Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research 2017, Vol. 11, 243–256 ISSN: 1935-3308 MAKING CONNECTIONS: VETERINARY MEDICINE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS’ OF CLINICAL READINESS Students’ perceptions of clinical readiness typically derive from their edu- cational immersion. Training occurs within a bifurcated curriculum, one that is marked by a distinction between didactic courses and clinical train- ing in the veterinary teaching hospital. This study describes students’ per- ceived preparedness or readiness for clinical rotations. Three focus group meetings comprised of different groups of second-year veterinary students were conducted. Students were asked to describe their comfort in talk- ing with clients, veterinary staff, and colleagues; skills they felt prepared to explore; how they acquired necessary knowledge and skills; how their veterinary school learning experiences prepared them for applying medi- cal information to patient care; and apprehensions about entering clinical rotations. Data were initially open-coded by each author. Pairs of authors categorized their codes and then the full team identifed emerging themes. Six main themes emerged: apprehension about clinic performance, folk- lore about clinical experiences, learning relevancy, wanting authentic evaluation, identifed skills, and learning outside the college. Identifying students’ perceptions related to their preclinical educational experience offered insight into student readiness for clinical education and provided guidance for improving veterinary medical educational experiences. Amy E. S. Stone, Ph.D., is Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Sciences at University of Florida in Gaines- ville, Florida. Martha Mallicote, DVM, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Large Animal Sciences at University of Florida in Gaines- ville, Florida. Bobbi J. Conner, DVM, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Julia Wuerz, DVM, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Linda S. Behar-Horenstein, Ph.D., is Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Professor of Education, and Affliate Pro- fessor of Dentistry at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Lsbhoren@uf.edu. Amy E. S. Stone University of Florida Bobbi J. Conner University of Florida Linda S. Behar-Horenstein University of Florida Martha Mallicote University of Florida Julia A. Wuerz University of Florida