An update from Dean Greg Keefe
It is now three months since the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. Here on Prince Edward Island, we have weathered the crisis well thus far, thanks to the diligence of our provincial Public Health Office and the cooperation of Islanders.
Under the direction of the Chief Public Health Officer and government officials, the province is gradually and cautiously easing some of the restrictions we have lived under since mid-March. The University of Prince Edward Island, our home institution, is following the lead of the province as it takes a careful approach to reopening the campus.
Here at the Atlantic Veterinary College, we too are moving forward with deliberation and caution as we prepare to welcome initially our fourth-year students back and eventually our first-, second-, and third-year students back to the College. We have been in constant contact with our sister institutions in the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and have developed a very robust and student-centred teaching approach.
Under the steady leadership of Dr. Leigh Lamont, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, we developed a plan to ensure that our fourth-year students receive the in-person education they need to graduate as veterinarians next year. In May and June, we provided them with options for online rotations. On July 6, they will start the 30-week period of in-person rotations mandated by the AVMA/CVMA Council on Education.
To ensure that all our fourth-year students will be on campus for the July 6 start, we developed a proposal to bring those students who are out of province back to PEI and presented it to the provincial Public Health Office in mid-May. I am pleased to say that our proposal was approved, and all members of the Class of 2021 who are out of province arrived by June 21. All students coming from out of province must self-isolate for 14 days. We have worked with the AVC Wellness Committee to develop a support system to help them through this period, whether it be bringing them groceries or lending a virtual ear. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our students back to AVC!
We are working with federal and provincial officials to ensure that our preclinical students—first, second, and third years—who are not in the province will be able to enter PEI and, where applicable, cross the Canada-US border to start or resume their veterinary education at AVC. The fall semester will be a mix of online and in-person learning for these students.
While we have been focussed on the needs of our current students in the last few weeks, we did not forget to recognize the accomplishments of our graduating students—the Class of 2020. On May 23, we held a virtual White Coat ceremony using Zoom, with about 44 graduates and their friends and families participating as well as AVC faculty and staff. It was a very moving ceremony! We also held our Convocation awards ceremony albeit in a different way. Prior to the White Coat ceremony, faculty member volunteers recorded themselves announcing the awards, with a photo of each winner shown in the appropriate place. Once the individual recordings were edited into one video, the link was sent to the Class of 2020, AVC faculty and staff, and donors. Likewise, a link to the virtual White Coat ceremony was sent to our graduates.
Over the past several weeks, other areas of the College performed yeoman’s service under difficult conditions. Under the leadership of Elizabeth Dobbin, Diagnostic Services was fully operational, with, in some instances, increased activities. The service dealt with increased submissions associated with the closure of or reductions in service at other diagnostic labs in the region, as well as the emergence of a major aquatic animal health issue. It also assisted the provincial efforts against COVID-19 by providing training to technologists at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the use of advanced diagnostic equipment, under the direction of Dr. Carmencita Yason, Regional Virology Service. The unit was pleased to assist in this effort and is ready to provide more training if needed. In addition, the Department of Pathology and Microbiology provided access to two PCR machines for the hospital—one from Dr. Mark Fast’s lab and the other from the department’s bacteriology lab.
From mid-March to June 1, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, led by Dr. Heather Gunn McQuillan and her management team, continued to serve clients in the region on an emergency and urgent case basis, with only essential staff working on-site. On June 1, the hospital resumed its full staffing level and normal services, albeit with some restrictions still in place. Elective surgeries for animals owned by PEI residents have resumed, while time-sensitive cases from off-Island are now being seen. There remain restrictions on clients entering the building with their animals, but plans are being put in place to increase access while maintaining safety for VTH faculty and staff. Throughout the pandemic, the VTH has helped the province’s efforts though access to our supply chains and preservation of personal protective equipment.
In all of our essential service units—Diagnostic Services, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Animal Resources, Central Services-we worked with our infection control team—Dr. J McClure, Dr. Jason Stull, and Matt Saab—to implement stringent measures to safeguard the health of our people while fulfilling our mandate to provide top-notch veterinary care for animals. As we begin to gradually welcome more of our people back to all areas of AVC, we will continue to follow the guidance of this “rock-star” team to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, staff, clients, and animals.
It’s hard to express just how much I appreciate the collaboration, co-operation, and hard work of everyone at AVC over the past three months. The leadership provided by department chairs, directors and the associate deans has been exemplary. We have come a long way, but there is still much to be done. With continued vigilance, support for each other, and the best interests of our AVC community at heart, we will continue to move forward—slowly and cautiously.
