Abstract
Community-based veterinary medicine is a growing field, and veterinary students need to be able to work with clients facing complex barriers to receiving veterinary care for their pet. Many veterinary clients experience challenges accessing veterinary care due to financial limitations, transportation access, language comprehension, the ability to comply to the care plan (e.g., disabilities, physical, or mental health challenges, substance use), the ability to come to the clinic during the hours that it is open, and the ability to communicate outside of the appointment. The goal of this study was to assess student confidence levels working in accessible care before and after participating in a service-learning-based community veterinary rotation. Results show significantly higher student confidence levels for every barrier after completing the Tufts at Tech (TAT) Clinical Rotation at Cummings Veterinary School of Medicine. Additionally, 86% (n = 85) of students strongly agreed or agreed that TAT affected their thoughts about community medicine, and 77% (n = 76) strongly agreed or agreed that the rotation affected their feelings about underserved clients. Service-learning rotations in community-based veterinary medicine could be one pedagogical approach in training veterinary students to work with a diverse clientele.
Highlights
Access to veterinary care in underserved communities is a long neglected topic that is beginning to gain wider attention within the veterinary and animal welfare fields
Prior to entering the Tufts at Tech (TAT) rotation, many students had already participated in a number of community medicine programs and had some experience working with clients facing barriers to care
Due to the high cost of veterinary care, it is not surprising that 89% of students had prior experience working with clients facing financial limitations, if student respondents generalize this question to refer to all clients struggling with the cost of care rather than restricting their exposure to clients in an underserved community
Summary
Access to veterinary care in underserved communities is a long neglected topic that is beginning to gain wider attention within the veterinary and animal welfare fields. Communitybased veterinary medicine describes veterinary clinic models that offer services and interventions for underserved or marginalized communities. Accessible veterinary care has involved veterinary teaching hospitals, mobile, or low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and low-cost full-service clinics that focus on the financial strain of veterinary care [1]. Clients utilizing these services often face additional barriers to receiving care that likely coincide with disparities in human. Preparing future veterinarians to work in community medicine and address a range of barriers to care facing clients is an important step in addressing issues of equity surrounding veterinary services
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