Veterinary group Medivet has announced the winners of its competition for fifth-year veterinary students who have undertaken EMS placements at the group’s practices during the academic year.
Now in its second year, the competition invites students to reflect on a clinical case that they have either seen or dealt with during their EMS stay with the Group.
In writing up the case reports, students are asked to review what the experience taught them. The students that are judged to have submitted the best case studies are rewarded with cash prizes and certificates.
Emily Hosier is the winner of the RVC student EMS prize and received the certificate and prize money during her recent graduation. Her case study covered “how essential communication between stakeholders is in the veterinary workplace”. This was based on the case of a cat patient that was suffering from a urethral obstruction at Medivet 24 Hour Hendon.
Hosier said: “The ethical dilemmas experienced taught me how to deal with sensitive scenarios, discuss difficult options with owners and how to stay calm and make decisions under the pressures of an emergency situation.”
Jade Smith is the Nottingham EMS Award winner. Her clinical case report looked at a dog with a pooling of blood in the anterior chambers of the eye – bilateral hyphema. She saw the patient during her four-week stay at Medivet Sherwood.
Smith added: “This was a particularly interesting case which allowed me to review a variety of differential diagnoses, reflect upon the ethics of euthanasia and relate to the code of professional conduct. I was also able to evaluate my own communication skills involved in this case and reflect how they have progressed.”
Daniel Preter, head of vet development and future vet recruitment at Medivet, said: “Each new year, we welcome around 300 EMS students into our practices around the country. This initiative was set up to encourage the students to reflect, review and record those cases that provided a valuable learning experience.“
