Participants in the 2018 IHC Veterinary Faculty Program gather for a group photo in New Haven, Conn. Among them are Dr. Bianca Zenor (front row, far left) and Dr. Jennifer Koziol (front row, third from left).
Attendees at the Institute for Healthcare Communication’s (IHC) 2018 “Train-the-Trainer” program included two Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty members. The week-long course for veterinary medical faculty was held in New Haven, Conn., July 9 – 13. Dr. Bianca Zenor, director of PVM’s Veterinary Nursing Program and clinical associate professor, and Dr. Jennifer Koziol, clinical assistant professor of theriogenology and production medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, participated in the program that was attended by 25 faculty members from universities across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. This brings the total number of Veterinary Communication Project trained faculty to nearly 470, representing 52 schools and colleges.
Train-the-Trainer is a program that’s designed to help participants build their communication skills. The Veterinary Communication Project at IHC was developed to address gaps in veterinarian-client communication training at veterinary schools.
Noting how Purdue Veterinary Medicine recognizes the importance of enhancing communication skills within the entire veterinary healthcare team, Dr. Zenor said she found the program to be extremely valuable. “It challenged me personally and gave me a toolbox of modules that I can begin using with my students this fall,” Dr. Zenor said. “I look forward to enhancing my skills and looking for better ways to integrate veterinary nursing and DVM students.”