Veterinary and veterinary technologist students working in BC food animal practices

The current application intake is now closed.

The next application intake is expected to open in December 2024 for the 2025 summer period.  

On this page:

• Program overview
• Program goals
• Program funding
• Program eligibility
• Applications
• Reimbursement
• Additional information
• Program contact
• Program timeline

Program overview 

Veterinary practices in British Columbia that offer food animal services are eligible for support to hire veterinary and registered veterinary technologist (RVT) students for work placements of 12 consecutive weeks or longer in 2024.

This program is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Program goals 

Provide greater exposure for veterinary professionals-in-training to rural communities and food animal practice by supporting veterinary practices to hire students enrolled in veterinary and RVT training.

Build relationships between British Columbia veterinary practices that offer food animal services and veterinary professionals-in-training to improve opportunities for recruitment of new graduates into these practices.

Program funding 

Total funding amount per student will be $6,000. Up to three students per practice may be funded depending on program demand. 

This intake of the Veterinary and Veterinary Technology Students Working in BC Food Animal Practices Program is a pilot, and the Program is subject to change based on program evaluation.

Program eligibility 

To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Veterinary practice accredited by the College of Veterinarians of BC (CVBC) to provide food animal services. 
• Actively offering food animal services to clients during the work placement period. For this program, food animals are defined as animals raised to produce food or fiber, and include cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, bison, and fish.
• Practices that provide services to clients at any production scale (e.g. large-scale, small lot) are eligible.  

Students must meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled in an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited veterinary college [Accredited veterinary colleges | American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org)] and successfully completed year 1 studies, OR
• Enrolled in a an AVMA or Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Animal Health Technology / Veterinary Technician Program [Animal Health Technology / Veterinary Technician Programs | Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (canadianveterinarians.net)] and successfully completed year 1 studies.

Applications 

Applications will collect information that includes:

• Practice and designated veterinarian name, address, phone numbers and email addresses.
• Number of: 
  • Full time (equivalent) veterinarians
  • Full time (equivalent) registered veterinary technologists (RVTs)
  • Herd or flock level veterinary-client-patient relationships (VCPRs)
• Types of animals serviced by the practice and approximate proportion of cases seen for each animal type
• Standard demographic information (Indigeneity, gender, age) of the practice owners
• Student name(s), contact information, educational information (accredited program name and year of study)
• Start date and end date of work placement.

Reimbursement 

Funding is provided through a reimbursement process to approved applicants at the end of the program and after all program reporting documents are received. 

To be eligible for reimbursement, the following documents must be received by the program administrator (templates will be provided to successful applicants):

• Veterinary clinic

1. end of program data collection and program evaluation form 

• Student
  1.  food-animal case log 
  2. program evaluation form.

Accepted applicants must also complete and attach the Direct Deposit Application Form (PDF, 407 KB) for General and Service Suppliers along with copy of a void cheque in order to receive reimbursement at the end of student work placement. Further details will be provided to successful applicants.

Eligible activities and costs

• Student wages while on work placement
• Student travel from educational institute where student is enrolled in veterinary profession studies, or from permanent home address to clinic location (town or vicinity) at start of work placement, and return travel to educational institute, or permanent home address, at end of work placement
• Student housing (rent) expenses in clinic location (town or vicinity) during work placement.

Ineligible activities and costs

• Travel not described above
• Food and other living expenses
• Externships/rotations that are part of a veterinary or veterinary technologist education curriculum
• All registration, tuition, course, or continuing education program fees
• Acquiring programs, software, devices, stationary, required textbooks or other assets
• Placements less than 12 consecutive weeks in duration
• Activities and Costs for which the Applicant has already received government funding

Additional information 

The veterinary practice is solely responsible for employer obligations with regards to the work placement.

Program contact 

If you are a veterinary practice interested in applying to the Program and have questions about the application process or eligibility criteria, please contact Program staff at chief.veterinarian@gov.bc.ca or call AGRIServiceBC at 1-888-221-7141.

Program timeline 

Program funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants for one student per practice until April 1st, 2024 at 4:30PM. 

After April 1st, 2024, if funding is not fully allocated, up to two additional student work placements per practice may be funded. Applications will close on April 15th, 2024 at 4:30pm. 

Applicants who do not submit completed applications by the above timelines will be considered to have withdrawn their application; previously approved funding may then be reallocated to other applicants.