Veterinary Medical Students Research Articles

Establishing StrengthsFinder Norms for Veterinary Medical Students

The Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 is an online assessment administered by the Gallup organization. The assessment is intended to help individuals identify their greatest talents, and once identified, use that information to further develop one’s predominant strengths. Colleges and universities routinely administer the StrengthsFinder to students, but to date there is sparse literature presenting any results. Interestingly, academic disciplinary differences has been identified as the single most differentiating factor regarding members of an academic community. This is due to the strong influence of disciplinary norms, cultures and values that both attract individuals to a community and sustain members once a part of the community. Thus, the use of a standardized assessment with well-evidenced psychometric properties could be particularly useful for making comparisons about students’ attributes across these communities. This study sought to create a new line of research inquiry by exploring StrengthsFinder results and establishing an initial set of norms for students in the field of veterinary medicine. Substantive results found veterinary students’ most predominant strengths were Achiever and Learner, followed by Restorative, Input, Relator, Harmony and Responsibility. The five least common Signature Themes were Self-Assurance, Connectedness, Activator, Command, and Maximizer. Results from this study may be used to compare and contrast students’ predominant strengths and talents in other programs, particularly those in the medical and health professions.

Effectiveness of a Radiographic Anatomy Software Application for Enhancing Learning of Veterinary Radiographic Anatomy.

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an interactive radiology software application that we developed to enhance learning of normal canine radiographic anatomy. All first-year veterinary medical students were eligible to participate in this subject pre-test-post-test experimental design. When presented with the software application, all students had completed two terms of gross anatomy in which the complete anatomy of the dog had been taught using a combination of lectures and laboratory dissections, including radiographic examples. The software application was divided into four body regions: front limb, hind limb, skull/spine, and thorax/abdomen, each with a learning mode and a quiz mode. Quizzes were composed of 15 questions drawn pseudo-randomly without repeat from all structures within a region (median 206 structures). Students were initially given the software application with only the quiz mode activated. After completing four quizzes, one for each body region, students were given access to the software application with both learning mode and quiz mode activated. Students were instructed to spend 30 minutes using the learning mode to study the radiographic anatomy of each region and to retake each quiz. Quiz scores after using the learning mode were significantly higher for each body region (p<.001), with a large effect size for all four regions (Cohen's d=0.83-1.56). These results suggest that this radiographic anatomy software application is an effective tool for students to use to learn normal radiographic anatomy.

Veterinary Medical Students' Motivations for Exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) declares exercise to be one of the most important activities one can do to improve health. The benefits of exercise are well documented and include both physiologic and psychological health. Given the current landscape of wellness issues in veterinary medical education, it is necessary that students engage in exercise activities to manage stress and increase overall health. Therefore, to develop targeted interventions with the greatest likelihood for success, it is first necessary to understand what motivates veterinary medical students to exercise given their unique situational and environmental factors. This study is the first to explore this issue systematically in veterinary medical education, thus it is the authors' hope that the findings from this research will help identify exercise-related wellness interventions that could be implemented in veterinary medical schools.

Sleep hygiene among veterinary medical students.

OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to better understand veterinary medical students’ sleep hygiene and identify the extent to which sleep hygiene behaviors may result in consequences (either positive or negative) for students.SAMPLE:A total of 187 doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) program students at a large College of Veterinary Medicine in the United States.METHODS:The Epworth Sleep Scale and Daytime Sleepiness Scale were administered to 393 students enrolled in the DVM program.RESULTS:About 55.1% of students reported <7 h of sleep per night, 28.9% reported having trouble sleeping, and 50.3% reported feeling sleepy all day. With respect to sleep quality, 5.3% described it as excellent, 52.4% as good, 34.2% as fair, and 8.0% as poor.CONCLUSIONS:A significant percentage of veterinary medical students exhibit poor sleep hygiene habits that may be detrimental to both their health and academic endeavors.

Discrepancy between Clinical and Postmortem Diagnosis of Dogs in a Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Background: The postmortem examination offers the opportunity to study the processes involved in disease. Although a portion of veterinary medical professionals and students consider the necropsy as a diagnostic tool of purely academic interest, it can provide valuable assistance in formulating health strategies in order to prevent and control animal diseases. The number of necropsies performed in general is higher in universities where the cost is subsidized. In veterinary medicine, studies intended to assess the frequency of necropsy and the discrepancy between clinical and postmortem diagnosis of dogs are rare. The main purpose of the necropsy is to discover the cause of death of dogs, by defining a possible etiology and pathogenesis in order to reach a diagnosis.Material, Methods &amp; Results: We used medical records and necropsy records to define the clinical and postmortem diagnosis, respectively. Data relating to deaths was recorded as the number of euthanized dogs and natural deaths in 2014. From the information cause of death, these were categorized as infectious disease, cardiac, gastrointestinal, renal, pulmonary, neurological, metabolic or endocrine disease, neoplastic disease, trauma, or systemic disease. We used the Binomial discrepancy in the comparison of the rates between different years and also to verify the association between discrepancy and the correlation between clinical and postmortem diagnosis of dogs with euthanasia and natural death, with statistical significance (P &lt; 0.05). In 2009, 56.81% (25/44) of cases included in the study had a concordance between the clinical and postmortem diagnosis, while 43.19% (19/44) were discordant. In 2014, it was observed that 71.70% (76/106) of the diagnosis was confirmed with the necropsy, while 28.30% (30/106) were discordant. The disagreement rate was higher in 2009 (P &lt; 0.05) and there was a reduction of 14.89% in the disagreement rate between 2009 and 2014. Regarding the cause of death, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disease, and heart disease were the categories in which the discrepancy was higher. It was found that in the group of dogs euthanized, the discrepancy rate was lower compared with the group of dogs that had anatural death (P &lt; 0.05).Discussion: The disagreement rate can be considered high when compared with a veterinary study and similar to those observed in a human study. Decrease in the discrepancy rate in the years, as observed by other authors, that can be attributed to improvements and expansion of diagnostic services of the hospital and better training of veterinarians. The difficulty in determining the etiology of infectious diseases is associated with lack of specific diagnostic tests and the high cost of available tests, which often is not bank rolled by the tutor. Dogs in this study were rarely submitted to diagnostics tests such as electrocardiogram or echocardiogram which explains the high discordance in the diagnosis of heart disease. Distemper is an infectious disease of great importance regarding euthanized animals, especially in cases that progress to central nervous system injuries with extremely poor prognosis and wind up having euthanasia indication. Another common cause of domestic animals euthanasia indication is the occurrence malignant neoplasms, which depends on the progression of the disease and psychological and social conditions of the owner. The results generated herein suggests that infectious, gastrointestinal and cardiac diseases origin tend to have a greater discordance between clinical and postmortem diagnosis, however this rate is decreasing due to improved infrastructure of veterinary centers with better professionals qualification.

Motivation and Prior Animal Experience of Newly Enrolled Veterinary Nursing Students at two Irish Third-Level Institutions.

Veterinary nurses report an intrinsic desire to work with animals. However, this motivation may be eroded by poor working conditions and low pay, resulting in the exit of experienced veterinary nurses from clinical practice. This study sought to quantify the level of animal-handling experience students possessed at the start of their training and to explore the factors motivating them to enter veterinary nurse training in two Irish third-level institutions. The authors had noted a tendency for veterinary nursing students to possess limited animal-handling skills, despite their obvious motivation to work with animals. The study explores possible reasons for this, as it mirrors previous reports in relation to students of veterinary medicine. First-year veterinary nursing students at Dundalk Institute of Technology and University College Dublin were surveyed and a focus group was held in each institution to explore student motivations for choosing this career and their prior animal-handling experience and workplace exposure. The results show that veterinary nursing students are highly intrinsically motivated to work with and care for animals. The majority had spent time in the veterinary workplace before starting their studies but they had limited animal-handling experience beyond that of family pets, primarily dogs. The study also revealed potential tensions between the veterinary nursing and veterinary medical students at University College Dublin: a hitherto unexposed aspect of the hidden curriculum in this institution. The results of this study highlight the need for ongoing investment in practical animal-handling training for veterinary nursing students.

Approaches and Study Skills of Veterinary Medical Students: Effects of a Curricular Revision.

The objective of this study was to determine if a revised, recently implemented curriculum, embracing an integrated block design with a focus on student-centered, inquiry-based learning, had a different effect on veterinary medical students' approaches to studying than the previous curriculum. A total of 577 students completed a questionnaire consisting of the short version of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). It included questions relating to conceptions about learning, approaches to studying, and preferences for different types of courses and teaching. In addition, students were asked to respond to general questions regarding the design of the revised curriculum. The scores for the deep and strategic learning approaches were higher for students studying under the previous curriculum compared to the revised curriculum, despite the fact that the revised curriculum was specifically designed to foster deep learning. The scores for the surface learning approach were lower in the students studying the revised curriculum compared to students studying under the previous curriculum. We identified the following factors affecting student learning: alteration of learning activities, such as problem-based learning, from the recommended models; a lack of instructor support for the revised curriculum; assessments that were not aligned to encourage critical thinking; and directed self-learning activities that were too comprehensive to complete in the allotted time. The results of this study can be used to improve the implementation of student-centered and inquiry-based curricula by identifying potential problems that could prevent a deep learning approach in veterinary medical students.

Toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis seroepidemiology in veterinary medical students and their relation with unique health

Toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis are global zoonoses, with humans as accidental participants in their transmission cycles. The can also be considered occupational diseases, because certain professionals are at greater risk of contact and infection by such zoonoses. These three diseases have different epidemiological characteristics because of the distinct environmental, social, cultural, and economic conditions where these pathogens circulate. Because of the importance of these diseases and their associations with specific occupations, we performed a seroepidemiological survey of Toxoplasma, Leptospira, and Brucella antibodies, with an analysis of the association between positive serum and certain occupational and environmental variables, in students of a veterinary medicine course (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th year) in a university in the northwestern region in the state of Parana, Brazil. From May to November 2014, blood samples were collected from 157 volunteers by professionals trained in nursing and biomedicine from the same university as the veterinary students. At the time of blood collection, the students did not present any clinical signs of the three diseases of interest. To detect anti-Toxoplasma gondii, anti-Leptospira spp., and anti-Brucella antibodies, indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF), microscopic agglutination test (MAT), fast agglutination test (a screening test), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed. To determine variables associated with these infections, the students were interviewed to complete an epidemiological questionnaire with environmental, behavioral, and occupational information. The associations between these variables and infections were assess by chi-square or Fischer's exact tests, with a 5% significance level (?). Of the 157 serum samples analyzed, 29.29% reacted to Toxoplasma antigens, with titers ranging from 16 to 4096 by IIF, 1.27% to Leptospira antigens, with titers ranging from 100 to 800 by MAT using Hardjo and Wolffi serovars, and 0.63% to Brucella antigens by ELISA; however, no variables were found to be associated with infection with any of these pathogens. The results of this study show that one-third of the students in the veterinary medicine course were exposed to Toxoplasma gondii, Leptospira spp., and Brucella spp. at some stage in their lives; however, it is not possible to determine whether these infections were acquired at the university, because no associations between occupational risk variables and these infections were found. An understanding of the transmission of each etiological agent and methods to prevent infection is important to maintain low prevalence levels of these zoonotic diseases during the veterinary medicine course and extra-curricular internships, when there is increased exposure to these pathogens.

Effectiveness of a Radiographic Anatomy Software Application for Enhancing Learning of Veterinary Radiographic Anatomy.

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an interactive radiology software application that we developed to enhance learning of normal canine radiographic anatomy. All first-year veterinary medical students were eligible to participate in this subject pre-test-post-test experimental design. When presented with the software application, all students had completed two terms of gross anatomy in which the complete anatomy of the dog had been taught using a combination of lectures and laboratory dissections, including radiographic examples. The software application was divided into four body regions: front limb, hind limb, skull/spine, and thorax/abdomen, each with a learning mode and a quiz mode. Quizzes were composed of 15 questions drawn pseudo-randomly without repeat from all structures within a region (median 206 structures). Students were initially given the software application with only the quiz mode activated. After completing four quizzes, one for each body region, students were given access to the software application with both learning mode and quiz mode activated. Students were instructed to spend 30 minutes using the learning mode to study the radiographic anatomy of each region and to retake each quiz. Quiz scores after using the learning mode were significantly higher for each body region (p<.001), with a large effect size for all four regions (Cohen's d=0.83-1.56). These results suggest that this radiographic anatomy software application is an effective tool for students to use to learn normal radiographic anatomy.

Evaluation of a CAT Database and Expert Appraisal of CATs Developed by Students.

Five steps have been recommended to provide evidence-based patient care: formulating a clinical question, searching for literature, evaluating the validity and applicability of results, implementing results into practice, and assessing if the new evidence has led to improved health care. Students can be trained in these steps by the development of knowledge summaries such as critically appraised topics (CATs). The aim of the present project was the development, use, and evaluation of a German-language CAT database and an appraisal of the quality of CATs developed by students. A total of 153 fifth-year veterinary medical students (in 21 groups) were enrolled in the project. Each group developed a CAT and most students participated in a survey. To learn more about the quality of the CATs, we asked experts to appraise the texts written by the students. The CATs were indexed with key words and assigned to specific fields corresponding to the European Colleges of Veterinary Specialisation. Currently, 57 CATs have been developed. The majority of students stated that writing CATs is a good exercise and that "it is important to teach the assessment of scientific information." In total, 13 experts completed the questionnaires, out of which 9 graded the CAT they appraised as good. In addition to English-language CAT databases, German tools should also be available for students and practitioners.

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.

Adverse Childhood Experiences among Veterinary Medical Students: A Multi-Site Study.

This research explores Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among veterinary medical students across six academic institutions of veterinary medicine, and their relationship with depression, stress, and desire to become a veterinarian. Between April 1, 2016, and May 23, 2016, 1,118 veterinary medical students in all 4 years of the curriculum (39% response rate) completed an anonymous web-based questionnaire about ACEs, depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CESD), stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the age at which they wanted to become a veterinarian. Sixty-one percent (677) of respondents reported having at least one ACE. The most prevalent ACE reported was living with a household member with a mental illness (31%). Students who had experienced four or more ACEs had an approximately threefold increase in signs of clinical depression and higher than average stress when compared to students who had experienced no ACEs. The number of ACEs showed an overall graded relationship to signs of clinical depression and higher than average stress. There was no statistically significant relationship between age at which a student wanted to become a veterinarian and exposure to ACEs. Veterinary students report being exposed to ACEs before age 18 at a rate similar to that of other population-based studies. These findings do not suggest that veterinary students enter the veterinary medical education system more at risk for poor mental health due to ACEs than the general population.

Stress and Depression among Veterinary Medical Students.

While existing literature suggests that professional students (e.g., medical, dental, law, nursing, etc.) experience high levels of stress and depression, the experiences of veterinary medical students have been less well examined. The purpose of this study was to explore the levels of stress and depression among veterinary medical students and to examine the relationship between these variables. Study participants were 1,245 veterinary medical students from North America. The findings provide support for the assertion that veterinary medical students experience high levels of stress and depression. Results also indicated that there is a correlation between stress and depression for veterinary medical students and that female students experience higher levels of stress and depression than their male counterparts.

A Decade of Counseling Services in One College of Veterinary Medicine: Veterinary Medical Students' Psychological Distress and Help-Seeking Trends.

Much has been discussed about the high prevalence of psychological distress among veterinary medical students. Studies investigating general samples of veterinary medical students indicate that, on average, depression and anxiety symptoms are present at higher rates than in comparison samples. However, little is known about veterinary medical students who seek counseling. This study intends to expand the literature on veterinary student well-being, as the first to examine a sample of veterinary medical students seeking counseling services. It offers an overview of student distress and help-seeking trends from a decade of counseling services provided in one College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in the US. The sample includes data from 279 participants. Results indicate a steady increase in students seeking counseling over the last decade. First-year students sought services at higher rates but second-year students experienced the greatest distress when compared to other cohorts. Students seeking counseling services experienced levels of overall distress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and social role concerns that were, on average, above cut-off scores. Physical health was significantly associated with student distress, suggesting opportunities for intervention.

Study of the Levels of Human–Human and Human–Animal Empathy in Veterinary Medical Students from Chile

Social relationships are based on our ability to put ourselves in the place of others, and from there to react appropriately and logically. This empathic ability can be extended to other species, based on the human ability to develop techniques to understand and communicate with animals. In education, the benefits of training professionals with ethical and empathic tools are known. Gender, diet, past experiences, and other factors can modify a person's levels of empathy toward humans and animals, and a relationship exists between both types of empathy. The aims of this study were to investigate some determinants of the level of empathy and to gain insight into the possible correlation between human-animal and human-human empathy. For this, the Animal Empathy Scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index by Davis were applied through an electronic survey system to freshmen and final-year students (n=452) from five schools of veterinary medicine in Chile. The correlation between the empathy scores of both instruments and their association with individual factors were studied using Spearman's correlation, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The results suggest that both instruments correlate significantly, and that gender, year of study, diet, and area of interest have a significant association with the score for empathy toward animals. This research shows that individual characteristics and changes that occur during veterinary training can affect students' attitudes toward animals.

The Impact of a Brief Embedded Mindfulness-Based Program for Veterinary Students.

Veterinary medical students, like other university students, are likely to experience elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression over the course of their studies. Mindfulness-based interventions have previously been effective for university students in reducing stress, depression, and anxiety. In this study, a mindfulness-based intervention was embedded in a core (compulsory) unit of a veterinary science course, in part with the aim of improving student well-being. Preliminary results suggest that, despite the mindfulness intervention, overall symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety among participants (n=64) increased between the start and end of the semester. However, further analysis showed that most of this longitudinal increase was attributable to individuals who scored above the normal range (i.e., at least mild level of symptoms) in one or more measures at the beginning of the semester. Within this subset, individuals who regularly engaged in mindfulness practice once a week or more throughout the semester reported significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms than those who practiced less than once a week (i.e., who had long periods without practice). Results suggest that engaging regularly in mindfulness practice potentially acted as a protective factor for students already experiencing at least a mild range of symptoms of anxiety and depression at the beginning of the semester. While not all veterinary students may derive significant benefit immediately, providing access to an embedded mindfulness program early in their program may facilitate the development of adaptive coping mechanisms, which may be engaged to increase resilience across their academic and professional life.

The Use of Mobile Devices and Online Services by German Veterinary Students

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective:&lt;/strong&gt; The research question of our study was to determine the adoption and use of mobile devices and online services by veterinary students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; New technologies support learning, communication and information transfer during the pre-professional years and the professional lifetime. Hence, mobile devices may also be a feasible tool for information access for the practitioner at any place and any time, and consequently may support better informed clinical decision making.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Evidentiary value:&lt;/strong&gt; We conducted a survey among 124 German veterinary medical students in their third year with a median age of 23.0 years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; The survey was conducted during a lecture and contained 10 questions with preset answers to be ticked and a free text comment section. Participation was voluntary and data processing was performed anonymously. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; According to the answers of surveyed third year students 84.7% used a smartphone as a mobile device. The vast majority of the veterinary students used Google, Facebook and WhatsApp besides other applications. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; Most students are familiar with mobile devices and the use of social media and information tools. Thus, new learning strategies could be developed and applied that encompass mobile online learning and information access. These strategies could help to better address different learning types, provide sufficient interactivity and feedback and enable veterinarians to seek and share information via the internet. However, despite promising results reporting a positive educational effect, these perceptions need to be validated in further research. In addition, it should be assessed in future surveys if veterinarians would use mobile online access to scientific data or Knowledge Summaries for better informed decision making in practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application:&lt;/strong&gt; Veterinary students, and thus the next generation of veterinary practitioners, are using mobile devices to a high extent. This paves the way to refine existing and to develop new education strategies. New information tools for mobile devices may help veterinarians to seek and share information. In addition, it might be worthwhile to teach veterinary students and practitioners how to search for and appraise online scientific information.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;img src="https://www.veterinaryevidence.org/rcvskmod/icons/oa-icon.jpg" alt="Open Access" /&gt; &lt;img src="https://www.veterinaryevidence.org/rcvskmod/icons/pr-icon.jpg" alt="Peer Reviewed" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Anatomical knowledge in veterinary medical students in Chile

IntroductionAnatomy is considered a cornerstone in human and veterinary medical education, as this basic science discipline provides a vital foundation on which to build the knowledge of the clinical practice of medicine. ObjectiveThe aims of this study were: 1) to collect information on first year veterinary student preference, and use of supportive educational tools, and 2) to assess long-term knowledge retention in senior veterinary students who successfully completed the bovine anatomy course. MethodA survey was administered to first-year veterinary students in order to identify their learning tools of choice, and a diagnostic examination was designed to reflect highly relevant basic anatomy knowledge was administered to senior veterinary students. ResultsBesides the regular cadaver-dissection laboratories, textbooks were the tool used most frequently by first-year students to learn bovine anatomy. Computer technology was used by only 12.2% of the students. When evaluating knowledge retention of bovine anatomy by fourth year (senior) students, only 33.2% of the questions were answered correctly in the fourth year examination. ConclusionsThese results were interpreted as a low long-term retention of knowledge in Chilean veterinary medical students.

The Impact of Distraction on Laparoscopic Skills in Veterinary Medical Students.

To investigate the impact of distraction on the performance of a simulator-based laparoscopic task in veterinary students. Prospective, randomized trial. Years 1-4 veterinary students (n=41). Participants repeated a simulated laparoscopic peg transfer task to eliminate any learning effects and were subsequently randomized to receive either a cognitive (double-digit addition questions, n=21) or sensory distraction (dogs barking and anesthesia monitor alerts, n=20). The laparoscopic task scores were compared between baseline and in the presence and absence of each distraction. The number of addition questions attempted, and the number of questions answered correctly in 1 minute were compared between baseline and during a concurrent laparoscopic task. Baseline laparoscopic task scores were not significantly different between groups (P=.09). Laparoscopic task scores were significantly lower than baseline when performed with the cognitive distraction (P<.001) and significantly higher than baseline when performed with the sensory distraction (P=.005). Participants undergoing cognitive distraction attempted significantly fewer addition questions (P<.001) and answered significantly fewer addition questions correctly (P<.001) when a concurrent laparoscopic task was performed. Cognitive distraction had a negative impact on the performance of a laparoscopic task in this cohort of veterinary students, whereas sensory distraction had a positive effect.

Students' Perceptions of and Experiences With Educational Technology: A Survey.

BackgroundIt is generally assumed that incoming students in medical education programs will be better equipped for the “digital age” given their younger age and an educational upbringing in which technology was seemingly omnipresent. In particular, many assume that today's medical students are more likely to hold positive attitudes and increased comfortability with technology and possess greater information technology (IT) skills.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare responses of incoming veterinary medical students to a series of IT-related questions contained in a common questionnaire over the course of a 10-year period (2005-2015) to discern whether students’ attitudes have improved and uses and comfortability with technology have increased as anticipated.MethodsA survey measuring attitudes and preferences, computing experience, and technology ownership was administered each year for the past 10 years to incoming veterinary medical students at a large veterinary school in the United States. Students' responses to survey items were compared at 3 data points (2005, 2010, and 2015).ResultsToday's incoming veterinary medical students tend to indicate the same desire to improve skills using spreadsheets and web page design as incoming students from 10 years ago. It seems that despite technological advances and increased exposure to such applications and skills, there remains a challenge for students to “keep up” with the ever evolving technology. Moreover, although students continue to report they are very comfortable with using a computer (and related devices), many use their computers as typewriters or word processors, as opposed to a means for performing more advanced computing functions.ConclusionsIn general, today's medical students are not expert computer users as many assume. Despite an upbringing in a digitized world, many students still lack many basic computing skills.