Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital, PA

Student Program Outline

What is expected: 

• Professional appearance – unwrinkled scrubs or business casual attire and a hygienic, clean appearance
• Prepared for scheduled day, punctual
• Respectful and empathetic towards staff, clinicians, clients from various cultural, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds
• Adapt to changing environments, schedules, situations
• Display enthusiasm and dedication to learning
• Excellent communication skills with various groups of people
• Participation and respond to questions
• Display positive teamwork skills – clean area, ask if assistance needed
• Accept instruction and respond to constructive feedback

3. Demonstrate:
   • Medical ethics awareness – discussions
   • Assist in emergency/stressful situations – triage, gather supplies, place IVC, supply oxygen, etc
   • Communication with team - treatment plans, coordinate diagnostics
   • Communication with clients – history taking sick appointments
   • Knowledge of vaccine protocols – review vaccines at wellness and puppy/kitten appointments
   • Knowledge of disease pathophysiology – discuss illness, testing, treatments (case report)
   • Knowledge of pharmacology – rationale of implemented treatments, prescriptions 
   • Understanding for case referral – indications, procedure 
   • Basic understanding of business aspect of veterinary medicine
   • Understanding of anesthesia drugs and use – discuss and create anesthesia plan on surgery days
   • Understanding of case “work-up” - identify problems and create differential list
   • Proper instrument handling and use – exams, clinical skills
   • Knowledge of disease control and prevention – discuss when applicable – risk factors
   • Knowledge of zoonotic disease risks – discuss when applicable – prevention, risk factors
   • Knowledge of PPE use, radiation safety
   • Aseptic technique
   • Basic surgical skills and instrument use
   • Understanding of surgical and dentistry procedures - review during appointments and surgery days
   • Knowledge of pain assessment – discuss during appointments and surgery days
   • Understanding of patient anesthesia monitoring – discuss abnormals and how to assess/correct
   • Understanding of emergency stabilization/treatments - ABC’s
4. Perform:
   • Take history
   • Document case in SOAP format
   • Provide organized, concise, and complete case presentations – present illness cases to clinician prior to entering room after getting history when loading appt.
   • Bloodwork interpretation – rule outs, further testing recommendations, 
   • X-ray interpretation 
   • Acquire diagnostic quality x-ray images with correct positioning
   • Literature search to supplement cases
   • Physical exam
   • Cytology interpretation
     • Ear cytology
     • FNA
   • Blood draw
   • IVC placement
   • Intubation
   • Make anesthesia plan, calculate doses, anticipate pain management – surgery and sedation procedures
   • Create treatment plan for hospitalized patients
   • Treatment administration – PO, IV, SQ, IM
   • Patient triage
5. Short externships - <5 days - variety of cases depends on appointment schedule, hands-on experience may be more limited, shadowing only for surgery/dental procedures
6. 3. Description of elective experience - student will work under direct supervision of DVM/VMD

      Appointments:  try to pick 2-3 cases per day 

• Wellness –
  • review vaccine schedules for puppies/kittens and adults
  • Exam
  • Draw blood
• Illness - 
  • Obtain history, present to doctor
  • Discuss problems and diagnostic plan
  • Exam
  • Interpret x-rays, BW results
  • Stain, interpret cytology results
  • Discuss treatment plan
  • Perform outpatient treatments – injections, SQF, clip/clean wounds, etc
• Emergency -
  • Triage patient
  • Exam
  • Obtain history, present to doctor
  • Discuss problems and diagnostic plan
  • Participate in work-up – draw blood, obtain radiographs w/ appropriate positioning, etc
  • Interpret x-rays, BW results, other diagnostics
  • Discuss treatment plan
  • Participate in treatment – IVC, injections, oxygen, SQF
• Admit patients - 
  • Exam
  • Treatment plans/fill out treatment sheets
  • Perform treatments in conjunction with technicians

13. Surgery:
    • Assist in admit
    • Exam
    • Draw blood
    • Interpret blood work results
    • Anesthesia plan – drug selection and calculate doses - (after first week)
    • Pain control plan – local blocks, pre-meds, post-op meds
    • Participate in induction/surgery prep
    • Perform client-approved spay or neuter 
    • Write surgery report
    • Fill out home care sheet
    • Assist in other surgical procedures when appropriate
14. Dentals:
    • Exam
    • Draw blood
    • Interpret blood work results
    • Anesthesia plan
    • Pain control plan
    • Participate in induction
    • Participate in dental x-rays
    • Perform oral exam
    • Administer local blocks
    • Scale/polish 

Staffing: 5 full time doctors, 7 CVTs, 4:1 staff:dr ratio. 

Learning resources: textbook library, VIN membership, Plumb's Drug Handbook, JAVMA 

Equipment: Digital x-ray, ultrasound machine x 2, therapeutic cold laser, full surgical monitoring machines including capnograph, Doppler blood pressure, in-house blood work capabilities, tonometer, microscope

Services: Wellness, Illness exam/workups, abdominal ultrasound, echocardiography, surgery - routine elective/soft tissue/orthopedics, dentals/oral surgery, therapeutic laser, cytology

Hours based on school program requirements - most 40 hrs/week, office hours: M-F 8am-7:30pm; Saturday 8am-4pm

N/A

1538 E. Philadelphia Avenue
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
United States