Enhancing Primary Care Learning in a Referral Hospital Setting: Introducing Veterinary Clinical Demonstrators

With the majority of veterinary graduates entering primary care practice (PCP), there is increasing recognition of the importance of preparing students to practice across a broad spectrum of care (SoC). The traditional model of veterinary training, focused on the referral hospital environment, can make this challenging. In 2018, Bristol Veterinary School recruited five primary care (PC) veterinary surgeons as veterinary clinical demonstrators (VCDs) who collaborated with rotation-specific specialists to help enhance student focus upon day-one skills and to emphasize SoC relevance of the referral caseload. To evaluate the initiative, two separate online surveys were disseminated to clinical staff and final year veterinary students. The survey was completed by 57 students and 42 staff members. Participants agreed that VCDs helped students feel prepared for a first job in primary care practice (students 94.7%; staff 92.7%); helped students to focus on the primary care relevance of referral cases (students 96.5%; staff 70.8%); helped students develop clinical reasoning skills (students 100%; staff 69.3%), practical skills (students 82.4%; staff 72.5%), and professional attributes (students 59.6%; staff 71.4%). Thematic analysis of free-text comments revealed the benefits and challenges associated with implementing the role. The data gathered helped to guide the role's ongoing development and to provide recommendations for others who may be looking to implement similar educational initiatives to help prepare graduates to practice across a spectrum of care.