A new career path is opening up for Swiss veterinary assistants: caring for Livestock

The Swiss Veterinary Society (SVS) wants to expand the scope of practice for veterinary medical assistants (VMAs) to allow them to provide certain types of care for farm animals. Currently limited to pets, VMA’s could thus be trained to perform various procedures in rural practice starting in 2019. On June 9, 2016, the SVS Delegates’ Assembly approved the principle of a new training program dedicated to livestock. A detailed list of tasks that may be delegated to them has yet to be established.   Wound care, hoof care, dehorning calves, and administrative support in the context of veterinary medicine are just a few of the procedures that Swiss veterinary assistants will be able to perform in the near future. While the AMV training program is currently limited to small animals, a “Livestock” track is expected to be introduced in less than three years. The new modules will be integrated into the current veterinary assistant (AMV) training program, which leads to the Federal Certificate of Competence (CFC), since many basic requirements are common to both small and large animals. In addition, approximately 40% of assistants work in mixed-practice veterinary practices. Previously limited to administrative tasks in rural practices, they will soon be able—through the new apprenticeship—to expand their roles to include the care of Livestock and even administer certain treatments. The new scope of practice for veterinary assistants—which is yet to be defined through guidelines—aims to relieve rural veterinarians of certain tasks and distribute the workload more efficiently. Of course, they will exercise their new competencies under the direct supervision and responsibility of their employer veterinarians. For veterinary assistants who are already trained and working in the pets sector, a catch-up program covering the additional modules is being considered. A pathway enabling agronomists to access the training program is also planned. The curriculum for the new program will be developed under the auspices of the Organization for the World of Work (Ortra), in collaboration with the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (IFFP). Following a consultation process, this will be the subject of an amendment to the ordinance.