What to expect during your visit to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. Because we are a veterinary medical center and a teaching hospital, there are a few things that may be different from visiting a regular community veterinarian’s office. One major difference is that our faculty are board-certified veterinarians. This means that they have completed specialized training in their field of expertise and have passed a rigorous examination process. Their advanced training and in-depth knowledge allow us to offer medical treatment options and expertise that are not typically available in non-specialty practices. As a teaching veterinary medical center, our fourth-year veterinary students and a staff of experienced licensed veterinary technicians work with you and your animal in all aspects of your visit.
Preparing for your visit
To view information on how to prepare for your visit at UT Veterinary Medical Center, please select the appropriate service:
Additional Information
Arrival
Upon arrival at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center, one of our Client Services representatives will assist you with registration for your visit. The representative will verify your contact information, your animal’s information, and obtain any insurance information your pet may have. The representative will confirm the information for your referring and/or regular veterinarian to ensure that we are able to communicate effectively with them regarding your pet’s visit to the veterinary medical center.
Exam
Your veterinary care team will consist of a board-certified veterinarian who will closely supervise fourth-year veterinary students, licensed veterinary technicians (nurses), interns and residents. Interns and residents are veterinarians who have been selected by the VCM for advanced training in various specialty programs. In most instances, your visit will begin with a fourth-year student who will gather information about your pet’s medical history and who will perform a physical examination on your pet. The student will then review the information obtained from the medical history and physical examination with one of the supervising clinicians who will then join you and the student to complete the exam process. Every step of your pet’s treatment and care is supervised by our board-certified clinicians.
Care
Your animal's veterinary care team will discuss appropriate diagnostic and treatment options with you. In addition, you will receive a cost estimate for each option. If you have questions about our payment policy, please inform your veterinary care team and they will connect you with our Business Office to discuss payment. For more information, please refer to our payment policy. During the diagnostic and/or treatment phases of your animal’s care, your team will arrange times for communicating with you about your pet’s condition. If you plan to visit your pet during hospitalization, please discuss your wishes with your veterinary medical team to make arrangements. For more information about visiting your pet, please refer to our Visitation Policy.
Discharge
During the discharge process, you will receive detailed instructions from your veterinary care team outlining the care your pet will need after leaving the hospital. The instructions will include detailed information about treatments and recommended follow-ups and recheck appointments with your veterinarian. At the time of discharge, our payment policy requires that payment be made in full for all services provided. The veterinary medical center accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and Care Credit.