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.

Stakeholder perspectives on veterinary student preparedness for workplace clinical training – a qualitative study

Background

The success of workplace clinical training (WCT) is important given that veterinary students are licensed to work independently upon graduation. Considering this, it is perhaps surprising that there is limited published work describing what it means to be prepared for this educational experience, particularly given that the transition to WCT can be stressful for students. This paper reports the results of a qualitative study aiming to generate a rich understanding of veterinary student preparedness for WCT using emic, or insider, perspectives of key stakeholders.

Methods

From a constructivist standpoint, homogenous online group interviews were held with final year veterinary students, recent student alumni, clinical supervisors, faculty, and academic educationalists to discuss what it means to be prepared for WCT. The data was analysed using a template analysis approach.

Results

A three-tier taxonomy to describe preparedness for WCT was constructed from the data. At the topmost level, there were seven themes to illuminate different aspects of preparedness: students should be prepared 1) for the transition to learning and working in a clinical and professional environment, 2) for self-directed and experiential learning whilst working, 3) with a growth mindset, 4) with intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm for learning and working, 5) for communication, consultation and clinical reasoning, 6) with the knowledge for work, and 7) with the practical competence and confidence for work.

Conclusions

This study provides a deeper understanding of the tools we can provide, and the attributes we can nurture in, senior veterinary students to facilitate their learning and working during WCT. This improved understanding is a necessary precursor to refining pedagogical support and curriculum design within veterinary schools.

Building Veterinarians beyond Veterinary School: Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development in Veterinary Medicine

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important mechanism for veterinarians to acquire, maintain, and enhance their capability to perform competently in their chosen practice area over their career. Although most licensing bodies require veterinarians to complete a minimum number of CPD hours each registration cycle, there are known issues with verifying that these activities are having the desired effects of ensuring professional competence and improving outcomes for patients, owners, and veterinarians. In this review, we summarize the literature across different health care professions to highlight three key challenges for veterinary CPD programs. These are (a) defining what it means to be professionally competent across different career stages from graduation to retirement, (b) delivering CPD activities that are effective in promoting evidence-based medicine and behavioral change in practice, and (c) developing reliable and sustainable systems to formally assess the continued professional competence of veterinarians. A common theme across all challenges was the importance of interacting with colleagues as an opportunity to receive external feedback on their professional strengths and weaknesses and to develop stronger support networks for managing common stressors in clinical practice. There was also a recognized need to develop more transparent outlines of the available and acceptable options for managing different animal health concerns as a first step toward identifying new opportunities for the veterinary profession to elevate the level of care provided. Based on these findings, we propose a new framework for defining, delivering, and evaluating CPD that promotes stronger collaboration between veterinarians to improve professional and personal well-being.

A Competency-Guided Veterinary Curriculum Review Process

Competencies can guide outcomes assessment in veterinary medical education by providing a core set of specific abilities expected of new veterinary graduates. A competency-guided evaluation of Colorado State University's (CSU) equine veterinary curriculum was undertaken via an alumni survey. Published competencies for equine veterinary graduates were used to develop the survey, which was distributed to large animal alumni from CSU's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The results of the survey indicated areas for improvement, specifically in equine business, surgery, dentistry, and radiology. The desire for more hands-on experiences in their training was repeatedly mentioned by alumni, with the largest discrepancies between didactic knowledge and hands-on skills in the areas of business and equine surgery. Alumni surveys allow graduates to voice their perceived levels of preparation by the veterinary program and should be used to inform curriculum revisions. It is proposed that the definition and utilization of competencies in each phase of a curricular review process (outcomes assessment, curriculum mapping, and curricular modifications), in addition to faculty experience and internal review, is warranted.

What Are Employers Looking for in New Veterinary Graduates? A Content Analysis of UK Veterinary Job Advertisements

As veterinary educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our graduates are prepared for working life. Veterinary practices, like any other businesses, rely on good employees, and the implications of a poor match between newly employed veterinarian and employing practice could be extremely costly in terms of personal well-being and enjoyment of work as well as the time, financial, and goodwill costs of high staff turnover for the practice. Contemporary veterinary curricula encompass a range of teaching to complement the clinical content; including communication, teamwork, problem solving, and business skills, to support good practice and increase the employability of new graduates. Previous studies have examined the qualities required of early career veterinarians as viewed by educators, recent graduates, pet owners, and practitioners; however, nobody has previously constructed a picture of the employment market for new veterinary graduates by exploring the nature of its recruitment advertising. Three months of UK veterinary job advertisements were examined. Content analysis yielded 10 distinct characteristics desired by employers of early career veterinarians. The most common by far was "enthusiasm," followed by an interest in a particular area of practice, being an "all-rounder" (i.e., having a broad range of skills), demonstrating good communication skills, teamwork, client care, and independence, as well as being caring, ambitious, and having high clinical standards. While several of these qualities are expected and are specifically taught in veterinary school, the dominance of "enthusiasm" as a specifically desired trait raises interesting questions about the characteristics of veterinary students who we are supporting, encouraging, or maybe even suppressing, during veterinary training.

Milestone Educational Planning Initiatives in Veterinary Medical Education: Progress and Pitfalls

Three milestone educational planning initiatives engaged the veterinary medical profession in the United States and Canada between 1987 and 2011, namely the Pew National Veterinary Education Program, the Foresight Project, and the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium. In a quantitative study, we investigated the impact of these initiatives on veterinary medical education through a survey of academic leaders (deans, previous deans, and associate deans for academics from veterinary medical schools that are members of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges) to assess their perspectives on the initiatives and eight recommendations that were common to all three initiatives. Two of the recommendations have in effect been implemented: enable students to elect in-depth instruction and experience within a practice theme or discipline area (tracking), and increase the number of graduating veterinarians. For three of the recommendations, awareness of the issues has increased but substantial progress has not been made: promote diversity in the veterinary profession, develop a plan to reduce student debt, and develop a North American strategic plan. Lastly, three recommendations have not been accomplished: emphasize use of information more than fact recall, share educational resources to enable a cost-effective education, and standardize core admissions requirements. The educational planning initiatives did provide collaborative opportunities to discuss and determine what needs to change within veterinary medical education. Future initiatives should explore how to avoid and overcome obstacles to successful implementation.

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business Studies

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business StudiesIn a densely packed veterinary curriculum, students may find it particularly challenging to engage in the less overtly clinical subjects, yet pressure from industry and an increasingly competitive employment market necessitate improved veterinary student education in business and management skills. We describe a curriculum intervention (formative reflective assignment) that optimizes workplace learning opportunities and aims to provide better student scaffolding for their in-context business learning. Students were asked to analyze a business practice they experienced during a period of extra-mural studies (external work placement). Following return to the college, they were then instructed to discuss their findings in their study group, and produce a group reflection on their learning. To better understand student engagement in this area, we analyzed individual and group components of the assignment. Thematic analysis revealed evidence of various depths of student engagement, and provided indications of the behaviors they used when engaging at different levels. Interactive and social practices (discussing business strategies with veterinary employees and student peers) appeared to facilitate student engagement, assist the perception of relevance of these skills, and encourage integration with other curriculum elements such as communication skills and clinical problem solving.

Marketing strategies in small animal clinical practice

Purpose

Marketing strategies can be used to leverage business in the service sector, specifically in veterinary medicine; among other benefits, it can make a difference in satisfaction and consequent customer loyalty. Marketing should be used with ethics and professionalism due is one administration area that contributes to effective management in the continuous pursuit of quality in the provision of services and demonstrate that veterinary clinics have much to gain if managed with support of marketing strategies. This paper aims to analyze the applicability of marketing strategies in the management of small animal clinics, such as guidelines to the entrepreneurs of this services sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Marketing literature is plentiful in proposing alternative strategies, whether focused on the achievement and loyalty of customers, whether to raise the competitiveness of an organization or simply to its survival in the market. In this study, some marketing strategies were selected, on secondary data research, in theoretical framework, to investigate their application in the practice of veterinary medicine. This study emphasizes promotional strategy toward communication with the market and construction of organizational image, using public relations as marketing strategy.

Findings

The use of marketing strategies is recommended in the management of small animal clinical practice, especially with respect to the high customer satisfaction by streamlining the procedures and optimizing veterinary services provision.

Originality/value

This study is different because it proposes an integrated system of management techniques in veterinary organizations, which will lead to better efficiency of attendance, adding value to the service provided and generating greater profitability for the organization, which positively reflects on the economic point of view and for the image of the company and its professionals, providing a better quality of life for both clients and their pets.

Curriculum Review and Revision at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

Curriculum review is an essential part of ongoing curriculum development, and is a mandate of the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE), the accrediting body of all North American schools and colleges of veterinary medicine. This article describes the steps in curriculum review undertaken by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (UMN CVM) in response to this mandate from the COE and to a recommendation from a recent collegiate review that was part of a larger university-level strategic planning effort. The challenges of reviewing and revising the curriculum within a short time frame were met by appointing a dedicated curriculum review board and by engaging students and faculty groups, both as focus groups and as specific faculty work sections within disciplines. Faculty voting on the process was very valuable as it permitted the curriculum review board and faculty groups to move ahead knowing there was a process in place for reassessment if most faculty did not agree with recommendations. Consistent support from the dean of the college and other administrators was vital in helping maintain momentum for curriculum review.

Expectations of Graduate Communication Skills in Professional Veterinary Practice

Good communication skills are an important entry-level attribute of graduates of professional degrees. The inclusion of communication training within the curriculum can be problematic, particularly in programs with a high content load, such as veterinary science. This study examined the differences between the perceptions of students and qualified veterinarians with regards to the entry-level communication skills required of new graduates in clinical practice. Surveys were distributed to students in each of the four year levels of the veterinary science degree at the University of Melbourne and to recent graduates and experienced veterinarians registered in Victoria, Australia. Respondents were asked to rank the relative importance of six different skill sets: knowledge base; medical and technical skills; surgical skills; verbal communication and interpersonal skills; written communication skills; and critical thinking and problem solving. They were then asked to rate the importance of specific communication skills for new graduate veterinarians. Veterinarians and students ranked verbal communication and interpersonal skills as the most important skill set for an entry-level veterinarian. Veterinarians considered many new graduates to be deficient in these skills. Students often felt they lacked confidence in this area. This has important implications for veterinary educators in terms of managing the expectations of students and improving the delivery of communication skills courses within the veterinary curriculum.

Assessing Professionalism: A Theoretical Framework for Defining Clinical Rotation Assessment Criteria

Although widely accepted as an important graduate competence, professionalism is a challenging outcome to define and assess. Clinical rotations provide an excellent opportunity to develop student professionalism through the use of experiential learning and effective feedback, but without appropriate theoretical frameworks, clinical teachers may find it difficult to identify appropriate learning outcomes. The adage "I know it when I see it" is unhelpful in providing feedback and guidance for student improvement, and criteria that are more specifically defined would help students direct their own development. This study sought first to identify how clinical faculty in one institution currently assess professionalism, using retrospective analysis of material obtained in undergraduate teaching and faculty development sessions. Subsequently, a faculty workshop was held in which a round-table type discussion sought to develop these ideas and identify how professionalism assessment could be improved. The output of this session was a theoretical framework for teaching and assessing professionalism, providing example assessment criteria and ideas for clinical teaching. This includes categories such as client and colleague interaction, respect and trust, recognition of limitations, and understanding of different professional identities. Each category includes detailed descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected of students in these areas. The criteria were determined by engaging faculty in the development of the framework, and therefore they should represent a focused development of criteria already used to assess professionalism, and not a novel and unfamiliar set of assessment guidelines. The faculty-led nature of this framework is expected to facilitate implementation in clinical teaching.

Survey of US Veterinary Students on Communicating with Limited English Proficient Spanish-Speaking Pet Owners

Veterinary schools and colleges generally include communication skills training in their professional curriculum, but few programs address challenges resulting from language gaps between pet owners and practitioners. Due to shifting US demographics, small animal veterinary practices must accommodate an increasing number of limited English proficient (LEP) Spanish-speaking pet owners (SSPOs). A national survey was conducted to assess the interest and preparedness of US veterinary students to communicate with LEP SSPOs when they graduate. This online survey, with more than 2,000 first-, second-, and third-year US veterinary students, revealed that over 50% of students had worked at a practice or shelter that had LEP Spanish-speaking clients. Yet fewer than 20% of these students described themselves as prepared to give medical information to an LEP SSPO. Over three-fourths of respondents agreed that communication with LEP SSPOs was important for veterinarians in general, and two-thirds agreed that communication with LEP SSPOs was important for themselves personally. Ninety percent of students who described themselves as conversant in Spanish agreed that they would be able to communicate socially with SSPOs, while only 55% said they would be able to communicate medically with such clients. Overall, two-thirds of students expressed interest in taking Spanish for Veterinary Professionals elective course while in school, with the strongest interest expressed by those with advanced proficiency in spoken Spanish. Bridging language gaps has the potential to improve communication with LEP SSPOs in the veterinary clinical setting and to improve patient care, client satisfaction, and the economic health of the veterinary profession.

Beyond NAVMEC: competency-based veterinary education and assessment of the professional competencies

The implementation of competency-based curricula within the health sciences has been an important paradigm shift over the past 30 years. As a result, one of the five strategic goals recommended by the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC) report was to graduate career-ready veterinarians who are proficient in, and have the confidence to use, an agreed-upon set of core competencies. Of the nine competencies identified as essential for veterinary graduates, seven could be classified as professional or non-technical competencies: communication; collaboration; management (self, team, system); lifelong learning, scholarship, value of research; leadership; diversity and multicultural awareness; and adaptation to changing environments. Traditionally, the professional competencies have received less attention in veterinary curricula and their assessment is often sporadic or inconsistent. In contrast, the same or similar competencies are being increasingly recognized in other health professions as essential skills and abilities, and their assessment is being undertaken with enhanced scrutiny and critical appraisal. Several challenges have been associated with the assessment of professional competencies, including agreement as to their definition and therefore their evaluation, the fact that they are frequently complex and require multiple integrative assessments, and the ability and/or desire of faculty to teach and assess these competencies. To provide an improved context for assessment of the seven professional competencies identified in the NAVMEC report, this article describes a broad framework for their evaluation as well as specific examples of how these or similar competencies are currently being measured in medical and veterinary curricula.

The transition into veterinary practice: opinions of recent graduates and final year students

BACKGROUND

The transition from veterinary student to member of the veterinary profession is known to be challenging. This study aimed to determine and compare the opinions of final year veterinary students and recent graduates on graduate attributes that ease this transition.

METHODS

The study was carried out across 3 veterinary schools in the United Kingdom. Paper based or electronic surveys were used. Final year students in the 3 schools were surveyed either electronically (school A) or on paper (schools B and C). Student cohort sizes were 112, 227 and 102 respectively. Recent graduates were contacted either at a reunion event (school A) or electronically from database records (school B and school C). Cohort sizes of contacted graduates were 80, 175 and 91 respectively. Respondents were asked to rate 42 individual attributes on a 5 point Likert scale. Focus groups with final year students and recent graduates and telephone interviews with recent graduates were carried out. Data were analysed by two researchers through a combination of manual coding and thematic analysis. Data were grouped into broad themes then sorted into narrower themes. Data were then searched for counter examples.

RESULTS

Response rates for final year students were 34% (school A), 36% (school B) and 40% (school C). Response rates for recent graduates were 56% (school A), 20% (school B) and 11% (school C). There was a high level of agreement between the cohorts with respect to communication skills, problem solving and decision making skills, recognition of own limitations and the ability to cope with pressure all rated unanimously important or very important. Business acumen, knowledge of veterinary practice management and research skills were the 3 attributes ranked at the bottom of the list. Nine attributes were identified with a significantly different (p < 0.05) ranking between the cohorts. Final year students ranked veterinary clinical knowledge, knowledge of veterinary public health and zoonotic issues, veterinary legislation and veterinary practice management, commitment to continuing professional development and ability to evaluate information higher than recent graduates. Recent graduates ranked the attributes of integrity, friendliness and compassion higher than final year students.

CONCLUSIONS

Recent graduates and final year students rate highly the attributes which help foster the client/veterinarian relationship. Recent graduates reflect that a focus on knowledge based attributes is less important once in practice when compared to final year. The study confirms the importance to recent graduates and final year students of attributes considered as non-technical in the transition to working in the veterinary profession.

Using a natural abilities battery for academic and career guidance: a ten-year study

Over a period of 10 years, first-year students from 11 consecutive veterinary classes conducted a self-assessment using a natural abilities survey. The present study analyzes the data compiled from students' self-assessment results. As a group, veterinary students are exceptional problem solvers, either through inductive or deductive reasoning, and have strong spatial relations capacities. Veterinary students have a range of learning styles with design memory being the primary vehicle for information delivery and tonal memory being the least frequently used style overall. Information gained on each student's natural abilities can be used to guide effective career decision making and enhance prospects for long-term career satisfaction.

Perceptions of veterinary faculty members regarding their responsibility and preparation to teach non-technical competencies

The development of non-technical competencies has become an important component of veterinary education. In this study, we determined faculty perspectives regarding their perceived involvement and ability in the cultivation of these competencies. A survey was administered to faculty members at five institutions. Respondents were asked whether the competency should be taught in their own courses and how prepared they felt to teach and evaluate the competency. Responses were analyzed by participant institution, gender, terminal degree and year, discipline, rank, and teaching experience. More than 90% of faculty respondents reported a personal responsibility to teach or cultivate critical thinking skills, communication skills, self-development skills, and ethical skills, with more than 85% also agreeing to a role in skills such as interpersonal skills, creativity, and self-management. The lowest percentages were seen for crisis and incident management (64%) and business skills (56%). Perceived preparedness to teach and evaluate these competencies paralleled the preceding findings, especially for the four consensus competencies and self-management. Faculty preparedness was lowest for business skills. Junior faculty were somewhat less likely than others to perceive a responsibility to teach non-technical competencies; however, instructors were more prepared to teach and evaluate business skills than were other faculty. Institutional trends were evident in faculty preparation. Although male faculty and non-DVM faculty tended to report a higher degree of preparedness, few differences reached statistical significance. Faculty perceptions of their responsibility to teach non-technical competencies vary by competency and parallel their perceived preparedness to teach and evaluate them.