Student attitudes regarding the educational value and welfare implications in the use of model eyes and live dogs in teaching practical fundus examination: evaluation of responses from 40 students

Using a smartphone-based digital fundus camera for screening of retinal and optic nerve diseases in veterinary medicine: A preliminary investigation

BACKGROUND

Ophthalmoscopy is a valuable tool in clinical practice. We report the use of a novel smartphone-based handheld device for visualisation and photo-documentation of the ocular fundus in veterinary medicine.

METHODS

Selected veterinary patients of a referral ophthalmology service were included if one or both eyes had clear ocular media, allowing for examination of the fundus. Following pharmacological mydriasis, fundic images were obtained with a handheld fundus camera (Volk VistaView). For comparison, the fundus of a subset of animals was also imaged with a veterinary-specific fundus camera (Optomed Smartscope VET2).

RESULTS

The large field of view achieved by the Volk VistaView allowed for rapid and thorough observation of the ocular fundus in animals, providing a tool to visualise and record common pathologies of the posterior segment. Captured fundic images were sometimes overexposed, with the tapetal fundus artificially appearing hyperreflective when using the Volk VistaView camera, a finding that was less frequent when activating a 'veterinary mode' that reduced the sensitivity of the camera's sensor. The Volk VistaView compared well with the Optomed Smartscope VET2.

LIMITATION

The main study limitation was the small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

The Volk VistaView camera was easy to use and provided good-quality fundic images in veterinary patients with healthy or diseased eyes, offering a wide field of view that was ideal for screening purposes.

Using an OSCE to Explore the Role of Structured Debriefing and Self-Directed Learning in Simulator-Based Clinical Skill Training in Production Animal Reproductive Medicine

Self-directed learning is associated with several benefits in simulation-based clinical skill training and can be complemented by feedback in the form of post-event debriefing. In this study, final-year veterinary medicine students (n = 111) were allocated into one of three groups and practiced four clinical skills from the domain of production animal reproductive medicine in a clinical skills laboratory. Group 1 completed an instructor-led practice session (I), group 2 completed a self-directed practice session with post-event debriefing (D), and group 3 completed a self-directed practice session without debriefing (control, C). Each practice session included two clinical skills categorized as being directly patient-related (patient) and two clinical skills involving laboratory diagnostics or assembling equipment (technical). Students evaluated the practice session using Likert-type scales. Two days after practice, 93 students took part in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Student performance was analyzed for each learning station individually. The percentage of students who passed the OSCE did not differ significantly between the three groups at any learning station. While the examiner had an effect on absolute OSCE scores (%) at one learning station, the percentage of students who passed the OSCE did not differ between examiners. Patient learning stations were more popular with students than technical learning stations, and the percentage of students who passed the OSCE was significantly larger among students who enjoyed practicing at the respective station (90.9%) than among those who did not (77.8%).

The Use of Simulators for Teaching Practical Clinical Skills to Veterinary Students - A Review

In the context of veterinary education, simulators are devices or sets of conditions aiming to imitate real patients and enable students to practice skills without the need for live animal use. Simulator use in veterinary education has increased significantly in recent years, allowing consistent practical teaching without reliance on clinical cases. This review examines the available literature regarding the use of simulation and simulators for teaching practical day one competences to veterinary students. Scientific databases were searched and 73 relevant articles were reviewed. The reviewed articles revealed that there are a number of simulators currently available to veterinary educators, that simulators can enhance student skills and provide an alternative learning environment without the need for live animal and/or cadaver use, and that they usually receive positive feedback from the students who use them. There appears to be a bias towards small animal simulators - however, some skills that are developed through the use of small animal or table-top models will be transferrable to other species. The majority of large animal simulators focus on bovine rectal palpation and/or pregnancy diagnosis. Further research is required to increase the repertoire of available simulators for use in veterinary education, in order to improve the practical skills of veterinary students and reduce the use of live animals and cadaver material for teaching purposes.

Nova Metodologia de Ensino de Oftalmoscopia Direta e Indireta para Médicos

As doenças oftalmológicas podem refletir a presença de doenças sistêmicas em animais. Assim, os especialistas em medicina veterinária devem dominar a técnica do exame de fundoscopia. Para auxiliar na aquisição dessa habilidade, desenvolvemos uma metodologia de ensino utilizando um modelo de baixo custo que permite o exame da retina para ensinar as técnicas de oftalmoscopia direta e indireta em medicina veterinária.