to whom those animals are delivered for medical care.  Why would a veterinarian not request an owner's consent for treatment by an unlicensed individual?  Concealing that medical procedures are being performed by a student erodes the trust that owners should have in their veterinarian as an ally and partner in their animal's care, and ignores that it is ultimately the owner's responsibility to ensure their animal is being cared for properly.  Allowing students to practice veterinary medicine on animals without the knowledge and consent of the animal's owner smacks of arrogance, and will only serve to undermine the respect the general public has for veterinary medical professionals.

Furthermore, once the owner does know about, and consent to, a student practicing medicine on their animal, the veterinarian under whom the student is working should be obligated to ensure that the student is only performing procedures on which he or she has received formal training and instruction.  If the student is lacking formal instruction, then their only involvement should be observation.  To allow otherwise would be a breach of the trust that owners should have in licensed veterinarians to safeguard their animal's health and well-being.

Finally, veterinarians under whom students are practicing medicine should be obligated to supervise those students closely.  Students, however well-meaning, are just that--students.  They are not fully-qualified, licensed veterinarians.  Is it unreasonable to suggest that students make more mistakes than a fully-qualified, licensed veterinarian?  Their lack of experience, training and instruction would seem to make that a foregone conclusion--even for the best and brightest.  While they should have the opportunity to gain experience, that should never be at the expense of the health and well-being of those animals they propose to help.  The licensed veterinarian should always be there to prevent inadvertent harm.  It is too late to step in once an animal has been maimed or killed due to a student mistake.

Thank you for considering my comments.