Latin American veterinarians who hope eventually to practice in the United States are receiving help through a new distance-education course offered by the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine in collaboration with Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.

The 12-week program, now underway, involves a series of videotaped lectures in which UF veterinarians are teaching 53 foreign veterinary graduates how to prepare for the written portion of the licensing examination they must pass if they intend to practice in this country.

“All veterinary graduates must take this test, which is known as the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, or NAVLE,” said Carlos Risco, DVM, MS, an associate professor in the UF veterinary college’s Food Animal Service.

The course came about largely through the efforts of Dr. Sergio Vega, immediate past president of the Dade County Veterinary Foundation, who made contact with administrators at UF and within the veterinary college. Vega, who is a member of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s board of veterinary medicine, convinced UF’s team that such a course would be a win-win for all involved