Journal of veterinary medical education最新文献

Practical sessions using cadavers are one method of teaching clinical skills en masse to veterinary students, supporting students to learn the skills and gain the confidence to become Day One competent veterinarians. As confidence and competence are often conflated in Competency-Based Education approaches, in this study we used a pre-post survey design to evaluate 67 student self-ratings of confidence and self-assessed competence to explore whether a cadaver practical can change student confidence and self-assessed competence, and how comparable confidence and self-assessed competence are as measures. In a linear mixed effects model, we found that the practical improved the overall confidence score by 0.44 points (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.22, 0.66], t₍₁₂₀₎ = 3.97, p < .001). Self-assessed competence also increased by 0.60 (95% CI [0.41, 0.79], t₍₁₁₈₎ = 6.21, p < .001). However, although female students saw their overall self-assessed competence increase, they showed lower self-assessed competence scores by 0.87 points than males (95% CI [-1.47, -0.28], t₍₁₁₈₎ = -2.89, p = 0.005). Despite confidence and self-assessed competence being strongly associated, direct agreement between the measures in a weighted kappa test was weak (pre-practical κ_weighted = 0.49, [95% CI 0.33, 0.66], post-practical κ_weighted = 0.44, [95% CI 0.10, 0.28]). We discuss the implications of these findings.

There has been growing interest in knowledge exchange (KE) activities as a result of recent calls for higher education establishments in the UK to provide more evidence of how they serve society for the benefit of the economy, the public and the community. KE has been defined as "A collaborative, creative endeavor that translates knowledge and research into impact in society and the economy," where this exchange takes the form of sharing knowledge, experience, ideas, evidence, or expertise. While well established in the context of research, it is less clear what KE activities are in the context of teaching. The aim of this project was to use a collaborative approach to identify types of KE activity relevant for veterinary educators and undergraduate students (pre-veterinary registration), and ways of measuring these activities. Initially, a literature search identified four main overarching categories of interactions that KE activities for veterinary educators and undergraduate students could be assigned to: people-based activities, problem-solving activities, commercialization activities, and community activities. Second, a workshop with members of the wider veterinary education community evaluated these lists of activities and discussed how the impact of these could be measured. The lists generated provide a starting point for understanding how educators and undergraduate students can maximize their impact in relation to KE activities. It is expected that over time these will be built upon to represent the breadth of current and future activities undertaken in the clinical sciences. While the focus is on veterinary education, this framework can be applied to reviewing KE in a range of health care and client-facing disciplines.

The veterinary thesis, mandatory in many veterinary curricula, represents an important step in terms of students' autonomy and research-led education. The choice of the topic is crucial, especially when the student initiates it rather than accepting a teacher's proposal. To promote diverse thesis work and provide greater support to students, a collaborative game and preparatory activity have been designed with a focus on the thesis project. The game was developed to raise awareness among students about the challenges of creativity and feasibility. The training sequence began with a short presentation by the instructor about the ideation process and project management tools. Then, under the instructor supervision, the students played using a deck of cards and worksheets. In the first phase, each group of students drew four cards and used them to imagine an experimental or a clinical thesis topic. The cards represented the elements of a PICO-like question (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome). In the second phase, the groups exchanged their forms with another group, allowing them to evaluate each other's work and suggest modifications. This evaluation phase was based on "De Bono's 6 thinking hats method," which encourages students to adopt different perspectives such as critical, creative, or objective thinking when assessing their peers' work. The student appreciation survey, conducted after the training, yielded positive results, particularly in terms of helping students identify different approaches to a topic and fostering collaborative peer discussions.

Lameness in horses resulting from foot pathology is very common. When investigating the cause of a lameness localised to the foot, the first step is most frequently radiographic imaging. Therefore, being able to identify normal anatomy and recognise pathology on radiographs is important for a veterinary medicine student to learn. Computer-aided learning (CAL) is becoming increasingly utilised in the teaching of students on medicine-related courses, especially post-COVID where online learning has been continued in hybridisation with in-person teaching.In this study, a low-cost CAL module was created focusing on anatomy and pathology of the equine foot on radiographic images and testing was carried out to evaluate how beneficial students found this resource for their learning. There were two research questions: 1. Can a useful CAL module be produced at low cost? 2. Will this CAL module function to increase student confidence? The CAL module was produced at no cost; similar CAL modules could be easily re-created using a similar module at a low-to-no cost. Three skills were reviewed: recognition of normal anatomy, identification of pathology, and selection of appropriate radiographic views for investigation of specific pathologies. A statistically significant increase in confidence of students' ability to recognise pathology and to select radiographic views for investigating specific pathologies when comparing pre- and post-resource confidence. Anecdotally there was a positive response to the resource: users found it useful for the intended purpose. Therefore, a useful CAL module was produced at low cost, and did indeed increase students' confidence in some areas investigated.

Performing drug dose calculations is an expected fundamental skill in veterinary medicine. Calculation errors are a significant contributor to medication errors in veterinary anesthesia and have the potential to harm patients. Investigating dose calculation errors in a clinical environment with live patients has not been reported in veterinary medicine. Identifying and reporting calculation errors can assist with teaching and mitigating future dose calculation errors. In a prospective, observational study, drug dose calculations included in the proposed anesthesia protocols of 53 third-year veterinary students for a canine and feline spay/neuter laboratory were reviewed. Calculation error incidence, type, and drugs involved were analyzed. A total of 686 drug doses were calculated for 83 patients. Twelve dose calculation errors were identified in nine anesthesia protocols, representing a protocol error rate of 10.8% (9/83) and an overall drug dose calculation error rate of 1.8% (12/686). The majority of errors (83.3%; 10/12) would have led to overdoses, whereas two errors (16.7%; 2/12) would have resulted in underdoses. Drug dose calculation errors are common during anesthetic planning by veterinary students. The occurrence of calculation errors poses a risk to patient safety, highlighting the need for effective teaching and training in this skill, as well as the role of error-reducing strategies such as independent double-checking of calculations.

With the growth of veterinary medicine and acknowledgment of the lack of diversity in the profession, it is necessary to educate future generations on the importance and growth of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, few courses in the veterinary curriculum address this need. To fulfill such a need for one U.S. veterinary program, a veterinary student was mentored by faculty and staff to develop an elective course focused on cultural competency and humility in veterinary medicine. Through self-directed learning to design a course aimed at advancing veterinary students' knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the student progressed his knowledge of the topic while also being exposed to the logistical aspects of course design and potential as a future educator. The resulting student-driven, flipped classroom strategy yielded a positive discussion-based learning experience for its first student cohort and goals for its growth as a professional education course.

Teaching medical sciences is a continuously evolving process that requires an ongoing update for both students and teachers. Several methods are used to measure learning styles, among which the Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) framework focuses on how learners prefer to obtain information. With this study, we aimed to assess the VARK learning style on a large sample of veterinary students and educators in an aged-variety, multi-lingual, and multi-institutional setting. We obtained a total of 873 replies to our survey: 78.7% students, 6.6% veterinarians, 5.9% people with another occupation inherent to veterinary medicine, 5.7% European or American board-certified specialists, 1.1% veterinary nurses, 0.9% veterinary interns, and 0.9% veterinary residents of different specialties. The replies were obtained from French (56%), English (31.7%), Italian (11.5%), and Spanish (0.8%) versions of the survey. Most respondents (52.6%) were unimodal learners, while 47.4% exhibited two or more learning styles. Baby Boomers and Millennials were significantly less likely to use the visual and the aural style, respectively, compared with Generation Z. Moreover, Baby Boomers were approximately 54.2% less likely to be multimodal learners than Generation Z (χ² = 4.291, p = .038). According to our results, the current veterinary student population is comprised of multimodal learners highly adapted to learn visually and by listening, although there are some differences between countries. An initial assessment with the VARK survey at the beginning of the course may help teachers to study their specific population. Finally, here we collect some specific recommendations to follow based on the country where students are enrolled.

Case studies can be valuable tools in veterinary curricula to help students develop critical thinking skills. Little research has investigated how cases can affect student attitudes on complex animal welfare issues. The objectives were to determine if a role-play case on piglet castration would affect veterinary students' (a) ability and confidence in recalling scientific concepts regarding identification and management of pain in animals; (b) attitudes toward pigs, animal pain, and pain management; and (c) self-reflection on different viewpoints on pain and pain management in animals. First-year veterinary students enrolled in a core animal welfare course participated in a 4-week piglet castration case that included group assignments and role-playing. Students completed pre- and post-case quizzes and surveys (n = 128), as well as a written reflection after the case (n = 133). The effects of the case were assessed using quantitative (paired t-tests and Cochran's Q tests for quiz and survey responses) and qualitative (thematic analysis of written reflections) analyses. Students scored 8.6% higher on their post-case quiz and had slightly more positive attitudes toward pigs and the practicality of providing pain management for pigs after the case. Qualitative analysis of the written reflections revealed four main themes, including student preconceptions about pain in animals, flexibility or resistance to change their views on pain management, challenges associated with navigating different perspectives, and key takeaways from the case. Results indicate that role-play cases may help veterinary students learn about, and reflect on, complex animal welfare issues such as pain management.

As Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) class sizes continue to increase in the United States, there are concerns about maintaining student engagement and fostering higher-order cognitive skills within large classroom settings. Traditional didactic approaches in these environments may hinder student motivation and critical reasoning, skills essential for "day-one ready" veterinarians. Although active learning strategies are recognized for enhancing student engagement and critical thinking, they are often perceived as difficult to implement in large classrooms due to logistical and instructional challenges. This article describes the implementation of a lecture hall-based debate session in a large preclinical veterinary classroom as an active learning strategy. Findings showed high student engagement, with nearly all participants actively involved. Students reported that the debate format facilitated recall of presession materials and improved learning, and encouraged them to seek additional resources, reinforcing integration of knowledge. Qualitative feedback highlighted the debate's role in developing individualized decision making and critical appraisal skills relevant to veterinary practice. This article supports the feasibility and effectiveness of debates as an active learning strategy in large classroom settings within the preclinical veterinary curriculum.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is critical in enabling students to manage extensive learning material effectively. However, the transition from secondary to tertiary education presents significant challenges for students as the demands on their SRL skills increase substantially. In veterinary education, this is particularly evident in anatomy. A better understanding of early-year students' SRL strategy knowledge and SRL strategy usage is needed to design effective interventions. Here we conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. The cross-sectional approach aimed to investigate: 1a) levels in SRL strategy knowledge and usage; 1b) relations between strategy knowledge and usage; and 1c) their relation to academic achievement. Furthermore, differences between first- and third-semester students were analyzed. The longitudinal approach aimed to: 2) investigate changes in strategy knowledge and usage during one semester. A sample of N = 181 veterinary anatomy students (108 first and 73 third semester) completed an SRL strategy knowledge test and an SRL strategy usage self-report questionnaire. Sixty students filled out both instruments one semester later. Results showed: 1a) moderate levels of knowledge and usage; 1b) low-to-moderate correlations between knowledge and usage; and 1c) a moderate correlation between usage and achievement. First- and third-semester students only differed in the relation of usage to achievement. Furthermore, 2) motivational strategy usage increased while cognitive and metacognitive strategy usage decreased over one semester, but there were no changes in strategy knowledge. Based on our results, it seems necessary that early-year students not only need training to enhance strategy knowledge but also on how to transfer this knowledge to their everyday study life, especially practical settings.