CHPP offers students in OVC’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program the opportunity to reflect critically on cultural humility, social inequities and privilege that impact human-animal relationships, access to care, and community health during each of the four phases of their curriculum.
Working with CHPP gives graduating veterinarians the opportunity to hone their skills in a clinical setting and develop fundamental client communication skills.
What sets the CHPP experience apart from other clinical settings at OVC is challenging students to consider how they will practice providing equitable veterinary care and services to made-vulnerable populations in the community post-graduation, in addition to emphasizing responsibilities for reconciliation within the profession.
Phase 1
During Phase 1, students are exposed to CHPP-based curriculum during the Art of Veterinary Medicine class featuring workshops on practicing cultural humility in veterinary medicine, guest lectures from community partners, a tutorial on ‘Human-animal relationships through a decolonial lens’, a self-study resource library comprised of multiple streams where students can self-direct their learning and a critical reflection assignment.
Phases 2 and 3
In Phases 2 and 3, students are further introduced to topics like economic and housing precarity, intercultural communication development, trauma-informed practices, and the consequences of inadequate access to veterinary care, among others.
Elective modules are available in Phase 3 as part of their Health Management studies with a focus on shelter and community medicine.
Each of these classroom opportunities build across each phase to ensure students have the opportunity to learn foundational knowledge and skills that are necessary to work effectively and respectfully with diverse communities in their Phase 4 clinical rotations.
Phase 4
In Phase 4, students can elect to join in-person Community Health rotations in collaboration with local community health organizations or partnering First Nations for their hands-on clinical training.
Student veterinarians receive training before leaving for Indigenous Community Health rotations. Together, they learn about settler colonialism, engage with Indigenous voices on relationships with animals and reflect on reconciliation and allyship.
