Meat inspection education in Finnish veterinary curriculum

Toward harmonization of the European food hygiene/veterinary public health curriculum

Prompted by developments in the agri-food industry and associated recent changes in European legislation, the responsibilities of veterinarians professionally active in veterinary public health (VPH), and particularly in food hygiene (FH), have increasingly shifted from the traditional end-product control toward longitudinally integrated safety assurance. This necessitates the restructuring of university training programs to provide starting competence in this area for veterinary graduates or a sub-population of them. To date, there are substantial differences in Europe in the way in which graduate programs in FH/VPH are structured and in the time allocated to this important curricular group of subjects. Having recognized this, the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) recently instituted a working group to analyze the current situation, with a view to produce standard operating procedures allowing fair and transparent evaluations of universities/faculties constituting its membership and in concurrence with explicit European legislation on the professional qualifications deemed necessary for this veterinary discipline. This article summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations of the working group and seeks to contribute to the international efforts to optimize veterinary training in FH/VPH.

Introducing scientific training into the veterinary curriculum of the University of Helsinki

In Finland, practical and professional skills have been emphasized in the veterinary medical curriculum at the cost of veterinary research education, which has raised concerns. The Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene (DFEH) established a summer school in 2000 during which veterinary students can conduct their graduation projects and improve their research training. The immediate aim is to introduce students to scientific research in a real research environment, improving their methodological and scientific problem-solving skills. The ultimate goal of the program is to better prepare students to enter the scientific field upon graduation and to ensure an adequate supply of veterinary scientists in Finland in the future. Students who complete the entire summer-school program earn 28 credits, corresponding to 8% of the veterinary curriculum. The students are selected through an application procedure based on scientific interest, general motivation, and knowledge; they work full-time in June, July, and August taking courses and conducting research in the DFEH research groups. The main emphasis is on practical laboratory work and scientific writing. Teaching and supervision are carried out by personal supervisors and DFEH academic staff. Feedback from students over the years indicates that students became inspired by their research problems, view experimental work positively, and find the analysis and discussion of their own results interesting. As a result, of the 58 students who have completed the program thus far, 9 (16%) are currently enrolled in PhD programs at the DFEH. It appears that organizing supervised research training within the veterinary curriculum increases veterinary students' interest in scientific work.

Reviewing the undergraduate veterinary curriculum in Finland for control tasks in veterinary public health

To review and develop the undergraduate veterinary curriculum on official control in veterinary public health, an electronic survey was sent to 204 Finnish veterinarians employed in the field of food hygiene in 2005. The response rate was 44%. Most frequently cited as strengths of the current curriculum were extensive education and good knowledge. Respondents considered the main challenges in their work to be a wide field of activity, organizational changes, financial resources, organization of substitutes, and collaboration with decision makers. Of the 23 items to be included in the undergraduate curriculum, therefore, respondents prioritized state and local decision making, the role of the public servant, and leadership and management in the area of social factors; in the field of practical control work, in-house control systems, organizations and responsibilities, control techniques, and planning and targeting of controls were prioritized. Of areas traditionally covered in the undergraduate curriculum, legislation; legal proceedings and implications of controls; risks to human, animal, and plant health; and hazards in feed, animal, and food production were stated to be the most important. Although respondents were generally content with their career choice, veterinary public health tasks were not their first choice of career path immediately after graduation. Based on these findings, more attention should be focused on social aspects and practical training in official control in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. The survey results also highlight the contrasts between society's needs and veterinarians' motivations and career-path expectations, which pose a significant challenge for future curricula.