What vet school did, and didn’t, teach one ER veterinarian
Bottom line
A June 30 dvm360 interview with emergency veterinarian Tripp Oliphant, DVM, offers a candid look at what veterinary school did, and didn’t, do to prepare him for emergency practice. Oliphant, who works primarily in emergency settings in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area and graduated from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, said school gave him a strong diagnostic foundation, but the biggest shift came after graduation: managing cases independently, making decisions under pressure, and learning how to think through complex emergencies without the safety net of constant supervision. In related dvm360 interviews published July 1 and July 6, he extended that message to new graduates entering ER and to general practitioners, arguing that emergency medicine depends on clinical reasoning, teamwork, mentorship, and earlier escalation of problems such as heart murmurs rather than a “monitor only” approach. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the interview lands in a broader workforce conversation about how to get graduates practice-ready without expecting school to teach everything. AAHA has reported that modern curricula are increasingly emphasizing competency-based learning, communication, teamwork, and readiness to “hit the ground running,” while AVMA’s 2025 State of the Profession report shows emergency and critical care remains a distinct, high-demand career path with higher expected compensation than general medicine/surgery. Oliphant’s comments underscore a familiar reality for hospitals hiring early-career DVMs: success in emergency medicine depends as much on mentorship, triage systems, and support for decision-making as it does on medical knowledge alone. (aaha.org)
What to watch: Expect continued discussion around how schools, internships, and hospitals share responsibility for preparing new veterinarians for emergency caseloads, especially as retention and workforce pressures continue across the profession. (aaha.org)
A new dvm360 interview published June 30 spotlights a familiar tension in veterinary education: school can build the diagnostic framework, but emergency medicine still becomes real only when a veterinarian starts carrying cases independently. In the piece, Tripp Oliphant, DVM, said veterinary school prepared him in important ways for ER work, while also leaving him to learn some of the hardest parts on the job, including independent judgment, high-pressure decision-making, and the pace of emergency practice. (dvm360.com)
Oliphant’s perspective is part of a cluster of recent dvm360 coverage featuring him on emergency practice, including a July 1 article on lessons for veterinarians entering ER and a July 6 cardiology-focused interview warning against simply “monitoring” heart murmurs. Across those pieces, the throughline is consistent: new graduates need more than textbook knowledge. They need to know when to escalate, when to refer, how to work through uncertainty, and how to lean on a team. (dvm360.com)
That framing also matches broader changes in veterinary education. AAHA reported in 2025 that veterinary schools are moving further toward competency-based models that emphasize not just medical content, but communication, professionalism, teamwork, and the ability to find and apply the right information in practice. One educator quoted by AAHA said the goal is for graduates to be more comfortable finding the most relevant answer for the patient, rather than relying on memorized notes alone. (aaha.org)
The details in Oliphant’s recent interviews make that gap concrete. His author profile on dvm360 describes him as an emergency veterinarian in the Charlotte area with a focus on high-quality emergency and critical care medicine, team development, and mentorship. In the July 6 article, he argued that heart murmurs should not be left in a vague monitoring category, because murmur grade does not reliably reflect disease severity and delayed workups can leave emergency clinicians seeing pets only once they arrive in congestive heart failure. In the July 1 piece, dvm360 summarized his advice to newcomers as centering on clinical reasoning, teamwork, and seeking mentorship in high-pressure settings. (dvm360.com)
There wasn’t much independent outside commentary tied directly to the June 30 interview, but the surrounding industry conversation points in the same direction. dvm360’s emergency coverage has repeatedly emphasized structured triage, team preparation, and clear escalation pathways, including assigning designated emergency doctors or teams in general practice settings and evaluating severely ill patients rapidly on arrival. That operational lens reinforces Oliphant’s argument that preparedness in emergency medicine is not just an individual trait; it’s also a system built by the hospital around the clinician. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary leaders, educators, and medical directors, this story is really about workforce design. AVMA’s 2025 State of the Profession report lists expected compensation in emergency and critical care above general medicine/surgery, reflecting the specialty’s demands and market value. At the same time, AAHA’s retention research has warned that more veterinary professionals are considering leaving the field than can easily be replaced by new graduates. In that environment, hospitals can’t assume a diploma alone equals ER readiness. They need onboarding, mentorship, feedback, and decision support that help early-career doctors translate classroom training into safe, sustainable clinical practice. (ebusiness.avma.org)
The message also reaches general practitioners. Oliphant’s warning about heart murmurs is a reminder that the handoff between primary care and emergency care has real consequences. Earlier diagnostics, clearer referral thresholds, and more direct client communication may reduce the number of pets who present to ER in advanced distress after years of watchful waiting. For practices trying to strengthen continuity of care, that’s a practical takeaway, not just a philosophical one. (dvm360.com)
What to watch: The next phase of this conversation will likely center on whether veterinary schools, employers, and professional groups can better align expectations for “day one” readiness, especially as new programs open, competency-based education expands, and hospitals keep searching for ways to recruit and retain veterinarians in emergency and critical care. (aaha.org)