Opportunity for Summer Student Research Positions

The Relationship-Centred Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (RCVM@OVC) research program in the Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, is seeking applicants for paid Summer Student Research Positions to support 2 projects for Summer 2026.

For information on each project, click on the links below:

Examining owners’ expectations of communication from the veterinary team when caring for a cat with chronic kidney disease
Investigating student veterinarians’ use of the companion animal physical exam in consultations with veterinary clients

Application Details:

35 hours/week for 14 to 16 weeks
Applicants must be registered in an undergraduate program
Veterinary experience is preferred
A strong background in the social and/or biological sciences, as well as basic statistics, will be an asset
Working virtually/hybrid may be an option for some projects
Applications for all projects will be accepted until February 25th
Preferred start date: May 4th, 2026

“Working with the RCVM team was an incredibly positive experience. The supportive and collaborative atmosphere ensured there was always someone to lend a hand or offer guidance—a true testament to the team’s nurturing environment.”

Renu Dinesh, BASc, Lab Alumna

To learn more about the RCVM@OVC team, please visit: https://rcvm.uoguelph.ca/team/.

Available Projects:

Examining owners’ expectations of communication from the veterinary team when caring for a cat with chronic kidney disease:

Advisor: Dr. Kat Sutherland

Chronic kidney disease is a prevalent disease in senior cats, and the management of this condition can require significant effort and investment from the pet owner. Owners may experience anxiety and concern about their cat’s condition, and caregiver burden has been reported by owners of cats with CKD. Given the chronic nature of the disease, the veterinary team may be well-positioned to provide ongoing support to owners caring for a cat with CKD. There has been limited exploration of owners’ expectations of information sharing, decision-making, or communication with the veterinary team when caring for a cat with CKD. This project aims to explore cat owners’ expectations and experiences of communicating with the veterinary team while managing a cat with CKD. The project will include both pet owner interviews and a pet owner questionnaire to inform an understanding of opportunities for veterinary teams to support owners of cats with CKD as they care for their pet. The student researcher will be responsible for participant recruitment, data collection (including conducting interviews), and data management and cleaning. The position will allow the student to develop knowledge and skills related to veterinary clinical communication, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and provide opportunities to engage with other ongoing research within a supportive and collaborative team.

To apply to work with Dr. Kat Sutherland, please click here to apply on the Experience Guelph site. Job Posting ID: 143474.

Investigating student veterinarians’ use of the companion animal physical exam in consultations with veterinary clients:

Advisors: Drs. Erin Phillips and Jason Coe

We will be hiring two students for this project. These positions are made possible through funding from Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Effective veterinarian-client communication is fundamental to optimize client satisfaction and adherence, obtain informed client consent and improve patient care. The companion animal physical exam (CAPE) represents a potential opportunity to enhance client engagement during veterinary visits. Pet owners’ and veterinarians’ perceptions of the CAPE and specific tools to communicate physical exam findings to clients is an unexplored area of research. Data from several projects involving the CAPE, including assessment of student-led client interactions at Smith Lane Animal Hospital, have been collected as part of several ongoing study. The successful candidates will be involved in transcript review, coding of video-recorded interactions, and data cleaning. There will also be opportunities for the successful students to support various other research projects within a supportive and collaborative team. Findings could lead to better veterinary training curricula as well as programs to improve client and patient outcomes. In addition to research experience, the position will provide an opportunity for the student to further develop their own veterinary clinical communication skills and knowledge. Selected candidates interested in veterinary medicine may also have the opportunity to spend several afternoons shadowing an internist with the OVC Small Animal Internal Medicine service.

To apply to work with Drs. Erin Phillips and Jason Coe, please click here to apply on the Experience Guelph site. Job Posting ID: 143907.

Working with the RCVM@OVC team, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

Work within a collaborative and supportive research program
Develop research experience in relationship-centred veterinary medicine
Broaden their own written and oral communication skills
Be at the forefront of research into the social side of veterinary practice
Expand their professional network within academia and the veterinary industry

Responses to applications will be restricted to candidates who will be interviewed.

Opportunity for MSc or PhD positions starting Fall 2026

“Jason is an extremely attentive, supportive, and present advisor. He tailors his mentorship to his individual students and is always open to a student’s feedback on what they want and need to be successful.”

Antonia DeGroot, MSc, DVM, Lab Alumna

Advisors:

Drs. Jason Coe, DVM, PhD and Kat Sutherland, PhD

Opportunity:

The Relationship-Centred Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (RCVM@OVC) research program is seeking several applicants at the MSc (thesis or coursework) and/or PhD level. Our program is part of the Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, and is dedicated to studying the role of relationship-centred veterinary medicine in promoting optimal outcomes for veterinary teams and the clients and animals they serve. Specifically, we are seeking candidates whose expressed interest aligns with our research focuses described below.

To learn more about the RCVM@OVC team, please visit: https://rcvm.uoguelph.ca/team/.

Present research focuses and opportunities:

Seeking one or more MSc or PhD students for research projects developed to better understand the delivery of team-based veterinary care. The provision of veterinary care has become increasingly complex and challenging for veterinary teams. While evidence suggests that veterinarians’ communication skills can be used to optimize patient health through improved client adherence, there remains a gap in the profession’s understanding of the impact of team-based veterinary care on the outcomes of veterinary care.
Seeking one MSc or PhD student for a project that will explore the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within veterinary practice, with a focus on better understanding the uptake, use and impact of AI on the veterinarian-client relationship. AI is likely to be an increasingly disruptive development to the practice of veterinary medicine, where developing an understanding of the impacts and opportunities AI poses to the relationships involved in the practice and delivery of veterinary care is important.

General information concerning graduate studies in the Department of Population Medicine is available HERE.

Working with the RCVM@OVC team, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

Work within a collaborative and supportive research program
Receive graduate-level training in veterinary epidemiology
Develop a sound background in the principles of quantitative and/or qualitative methods
Broaden their own written and oral communication skills
Be at the forefront of research into the social side of veterinary practice
Expand their professional network within academia and the veterinary industry

This collection of unique opportunities should provide graduates of this program with significant career opportunities in industry, academia, or research. Applicants with experience in veterinary practice will be preferred. A strong background in the social and/or biological sciences, as well as basic statistics, will be an asset. These opportunities are open to individuals interested in pursuing full-time studies.

Funding:

Applicants must be funded for their graduate program or be self-funded (MSc coursework only) and meet the academic standards for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Guelph.
Additional program funding will be available to all successful candidates.
At this time, scholarship and fellowship funding is only available for domestic students (Canadian citizens or permanent residents).

To express interest in joining the RCVM@OVC team, please submit the following:

Statement of interest, CV, and unofficial transcript to Drs. Coe and Sutherland as soon as possible, to rcvm@uoguelph.ca

Responses to applications will be restricted to candidates who will be interviewed.
Start date to join the RCVM@OVC lab is September 2026.

“In the Coe lab, I have found a supportive environment that has allowed me to learn and grow in the world of academia. I am glad to have found a team that promotes well-being, communication, and work/life balance, and that helps me achieve my goals!”
Dr. Rosalie Fortin-Choquette, PhD, Lab Alumna