In addition to basic medical and surgical skills, the Veterinary Family Practice team must have special expertise in the following areas:

Communication

• Client communication
• Conflict management
• Leadership
• Managing a team
• Managing referrals
• Media interactions
• Mentoring
• Principles of education
• Problem-solving/Decision-making
• Psychology (nature of attachment, children and pets, role of pets in the family)

Community

• Animal Welfare/well-being
• Community information resource
• Community outreach (schools, 4H, animal interest groups)
• Ethics
• Financial issues
• Service and therapy animals
• Shelter/rescue/feral/wild animal issues
• One Medicine/One Health

Clinical Competencies

• Animal abuse
• Behavior/pet selection
• Disaster medicine
• Genetic counseling
• Lifestage health management
• Nutrition and wellness
• Pain management
• Physical therapy
• Preventative medicine/"wellness surveillance"
• Service and performance animals' special needs
• Zoonoses and Foreign Animal Diseases