When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

J G Wray — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 14:36:40 GMT

I know exactly when I became a clinical student. It was 4.30pm on Wed 18thOctober 1978. Chris Ridge and I were hanging around the stables, looking at inpatients before catching a train when a jolly fella in overalls carrying a bucket full of drugs and dressings turned up. He coopted us there and then to examine the horses, change dressings and give injectables. We were suitable awestruck, it being our first term at College.

The affable fella - Prof Laurence Gerring.

I wonder if that sort of thing happens now.

JGW

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Stephen Courtney — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 20:51:14 GMT

I think you can let a vet student do anything you are comfortable with, providing that student is under your direct and continuous supervision, and you are happy in the knowledge that as the qualified MRCVS you are the one who carries the responsibility for any consequences.

so this would include surgery, in my opinion. someone taught me while seeing practice, but i would prefer to be giving this guidance to a student who had already had the relevant lectures, and knew how to tie knots and basic tissue handling etc.

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 11:46:54 GMT

Liverpool (not sure if anywhere else) are trying to get students seeing practice sooner. This is a new thing for them.

I just treated her like a normal clinical student and had her doing some skin suturing, blood samples etc. The only technical entrance into a body cavity was letting her castrate a piglet, me having just done 2.

But wasn't totally sure what I was supposed to be letting her do. Hence my thread!

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Linda Filshie — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 09:34:37 GMT

I would be thinking what is the 3rd year student going to be studying (back in my day is was the 'ologies') so what is going to best help the student contextualise, understand and remember the glut of information they are exposed to in lectures. So taking/running/interpreting blood/faecal/urine/skin samples, involvement in post -mortems, etc etc. I recall being allowed to do stitch up on dogs that had been PTS on the operating table following ex-lap at that stage in my EMS. As well as of course exposure to consults, general husbandry stuff, cleaning/packing surgical kits, etc (which hopefully they've done on work exp before vet school, but a refresher is never wasted!)

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Neil Wheadon — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 08:45:34 GMT

I take the view of anything that you feel they are capable or need to do, as after all they will be a colleague in a few years. If they are on a vet course then chances are they will be faced with those nervous few months when first qualified doing the basics.

With so many vet students, the chance to do things are much less than when we qualified. I met a new graduate recently that had done 1/2 a cat castrate before qualifying.

I have no issue with any vet student regardless of year, tubing dogs, finding a vein for an anaesthetic on a long straight leg, helping with bitch speys (Isn't it just easier with 2) etc.

To bring this into context, a friends daughter wants to be a doctor. She's 17 and hasn't even been offered a place. She saw practice at a friends doctors surgery and the nurses let her take blood from themselves!!

Neil

Re: When does a vet student become a 'clinical student' exactly?

Rob Loxley — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 08:39:20 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Is she now technically a clinical student or still a pre-clinical 2nd year?[/quote]

IMHO she is a vet student; it is the EMS that is either pre-clinical or clinical. Most schools seem to get students to go on clinical EMS when they've finished the first term of the third (fourth for Cambridge) year.

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]No guidance from the Uni.[/quote]

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/ems-at-liverpool/ems_liverpool.pdf though this seems to suggest starting clinical EMS this Christmas rather than summer

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/education/extra-mural-studies-ems/ for EMS contacts