Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians pulls Boréal’s veterinary program accreditation

The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians has pulled accreditation for Collège Boréal’s veterinary technician program shortly before graduation, reports CBC. CBC states that the loss of accreditation will prevent graduates from writing the national competency exam, which has an impact on employability. “We keep going, but for what? It’s very de-motivating,” said Gabrielle Venne, a student in the program. The article says that the decision was made through a virtual evaluation process; the association had concerns about the lack of hands-on experience with large farm animals in the last year and was concerned that only about 30% of graduates write the national competency exam. “We were completely surprised when we heard of this,” said Boréal Vice-president Academic Lyne Michaud. Michaud told CBC that COVID-19 restrictions impacted opportunities for students to work with farm animals, and that some information may have been lost in translation given that the college’s program documents are written in French. Boréal is working on an appeal. CBC (ON)