Veterinary Medical Students Research Articles

Using a Positive Psychology Lens to Understand How Veterinary Medicine Learning Contexts Promote Student Thriving and Inhibit Frustration.

To develop a veterinary workforce equipped for long-term professional success, educational institutions must prioritize their students' well-being. Most approaches focus on building assets within the individual, like stress management, to limit negative outcomes, like burnout. Our research proposes a positive psychology-based model of student thriving that instead emphasizes the pervasive role of the social climate within a context. Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) posits that social relationships at the institutional, faculty and staff, and peer levels will promote student thriving and limit frustration through the satisfaction or frustration of the three psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Veterinary medical students across the United States (N = 202) completed a survey, and we used structural equation modeling to test how their institution's social climate predicted positive student outcomes (i.e., hope and life satisfaction) and a negative outcome (i.e., burnout) mediated by psychological need satisfaction and frustration. Students' perceptions of positive aspects of their institution's social climate ubiquitously predicted each variable in the model. Overall, the model positively predicted psychological need satisfaction (R2 = .44), hope (R2 = .67) and life satisfaction (R2 = .51), and negatively predicted psychological need frustration (R2 = .34) and burnout (R2 = .87). Findings emphasize the role veterinary medicine peers, faculty, and staff play in creating learning environments that support student thriving while limiting their frustration. By leveraging the interpersonal qualities posited by BPNT's parent theory, self-determination theory, veterinary medical colleges can build a culture of student support that benefits all within their system.

Structured Intervention of Early Term Preclinical Veterinary Students Experiencing Academic Peril Improves Academic Performance.

Veterinary medical students experiencing curricular challenges naturally look to their institution for resources to facilitate improvement in academic productivity. Academic remediation programs tend to be institution-specific, and their impact on student success is uncommonly interrogated using rigorous objective assessment. This study investigated the deployment of an academic development program (ADP) in the second semester of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Program. The research focused on the impact of the ADP on student attrition, mean semester course grade improvements, and performance on the Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA) examination. Performance metrics were compared between the ADP group and a control group (CG) of students from one semester ahead who were determined to be demographically equivalent and in the same class (bottom) quartile as the ADP group but did not have any structured academic remediation. The findings indicate that students participating in the ADP had less attrition and gradual increases in end-of-semester grades, such that by the beginning of their 5th semester, ADP students' grades were indistinguishable from upper quartiles in their class. This trend was not observed in the CG class with significant differences still present between the lower quartiles (i.e., CG) grades and the remainder of the class (p = .0046). ADP enrollment had a positive effect on VEA scores with mean scale score increased by 4.83 points (p = .017). This study provided the framework for a successful institutional academic remediation program that could be modeled at other institutions striving to bolster student support services.

Application of augmented reality models of canine skull in veterinary anatomical education.

Veterinary anatomy plays a crucial role in the curriculum for veterinary medicine and surgery. The integration of modern information technology in veterinary education can greatly benefit from innovative tools such as augmented reality (AR) applications. The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and interactive three-dimensional (3D) digital model of an animal skull using AR technology, aiming to enhance the learning of skull anatomy in veterinary anatomy education. In this study, a canine skull specimen was isolated, and the skull bones were scanned using a structured light scanner to create a 3D digital model of the canine skull, which was found to be indistinguishable from the original specimen by measurement of skull proportions. Furthermore, the interactive AR model of the canine skull, displayed using Unity3D, was subjected to testing and evaluation by 60 first-year veterinary medical students attending the gross anatomy of the animal. The students were divided into two groups: the traditional group and AR group. Both groups completed an objective test and a questionnaire. The evaluation of learning effectiveness in the test revealed no significant difference between the traditional group (which learned using textbooks and a canine skull specimen) and AR group (which learned using AR tools). However, in the questionnaire, students displayed high enthusiasm and interest in using the AR tool. Therefore, the application of AR tools can improve students' motivation for learning and enhance the comprehension of anatomical structures in three dimensions. Furthermore, this study exemplifies the use of AR as an auxiliary tool for teaching and learning in veterinary anatomy education.

The Influence of Mode of Instruction (Recorded Versus In-Person Lecture) on Student Achievement on Written Examinations in a Veterinary Clinical Toxicology Course.

The use of recorded on-line lecture presentation has increased in recent years in veterinary medical education. The effects of recorded on-line lectures on student knowledge acquisition are incompletely studied and there is very little information specifically addressing veterinary medical students. We studied the written examination performance of 373 third-year students spanning 4 calendar years (2017-2019, 2022) enrolled in a veterinary toxicology course which were exposed to either in-person lectures or recorded lectures of the exact same material. There was no difference in overall examination performance for students receiving on-line instruction compared to in-person lectures from the same instructor and instructional materials (p = .254). However, students receiving in-person lectures compared to those that received recorded lectures demonstrated improved performance on exact matching questions (92.9% vs. 81.8%, respectively; p < .001). This study contributes to the limited body of knowledge regarding didactic instructional methodology in veterinary medicine. Further and more detailed studies are warranted to ensure optimal methods are employed in veterinary student instruction.

Relationships between psychological characteristics, academic fit and engagement with academic performance in veterinary medical students

BackgroundRecognition of the factors that influence academic performance in university students constitutes one of the key objectives of education researchers. Few studies have been conducted in this sphere in relation to veterinary students; however, considering the high levels of depression, anxiety symptoms, and decreased life satisfaction revealed in recent literature for this demographic, understanding these factors is of great importance. Moreover, the literature on veterinary education has mostly focused on cognitive factors as antecedents to academic performance, while very little attention has been directed toward personal characteristics.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationships between psychological characteristics (internal locus of control and self-efficacy), academic fit, well-being (engagement and exhaustion), and academic performance (average grade) among veterinary students. The study was conducted in the Department of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Turin between September 2021 and January 2022 involving 231 students.ResultsThe results of the Structural Equation Model confirmed a positive relationship between both internal locus of control and self-efficacy and academic fit, which in turn showed a positive relationship with engagement and a negative relationship with exhaustion. Finally, a significant positive relationship between engagement and academic performance was highlighted. Indirect effects were also significant, confirming the mediating role of academic fit and engagement.ConclusionsThe study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the direct and indirect relationships among the variables selected in a sample group of veterinary students. These findings provide information for practical interventions that could support the academic experience and prospects of veterinary students by improving their psychological parameters and well-being.

Differences in Sleep Quality and Sleepiness among Veterinary Medical Students at MultipleInstitutions Before and After the Pandemic Induced Transition to Online Learning.

Poor sleep health has been previously documented in veterinary medical students. However, it is not known how universal or widespread this problem is. This study evaluated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores to measure sleep health among students at seven colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States (US). Inadvertently, the transition to online only learning due to the global COVID-19 pandemic was also captured. Veterinary students were found to have universally poor sleep quality and high daytime sleepiness. The transition to online only learning appeared to have little impact on sleep quality, but improved daytime sleepiness scores were observed. The findings suggest poor sleep health is common among veterinary medical students at multiple institutions in the US and that further investigation is necessary.

Effectiveness of Jacobson's progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques on enhancing sleep quality and psychological well-being among veterinary medical final year student

Sleep is most important thing . Lack of sleep cause major issues. It affects psychological well being. It's an intervention based study. The survey was carried out by providing the printed form of a questionnaire to the respondents. Data was collected from 100 participants for this study from Chennai district. From these 100 participants, 40 of the participants were eligible to participate in this study and met with the inclusion and exclusion criteria This study concluded that two weeks of Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique was effective in enhancing sleep quality and psychological well being Hence, JPMRT should be incorporated to improve sleep and psychological well-being

Exploring Students’ Perceptions in Sustainable Disciplinary Language Learning in an English-Medium Instruction University: A Case Study of Hong Kong Veterinary Medical Students

University students are expected to develop the skills required for their disciplines, especially those who have learnt English as a foreign language and study at English-medium instruction (EMI) universities. This study investigates the disciplinary literacy needs of students of veterinary medicine. The data were collected using a large-scale survey (n = 122) of students and interviews with five practitioners of veterinary medicine. The findings show that the student vets were trained to carry out highly demanding duties during their clinical placements, such as reading medical case histories, making diagnoses, elaborating on treatment plans for their clients, and composing referrals and medical reports. However, they were exposed to a challenging EMI environment where the requirement to speak and write in English significantly hindered the effectiveness of their learning. A discrepancy in disciplinary tasks between school and the workplace was also revealed. Therefore, it is crucial that researchers and educators at veterinary schools address students’ learning challenges to ensure they have the effective English language skills (including reading, writing, and speaking) they need to meet the language demands of their future clinical work and an understanding of the academic genres of veterinary medicine. This study also showcases the types of multi-literacies (i.e., academic genres and communication skills) needed to fulfil certain clinical duties, and the pedagogical implications are discussed.

Comparison of Veterinary Student Understanding of Extrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts When Given a Pre-Lecture Activity of a Text-Only Narrative versus an Interactive Electronic Book.

Complex vascular anomalies are often difficult concepts for veterinary medical students to comprehend, as knowledge of normal anatomy, visualization of the abnormal anatomy, and understanding of the physiologic implications of that abnormality are all required to appreciate the clinical impacts of the anomaly. Access to interactive 3D models of both the normal and abnormal vasculatures may improve student comprehension. In this study, third-year veterinary medical students in a core small animal digestive diseases course completed a pre-lecture assignment consisting of a text-only narrative (n = 100) or an interactive electronic book (e-book; n = 102) focused on extrahepatic portosystemic shunts, followed by two generative learning activities in which they described portal anatomy and extrahepatic portosystemic shunts. An optional, anonymous post-lecture learning assessment was given to both groups. Although no difference in post-lecture assessment scores was identified between the groups, students using the interactive e-book spent significantly longer on the pre-lecture assignment and activities than students in the text-only narrative group. Students in the text-only narrative group were more likely to use spatial visualization strategies during the generative learning activities than students in the e-book group. There was no correlation between time spent on the pre-lecture tasks and learning assessment score. Interactive e-books and generative learning activities may be useful adjunct pre-lecture learning tools for teaching of complex vascular anomalies to veterinary medical students.

Depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk in German veterinary medical students compared to the German general population.

Various studies from different countries indicated that veterinarians have a significantly increased risk of depression, suicidal ideation and of death by suicide. For German veterinarians a recent study has demonstrated a three times higher rate for depression, two times higher rate for suicidal ideation and a five times higher suicide risk compared to the German general population. For veterinary students, recent studies in the US and UK indicated higher mental distress. To date, empirical studies on depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk among veterinary students in Germany were lacking so far. This study investigates depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk of veterinary students in Germany. 913 German veterinary students (14.3% response rate, 90.7% women, mean age 23.6 years) between 18 and 46 years were included and compared with representative German general population samples from 2007 (N = 1097, 55.4% women, mean age 33.9) and 2015 (N = 1033, 56.1% women, mean age 32.8) of the same age range using the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Suicide Behaviors questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The general population samples were collected with the assistance of a demographic consulting company. The prevalence of depression among German veterinary students was 45.9% (compared to 3.2% in the general population), suicidal ideation was 19.9% (compared to 4.5% in the general population) and suicide risk was 24.0% (compared to 6.6% in the general population). In this study, German veterinary students have a 22.1 times higher risk to be screened positive for depression, a 4 times higher risk for reporting current suicidal ideation and they are 4.2 times more likely to have an increased suicide risk compared with the general population in Germany of the same age range.

E-Learning Impact on Veterinary Medical Student's Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Veterinary medical students are known to have significant levels of mental illness. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online learning have brought increased psychological stress. We used a web-based survey to ask 415 veterinary medical students from Portugal about the impact of the pandemic and online learning on their anxiety levels. Results were analyzed using logistic regressions and Spearman's correlation. Results indicated that 15.4% had no symptoms of anxiety, 39.5% experienced mild anxiety, 21.4% had moderate anxiety, and 23.6% experienced severe anxiety. Having difficulty sleeping, the stress associated with confinement, and family conflicts were risk factors for anxiety, while being male was found to be protective. Most veterinary medical students (77%) were satisfied with online learning. The university's adaptation to online teaching and time spent participating in online classes were significantly associated with anxiety. Due to the known fragility of veterinary medical students' mental health, this group should be monitored and supported closely during life-disrupting events such as public health emergencies.

Predictors of Psychological Well-Being among Veterinary Medical Students.

This study evaluated associations between healthy activities of daily living, common stressors, and psychological well-being among 230 veterinary medical students at Kansas State University. Participants completed the Psychological Wellbeing Scale during the fall semester of 2019. Additionally, students provided information about specific stressors, healthy activities of daily living, and relevant demographic information. Similar to previous studies, participants in this study reported being concerns about heavy workloads, being behind in studies, inefficient study, and academic performance. On average, the students in this study ate fewer than three meals per day, slept less than 7 hours per night, exercised only twice per week, and spent an average of 83 minutes per day on social media platforms. A higher number of daily meals, more days of exercise, and more frequent contact with one's support system, particularly significant others and family members, predicted students' increased psychological well-being. In contrast, lower psychological well-being scores were associated with comparing oneself to others and financial distress. This study identifies potential activities that students can engage in to improve psychological well-being. The discussion section provides specific suggestions for intervention.

Evaluation of Veterinary Medical Student Retention of Pre-clinical Concepts with Various Experiential Learning Methods.

Many veterinary medical colleges have undergone curricular changes that have moved away from traditional lecture-based teaching in favor of evidence-based, experiential methods of instruction. Such a curricular reinvention occurred in 2018 at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, with individual courses using numerous instructional and learning methods. In the present study, three courses were assessed, two of which used a method of experiential learning, and the other utilizing a traditional lecture approach. The purpose of this study was to determine if the method of instruction impacted exam grades, content retention, and student perspective. Methods of teaching and learning were quantified for each course using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM. Following completion of each course, participants (n = 27) retook the same final examination and participated in a survey to evaluate their perspective 5 weeks later. Mean scores on the initial examinations in the experiential learning courses were significantly higher than the mean score of the traditional lecture course (p = .01). However, mean retake examination scores were similar for all courses (p = .76). Students reported more confidence with course materials and examinations in courses that incorporated active learning strategies. Although true retention is difficult to assess in veterinary medicine, evaluation of student perspectives suggests the use of experiential learning methods primarily or in combination with lecture-based material to support student learning of pre-clinical concepts. Future controlled studies are needed to evaluate veterinary students' short- and long-term learning and retention.

Evaluation of a Low-cost Renal Simulator for the Diagnostic Ultrasound Training of Veterinary Medicine Students.

The acquisition of ultrasound diagnostic skills via training is important for undergraduate veterinary medical students. Unfortunately, commercial simulators are costly, which limits their use and makes it necessary to develop low-cost simulators for training purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an easily constructed, low-cost, high-fidelity renal simulator for use in diagnostic ultrasound training of veterinary medical students. To construct the simulators, donated cat kidneys were embedded in a prepared agar matrix. The echogenicity of ultrasound scans obtained on the kidney simulator was assessed by the subject lecturers and compared with images acquired during clinical routine diagnostic procedures. Five students with no prior experience of the technique, under the direct supervision of a lecturer, performed five B-mode ultrasound examinations of the renal structure of the simulator. The structure of the kidney was assessed, and its length, width and thickness were measured. Three lecturers performed the same procedure as the students, and their results were used for comparison. Appropriate anatomical and ultrasonographic realism was achieved for each of the three layers of the kidney (cortex, medulla and pelvis), and similar pixel values were obtained with the simulator model and actual clinical diagnostic ultrasounds. In addition, the kidney dimensions acquired by the students were consistent with those acquired by the lecturers. Thus, the proposed kidney simulator can be used for the training of veterinary medicine students in ultrasonographic diagnostic techniques.

Assessing Moral Judgements in Veterinary Students: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study from Germany.

Simple SummaryOn the one hand, veterinary ethics is a required part of veterinary education. On the other hand, the success of ethics teaching and the students’ skills concerning judgements in morally demanding situations are hardly evaluated systematically. This article presents an innovative tool to evaluate those skills in veterinary students in a first case of application. One group of students in this case had taken ethics classes, the other had not. The participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire with different scenarios from veterinary practice and answer additional free-text questions. Students who had taken ethics classes did not answer generally different from those students who had not taken ethics classes. However, there were many overall differences between the students’ answers, decisions, attitudes, and explanations. The tool is therefore suggested for further evaluations of ethics teaching and moral judgement skills in veterinary students.Although veterinary ethics is required in veterinary curricula and part of the competencies expected of a trained veterinary surgeon according to the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), knowledge concerning the effects of ethics teaching and tools evaluating moral judgement are scarce. To address this lack of tools with a mixed-methods approach, a questionnaire with three case scenarios presenting typical ethical conflicts of veterinary practice was administered to two groups of veterinary students (one had taken ethics classes, one did not). The questionnaire contained both open-ended and closed questions and was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative part aimed at revealing different argumentation patterns between the two groups, whereas the quantitative part focused on the students’ approval of different roles and attitudes possibly relating to veterinarians. The results showed no major differences between both groups. However, answering patterns suggest a clear diversity among the students in their perception of morally relevant factors and the veterinary profession. Awareness of morally challenging elements of their profession was presented by students of both groups. With this exploratory study, the application of an innovative mixed-methods tool for evaluating the moral judgement of veterinary medical students is demonstrated.

A Qualitative Study of How On-Campus Faculty and Off-Campus Preceptors Evaluate Veterinary Students' Professionalism.

Professionalism is defined and described in a variety of ways that differ considerably in details and quantity. While professionalism has become increasingly important, educators' opinions regarding the types of professionalism vary. The objective of this qualitative study was to evaluate faculty and preceptors' perspectives regarding veterinary medical students' professionalism during their clinical rotations. A thematic content analysis was performed to classify 2,014 comments. Five main themes emerged: (a) work ethic and attitude; (b) effective interactions with clients and delivering patient care; (c) effective interactions with health care professionals; (d) punctuality, task completion, and organization; and (e) commitment to improving competency in self and others. The importance of professionalism was stressed by both groups of faculty and preceptors through written comments; however, the magnitude of each theme differed. The results indicate that without understanding professionalism elements, the lack of conceptual clarity and consensus related to expected behaviors and attitudes would make it challenging to assess professionalism appropriately. The themes identified can be used to begin a discussion about expected behavior among faculty, preceptors, and students, therefore prompting a reasonable assessment of professionalism, as well as avoiding unprofessional behavior.

Antimicrobial and Antibiotic Resistance from the Perspective of Polish Veterinary Students: An Inter-University Study.

The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is a global problem that affects the use of antibiotics by humans and animal husbandry. One of the primary reasons for the growing phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is the over-prescription of antibiotics by doctors in human medicine and the overuse of antibiotics in industrial animal farming. Adequate education of veterinary medical students on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry may reduce antibiotic resistance. For this reason, a survey was conducted among students at four primary research and didactic centers teaching veterinary medicine in Poland. The survey aimed to find out the knowledge and attitude of students towards the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. The survey was conducted in May/June 2021. Four hundred and sixty-seven students participated in the study. The study positively verified that antibiotics and antibiotic resistance knowledge increase with successive years of veterinary studies/education. For most students (82.2%), antibiotic resistance is a significant problem, but only 58.7% believe it is global, and one in three respondents heard about the One Health approach.

Brewing tranquili-tea: Supporting student wellness at an academic library

Depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental health disorders have been widely documented in college students. Graduate students have been shown to be six times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population. Mental health challenges are prevalent for veterinary medical students. A staggering 49 to 69% of veterinary students exhibit signs of clinical depression. Such statistics underscore the importance of supporting wellness for graduate students in all contexts . . .

Online anatomy teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: assessing the perceptions of undergraduate veterinary medical students.

To explore veterinary students' perceptions of online anatomy teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the School of Veterinary Medicine, where we collected data from year 1 and 2 undergraduate students. A Google Form link to the questionnaire and an introductory message were sent via email to all 68 students who had participated in an online anatomy class between March 2020 and May 2021. The response rate was 82.2% (56/68). Most students were female (71.43%) and between the ages of 18 and 22 years old (83.93%). Overall, 58.1% of the students found it difficult to learn online anatomy, and most (82%) agreed that it was difficult to learn practical topics online. Nevertheless, 58.9% of the responding students recommended the continued use of online strategies in teaching this subject. Students reported that they could communicate with the lecturer and receive feedback. Perceived benefits of online learning included the convenience of attending class at home and having more available time, as well as the availability of prerecorded videos of course topics. During the pandemic, students got the opportunity to attend online classes from home. Students thought that online practical anatomy was less useful, and this is an area where new ideas can be suggested to help students see how anatomical structures work.

Authentic Conversations about Self-Care with Fourth-Year Veterinary Medical Students.

Expanding literature on well-being within veterinary medicine has been instrumental in recognizing the prevalence of psychological distress among students and practitioners and promoting awareness and advocacy for well-being within teaching institutions, professional associations, and the workplace. However, greater focus on distress has also been critiqued for overemphasizing illness and reactive interventions, and a call has been made for more balanced conversations about veterinary well-being, with focus on strengths and proactive interventions. This Best Practices article highlights a proactive, strengths-focused intervention, aimed at increasing fourth-year students' awareness of self-care while in training and in their transition to the profession. Authentic conversations about self-care is a required part of clinical training at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. All students attend a private meeting with a behavioral scientist, engaging in an authentic conversation about their experience of stress and coping strategies. Current practices in providing stress management interventions are restricted to pre-clinical training. Authentic conversations about self-care are presented here as an alternative to current practices, which the authors argue are not adequately addressing students' needs during clinical training and the transition to the profession. Potential implications of providing self-care interventions during the clinical year of training include greater student engagement, increasing awareness, and self-efficacy as students make efforts to maintain well-being both in training and in the professional realm.