By John Cairns

CHARLOTTETOWN, Canada -- A good veterinarian needs more than knowledge and medical skills. The ideal practitioner must possess deep compassion and a knack for communication that zooms across species barriers.

“Our students have well developed compassion genes,” said Dr Tim Ogilvie, dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Good animal doctors will feel compassion towards both ailing patients and grieving pet-owners. Veterinarians require “exceptional bedside manners”, Tim said. “We often hear from clients that our teaching hospital is a wonderful place to receive support and services.

“Veterinarians must distance themselves from feeling grief themselves. But they need to understand the grieving process. So we teach our students about that.

“Whether it’s dealing with pets, animals in a barn, horses at the track, or the people associated with them, we teach communications and try to lead by example,” Tim said. “One essential task is to make sure that the clients or pet-owners understand all the implications and aspects of a medical condition. Every surgery has a risk.

“And pet-owners may have different objectives. Some may be the most concerned about sparing a pet more pain and so opt for humane euthanasia. Others want to give a pet the very best of everything and insist on treating cancer or other diseases vigorously. We must work with clients at each end of the spectrum and everywhere between.

“For the most part, veterinarians will give options and information, together with anticipated outcomes. Often, a client asks, ‘Doctor, what would you do if it was your pet?’ Once the client understands all aspects, we may answer and say, ‘Well, I’d consider this series of options.’ Or ‘I’d consider going this far to learn more for a clearer decision.’ We try to help.

“The students in our program probably all develop a deeper understanding of compassion blended with reality,” Tim said. “They learn to grasp the science of disease, where compassion may be misplaced and where its role is best.”

Do dilemmas arise when clients make choices that a veterinarian considers wrong or inappropriate? “Yes, there are ethical and moral dilemmas,” Tim said. “People handle them in different ways. Some would refuse to pursue the chosen option.

“At times, veterinarians do receive requests from clients to euthanize healthy pets. Sometimes veterinarians do that. In some cases, they won’t. Some would say, ‘Instead of euthanizing the dog or cat, would you allow me to try finding the pet an alternate home?’

“Others may understand the client, perhaps having known him for many years, and realize there’s an unspoken reason why the individual must euthanize the pet. Maybe the person can no longer care for the pet, or would be too heartsick to adopt the pet out when moving to a new home where the pet can’t go. There are always extenuating circumstances.

“That’s part of the art of veterinary medicine – to help animal owners to walk through the necessary thought process. Our graduates certainly are compassionate. We hope their communication skills, understanding of medicine, knowledge of what can be done and what might be best for the patients and owners will lead to compassion blended with understanding.”

As compassionate people, how do veterinarians react to cases of cruelty to animals, the damage from which they often must try to repair?

“Sometimes it’s tough,” Tim said. “Based on individual cases, we’re developing more understanding that abuses of animals and of people are linked. We try to educate our students not to turn a blind eye to animal abuse. But it’s not always cut-and-dried. Some cases may look like abuse, but aren’t, and vice-versa.”

The AVC operates the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, funded through the Lady Beaverbrook Estate. “We look at projects to enhance animal welfare and the understanding of it,” Tim said. “So we’re leaders in that area. There’s a lot of dialogue between veterinary colleges and the profession to address more issues of animal welfare.”

Personally, Tim has three pets -- cats named Oscar and Emma plus a gecko called Taco. “The cats got their names from the TV show Corner Gas. My son named them,” Tim said.

After growing up on a dairy farm near Fort Erie, Ontario, Tim graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in nearby Guelph. In 1975, he arrived on PEI, soon to start work as a veterinarian. From 1977-82, he returned to Ontario for post-graduate studies. Then he worked for PEI’s Department of Agriculture for three years before joining the AVC in 1985.

“I was here as we finished building the college,” he said.

Each year, the AVC, one of four Canadian veterinary colleges, accepts 60 students into its four-year program. The hundreds-strong student body has people from North America, Hong Kong, England, the Caribbean, Israel and Egypt. Since its first classes in 1986, the AVC has graduated more than 1,000 students.

“The quality of our graduates ranks second to none,” Tim said. “They’re recruited heavily across North America and beyond. We have graduates working as far away as New Zealand. And they’re into all areas – private practice, companion animals, specialty practices, internships and residency programs.”

In 1998, Tim became the AVC’s fourth dean, following Reg Thomson (1983-89), Brian Hill (1989-91) and Larry Heider (1991-98). As required by term limits, he’ll retire soon. Then he’ll “take some time away” before reappearing, presumably to teach and conduct research.

The AVC has a small-animal hospital, large-animal hospital, teaching labs and an aquaculture display. “Each year, we see about 6,000 cases in our teaching hospitals,” Tim said.

Dozens of animals live at the college. Tim mentioned 34 cows and 16 horses, plus dogs and cats. They serve as examples of healthy animals and submit to practice examinations.

“The college has been an overwhelming success, surpassing our expectations for growth, quality and reputation,” Tim said. “We’re not North America’s largest vet school, but we’ve performed masterfully in many areas.”

He predicts more of the same. The AVC has expanded its capacity for laboratories, clinics and offices.

Admission to the college requires 20 university prerequisites, an interview and a “demonstrated understanding of the profession” achieved by working in agriculture, at relevant research or with veterinarians. “We want well-rounded students who can write, speak, work in teams and understand social skills and sciences,” Tim said.

The average age of first-year students is about 23 years. A significant minority, people in their 30s or 40s, pursue “second careers” because “they always wanted to be veterinarians. That desire never dies.”

A study program begins with basic sciences, like anatomy and physiology. In the second year, students probe the causes of diseases. Much of the third year focuses on medicine and surgery. By the fourth year, clinical rotations dominate. Then the students work with the faculty and staff in dealing with real clients, real animals and real diseases. Few aspirants drop out.

“Our students visit farms with our clinicians,” Tim said. “Usually we have six vehicles on the road to dairy farms, beef farms and even fish farms at the Bay of Fundy.”

Human medicine, focused on one species, might be easier. “We teach our students about dogs, cats, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, fish and wildlife,” Tim said. “Then we explore the various disciplines within those species: cardiovascular diseases, urinary-tract diseases and more. Next it’s all the other disciplines, like virology, bacteriology and physiology. Finally, the students enter the clinical areas to see first-hand the treatment and prevention of diseases in all those species.

“Our students succeed, usually because they’ve made a life choice, a career decision, based on good information,” Tim said. “They stick with it.”

Many of the students knew they wanted to be veterinarians since childhood. Two decades ago, 70 per cent of the veterinary-school applicants were men. Now, 80 per cent are women.

“Fewer young men are exposed to agricultural lifestyles,” Tim said. “Agriculture has consolidated with fewer farms and larger herds. Now only 1.5 per cent of the population lives on farms.”

Canada’s other veterinary colleges appear at the University of Guelph, University of Saskatchewan and University of Montreal. Another, led by former AVC faculty member Alastair Cribb at the University of Calgary, begins later this year.

Each summer, the AVC holds veterinary day-camps for youngsters aged 12-14, often city dwellers, to learn about animals and their needs. Later, the participants may become veterinary students.

Once a year, the college holds an open house attended by thousands of interested people. The visitors take tours with stops to examine animal bones, preserved organs and other specimens. They may use microscopes to study fleas.

“Teaching’s one of the most satisfying aspects of the veterinary profession,” Tim said. “If you want to make a difference, then teaching is a wonderful profession. And teaching veterinary students goes beyond that. It’s so rewarding because we have dedicated young people fully engaged, highly focused and wanting to succeed.”

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