college connection
COUNCIL NEWS
Supporting Transitions
COUNCIL REVIEWS NEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
At its March meeting, College Council
reviewed a report assesssing the needs of
internationally educated veterinarians (IEVs)
entering practice in Ontario.
The report, entitled Supporting Transitions,
identifies the learning needs and available
supports for IEV graduates from non-
accredited programs who are seeking
licensure in Ontario. According to the 2018
Annual Report, 21% of the College’s general
licences are held by internationally educated
veterinarians.
Through the project, IEVs identified
challenges in the licensure process, including
time and expense and, in particular, difficulty
in preparing to pass the two hands-on clinical
examinations: the Preliminary Surgical
Assessment (PSA) and the Clinical Proficiency
Examination (CPE). IEVs also reported clinical
practice experience in Ontario was difficult
to access. However, those who had a VSTEP
schools. These graduates go through a
licensing process, including additional
assessments, to ensure they have the skills
and competencies required for practice in
North America.
field placement or worked under supervision
while holding a Restricted licence reported
it was valuable for preparing for the clinical
examinations and gaining orientation to
veterinary practice in Ontario.
The report includes several recommendations
for educational supports, clinical experience,
collaboration and alternative careers.
Each year, the College receives approximately
75 applications for licensure from graduates
of unaccredited international veterinary
The College is committed to providing
resources to assist these applicants in
meeting the requirements for licensure in
Ontario. The College was involved in the
establishment of the Veterinary Skills Training
and Enhancement Program (VSTEP) in 2006.
VSTEP was discontinued in 2017.
The objective of the research project is to
determine the current learning needs of IEVs
seeking entry to practice in Ontario and to
identify resources and supports that would be
effective to meet these needs.
The College’s Registration Committee will
undertake further analysis and action on the
report.
Humane Animal Handling & Restraint PROFESSION COMMITTED TO WELFARE CODE OF ETHICS
UP FOR REVIEW
College Council approved a new practice
standard on humane animal handling and
restraint by veterinarians at its March meeting. A veterinarian is also faced with techniques
and/or equipment that minimize pain, fear,
anxiety, aggression and stress. The safety of
the veterinarian and the veterinary team is also
a priority when supporting the animal. The
veterinarian team has a role in helping clients
to understand the humane handling and/or
restraint required for delivering veterinary care
to an animal in a specific circumstance. The College’s Code of Ethics, which was
introduced in 2015, was revised for College
Council’s consideration at the March meeting.
The new standard is one element of the
College’s three-year Animal Welfare Agenda.
Read more on the Animal Welfare Agenda
and find the new standard at cvo.org. The Quality Assurance Committee will be
taking another look at the draft, prior to an
approval for broad consultation, particularly
in how it can be used by veterinarians who
practise with food animals.
The public trusts veterinarians to provide
compassionate care and welfare advice in all
animal species. The profession is committed
to good practice and sought a College
standard which reflects the Veterinarians
Oath and advances internationally accepted
practices in the care and handling of all
animals.
The handling of animals and their restraint
are part of daily practice for the majority
of veterinarians, and the public and the
profession expects responsible and
appropriate animal handling and restraint in
all circumstances.
The new standard outlines expectations that
a veterinarian understands and recognizes
normal animal behaviour and the triggers for
pain, fear, anxiety, aggression, and stress.
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College Connection
Ethical dilemmas are a challenging area of
veterinary medicine. The Code is intended
to help guide decision-making. The revised
version incorporates Council’s work on
professionalism, competence and ethics.
The Code is centred around core values
which are compassion, transparency,
respect, trustworthiness, professionalism, and
competence. The values form the foundation
for ethical care and service in veterinary
medicine.