An alumni survey to assess self-reported career preparation attained at a US veterinary school

Clinical supervisors' and students' perspectives on preparedness for veterinary workplace clinical training: An international study

BACKGROUND

The alignment of student and workplace supervisors' perspectives on student preparedness for veterinary workplace clinical training (WCT) is unknown, yet misalignment could negatively impact workplace learning. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative importance of WCT preparedness characteristics according to students and supervisors and to identify differences.

METHODS

A survey was completed by 657 veterinary students and 244 clinical supervisors from 25 veterinary schools, from which rankings of the preparedness characteristics were derived. Significant rank differences were assessed using confidence intervals and permutation tests.

RESULTS

'Honesty, integrity and dependability' was the most important characteristic according to both groups. The three characteristics with the largest rank differences were: students' awareness of their own and others' mental wellbeing and the importance of self-care; being willing to try new practical skills with support (students ranked both of these higher); and having a clinical reasoning framework for common problems (supervisors ranked higher).

LIMITATIONS

Using pooled data from many schools means that the results are not necessarily representative of the perspectives at any one institution.

CONCLUSION

There are both similarities and differences in the perspectives of students and supervisors regarding which characteristics are more important for WCT. This provides insights that can be used by educators, curriculum developers and admissions tutors to improve student preparedness for workplace learning.

Examining the Motivational Climate and Student Effort in Professional Competency Courses: Suggestions for Improvement

The attainment of professional competencies leads to essential skills for successful and employable veterinarians. However, the inclusion of professional competencies in veterinary curricula is often underdeveloped, and it is sometimes less appreciated by students than the science/technical skill curricula. The aim of this study was to better understand students' motivation within professional competency courses (PC courses) by (a) comparing students' motivational perceptions in PC courses to those in science/technical skill courses (ST courses), (b) determining the extent to which students' motivational perceptions predict their course effort, and (c) identifying teaching strategies that could be used to improve PC courses. Participants included students from eight courses enrolled in their first or second year of a veterinary college at a large land-grant university in the United States. A partially mixed concurrent dominant status research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Students completed closed- and open-ended survey items regarding their effort and the motivational climate in their courses. Compared to ST courses, students put forth less effort in PC courses; rated PC courses lower on empowerment, usefulness, and interest; and had higher success expectancies in PC courses. Although students' perceptions of empowerment, usefulness, interest, and caring were significantly correlated with their effort, interest was the most significant predictor of effort in both PC and ST courses. Based on students' responses to the open-ended questions, specific motivational strategies are recommended to increase students' effort in PC courses, such as intentionally implementing strategies to increase students' interest and perceptions of usefulness and empowerment.

Professional Skills Teaching within Veterinary Education and Possible Future Directions

Once ignored for their potential to take up precious time within the veterinary curriculum at the expense of hard science and technical competencies, professional skills such as ethical conduct, professional conduct, and communication skills are now considered essential in the creation of successful and employable graduates. Despite the requirement to include professional skills in veterinary curricula, limited communication among colleges and inconsistent documentation of curricular developments have led to a wide range of teaching and assessment methods with no consistent standards existing among colleges. Integration of professional competency teaching into the general curriculum is lauded widely, but barriers such as faculty buy-in have kept many colleges from moving toward a standard in which professional competencies are integrated into the general curriculum. The aim of this article is to provide veterinary educators and curriculum designers with an understanding of the rationale for including professional skills teaching within the curriculum while also presenting currently used, as well as recommended, strategies for effective instruction of professional skills.

A Competency-Guided Veterinary Curriculum Review Process

Competencies can guide outcomes assessment in veterinary medical education by providing a core set of specific abilities expected of new veterinary graduates. A competency-guided evaluation of Colorado State University's (CSU) equine veterinary curriculum was undertaken via an alumni survey. Published competencies for equine veterinary graduates were used to develop the survey, which was distributed to large animal alumni from CSU's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The results of the survey indicated areas for improvement, specifically in equine business, surgery, dentistry, and radiology. The desire for more hands-on experiences in their training was repeatedly mentioned by alumni, with the largest discrepancies between didactic knowledge and hands-on skills in the areas of business and equine surgery. Alumni surveys allow graduates to voice their perceived levels of preparation by the veterinary program and should be used to inform curriculum revisions. It is proposed that the definition and utilization of competencies in each phase of a curricular review process (outcomes assessment, curriculum mapping, and curricular modifications), in addition to faculty experience and internal review, is warranted.

Evaluation of an Immersive Farm Experience to Teach and Attract Veterinary Students to Food-Animal Medicine

The Bovine Educational Symposium (BES) is a unique opportunity for North Carolina State University (NCSU) veterinary students to visit dairy farms, feedlots, cow-calf operations, and processing facilities, and to meet local bovine veterinarians. We hypothesized that this active learning opportunity would increase knowledge, change perceptions of animal agriculture and food-animal medicine, and provide skills that persist beyond graduation. Pre- and post-trip surveys were administered to 124 first-, second-, and third-year veterinary students attending BES over 3 years. The surveys assessed students' perceived competence with regard to 12 key areas of bovine practice, attitudes toward segments of the cattle industry, attitudes to veterinarians' role in these segments, and interest in a career in bovine practice. Content knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice test for comparison to self-assessments. A control group of 10 fourth-year students was administered the same tests before and after a 2-week food-animal clinical rotation. A convenience sample of nine BES alumni were interviewed to assess their opinion on the educational impact of BES. BES participants exhibited significant gains in perceived competence and actual knowledge in all 12 areas, and they also had improved perceptions of animal agriculture and increased interest in food-animal careers. Benefits noted by alumni ranged from improved knowledge of basic concepts of biosecurity and population medicine to greater appreciation for professional skills, including client communication. Immersing pre-clinical veterinary students in an active learning environment can have a significant impact on their knowledge and perception of food-animal medicine, irrespective of students' ultimate career goals.

Alumni-based evaluation of a novel veterinary curriculum: are Nottingham graduates prepared for clinical practice?

Introduction

Outcomes-based education has been the core of the curriculum strategy of the Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SVMS) since its inception in 2006. As part of the ongoing curriculum evaluation, the first two graduating cohorts were invited to provide an appraisal of their preparation by the SVMS curriculum for their role in clinical practice. This paper provides brief accounts of the SVMS curriculum model, the development of the evaluation instrument and the findings of the alumni survey.

Materials and Methods

The evaluation instrument contained 25 attributes expected of SVMS graduates. Alumni rated their preparation for practice in relation to each attribute.

Results

The four highest rated characteristics were compassion for animals and the application of ethics to animal welfare; communication skills; recognising own limitations and seeking help and advice where needed and clinical examination skills. The four lowest rated were clinical case management and therapeutic strategies; dealing with veterinary public health and zoonotic issues; knowledge of current veterinary legislation and dealing with emergency and critical care cases. Free text responses were in line with these quantitative findings.

Conclusion

The results indicate that this sample of SVMS graduates were satisfied with their undergraduate education and felt well prepared for their role in clinical practice.

Use of alumni and employer surveys for internal quality assurance of the DVM program at the University of Montreal

Annual alumni and employer surveys, initially designed as outcomes assessment tools, were integrated into a new internal quality assurance strategy to improve the doctor of veterinary medicine program at the University of Montreal's Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire. Data collected annually from the classes of 2004-2007 indicated that alumni and their employers were generally satisfied with their level of preparation after one year of professional activity. Specific weaknesses were found in non-technical skills such as communication and resource management. These data were used in support of other forms of feedback to guide curricular reform.

The importance of knowledge, skills, and attitude attributes for veterinarians in clinical and non-clinical fields of practice: a survey of licensed veterinarians in Quebec, Canada

To improve content validity and the pertinence of outcome assessment tools used for the undergraduate Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Montreal's Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, a survey of members of the Quebec veterinary association was conducted. This survey aimed to determine the importance of a list of 71 attributes-categorized as knowledge, general skills, specific skills, and attitudes-for clinical and non-clinical types of professional activities. The results indicated that all basic knowledge components, general skills, and attitudes were equally important for all types of veterinary professional activities, while the importance of specific skills was significantly different for clinical practice and non-clinical fields. It was therefore proposed that outcomes assessment surveys of stakeholders, such as alumni and employers, be analyzed separately for each type of career option.