The One Health Leadership Experience at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Competency in One Health (OH) leadership was emphasized in the Roadmap for Veterinary Medical Education in the 21st Century in 2011. Since then, several educational interventions have been aimed at increasing awareness and capacity for inter-professional collaboration. At the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, a 3-day event, the One Health Leadership Experience (OHLE), was initiated in 2012 and continues to the present. The event targets students entering their first year of a health professional program and consists of presentations by invited OH guest speakers, networking sessions, small-group case discussions of OH scenarios, and leadership development through panel discussions and interactive small-group dialogues. Post-conference surveys, a 5-year follow-up survey, and two focus groups were conducted to evaluate the impact of participation in the OHLE. After the event, the proportion of students who said they clearly understood OH and its goals was substantially higher than before: 86% versus 14% in 2012, 91% versus 23% in 2013, and 69% versus 24% in 2014. In the 5-year follow-up survey, most respondents (90%) indicated that attending the OHLE increased their interaction with other students from health sciences colleges or schools on campus. Also, most (81%) believed that OH should be formally taught in their program and 80% anticipated implementing, or had already implemented, OH practices after graduation. The OHLE increased participants' awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and is a successful educational model that can be adapted to health professional curricula at other institutions.