Bayer Announces Excellence in Communication Award Winners

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Bayer Animal Health today announced that Brittany Martabano, a senior from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, is the national winner of the Bayer Excellence in Communication Award (BECA).

Brittany was selected from entries representing 27 veterinary schools, which were awarded a total of $70,000 in scholarship funds through the 2016 competition. Over the last four years, Bayer has provided a total of $232,500 in scholarship awards through the BECA communication program.

Incorporating effective communication skills in veterinary practice has long been recognized as one of the main tasks in delivering comprehensive medical care to patients. BECA, established to recognize effective communication in the veterinary profession, rewards veterinary students who are executing this critical core skill.

The competition challenged students to submit a filmed interview between themselves and a veterinary client in a clinical setting. A panel of faculty judges at each participating school selected a winner using a scorecard developed by nationally-renowned veterinary faculty specializing in communication.

Each school-level winner received a $2,500 scholarship. The schools then submitted a video of their winner to compete for the additional $2,500 national scholarship award, which was selected by an independent judging panel.

“I was excited to win the BECA award, because my interest in communications is one of the reasons I chose to go into veterinary medicine,” Brittany said. “Pet owners need to understand what their veterinarian is doing in the exam room, as well as what steps they need to take at home to keep their pets healthy. If I can’t communicate that information to them, then I’m setting them up for failure as pet owners.”