are critically important to be successful as a veterinarian. “Through these various sequential experiential and hands-on learning opportunities across the four-year curric-ulum, students develop competency and confidence in com-municating and providing a wide array of care options to meet clients and their pets where they are.” Said Dr. Noyes, “The AAVMC-SOCI Task Force has made significant progress in developing an evidence-based, outcomes-driven approach for supporting veterinary schools in preparing students for spectrum of care practice.” The Task Force developed an SOC Education Model, which identifies essential abilities for graduates to acquire during veterinary school to provide clients with a wide range of care options that fit their needs while ensuring viability of the practice business, she said. The Task Force is in the process of gathering spectrum of care case studies, content, assessments and learning experi-ences with the vision of creating a centralized library that programs can access to address gaps identified during the curriculum mapping process, said Dr. Noyes. They are also creating recommendations for change management strate-gies to aid programs in implementing curricular changes required to support the SOC Education Model. AAVMC has established the SOCI Advisory Community to broaden the scope of perspectives beyond those in aca-demia, she continues. The advisory community includes practitioners, practice owners, business experts, and representa-tives from veterinary associations and practice groups. “This community provides a platform for workforce perspectives to share input on how to educate veterinary graduates to enhance animal health through spectrum of care practice.” Said Dr. Lane, who is a member of the SOCI Task Force, “Veterinary students may find themselves immersed in ‘state of the art’ care for a good portion of their clinical placements. Students and practitioners may worry about legal or ethical consequences for providing care that is not the latest and greatest option. Even without consequences, managing client decisions across a variety of treatment options can increase moral distress if a veterinarian thinks they have failed to con-vince a client to pursue the ‘best’ treatment option. 24 | FEBRUARY 2024
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