Journal of veterinary medical education最新文献

This study aimed to identify qualitative aspects of small animal veterinary internship applications that are associated with relative intern performance. This study took place with data collected on small animal interns from the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 intern classes from four different institutions. Applicants were divided into top-performers and bottom-performers by sorting the calculated overall scores from highest to lowest, labeling the top half of interns as "top-performers," and the lower half of interns as "bottom-performers." Thematic analysis of the intern applications was conducted. Relationship skills and knowledge application were identified as themes in the top-performing interns but not in the bottom-performing interns. Veterinary experience, presentations, community service, research, and teaching were all seen more frequently in the top-performing interns. More top performers had characteristics of greatest strength of technical skills, professionalism, relationship skills, and teamwork. More bottom performers had characteristics of greatest strength of stress management, communication, and patient care. More top performers had characteristics that would benefit from targeted mentoring of leadership. More bottom-performers had characteristics that would benefit from targeted mentoring of technical skills, general knowledge, and self-awareness. In narrative comments, adaptability, and self-awareness were more commonly noted in the bottom-performers. Lack of confidence was noted as a theme in the bottom-performers, but not in the top-performers. Certain qualities of intern applications may be used to predict top- or bottom-performing interns.

Ligation of the feline ovarian pedicle is commonly performed via autoligation ("pedicle tie") by high-quality high-volume surgeons. It is not commonly taught in veterinary school, resulting in general practice veterinarians who are not comfortable with the technique, despite being faster than double ligation with suture, having very low risk of hemorrhage-related complications, and no increased risk for student surgeons. This study aimed to determine the use of and opinions regarding standard of care (SOC) related to the pedicle tie for feline ovariohysterectomy. An anonymous 23-question survey was targeted to private practice veterinarians via social media from September to November 2021. There were 142 respondents, with 77 indicating the use of the pedicle tie and 65 indicating no use. Of those who used the pedicle tie, most reported learning the technique from either a dedicated high-quality high-volume facility (32%) or a colleague/mentor (32%). Nearly half used it in all cases. They had used it for a median of 5 (IQR 3,8) years, and 99% were comfortable teaching the technique to others. Of those who did not use the pedicle tie, 60% reported that it meets SOC, 14% reported that it does not, and 26% reported that it sometimes meets SOC. Over half of the respondents reported using the pedicle tie. Absence from the veterinary curriculum was the most frequently cited reason for not using the technique.

Veterinary programs traditionally teach gross anatomy by having students perform regional dissections on animal cadavers. Dissection is effective but also costly, time consuming, and intimidating for students. These factors, along with reduced contact hours devoted to gross anatomy, warrant investigation of more time-efficient teaching modalities. We sought to determine whether learning anatomy from instructor-prosected cadavers is a suitable alternative to in-class cadaveric dissections. Veterinary students completed nine units of regional gross anatomy over three courses. For each unit, students were randomly assigned to study the region on instructor-prosected cadavers (i.e., prosection students, n = 25) or perform their own dissection of the region in small groups (i.e., dissection students, n = 25). Prosection students spent on average 18 minutes/week less (p < .05) in class than dissection students. Despite comparable amounts of time spent studying outside of class each week, prosection students outperformed (p < .05) dissection students on 56% of the practical unit exams and 44% of the overall unit exams, whereas dissection students outperformed (p < .05) prosection students on only a single unit exam. Prosection students also performed better (p < .05) on subsequent quizzes administered to assess knowledge retention. Survey responses indicated that students were more confident in the accuracy of prosections and valued the efficiency they provided. Although they found value in performing dissections and were generally satisfied with the knowledge they gained, many students reported feeling timid toward dissecting, which diminished the experience. Together, these findings demonstrate that expertly prosected cadavers were more time-efficient than in-class cadaveric dissections and were generally more effective for learning gross veterinary anatomy.

Veterinary students, academics, and clinical supervisors are likely to have different perspectives on what it takes to be prepared for workplace clinical training (WCT). Differing expectations could confuse students if they receive conflicting messages about the skills and attributes to which they should aspire. Furthermore, they may struggle to engage with the affordances that workplaces provide for learning if unprepared. Using a survey, we ranked 91 preparedness characteristics and seven preparedness themes for WCT for importance, according to clinical supervisors, academics, and final-year veterinary students before and after undergoing WCT in a UK veterinary school employing a distributive model of WCT. Statistical analyses were used to determine 1) rank alignment and 2) significant differences in characteristic and theme rank among groups. The correlation among characteristic rankings was strongest between students and clinical supervisors, and weakest between clinical supervisors and academics. Honesty, integrity and dependability was the most important characteristic for students and clinical supervisors, whereas students' awareness that perfection is not expected was the most important characteristic for academics. The "knowledge" theme was ranked as significantly more important for academics compared to students pre-WCT. Therefore, differences in the expectations of students starting WCT have been demonstrated in this study. As the educational setting transitions from "classroom to clinic", academics and students must adapt their notions of preparedness to align with conceptions of learning and teaching in the workplace, while supervisors should be mindful of students' pre-existing expectations. Continuous communication and expectation alignment are necessary for a cohesive curriculum strategy.

Spectrum of care (SOC) has recently been described in the literature, yet it is not an entirely new concept within the veterinary profession. Practitioners in general veterinary practice have long needed to provide a broad range of unique care options for their patients and clients, particularly those for whom referral is not possible. More recently, graduates and their employers have reported that new veterinarians often lack the competence and confidence to provide a broad array of care options, while training in ever more specialized tertiary-referral environments. To better prepare veterinary learners to cope with the variable nature of general veterinary practice and to better meet employer demands, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine purposefully backward designed learning experiences in a new outcomes-based curriculum so that SOC is emphasized and aligned with the foundation offered by the Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) model. A unique set of subcompetencies and educational goals were collaboratively developed and used to define a new final year rotation, with additional input provided by an advisory panel of practicing SOC veterinarians from private practice. Ideal caseload characteristics, case numbers, appointment length, daily activities, and other elements were defined, and final year student performance was monitored during implementation to assess progress in meeting key developmental milestones. Incorporating spectrum of care training at The Ohio State University shows promise for developing confidence and competence in new graduates, while also increasing their skills, and perhaps improving their mental health.

Research has shown an inconsistent relationship between spatial abilities and learning outcomes from virtual anatomical tools. Instructors must understand this relationship to select appropriate resources for diverse learners. To identify appropriate tests for measuring spatial ability and evaluate the effectiveness of virtual anatomical resources, this study compared 96 students' visuospatial ability (measured using the Mental Rotation Task [MRT] and Landmark Position on a Map [LPM] tests) with learning outcomes from experimental anatomy sessions and undergraduate anatomical course examinations. During experimental sessions, students took a test after a brief instructional session using one virtual resource: a monoscopic resource (e.g., digital photographs or a rotatable three-dimensional [r3D] specimen) or a stereoscopic virtual reality (VR) specimen. A negative linear relationship was found between MRT scores and students in Session B using VR with controllers (r = -.56 to -.29), and LPM scores and students using VR (r = -.71 to .39) and r3D (r = -.41 to .43). There was a positive linear relationship between MRT scores and all other resources (r = .01 to .91), and course examination scores (r = .25 to .42, p = .05). Although the results were inconsistent, correlations were found between spatial ability and outcomes using both the MRT and LPM. The LPM might be better suited for determining which learners would benefit from VR. The results suggest that monoscopic resources best support high spatial abilities, and stereoscopic resources best support low spatial abilities. These findings support accounting for diverse learner visuospatial abilities when selecting resources.

The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education emphasizes the importance of communication skills and teamwork for student success in clinical practice. Traditionally, many veterinary curricula lacked standardized formal training in acquiring these essential skills. Effective communication and collaborative teamwork are not only crucial for fulfilling the clinical responsibilities of the veterinary profession but also play a pivotal role in the broader societal context. Veterinarians, in their social role, serve as scientific communicators for the community. This role involves conveying scientific concepts, even complex ones, with a particular emphasis on their significance for public health, reaching a diverse audience. Currently, there is a growing public health necessity to improve health literacy, which refers to the ability to access, understand, appraise, and use information to support healthy choices by society, especially for topics like infectious diseases and vaccination. This became more evident during the global COVID-19 pandemic. This teaching tip describes the development, organization, and broad outcomes of a student competition introduced during a standard veterinary medicine course to design novel resources on microbiology and infectious disease-enhancing health literacy. Three separate events were organized during the academic years 2020-2023. The third-year veterinary medicine students attending the 3-month course on infectious diseases of small animals participated in a student competition aimed at promoting creativity and innovation. Their task was to develop novel resources that delivered informative content to the public concerning microbiology and infectious diseases. Participation was voluntary and students participated in groups of 5-6. Overall, 125 students created 22 projects on microbiology and infectious diseases that were able to enhance health literacy. This approach allowed students to engage with the content and convey foundational knowledge to others in an easily accessible way. This skill of communicating with the public using easy-to-understand language is essential for success in the veterinary medicine profession. The resources produced, such as drawings, comics, games, and videos, constitute informative sources. Thus, they were published online on a scientific journal to disseminate knowledge of infectious diseases to a broader audience.

A group of veterinary educators with diverse backgrounds and interests from five universities in the northeastern region of the United States convened in December 2020 to address challenges in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in veterinary education. It was elected to develop a DEIJ-specific competency domain to supplement the nine domains previously described in the Competency-Based Veterinary Education framework. The domain that we created provides a detailed but flexible roadmap that can be used to guide curriculum-development initiatives that support learner development in DEIJ and, as a result, enhance their impact in working teams and the communities in which they will live and practice. However, we anticipate that this domain will be regularly updated to stay relevant with respect to social change and veterinary medicine.