Learning a spectrum-of-care approach at WisCARES: student reflections 1 month after completing the rotation and a long-term follow-up with alumni.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports perspectives drawn from current and former veterinary students who spent 2 clinical weeks at a community veterinary clinic focused on developing a spectrum-of-care (SOC) approach. METHODS: An initial qualitative study was conducted 1 month following the completion of a 2-week clinical rotation while participants were still students. The results were used to conduct semistructured interviews of some of these students after they graduated in the years 2020 to 2024. RESULTS: 1 month following the rotation, 38 current students reported 4 themes: tailoring care more appropriately, developing greater empathy, growth toward independence, and awareness of privilege. One to 5 years after graduation, alumni offered rich descriptions that reiterated these aspects with deeper context and understanding. CONCLUSIONS: This work has implications for the development of the veterinary curriculum and raises some important questions. Use of an SOC approach recognizes the value of turning academic knowledge into authentic practice, potentially leading to professional identities that value and offer more inclusive practice, less moral distress, and greater empathy with clients and their animals. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results revealed that creating intentional student experiences that integrate service learning, reflection, and SOC practices creates positive impacts that can help prepare graduates to work with community programs to improve access to care and permission to offer an SOC, which are 2 ways that the profession can mitigate the negative impact of owners' financial limitations on animal medical care as well as develop more adaptive veterinarians.