Time for the Next Step

I’m going to give you the bad news first, and then tell you what we need to do next. We lost the last round on this issue, but there is something we can do today to make ourselves heard and have our point of view considered. The Regulatory Committee of the Board of Veterinary Medicine has met to review the issues raised in the petition to require owner consent for student practice. (The current Virginia regulations require the supervising veterinarian to obtain consent if a student will be performing surgery unassisted; anything else can be done without the owner even being informed.) The Committee recommended no changes. This is not good news, but the campaign isn’t over yet. There are regulations in process which would permit students to practice all four years, not just the last year of vet school. These will have to be circulated for public comment twice before they can be adopted, so we have two more chances to insist on change. The first comment period will be later this month, and I will let you know the link as soon as the comment period opens. A pattern is beginning to emerge regarding this Board’s decisions, and it is one which does not reflect well on a body charged with protecting the public: deference to members of the profession, training programs, and professional associations; and a dismissive attitude toward the public. The comments on my petition to require owner consent for student practice were two thirds positive (from the public) and one third negative (from the profession and the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association), yet the petition was denied. I am quite sure that the only reason the Board went through the motions of further study regarding owner consent is the 1,700 signatures on this Change.org petition (as of their October meeting; the number is higher now.) I have revised the petition so that it now asks the Board to reconsider their decision and add a requirement for owner consent to the regulations on student practice. I have also added the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association as a petition recipient, asking them to change their position and support owner consent. Numbers are going to be essential in keeping this issue alive and having our rights preserved. Here’s how you can help. First, forward this update to everyone you can think of who cares about animals and ask them to sign it. They will need to go to https://www.change.org/p/virginia-board-of-veterinary-medicine-require-owner-consent-for-student-practice-on-our-animals to do that. They do not need to live in Virginia. This will serve notice on the Board and the veterinary association that this issue is not going away. It will also give us a larger pool of people to notify when the comment period opens on the proposed change to student practice regulations, as we will need numbers at that stage as well. Second, email the Board at this address vetbd@dhp.virginia.gov and tell them this: I am aware that you turned down the petition to require owner consent for any student practice, not just unassisted surgery. I want you to know that I think the decision was wrong. It is unethical for veterinarians to permit student practice without the owner’s permission. Please reconsider your decision, and require owner consent when you revise the regulations for student practice. Third, please copy the Veterinary Association on your message to the Board at this address: Vvma@aol.com Thank you for all of your help so far. Without you, this idea would be dead with no hope of resuscitation. As always, please feel free to contact me with comments and questions: LeeHenkel01@mail.com,