The OVC Health Sciences Centre’s dermatology service will be closing effective Dec. 6.
The decision to terminate this service is due in part to the departure of Dr. Vincent Defalque combined with the impact of budget cuts announced recently by the University that will amount to $4.9 million for OVC.
The future of the service will be determined based on discussions with the College’s leadership and faculty in consideration of the OVC’s financial status and the DVM curriculum.
With the knowledge that Dr. Defalque’s contract was for one year, Phase 4 rotations were offered throughout the summer and fall semesters allowing for more opportunities for student enrollment than in past years. Only a single rotation was scheduled for the winter semester and students have already been contacted to attempt to reschedule this opportunity.
The team at OVC recognizes that dermatology is an important clinical skill for students who plan to enter into general practice and OVC is committed to continue providing quality learning opportunities to our students.
DVM students will be able to achieve the identified learning outcomes for dermatology through ongoing lectures and laboratories, as well as hands-on experiences with patients at OVC’s primary care hospital during their four years of study. OVC is also working on establishing partnerships with dermatologists locally to provide additional clinical rotations.