Clients at Westchester Veterinary Hospital in High Point, N.C., better be ready to listen. The practice’s newest veterinarian, Chad Malpass, DVM, on Thursday was named the national winner of the Bayer Excellence in Communication Award. Dr. Malpass, a 2015 graduate of the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, was selected from among 27 student finalists, all of whom demonstrated a superb ability to effectively speak with pet owners. The third annual contest, sponsored by drug maker Bayer HealthCare, required participating students at 27 veterinary schools to film themselves interviewing a client in a clinical setting. Faculty members using a scorecard chose their school’s finalist. Bayer reported that Malpass “outscored the competition with strong core communication skills, including effective use of open-ended questions, empathy and reflective listening.” Malpass was awarded a $2,500 scholarship for being Tuskegee’s finalist and $2,500 for his national victory, but he said the contest paid off in other ways. “Working on my submission … at least doubled the effectiveness of my communications skills specific to veterinary medicine, but even beyond,” he said. The 26 other finalists, each of whom received $2,500 scholarships, were: Mason Chandler (Auburn University) Kay Wicinas (University of California, Davis) Jenny Ross (Colorado State University) Emily Donaldson (Cornell University) Camila de Andino (University of Florida) Jennifer James (University of Georgia) Amy Sneed (University of Illinois) Amie Johnson (Iowa State University) Anna Champagne (Kansas State University) Megan Partyka (Louisiana State University) Jessica Chronowski (Michigan State University) Tim Rozendaal (University of Minnesota) Steve Hutter (Mississippi State University) Laurel Marshalek (University of Missouri) Tyler Gallaher (North Carolina State University) Abby Taylor (Ohio State University) Caitlin McLagan (Oregon State University) David Zimmer (Purdue University) Carmella Britt (Ross University) Addie Reinhard (University of Tennessee) Suzanne Li (Texas A&M University) Stephanie Sapowicz (Tufts University) Kaitlyn Somers (Virginia-Maryland) Matt Sammons (Washington State University) Sarah Renee Furtney (Western University) Chase McNulty (University of Wisconsin) Malpass’ win earned one Tuskegee faculty member free tuition to an upcoming Bayer Communication Project “Train the Trainer” course.
