Veterinary Medical Curriculum Research Articles

Measures for Quality Assurance of Electronic Examinations in a Veterinary Medical Curriculum

Since 2008, electronic examinations have been conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany which are analyzed extensively in the current study. The aim is to assess the quality of examinations, the status quo of the electronic examination system and the implementation of recommendations regarding the conduct of exams at the TiHo. Based on the results suitable indicators for the evaluation of examinations and items as well as adequate quality assurance measures and item formats are to be identified. For this purpose, 294 electronic examinations carried out from 2008 to 2022 of the veterinary medicine course with an average of 248 participants each were evaluated with regard to the quality criteria reliability, difficulty index, and discrimination index. The main finding was that the number of items and the proportion of reused questions were identified as factors through which the quality of the examinations can be increased with simple adjustments. A higher number of items led to better reliability, whereby the required minimum reliability in examinations of 0.8 was reliably achieved from an item number of 98 questions. The proportion of reused questions should be kept low, as these had a negative influence on the characteristic values. Measures accompanying examinations, such as training of question authors and a pre- and post-review process, should also ensure the quality of examinations. For the post-review process, the distribution of examination results, reliability, item and distractor analysis are adequate indicators for evaluating examinations.

Investigation of a Questionnaire Used to Measure Self-Perception of Self-Regulated Learning in Veterinary Students

In the United States, the veterinary medical curriculum is 4 years, and at most institutions, no more than one-third of that time is devoted to clinical training, meaning that graduates must continue learning post-graduation. Additionally, practicing veterinarians must keep up with new discoveries and techniques in the veterinary medical field, and may also choose to pursue specific interests or specialties post-graduation. For these reasons, it is essential that veterinarians be competent, self-regulated, life-long learners. Despite agreement regarding the importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) for veterinary professionals, there is currently a paucity of data available on self-regulated learning in veterinary students. The Self-Regulated Learning Perception Scale (SRLPS) is a 41-item instrument that has been previously validated in other graduate student populations, including medical students. It addresses four domains of self-regulated learning including motivation and action to learning, planning and goal setting, strategies for learning, and assessment and self-directedness. For this project, we hypothesized that the SRLPS would have high reliability among veterinary students. As part of a larger online survey, 82 veterinary students (years 1–4) voluntarily completed the SRLPS. The instrument was generally internally consistent, with the dimensions “Motivation and action to learn,” “Planning and goal setting,” “Strategies for learning and assessment,” and “Lack of self-directedness” having Cronbach's alpha values of .73, .8, .87, and .63 respectively. The SRLPS could have broad applications in veterinary educational practices and research, including assessing impact of courses on professional development and/or coaching/mentoring programs and better understanding short- and long-term educational and career outcomes for veterinarians.

Enhancing the role of our furry patients in the veterinary medical curriculum: Animal Instructors Program.

Enhancing the role of our furry patients in the veterinary medical curriculum: Animal Instructors Program.

A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Year Veterinary Student Journal Entries for a Shelter Medicine Rotation.

Veterinary medical schools are tasked with not only providing experiences necessary to graduate veterinarians proficient in the skills and knowledge used most frequently in private practice, but also develop expertise in animal behavior, welfare, ethics, veterinary forensics, and cultural competency. Integrating all these knowledge areas into the curriculum can be challenging. Shelter medicine is increasingly identified by educators as an optimal learning environment to offer exposure to these topics. It can not only meet learning objectives in veterinary medical curriculum, but also provide students with authentic learning experiences to engage in and gain a deeper understanding of cultural humility, implicit bias, diversity, and inclusion. This includes documentation of international learning outcomes for shelter medicine in veterinary medical curriculum. There have been no studies evaluating authentic learning experiences specific to shelter medicine programs and their impacts on students. The aim of this study was to determine the individual activities and thematic categories on which veterinary students chose to reflect on and their potential impacts during a clinical rotation in shelter medicine at Penn Vet through qualitative content analysis of their journal entries. In our study, students found experiences on the shelter medicine rotation to be beneficial to their growth as a future veterinarian, provided them with takeaways that they found applicable and practical, helped them self-identify knowledge gaps, and changed their perspectives on several important topics related to collective human and animal welfare. These results speak to the value perceived by students of the rotation and suggest an authentic learning experience through a shelter medicine program can help cultivate more practice-ready and culturally competent veterinary graduates.

A Retrospective Analysis of Pre-/Post-Test Scores of Students Participating in Online Asynchronous Shelter Surgery Coursework.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine first offered the elective Student Shelter Opportunities I (SSOI) course in 2016 to provide pre-clinical students with an opportunity to engage with shelter medicine and high-quality, high-volume surgery (HQHVS) concepts. The course utilized online asynchronous coursework to deliver content that was completed on a self-guided timeline by students. With most of the veterinary medical curriculum delivered in a traditional classroom format, it is important to assess learning in this unique course format. There is also limited information on educational experiences in online shelter medicine coursework. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate student learning in the asynchronous online portion of the SSOI elective course using paired pre- and post-test scores from a multiple-choice type assessment. The study investigated how students' pre-test and post-test scores compared and whether time to completion of material influenced student assessment performance. Paired assessments from 400 students were analyzed, and a statistically significant increase was found in post-test scores compared to pre-test following completion of the online coursework (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the mean change in score from pre-test to post-test for students who completed the online course material in 30 days or less compared to those who completed it in greater than 30 days. This study's findings support online asynchronous learning as an effective option to teach veterinary students and can be considered in the development of veterinary coursework, including for curricular adjustments to increase online learning during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Creating an Authentic Small Animal Primary Care Experience Using Online Simulated Appointments.

Clinical clerkships have long been a pillar of veterinary medical education. These experiences provide students a unique opportunity to apply skills learned in pre-clinical training through hands-on practice. However, the emergence of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the subsequent global pandemic of 2020 forced many clinical instructors to adapt to teaching online. This teaching tip describes the use of backward design to create a three-part online clinical learning environment for the delivery of small animal primary care consisting of synchronous rounds, simulated online appointments, and independent learning activities. Results of a survey of students' perspectives on the experience demonstrate that the majority of students found that the online clinical experience met or exceeded expectations and provided a meaningful learning experience. Recommendations based on student feedback and instructor reflection are provided to guide creation and implementation of future online clinical courses. As the field of telemedicine grows, we view incorporation of such learning environments into veterinary medical education curriculum as essential to preparing students to enter the modern veterinary workplace.

Associations among Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Intelligence among Veterinary Medicine Students.

Background: Veterinary students are faced with immense pressures and rigors during school. These pressures have contributed to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD) among veterinary students relative to the general population. One proposed concept to help students combat SAD is that of emotional intelligence (EI). We explored the relationship between EI and SAD among veterinary students at a college in the Southeast United States. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was implemented among a convenience sample of 182 veterinary medical students. The survey instrument contained 56 items that elicited information about students’ demographics, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and emotional intelligence levels. Data analysis included univariate statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple regression and independent samples t-tests. Results: The study revealed a statistically significant, negative correlation between EI levels and stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, a statistically significant, positive correlation was found between stress and anxiety as well as both stress and anxiety and depression. Multiple linear regression showed that EI was a statistically significant predictor of stress (b = −0.239, p < 0.001), anxiety (b = −0.044, p < 0.001), and depression (b = −0.063, p < 0.001), after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Students’ t-test results revealed a statistically significant mean difference in EI scores among students screening positive versus negative for depression, with students screening negative having a mean EI score of 10.81 points higher than students who screened positive for depression. Conclusion: There is a scientifically supported need for interventions in veterinary school to integrate EI into the veterinary medical curriculum and consider the EI levels of veterinary student candidates.

Contemporary Challenges for Veterinary Medical Education: Examining the State of Inter-Professional Education in Veterinary Medicine.

Educational training in professional programs forms the foundation for how a person problem-solves throughout their career. However, training focused on only one profession ignores the value realized through collaborations among multiple professions for solving health-related problems. This is at the core of inter-professional education (IPE). Effective IPE programs can result in inter-professional collaboration and translation science endeavors across the health sciences and beyond. Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis highlight the importance of veterinary medicine in advancing One Health through IPE. The prevalence of IPE programs in veterinary curricula, and the process by which these have been established, has not been widely described in the literature. Through an 18-question survey sent to associate deans (ADs) of 50 veterinary schools, we sought to determine the status of IPE in the veterinary curriculum. Thirty-nine schools agreed to participate, representing primarily United States Doctor of Veterinary Medicine public and private programs with some representation from Canadian, United Kingdom, and Australasian programs. Schools that provide IPE courses developed their programs in collaboration with other health sciences programs across the 4-year curriculum. The perceived barriers for IPE offerings were no different between schools with or without opportunities; however, a lack of faculty and student-perceived value and lack of adequate space in the academic schedule were common threads. Our findings provide a snapshot of the current state of IPE in veterinary medical curricula, with a particular emphasis on the United States, and point to areas of programmatic need for the field.

Inter-Institutional Collaboration for the Development of a Local Peer Observation Process to Enhance Teaching.

Local peer observation of teaching is considered an important mechanism for instructors to improve the quality and effectiveness of their teaching, but there is an absence of uniformity to establish a best practice for this process in veterinary curricula. The Regional Teaching Academy (RTA) of the Consortium of Western Colleges of Veterinary Medicine is comprised of educational advocates from five western veterinary colleges with a common goal of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education in veterinary medical curricula. Members of the RTA recognized this deficit in best practices for local peer observation (LPO) and formed a working group called "Local Peer Observation of Teaching." The goal was to meet a critical need for the enhancement of individual teaching skills by using a scholarly approach to develop robust methods for peer observation of teaching. Two rubric-based instruments were developed: one for large-group/didactic settings, and the second for small-group/clinical settings. Each is accompanied by pre- and post-observation worksheets which are considered instrumental to success. Results of a qualitative survey of instrument users' experiences are shared. Both observers and observees view the experiential learning from faculty peer colleagues very positively and the meaningful feedback is appreciated and incorporated by observees. Suggestions for implementation of the peer observation process are discussed, considering strengths and challenges. The purpose of this article is to describe in depth, the development process and output of the efforts of the Local Peer Observation of Teaching working group as a potential best practice guideline for peer observation.

Ontario Veterinary College First-Year Veterinary Students' Perceptions of Companion Animal Nutrition and Their Own Nutrition: Implications for a Veterinary Nutrition Curriculum.

Extant research shows veterinarians face increasing challenges in discussing nutrition with clients despite receiving professional nutrition education in the veterinary medical curriculum. This article's aim is to elicit student veterinarians' baseline nutrition-related perceptions and nutrition information-seeking behaviors at the time of entering veterinary school. Participants were newly enrolled veterinary students at the Ontario Veterinary College (n = 120). Focus group discussions (n = 19) informed the design of an online questionnaire capturing students' demographics and perceptions of their own and their pets' nutrition. Students reported being influenced by individual factors (e.g., time), social networks (e.g., family), and surrounding environment (e.g., cost, contradictory media messages). Overall, 58% of students considered themselves knowledgeable about pet nutrition when commencing veterinary school, with 71% prioritizing their pets' diets as much as their own. Students' confidence in finding pet nutrition information was correlated with perceived accessibility (r = .76, p = .001) and perceived quantity of information available on pet nutrition (r = .83, p = .001), but not quality of information (r = .13, p = .03). In general, students relied on and trusted veterinarians for nutrition advice. However, 94% of students mistrusted pet food companies' motivations. Our data support that students entering veterinary school have their own perceptions on pet nutrition that impact nutrition education, suggesting this as an important consideration in the design and delivery of a veterinary nutrition curriculum. Veterinary medical faculty should be encouraged to discuss baseline nutrition information and address any misconceptions to prepare students for future consultations with clients.

Direct Measurement of Veterinary Student Learning Outcomes for the NAVMEC Professional Competencies in a Multi-User Virtual Learning Environment.

Education in veterinary medicine, as in other allied health care-health science professions and academia in general, has been subject to the public call for accountability for the quality of its student learning outcomes. A principal stakeholder in veterinary medicine is the American Veterinary Medical Association-Council on Education (AVMA-COE). AVMA-COE has adopted program accreditation standards requiring veterinary colleges to provide evidence that they are measuring and assessing the clinical competency of students before graduation and again shortly after graduation. Schools and colleges are required to develop relevant measures to validate scientific knowledge, skills, and values aligned with North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC) core competencies. Beginning in May 2012, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University modified the professional veterinary medical curriculum by including a required clinical rotation centered on veterinary emergency preparedness and response. A distinguishing major component of the instructional design of the clinical rotation includes Second Life, a commercially obtained computer-generated multi-user virtual simulation learning environment. The virtual reality situations require high-volume, mass-casualty medical triage decision making. The interpersonal communications and interactivity among students, faculty, and third-party actors enable faculty and instructor observers and simulation facilitators to evaluate students actively engaged in critical thinking and complex problem solving while demonstrating skill in the NAVMEC professional competencies. The Second Life virtual simulation has been adopted as a primary tool for direct measurement of student learning objectives outcomes achieved in this clinical rotation and is being implemented in other clinical teaching platforms.

Improvement of Spatial and Non-verbal General Reasoning Abilities in Female Veterinary Medical Students Over the First 64 Weeks of an Integrated Curriculum.

Spatial visualization ability is defined as the ability to mentally rotate two- and three-dimensional figures. Visual reasoning is the ability to manipulate mental images of an object to reach a certain conclusion and has been linked to spatial ability. There is currently limited information about how entry-level spatial and visual reasoning abilities may be enhanced with progression through the rigorous veterinary medical curriculum. The present study made use of two tests that measure spatial ability and one test that measures non-verbal general reasoning ability in female veterinary students: Guay's Visualization of Views Test, Adapted Version (VVT), Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, short form (APMT). Tests were given immediately before commencing the integrated veterinary medical curriculum (T0), at week 32 (T1), and at week 64 (T2) into the program. Results showed improved spatial visualization ability as measured by VVT and MRT and improved non-verbal general reasoning ability as measured by APMT at both 32 and 64 weeks. The spatial ability scores measured by VVT and MRT showed a positive correlation with non-verbal general reasoning ability scores (APMT), supporting the idea that these abilities are linked.

Sleep Quality and Sleepiness Among Veterinary Medical Students Over an Academic Year.

Good sleep health is a key component to good personal well-being. It has been postulated that veterinary students have poor sleep health, but few measurements have been undertaken. This study measured Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale values at multiple points throughout an academic year for students in a veterinary medical curriculum. Students were found to have overall poor sleep quality and above average to excessive daytime sleepiness. Further investigation is necessary to determine specific causes as well as what action can be taken to improve student sleep health.

Improvement of spatial and non‐verbal general reasoning abilities in female veterinary medical students

Spatial visualization ability refers to the human cognitive ability to form, retrieve and manipulate mental models of spatial nature. Visual reasoning ability has been linked to spatial ability. There is currently limited information about how entry‐level spatial and visual reasoning abilities may predict veterinary anatomy performance or may be enhanced with progression through the veterinary anatomy content in an integrated curriculum. The present study made use of two tests that measure spatial ability, and one test that measures non‐verbal general reasoning ability in female veterinary students: Guay's visualization of views test, adapted version (VVT), mental rotations test (MRT), and Raven's advanced progressive matrices test, short form (APMT). Tests were given to female veterinary medical students immediately before commencing the integrated veterinary medical curriculum (T0), at week 32 (T1) and, at week 64 (T2) into the program.Results showed that first‐year female veterinary medical students exposed to an integrated curriculum for 64 weeks improved their spatial visualization ability as measured by VVT and MRT. A long‐term improvement of their non‐verbal general reasoning ability as measured by APMT was also observed. Spatial ability scores measured by VVT and MRT showed a long‐term positive correlation with non‐verbal general reasoning ability scores (APMT) establishing that these abilities are linked.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Entry-Level Spatial and General Non-verbal Reasoning: Can These Abilities be Used as a Predictor for Anatomy Performance in Veterinary Medical Students?

There is currently limited available information, but growing interest, in possible relationships between spatial visualization skills in medical students and their academic performance in select areas of the curriculum such as radiographic interpretation and anatomy. There is very limited comparable information on how entry-level spatial visualization skills may correlate with macroscopic anatomy performance in veterinary medical students exposed to an integrated curriculum. The present study made use of a battery of two short tests that measure spatial ability: Guay's visualization of views test (VVT) and mental rotation test (MRT) and, one test that measures general non-verbal reasoning abilities: Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, short form (APMT). Tests were given to 1st-year veterinary medical students (n = 124) immediately before commencing the integrated veterinary medical curriculum. Results show there is a positive correlation between entry-level spatial ability and non-verbal general reasoning scores confirming these abilities are linked (r: +0.22 and +0.3 for VVT/APMT and MRT/APMT respectively). The dispersion and inconsistency of significant positive correlation between anatomy practical exams grade and spatial and general reasoning scores suggest these abilities either do not correlate with anatomy practical exams grade or, are overcome with progression through the anatomy courses. Males scored higher than females in the spatial ability tests: 16.59 vs. 12.06 for VVT (p = 0.01) and 19.0 vs. 14.68 for MRT (p = 0.01). Scores for APMT did not show a significant difference by gender.

The challenges and limitations of magnetic resonance imaging technique in veterinary curriculum and clinical practice in Nigeria

As veterinary practice advances globally, the outcome of most treatments depends largely upon appropriate definitive diagnosis. Over the years projection radiography was the main imaging technique being utilised for radio-diagnosis of clinical conditions that would give the 2D images of a 3D structure and had narrow exposure latitude. However, with the advent of modern diagnostic techniques, such problems have been largely resolved. There are a number of imaging techniques like ultrasonography, computed tomography, nuclear medicine scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging that are currently available for clinical veterinary diagnosis. Each with its strengths and weaknesses. More than one technique therefore, may be used to compliment or supplement the findings of other techniques to arrive at a final diagnosis. The modern imaging diagnosis though well established in developed countries across the globe, it is yet to be embraced or remains in its infancy stage in veterinary curriculum and practice in Nigeria; due to heavy initial investment and maintenance costs, lack of professionals, requirements of specialized skilled technical staff to manage the machines and the need for adjustable machines to accommodate the different species of animal. This study presents a brief review and update of the development, challenges and status of a diagnostic imaging technique – Magnetic Resonance Imaging in veterinary medical curriculum and practice in Nigeria. Keywords : Clinical practice, Challenges, Limitation, Magnetic resonance imaging, Nigeria

Do we have the courage needed to pursue structural reform of the veterinary medical degree curriculum?

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Spatial and Visual Reasoning: Do These Abilities Improve in First-Year Veterinary Medical Students Exposed to an Integrated Curriculum?

Spatial visualization ability refers to the human cognitive ability to form, retrieve, and manipulate mental models of spatial nature. Visual reasoning ability has been linked to spatial ability. There is currently limited information about how entry-level spatial and visual reasoning abilities may predict veterinary anatomy performance or may be enhanced with progression through the veterinary anatomy content in an integrated curriculum. The present study made use of two tests that measure spatial ability and one test that measures visual reasoning ability in veterinary students: Guay's Visualization of Views Test, adapted version (GVVT), the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, short form (RavenT). The tests were given to the entering class of veterinary students during their orientation week and at week 32 in the veterinary medical curriculum. Mean score on the MRT significantly increased from 15.2 to 20.1, and on the RavenT significantly increased from 7.5 to 8.8. When females only were evaluated, results were similar to the total class outcome; however, all three tests showed significant increases in mean scores. A positive correlation between the pre- and post-test scores was found for all three tests. The present results should be considered preliminary at best for associating anatomic learning in an integrated curriculum with spatial and visual reasoning abilities. Other components of the curriculum, for instance histology or physiology, could also influence the improved spatial visualization and visual reasoning test scores at week 32.

The Challenges and Issues of Undergraduate Student Retention and Attainment in UK Veterinary Medical Education.

Student retention and attainment has recently been identified as a key area for development in veterinary medical education enquiry. Woodfield's research on retention and attainment across the UK disciplines has yielded some unique information about the challenges and issues of students who study veterinary medicine and related subjects. The present literature review aims to expand on Woodfield's findings and explain important issues about retention and attainment across veterinary medicine. Overall, the subject of retention and attainment in undergraduate veterinary medical education needs a great deal more empirical attention, such as data on the retention and attainment of mature and widening access students, and the effects of students being placed at remote locations during their studies. Our findings also cover some unsurprising issues: the dominance of women in a profession that is principally lead by men, the underrepresentation of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in veterinary medicine, and the effects of content overload in the veterinary medical curriculum. Based on data gathered by Woodfield and our investigation of the scholarly and gray literatures, we offer an overview of gaps in current knowledge and recommendations for further research.

The Evidence Base for Developing a Veterinary Business Management Curriculum

Objective: This paper sets out to highlight the ongoing need for integrated teaching of business skills in the veterinary curriculum.Background: In response to the changing environment of the veterinary profession, it is important to understand the future needs of veterinary practitioners. While changes to the veterinary curriculum have been made in recent years, they have been highly varied across schools and little evidence is available on how these have improved students’ non-technical skills, knowledge, aptitudes, and attitudes. Evidentiary value: This literature review of 23 papers provides a solid basis for the further development of knowledge on business management issues in veterinary curricula. The impact on practice from our findings is substantial. The role of clinicians in academia is recognised as a primary source of engaging students with business management through their day-to-day teaching. Furthermore, the role of first-opinion vets who take on placement students (known as extra mural studies or ‘EMS’ in the UK) cannot be underestimated as they play an essential role in ensuring that students perceive business skills with the same importance as clinical skills.Methods: This research draws on the findings of 23 papers that emerged as relevant from the structured literature search. The search yielded 124 papers but many were excluded because they focused on issues beyond the search strategy, did not report empirical findings so were based largely on discussion and conjecture, were not about the undergraduate veterinary curriculum, were not written in English or were not related to business teaching.Results: Employers of recent graduates highly value business skills, and often base their hiring decision on non-technical skills, rather than clinical skills. While changes to the veterinary curriculum have been made to include more non-technical training by individual veterinary schools, it is unclear how effective these programmes have been.Conclusion: Veterinarians have identified a need for greater inclusion of business skills in the veterinary curriculum, however successfully integrating business skills into the curriculum will mean that students learn business principles in non-traditional, non-lecture-style environments with materials inter-twining with clinical teaching. This will mean a significant shift from traditional classroom based delivery of business lectures to an integrated approach. This can only be achieved if business and clinical teaching staff work together in delivering business education to the next generation of veterinarians. That said, the evidence regarding the importance of business within the veterinary medical curriculum, coupled with increasing competition in the market for first-opinion veterinary services, means that changes in the approach to teaching business may be easier to achieve than ever before.Application: The results of this research are applicable to practicing veterinarians in both academic and private practice. It is clear that business management needs to be integrated throughout the veterinary curriculum and thus ‘owned’ by academics with both clinical and non-clinical roles. Veterinarians in private practice also have a critical role to play as these people are the gatekeepers to the real-world experience that placement students encounter.