Exploring the foundations of population health and preventive medicine as essential elements for veterinary education

The evolution of preventive medicine and public health training in professional veterinary medicine curricula is documented. Most veterinary colleges in the US began with a single course in meat hygiene or public health, with a focus on food hygiene issues. These courses laid the foundation for modern veterinary preventive medicine and public health training for veterinary students. Most graduates of veterinary colleges today have extensive training in population health, preventive medicine, and zoonotic diseases.     

Training the veterinary public health workforce: a review of educational opportunities in US veterinary schools

This article presents the results of an Internet-based review conducted in January and February 2003 to assess the educational opportunities available in veterinary public health, epidemiology, and preventive medicine at the 27 veterinary schools in the United States. Most professional veterinary curricula are designed to train students for careers as highly qualified private practitioners, although there is an increased need for veterinary perspectives and contributions in the public health sector. The future of veterinary public health relies on the opportunities available in education to teach and encourage students to pursue a career of public service. The results of this review indicate the availability of a wide variety of required courses, electives, and post-graduate training programs to veterinary students in the United States. Veterinary students are exposed to a median of 60 hours of public health, epidemiology, and preventive medicine in required stand-alone courses in these areas. Four veterinary schools also have required rotations for senior students in public health, preventive medicine, or population medicine. Contact time for required public health, epidemiology, and preventive medicine courses ranges from 30 to 150 contact hours. Advanced training was available in these subjects at 79% of the 27 schools. Greater collaboration between veterinary schools, schools of public health, and the professional public health community will increase exposure to and opportunities in public health to all future veterinarians.     

Preparing the veterinary profession for corporate and trade issues in the Americas: proceedings of a conference on synergism and globalization, Santiago, Chile, May 6-8, 2001

The complex and rapid-paced development of international trade, coupled with increasing societal demands for the production not only of abundant and inexpensive food, but also of food that is safe and has been raised in a humane and environmentally friendly manner, demands immediate attention from the veterinary community. The new culture of global trade agreements, spurred by the development of the WTO, dictates massive changes and increasing integration of public and private sectors. This is a huge growth area for our profession and will require individuals with a skill set we do not yet provide in our educational framework. In North America, veterinary education is parochial and focused on specialization. This strong orientation toward companion animals fails to provide adequate training for those interested in acquiring the necessary skills for the emerging area of globalization and trade. In South America, curricula are less harmonized with one another and there is tremendous variation in degree programs, rendering it difficult to ascertain whether veterinarians are prepared to assume decision-making responsibilities regarding international transport of food. If we do not begin to prepare our graduates adequately for this emerging market demand, the positions will be filled by other professions. These other professions lack broad-based scientific knowledge about animal physiology and disease causation. Decisions made without adequate background could have devastating consequences for society, including incursions of unwelcome diseases, food safety problems, and public health issues. To prepare our new veterinary graduates for the future and this emerging market, it is important to nurture a global mindset within our academic communities and to promote communications, languages, and an interdependent team mentality. Areas of technical expertise that need a place, perhaps a parallel track, in the curriculum include production medicine, public health, food safety, and international veterinary medicine. The major trade corridors of the future regarding animal-based protein flow between North and South America. It is absolutely essential that we find areas of consensus and deficiencies so that we can harmonize our trade agreements and ensure adequate flow of safe food products from one continent to the other.     

Response of a veterinary college to career development needs identified in the KPMG LLP study and the executive summary of the Brakke study: a combined MBA/DVM program, business certificate program, and curricular modifications

In the present market, veterinarians with a strong background in career development, practice management, and business skills have a clear advantage in achieving financial success. Although there is ample evidence that the scientific and clinical skills of veterinary college graduates are high, there are also data that suggest that additional capabilities in the business realm may promote greater economic success. As noted in the KPMG executive summary, the field of veterinary medicine must make changes in its "current business practices and attitudes" to be successful in the future. Furthermore, the KPMG study found that 36% of industry employers reported that some jobs within their companies had specific job requirements that were not met by a veterinarian with only a veterinary medical degree. The areas of additional training most often cited included business, administration, personnel management, sales and marketing, and financial skills. Yet, Lewis and Klausner found that veterinarians reported challenges in the business realm, such as "how business works and how business goals are translated into action. This challenge held true for veterinarians in industry, academia, government, and private practice." The present gender trends in the field of veterinary medicine provide additional impetus to make career development and business skills training more prevalent. Presently, women comprise >65% of the veterinary student population and approximately 45% of all practicing veterinarians. In some areas of practice, the rate is much higher. For example, in 2002, women comprised 48.2% of all small animal exclusive private practitioners. Unfortunately, the KPMG study found that female veterinarians in private practice report lower self-evaluation of business management and financial skills, compared with their male cohorts. Female veterinarians in nonprivate practice report lower self-evaluation in communication, personnel management, business management, and marketing skills than that reported by males. As a result of these pressing needs, CSU CVMBS has undertaken a major initiative to improve the veterinary practice management and business skills training of veterinary students by offering a variety of options to gain this knowledge: a combined MBA/DVM degree program, a Business Certificate Program for Health Professions, and core curriculum courses. In this way, students can select the amount of focus they want to place on career development and business skills as they earn their DVM degree, to best ensure that they become successful veterinarians.     

Pharmacists in veterinary education: bridging the gap

Veterinary patients stand to benefit greatly from the collaboration of pharmacy and veterinary medicine, and there are many ways pharmacy and veterinary medicine can work in concert. The best efforts to revise and remodel veterinary and pharmacy education to fit an evolving world of clinical practice are grounded in an understanding of each profession. Veterinary education should impart to its students and residents the skills necessary to critically evaluate drug therapy, select therapies based on facts from drug information sources, and operate a veterinary practice that abides by the legal, regulatory, and operational requirements necessary to maintain and dispense drugs. The academic training environment of each profession must include information on the other, in order to better prepare professionals for a realistic practice environment. When armed with an understanding of what pharmacists can provide their patients, veterinarians can demand these skills where appropriate. With the ultimate goal of producing an optimal learning environment, veterinary curricula should allow both pharmacy and veterinary medicine to work together to build a path to quality patient care and educational superiority.     

Virtual international experiences in veterinary medicine: an evaluation of students' attitudes toward computer-based learning

While many studies have evaluated whether or not factual information can be effectively communicated using computer-aided tools, none has focused on establishing and changing students' attitudes toward international animal-health issues. The study reported here was designed to assess whether educational modules on an interactive computer CD elicited a change in veterinary students' interest in and attitudes toward international animal-health issues. Volunteer veterinary students at seven universities (first-year students at three universities, second-year at one, third-year at one, and fourth-year at two) were given by random assignment either an International Animal Health (IAH) CD or a control CD, ParasitoLog (PL). Participants completed a pre-CD survey to establish baseline information on interest and attitudes toward both computers and international animal-health issues. Four weeks later, a post-CD questionnaire was distributed. On the initial survey, most students expressed an interest in working in the field of veterinary medicine in another country. Responses to the three pre-CD questions relating to attitudes toward the globalization of veterinary medicine, interest in foreign animal disease, and inclusion of a core course on international health issues in the veterinary curriculum were all positive, with average values above 3 (on a five-point scale where 5 represented strong agreement or interest). Almost all students considered it beneficial to learn about animal-health issues in other countries. After students reviewed the IAH CD, we found a decrease at four universities, an increase at one university, and no change at the remaining two universities in students' interest in working in some area of international veterinary medicine. However, none of the differences was statistically significant.     

Evaluating the curriculum of the veterinary school of Firat University, Turkey, in terms of professional and technical skills

A significant portion of the problems faced by veterinarians is related to communication. These problems are intensely experienced between veterinary practitioners and animal owners; yet no lectures or courses aiming to improve professional skills are available in the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey. In this study, all students currently enrolled at, and 1992 and 1998 graduates of, the Veterinary School of Firat University (VSFU), Turkey, were surveyed to evaluate the attitudes of veterinary students and graduates toward technical and professional skills. Data were collected from 581 students and 61 recent graduates via personal interviews with students and questionnaires mailed to graduates; information was obtained about participants' technical and professional skills. The overall response rate was 85%. The results show that learning about technical and professional skills is highly valued; competence and comfort in skill sets are associated with comfort in establishing communication with instructors. Positive correlations were also noted between feeling comfortable with and feeling competent in both skill sets. In conclusion, it appears to be essential to introduce courses addressing improvement of professional skills to the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey, given that a successful veterinarian profile requires feeling competent in and comfortable with both technical and professional skills.     

Rethinking the learning and evaluation environment of a veterinary course in gross anatomy: the implementation of an assessment and development center and an E-learning platform

Today's students belong to an interactive generation and receive information through multiple channels. In addition, veterinary medicine curricula are changing due to trends such as student-centered education and competence-based learning. In consequence, we were stimulated to rethink the way in which veterinary gross anatomy was taught and assessed. As a first step, the learning goals for the students participating in the veterinary gross anatomy course were clearly defined. Students had to acquire knowledge of and insight into the structure, the function, and the interrelationships of gross anatomical structures in various species. They also had to be competent in observing, palpating, and exposing the anatomical structures. Additionally, they had to attain some general skills and attitudes. Next, a learning environment was developed enabling students to accomplish these goals. The three main components of this new environment were, first, the reorientation of classic cadaveric dissections towards attaching an increased importance to the attainment of course-specific and general skills and attitudes; second, the incorporation of an e-learning platform; and third, an increase in the number of student-lecturer interactions during lecture hours. Finally, the assessment and examination were adjusted to complement the goals defined earlier and the redesigned learning environment. An assessment and development center (ADC) was introduced, where students demonstrated their skills and insights by completing job-relevant assignments within a set time limit. This ADC was used as a means of evaluating students as well as of giving them feedback. Students were enthusiastic about this way of teaching although they experienced it as difficult.     

Personal and professional development in undergraduate health sciences education

During the last decade, 'medical professionalism' has been scrutinized as a consequence of pressures from within and outside the health sciences professions. In response, professional organizations have reviewed ethical principles and developed explicit guidelines for the behavior of their members. Medical educators have revised undergraduate curricula with a view to supporting the development and maintenance of these essential professional behaviors. This article outlines perspectives on professionalism before describing the evolution of personal and professional development curricula in undergraduate health science education. While the bulk of data on personal and professional development in the health sciences has come from human medicine, the principles are being recognized as applying to the breadth of the health professions. In the veterinary profession, the dyad of the physician-patient relationship of human medicine is expanded to the triad of the veterinarian-patient-client relationship, and this brings with it an added set of professional relationships and responsibilities. In order to be faithful to the primary literature and not expand beyond the various authors' data and conclusions, this article is presented principally in the terms of human medical education. For those in veterinary education, it is hoped that the inferences and applications will be readily apparent. In this article, challenges associated with defining content and educational methods are outlined, as well as selection criteria for medical school and promoting the value of PPD to students. Approaches to assessment, implementation, and evaluation of PPD curricula are also discussed. Two case studies are presented. The article concludes with suggestions for curriculum development.     

Developing and fostering a dynamic program for training in veterinary pathology and clinical pathology: veterinary students to post-graduate education

Recent reports project a deficiency of veterinary pathologists, indicating a need to train highly qualified veterinary pathologists, particularly in academic veterinary medicine. The need to provide high-quality research training for veterinary pathologists has been recognized by the veterinary pathology training program of the Ohio State University (OSU) since its inception. The OSU program incorporates elements of both residency training and graduate education into a unified program. This review illustrates the components and structure of the training program and reflects on future challenges in training veterinary pathologists. Key elements of the OSU program include an experienced faculty, dedicated staff, and high-quality students who have a sense of common mission. The program is supported through cultural and infrastructure support. Financial compensation, limited research funding, and attractive work environments, including work-life balance, will undoubtedly continue to be forces in the marketplace for veterinary pathologists. To remain competitive and to expand the ability to train veterinary pathologists with research skills, programs must support strong faculty members, provide appropriate infrastructure support, and seek active partnerships with private industry to expand program opportunities. Shortages of trained faculty may be partially resolved by regional cooperation to share faculty expertise or through the use of communications technology to bridge distances between programs. To foster continued interest in academic careers, training programs will need to continue to evolve and respond to trainees' needs while maintaining strong allegiances to high-quality pathology training. Work-life balance, collegial environments that foster a culture of respect for veterinary pathology, and continued efforts to reach out to veterinary students to provide opportunities to learn about the diverse careers offered in veterinary pathology will pay long-term dividends for the future of the profession.     

A survey of reading, writing, and oral communication skills in North American veterinary medical colleges

In the 1989 report by the Pew National Veterinary Education Program (PNVEP), communication skills topped the list of characteristics the veterinary graduate should possess in order to function effectively in the twenty-first century. To determine the reading, writing, and oral communication requirements and opportunities in veterinary curricula in the US and Canada, and to determine the perceived communication tasks that might be commonly required of practicing veterinarians in the next century, we sent a 15-item communications skills questionnaire to the academic deans of the 31 veterinary curricula in the US and Canada. The results reinforce the importance of communication skills in veterinary medicine, as detailed by the PNVEP over 10 years ago. Based on the responses to our questionnaire and on our own experiences with veterinary medical students, we make several recommendations to enhance communication instruction in veterinary medical curricula.     

Undergraduate veterinary education at University College Dublin: a time of change

The final-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (MVB) class of 2005 were the first cohort of students to complete the new curriculum at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin (UCD). The new curriculum is a fundamental departure from the traditional curriculum that had served the veterinary profession in Ireland over many years. The change was not a precipitate action but the outcome of a prolonged and thorough examination of the realities of veterinary medicine, its science and its art, in the first decade of a new millennium. Over recent decades, rapid and fundamental changes have been witnessed in the economic, cultural, and ethical environment in which the veterinary profession operates, and these changes, coupled with the "information explosion," dictated an examination of the educational paradigm. The new curriculum exposes the first-year class to veterinary information technology and problem-based learning (PBL). In the second year, students are instructed in clinical examination, history taking, and client communication skills, in addition to further exposure to PBL. The third and fourth years are now systems-based, with coordinated input from microbiologists, parasitologists, pathologists, and clinicians in teaching each body system. The first lecture-free final year in the 104-year history of veterinary education in Ireland consists of clinical rotations and a four-week elective pursued within the faculty or at other recognized institutions. Students must also complete a minimum of 24 weeks' extramural studies (EMS). Critically, the development and assessment of all courses in the new undergraduate degree program has been driven by carefully thought out learning outcomes. The new curriculum will provide graduates with the essential knowledge and skills required for entry into the veterinary profession. Society expects these qualities from veterinarians in the interests of the communities they serve during their professional careers. In addition, the curriculum should foster the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, instill the desire and ability to work in teams, and develop life skills. It is hoped that the academic innovations will arouse the intellectual curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning that future graduates will require if they are to retain the confidence of the society in which they work in the future.     

Current perspectives on curriculum needs in zoological medicine

Advances have been made in expanding veterinary curricula to deliver basic key knowledge and skills necessary for provision of health care to captive and companion non-domestic or non-traditional species in the veterinary colleges of the United States and Canada. These advances were in large part facilitated by the deliberations and recommendations of the White Oak Accords. Though a five-year review of curricular opportunities at US and Canadian veterinary colleges shows that progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the White Oak Accords, there remains room for improvement. The broadly comparative and health-maintenance basis of zoological medicine contributes critically to the potential for veterinary medicine to make important contributions to the concept of the integrated health of the planet. Emergence of key zoonotic and production-animal diseases derived from and within wildlife populations since 2000 has increased awareness worldwide of the importance of zoological medicine in protecting both production livestock and public health. These areas are addressed in elective curricula at colleges emerging as centers of excellence in zoological medicine, but it is critical that core curricula in zoological medicine at all schools be strengthened to include these important areas to prepare our DVM/VMD graduates to protect companion-animal, production-animal, and public health.     

Public health education at Michigan State University

Many reports have highlighted the need for the veterinary profession to fill critical shortages of veterinarians in public health and food safety. Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine offers educational programs within the professional veterinary curriculum, as well as graduate degree programs, to meet these societal needs. Within the scope of the professional veterinary curriculum, educational opportunities in public health include clerkships in veterinary public health and an innovative Web-based curriculum on judicious use of antimicrobials. For graduate degree programs, Michigan State University has a memorandum of understanding with the University of Minnesota for the Master of Public Health degree and an innovative Online Professional Master of Science in Food Safety degree program. A new option available is the opportunity for veterinary students to pursue the Master of Science in Food Safety concurrently with the DVM (DVM/MS in Food Safety). These educational programs will prepare graduates to meet societal needs in public health and food safety.     

Evaluation of a dental model for training veterinary students

Periodontal disease has deleterious effects on an animal's health and potentially serious implications for its welfare. Consequently, veterinarians frequently perform routine periodontal treatment in small-animal practice. One would therefore assume that small-animal dentistry would constitute a core component of a veterinary curriculum. However, most practitioners received little or no formal training in dentistry during their veterinary degrees, and the amount of instruction students currently receive is variable, often with limited opportunities to practice. At the Royal Veterinary College, a prototype dental model was developed to address the lack of practical training; it was made using ceramic tiles, silicone sealant, and grout to emulate teeth, gingiva, and calculus, respectively. A study was conducted with third-year veterinary students to compare the outcomes of learning to perform a professional dental cleaning using a model (group A) or a video (group B). Performance was assessed using an objective structured clinical examination. Students in group A scored significantly better than those in group B (p<.001). All students also completed a questionnaire evaluating attitudes toward the use of a dental model in learning dentistry-related skills. All students identified a model as a potentially valuable learning tool to supplement existing teaching methods and facilitate the acquisition of small-animal dentistry skills. The dental model has the potential to equip students with useful, practical skills in a safe and risk-free environment.     

Part II: directions and objectives of curriculum structure at veterinary medical and other health professions schools

This article surveys reports on various models and methods of curriculum structure and directions of health professions schools in North America over the past 20 years, with particular emphasis on veterinary and allopathic medical schools. The importance of administrative and faculty leadership, a clear sense of vision, recognition that curricula must change to meet societal needs, and continual, extensive communication and collaboration are discussed as important keys to successfully navigating curriculum reform. The advantages of central versus departmental management of the curriculum are noted with respect to implementing curricular change. Investment in faculty development is essential to ensure sustained cultural and curricular change. As instructional methodology changes, new and better methods of assessing student performance must be developed, with timely and appropriate feedback. Barriers to curriculum change are inevitable; effective strategies must be designed and implemented to navigate these barriers. The future of education in the health professions is clearly in the hands of the educators who prepare future health professionals.     

素质养成教育在动物医学人才培养中的应用

动物医学专业的实践性较强,稳固的基础知识和过硬的实践技能的训练对动物医学人才的培养尤其重要。专业素质养成教育重视专业素质的循序渐进发展,培养学生日渐形成熟练的操作技巧和良好的思维活动能力,为动物医学人才培养所需。此外,加强教师引领作用和探索更多的实践教育途径,能够促进学生不断地积累知识和逐步扎实提升专业技能,充分发挥素质养成教育在动物医学高素质专业人才培养中的作用。     

Veterinary practitioners in rural Australia: a national survey

OBJECTIVES: To assess the attitudes of Australian veterinarians to issues related to rural veterinary practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by 1367 AVA members, and the data were analysed using the SAS System for Windows 7.0. RESULTS: The country lifestyle and the type of work were seen as major advantages for rural practitioners, and long working hours and after hours demands coupled with sexist attitudes in the case of women, were seen as the main disadvantages. Remuneration, the tiring and often dangerous nature of the work, and social and professional isolation were also seen as major disadvantages. Personal qualities, including the ability to relate to rural people and to fit into rural communities were seen as the most important qualities for a veterinarian in rural practice. The future of rural practitioners was seen to be closely linked to their ability to contribute to the financial viability of the whole animal enterprise and to the fortunes of the rural industries. Companion animals were also seen as a key part of the future work of rural practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: Rural practitioners are characterised by a strong commitment to rural life and work, and they will increasingly be required to contribute to the financial viability of the whole animal enterprise. The full range of professional skills required are likely to be beyond the scope of the undergraduate veterinary course, but the internet and other modern forms of distance education should help practitioners to acquire relevant skills.     

Food animal veterinary medicine: leading a changing profession

The veterinary profession has gone through periods of profound change in response to economic and social changes. We are currently in another such period: profound change is required in order for the profession to remain relevant in a marketplace where a rapidly expanding knowledge base and new technologies demand an ever-increasing level of expertise in a greater variety of areas. However, the veterinary profession is perceived both internally and by the public as possessing a narrow set of skills that supports a narrow group of careers focused on salvaging ill or injured companion animals. It will be necessary to dramatically change the way veterinary students are recruited and trained, as well as how graduate veterinarians are licensed and provided continuing education, in order for the veterinary profession to capitalize on our historical strengths and provide service and leadership in a greater diversity of career paths. Even though the number of veterinarians needed to provide primary care for livestock is decreasing, both the level of expertise demanded by livestock owners and the value of veterinary involvement on livestock farms are increasing. Colleges of veterinary medicine appear challenged to meet the changing needs for veterinary services in animal agriculture because of the declining percentage of veterinary students interested in food animal careers. Fortunately for animal agriculture, the skill set needed by food animal veterinarians is also needed by several emerging segments of the veterinary profession that have tremendous potential for rapid growth, including employment in all segments of food production systems, environmental monitoring and management, bio-security and disease eradication, laboratory diagnostics, and federal regulatory and bio-defense roles. Like previous periods of profound change, this moment in history will require creative thought, open discussion, and a willingness to step into the unknown.