The EMC offers an opportunity for students to learn how a busy academic practice maintains a high level of care, in addition to offering clinical experience. Students will work directly with the faculty and house officers and will be taught methods of diagnosis and treatment of frequently encountered disorders such as lameness, respiratory problems, neurological disease and colic, as well as special surgical and medical procedures and intensive care of equine patients.
We are a fully accredited veterinary college. The VMCVM's Equine Medical Center is a premier equine facility located in Leesburg, VA. 9 Board-Certified equine specialists, 3 residents, 5 interns, 30 clinical support staff.
Each student will be assigned for one week on medicine, surgery, and sports medicine services. Each student will be assigned a one-in-three emergency duty rotation. General objectives are listed below. Objectives specific to each service are outlined in the Objectives of EMC Clerkship document posted in the orientation module on the clerkship Canvas site.
- Learn when to refer a case.
- Learn how to triage surgical and medical emergencies.
- Discuss and review specialized procedures that are available in the referral hospital.
- Participate in outpatient examinations and procedures.
- Participate in intensive care of critically ill patients.
- Contribute to the medical record.
- Complete progress notes in the form of SOAPs.
- Complete dismissal instructions.
- Perform common technical procedures. Procedures that are used in the diagnostic evaluation of patients will be taught while actually performing the procedures on clinical cases. Students will be directly involved to the degree appropriate for the situation. Each service will determine procedures to be covered.
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- The student can increase the likelihood of being allowed to perform procedures by being actively engaged in the case and knowledgeable about the procedure being performed.
- Participate in client communication in the form of history taking, patient status updates, or dismissal instructions under the supervision and at the discretion of the faculty.
Students will rotate between internal medicine, surgery, and sports medicine, spending one week with each service. Grand rounds are held at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday of each week unless otherwise noted. Journal club is held on Friday at 8:00 a.m. Emergency duty is shared between students.