Empathy helped veterinary student win communication award

Dr. Brittany Martabano, a 2016 graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, is the national winner of the Bayer Excellence in Communication Award. Dr. Martabano was selected from entries representing 27 veterinary colleges. She received $5,000.

For the competition, students submitted a filmed interview between themselves and a veterinary client in a clinical setting.

In Dr. Martabano’s submission, she “was empathetic, clarified her understanding of the pet’s health problems, and included the pet owner in the development of a plan to handle the issue,” according to the April 27 press release from Bayer Animal Health.

After graduation, Dr. Martabano will pursue a rotating small animal internship at the North Carolina State University Veterinary Hospital. From there, she hopes to complete an ophthalmology residency. 

The communication award is one facet of a larger initiative aimed at advancing the communication skills of the next generation of veterinarians. In 2002, Bayer partnered with the Institute for Healthcare Communication to establish the Bayer Communication Project. This collaborative partnership resulted in communication skills training modules offered to veterinary colleges for incorporation into their curriculum.

The school-level veterinary student winners in the 2016 Bayer Excellence in Communication Award program are available here.