Community Practice Service advances care for clients and training for students

The Community Practice Service (Primary Care) at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center provides comprehensive primary care services to companion animals. As of June 1, Primary Care has relocated to the new Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic. This state-of-the-art facility serves as a space to provide exceptional general practice care for our clients and advances the educational training for Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine students. 

Our primary care practice continues to provide compassionate care for our patients as we always have, however, our clients will see a more immersive fourth-year student experience and our students will partner with pet owners more than ever. 

As fourth-year students transition from observers of clinical practice to veterinarians, they will have a unique opportunity to complete their community practice and shelter medicine training in this new space. The Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic allows our clients and their pets to become an even more integral part of training the next generations of veterinarians.

The very design of the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic is wrapped around showcasing the students’ abilities as general practice clinicians. General practice veterinarians move fluently from outpatient care to surgery to urgent care and to dentistry, all in the same day. They provide compassionate care for their patients, from very young to very old, in health and illness. Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine students will practice all of this in one setting.

The 35,000 sq. foot facility offers natural lighting in the expansive lobby and reception area; nine exam rooms – including two dedicated to feline use; separate cat and dog waiting areas and wards; surgical suites and pre-and post-surgical care areas; a full dental suite; a separate entrance and exam room for pets with behavioral needs; a spacious treatment room; imaging, a medication dispensary and lab areas. 

Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine faculty clinicians will be shoulder-to-shoulder with fourth-year students, guiding them through every phase of general practice, yet allowing them to take the lead for their patients and clients. Faculty and visiting veterinarians are situated in observation rooms adjacent to exam rooms, enabling them to coach students as they care for companion animals. After an initial evaluation, the student and clinician will partner to validate the next steps and answer any remaining questions. This experience is vital for students to be able to successfully transition from student to practitioner and be confident and competent as graduates entering a general practice setting. 

The Primary Care Clinic is committed to serving our clients, their pets, and our students and has put an extreme amount of effort into making this transition to the new Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic as seamless as possible. The team is committed to making the rotation an even better experience for the students and, in turn, the clinic an even better place for each and every pet that walks through the doors.