TO ALL STUDENTS ABOUT TO SEE PRACTICE AT
THE LIPHOOK EQUINE HOSPITAL

Seeing practice is an essential part of your undergraduate education yet it is something that can be left very much to chance and good luck. These notes are intended to set the scene in advance of your visit to Liphook and to help you get the most out of your stay with us.

We welcome anybody to see practice with us providing that they are keen and willing to help and observe. Previous experience or expertise with horses is not necessary. However, a disinterested approach to this part of your education leads to frustration and a lack of achievement on both sides. All of the veterinary surgeons at the Liphook Equine Hospital have themselves seen practice and thus realise the limitations and possibilities of this system. The practice is both a large first opinion practice and a busy referral centre. To gain optimal value from your stay you can either accompany a vet on calls or you can stay at the hospital to observe and help with inpatients and surgery. It is important that you plan your day on the previous evening with the relevant vet. As we rarely make a formal break for lunch, we suggest you bring sandwiches, etc. There is a coffee room available as a designated area for lunch/refreshments

During your time with us we will provide you with a badge indicating that you are a visiting veterinary student and you will be perceived by our clients as members of our practice. Remember that these clients are paying a good deal of money for our services and probably also have a high emotional input when their horses are being examined. Thus, as well as common courtesies, discretion and tact are also needed. We hope that your schools will have instructed you in how to behave with clients but it is worth remembering that the horses at the hospital are not there for instructional purposes. We also ask that you dress neatly and professionally and appropriate footwear is also essential. Sturdy non-slip leather shoes or boots are ideal. In addition a clean set of overalls will be useful, as will your own stethoscope. We feel sure that you will realise that there is much to learn about the art as well as the science of equine practice – communications skills and the image one portrays being foremost in this art.

Before coming it is worth spending a few moments to consider what exactly you wish to achieve during your stay with us. Do you wish to see general ambulatory equine practice and get an idea of what makes a practice and its clientele tick? Do you wish to improve your awareness of surgical techniques or pre-purchase examinations? Do you wish to become proficient in bandaging techniques, in ophthalmoscopic examinations, in assessment of colic cases etc.? The many hospitalised horses we have in our care offer a tremendous opportunity for examination and observation of the normal and abnormal. You will rarely, if ever, have such a chance to auscultate chests and abdomens, palpate digital pulses, assess capillary refill times etc. All of these opportunities are available but you will not have time to do everything. Try to identify the specific strengths and weaknesses in your equine experience and take the opportunity to improve on these during your stay with us.

Accommodation should be arranged for your visit to the hospital conducive to attending out of hours emergencies admitted to the hospital both at night and at weekends when there are frequently greater opportunities for involvement and experience with cases. You are expected to make yourself available for involvement with out of hours admissions to the hospital throughout your stay with us. An hour spent helping the nurses change dressings on a Sunday morning may be of far greater practical benefit to you (not to mention your popularity!) than observing yet another surgical operation during the week day. Our experience suggests that the students who gain most by their time with us are those that are prepared to muck in and help in all aspects, be it scrubbing up for a colic operation or cleaning the instruments with the nurses afterwards. The nurses will be happy to discuss and explain their routine management with you. We expect our veterinary surgeons to muck in and help the nurses and students are no exception to this. By being aloof with the nurses you will gain little from your time in the stables.

To help you and us monitor the usefulness of your time with us we ask you to keep the attached check list with you and complete it as appropriate. We will ask you to leave a copy of it at the end of your stay and any comments you might have will be taken seriously. If you have any questions or queries before or during your stay with us then don’t hesitate to contact our reception staff or myself. We look forward to seeing you shortly and I hope that you benefit from your time with us.

With best wishes

Andy Durham BSc.BVSc.CertEP.DEIM.DipECEIM.MRCVS
(RCVS Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine)