Emergency medicine clerkship: A joining of private-practice referral veterinary medicine with an academic institution

Abstract

Novel approaches to the clinical training of veterinary student in many disciplines are being sought by veterinary colleges. In 2004, the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine approached the Small Animal Department and Florida Veterinary Specialists (FVS) in Tampa with a proposal to jointly design and run an elective clerkship in emergency medicine. The program would focus on providing increased emergency case exposure in a real world environment to interested third- and fourth-year veterinary student. The purpose would be to better prepare these students for emergent cases while increasing their overall level of clinical confidence. This article reviews in detail the clerkship structure, its objective, and the logistics of training and support at FVS. In this Instances, the academic-private institutions partnership has been successful in providing effective learning for veterinary student over the last three years. This clerkship structure may sense as a template for other institutions exploring alternatives to the traditional clinical of veterinary student. © 2008 AAVMC.