Information technology in veterinary pharmacology instruction

Veterinary clinical pharmacology encompasses all interactions between drugs and animals and applies basic and clinical knowledge to improve rational drug use and patient outcomes. Veterinary pharmacology instructors set educational goals and objectives that, when mastered by students, lead to improved animal health. The special needs of pharmacology instruction include establishing a functional interface between basic and clinical knowledge, managing a large quantity of information, and mastering quantitative skills essential to successful drug administration and analysis of drug action. In the present study, a survey was conducted to determine the extent to which veterinary pharmacology instructors utilize information technology (IT) in their teaching. Several IT categories were investigated, including Web-based instructional aids, stand-alone pharmacology software, interactive videoconferencing, databases, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and e-book applications. Currently IT plays a largely ancillary role in pharmacology instruction. IT use is being expanded primarily through the efforts of two veterinary professional pharmacology groups, the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP) and the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AAVPT). The long-term outcome of improved IT use in pharmacology instruction should be to support the larger educational mission of active learning and problem solving. Creation of high-quality IT resources that promote this goal has the potential to improve veterinary pharmacology instruction within and across institutions.     

Medical Imaging Resource Center (MIRC) for veterinary medicine: a digital image teaching file

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: Veterinary radiology has a need for software to facilitate the creation of digital image teaching files. The Medical Imaging Resource Center (MIRC) is widely used in medicine to create teaching cases and store data from clinical trials. This open-source software was identified as a solution for use in veterinary medicine. METHODOLOGY: The additional fields needed to adapt the system for veterinary use were identified as sex, species, and breed. Breed and species codes from the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and from the Standard Nomenclature of Veterinary Diseases and Operations (SNVDO) were gathered and correlated. RESULTS: The sex fields added were male, male neutered, female, and female neutered. The breed and species codes were combined into a single term. These were coded in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and added to the software's veterinary document template and search capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: MIRC was successfully adapted for use in creating digital teaching files for veterinary medicine.     

兽药GMP检查验收中的常见问题分析

兽药GMP认证工作主要是对相关人员、硬件与软件三大要素和验证、规程与记录三项重点工作进行考核与检查。其中,硬件是根本,软件是重点,人员是关键。记录是实施GMP认证的基础性工作,必须真实、详细;规程是兽药生产的规范性文件和行动指南,必须规范、合理,可操作性强;而验证则是GMP检查验收工作的精髓和重中之重,各项规程及标准等都必须通过验证。     

Teaching veterinary parasitology: the North American perspective

The American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) initiated a study of parasitology curricula in veterinary schools in the US and Canada in November 1989. An ad hoc committee (Task Force) and then the Education Committee developed a position paper on teaching parasitology in veterinary colleges. In addition to confirming the importance of parasitology as a discipline they recommended a set of general learning objectives and proposed topic-specific titles rather than parasite-/group-specific titles. Another problem observed in teaching parasitology was a significant reduction in time available to teach parasitology. One way to compensate for the lost classroom time is to utilize some of the technological advances in presenting the material to students.     

Implementing a simulated client program: bridging the gap between theory and practice

INTRODUCTION: This paper outlines the design and implementation of an innovative communication skills training program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Based upon the body of research in human medical education reporting effective results through the use of standardized patients (SPs) for this type of training, an experiential learning laboratory using simulated clients (SCs) and patients was introduced to first-year veterinary students. METHOD: One hundred and four first-year students were assigned to 12 groups of eight or nine students plus a facilitator. Each student interacted with a simulated client and a patient while being observed by peers and a facilitator. The Calgary-Cambridge Observation Guide (CCOG) was used to guide students and facilitators with performance standards and feedback. Assessment strategies were utilized. RESULTS: Implementation of this program required extensive resources, including funding, expertise, facilitator training, time allotment in an already overburdened curriculum, and administrative and faculty support. Preliminary assessment revealed high student and facilitator satisfaction. The potential of this program for student education and assessment was recognized, and it will be expanded in years 2 and 3 of the DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: Medical educators have created resources, including skills checklists and experiential learning modalities, that are highly applicable to veterinary medical education. Ongoing evaluation of the program is essential to determine whether we are meeting expectations for communication competency in veterinary medicine.     

Veterinary public health in a problem-based learning curriculum at the Western University of Health Sciences

As detailed in the Association of Schools of Public Health / Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges 2007 Joint Symposium on Veterinary Public Health, veterinary public health (VPH) can no longer be viewed as a unique sub-specialty of veterinary medicine. Rather, its practice pervades nearly every aspect of the veterinary profession, regardless of whether the practitioner is engaged in small-animal, large-animal, research, corporate, or military practice. In congruence with the practice of VPH, the teaching of VPH should also pervade nearly every aspect of veterinary education. Accordingly, at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine (WU-CVM), public health is not simply taught as an individual course but, rather, is interwoven into almost every aspect of the curriculum, continually emphasizing the relevance of this discipline to the practice of veterinary medicine. This article outlines the teaching philosophy of WU-CVM, provides an overview of the curriculum, and describes the integral nature of public health throughout all four years of the educational program.     

A review of the expanding field of exotic animal oral health care--veterinary dentistry

This article reviews the clinical literature of the field of Veterinary Dentistry from its conception in the late 1960's to its rapidly expanding role today as an emerging clinical specialty practice in veterinary medicine. It defines eight dental sub-disciplines in contemporary veterinary oral health care from a practical point of view and provides information concerning standardization of key words searches, definition of terms, and use of the expanded Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) necessary for a comprehensive review of the rapidly expanding literature stored in electronic databases.     

Mainstreaming alternatives in veterinary medical education: resource development and curricular reform

Veterinary medical educators are charged with preparing students to enter practice in veterinary medicine during a four-year, intensive, professional education program. This requires giving students in laboratory training that involves dead, anesthetized, or conscious animals, so that they become proficient in the expected range of veterinary knowledge, skills, and abilities. Undeniably, experience with animals is essential to prepare students for a profession in which animals comprise the total domain. However, the consumptive use of animals for teaching students, especially in laboratories, is increasingly subject to regulatory requirements, while also being scrutinized by animal protection groups, and has become a common focus of contention among veterinary students. Not surprisingly, the use of animals in teaching has sharply declined over the past few decades, as new teaching resources and methods, involving less consumptive use of animals, have been incorporated. This change in veterinary medical education has occurred on such a wide scale, in almost all veterinary schools and colleges, that the educational approach can serve as a model for further developments within the veterinary educational community and, indeed, for animal-related material in secondary schools and undergraduate higher education. This article highlights examples of the leadership provided by veterinary educators in developing alternative teaching resources and methods, while maintaining the high level of proficiency expected from traditional educational approaches.     

Telemedicine in veterinary practice

Veterinary surgeons have a long tradition of consulting one another about problem cases and many have unwittingly practised telemedicine when discussing cases by telephone or by sending laboratory reports by telefax. Specific veterinary telemedicine applications have been in use since the early 1980s, but little research has been undertaken in this field. The Pubmed and CAB International databases were searched for the following Boolean logic-linked keywords; veterinary and telemedicine, veterinary and telecare, animal and telemedicine, animal and telecare and veterinary and e-mail and an additional search was made of the worldwide web, using Google Scholar. This returned 25 papers which were reviewed. Of these only 2 report research. Sixteen papers had no references and 1 author was associated with 13 papers. Several themes emerge in the papers reviewed. These include remarks about the use of telemedicine, the benefits that can and are derived from the use of telemedicine, areas of practice in which telemedicine is being used, ethical and legal issues around the practice of telemedicine, image standards required for telemedicine, the equipment that is required for the practice of telemedicine, advice on ways in which digital images can be obtained and educational aspects of telemedicine. These are discussed. Veterinary practice has lagged behind its human counterpart in producing research on the validity and efficacy of telemedicine. This is an important field which requires further research.     

从注射剂的基本要求浅谈化药注射剂装量按规格管理的必要性

近年来我国兽用化学药品发展迅速,兽用注射剂药物品种规格不断增加.兽药规格是兽药标准规定的内容之一,它与兽药的研究、生产、使用、质量检验等密切相关.兽用注射剂规格对兽药有效性、安全性和经济性等有直接关系.因此,兽用注射剂规格的确定、增加或改变必须严格管理,综合慎重考虑兽药典要求、注册要求、生产要求等,确保兽用注射剂药物的...     

《动物寄生虫病学》课程教学方法的改革与实践

动物寄生虫病学是一门由一般生物学和兽医学构成的综合性学科,是阐明寄生于动物的各种寄生虫及其对动物所发生影响和所引起疾病的科学,是动物医学和畜牧兽医专业的一门专业基础课。通过对以往教学方法的改革和教学过程的实践,在教学过程中不仅改进常规教学方法,同时还增加学术论文的使用和实践操作的类型及时间比例,获得良好的教学效果。介绍了《动物寄生虫病学》课程的教学现状,并阐述了该课程教学方法改革与实践工作中的几点体会。     

Using databases

Through a relatively simple computer technique known as online searching, practitioners can use computers to "reach out" beyond their practice walls to expand their knowledge base. By bringing information sources closer to veterinarians, feelings of isolation, frustration, and ineptitude can be replaced with feelings of certainty, confidence, and knowledge. This article explores the equipment and the software needed, and by giving examples of a few of the veterinary databases, illustrates some techniques employed in signing up and signing on to the power of online searching.     

Veterinary medicine in New York State: overview of distribution patterns.

An understanding of the distributional patterns of Veterinary practitioners in New York State can assist in optimizing veterinary services and opportunities. Veterinarians have been arrayed by type of practice and location within counties and major land form regions. Relationships between the number of practitioners and human and animal populations have been examined in these areas and show the inadequacy of basing veterinary needs on human population data. In contrast, large animal numbers show a much closer correspondence to veterinary practitioners, with ranges of 3341 to 6561 animals being serviced per veterinarian in the large and mixed service fields (98% of these totals are food animals). Data on age composition and degree institution (in-state versus out-of-state) provide indications of the length of service, turnover rate and retention rate for practitioners trained in New York State. At present 60 percent of New York State practitioners received their education at Cornell and more than three quarters of the active total completed their education since 1950.     

Defining the attributes expected of graduating veterinary medical students, part 2: external evaluation and outcomes assessment

We have previously defined a set of 62 attributes-12 in the area of professional characteristics, 28 addressing knowledge and understanding, and 22 delineating skills-that veterinary students should be expected to have demonstrated by the time of their graduation (Walsh DA, Osburn BI, Christopher MM. Defining the attributes expected of graduating veterinary medical students. J Am Vet Med Assoc 219:1358-1365, 2001). We have used this set of attributes as the basis of an outcomes assessment completed by California practitioners to determine whether graduates from the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine are meeting these expectations. Based upon this assessment, these 62 defined attributes appear to reflect very well practicing veterinarians' views and expectations of DVM graduates. The survey results also indicate that, overall, the recent University of California graduates are meeting these set of expectations. Simultaneously, the outcomes assessment focused attention on several areas, including private practice management, work expectations for successful practice, and surgical capabilities. For each, California practitioners recommended that the definition of the expectation be expanded and that the level of achievement by graduates be improved. Defining a set of attributes expected of veterinary graduates is a key step in obtaining an effective outcomes assessment of a professional educational program.     

美国兽医学院联盟2016—2017年度报告教员数据解读

美国兽医学院联盟(AAVMC)对在美国、加拿大及隶属于其联盟的其他国家兽医学院的办学要求采取联合认证程序。通过解读AAVMC2016—2017年度报告中教员数据,包括行政人员、终身职位教员、非终身职位临床人员和非终身职位研究人员数量及比例,同时,解读上述教员类型中的性别比例及国籍比例,旨在为我国兽医(动物医学)教育与国际兽医教育的接轨,以及我国国家动物医学类办学标准中师资标准的制定提供参考。     

How useful is plastination in learning anatomy?

In recent years plastination has begun to revolutionize the way in which human and veterinary gross anatomy can be presented to students. The study reported here assessed the efficacy of plastinated organs as teaching resources in an innovative anatomy teaching/learning system. The main objective was to evaluate whether the use of plastinated organs improves the quality of teaching and learning of anatomy. For this purpose, we used an interdepartmental approach involving the departments of Veterinary Anatomy, Human Anatomy, Veterinary Surgery, and Education Development and Research Methods. The knowledge base of control and experimental student groups was examined before and after use of the fixed or plastinated resources, respectively, to gather information evaluating the effectiveness of these teaching resources. Significant differences (p < 0.001) between control and experimental groups of Human and Veterinary Anatomy were observed in the post-test results. The Veterinary Surgery students had the most positive opinion of the use of plastinated specimens. Using these data, we were able to quantitatively characterize the use of plastinated specimens as anatomy teaching resources. This analysis showed that all the plastinated resources available were heavily used and deemed useful by students. Although the properties of plastinated specimens accommodate student needs at various levels, traditional material should be used in conjunction with plastinated resources.     

The use of veterinary medicinal products in equine practices in The Netherlands: Balancing between the law and good veterinary practice

This study investigates the present situation with respect to the use and abuse of (veterinary) medicinal products (VMPs) by equine practitioners and endeavours to substantiate the perceived discrepancies and friction between the availability of VMPs, legislation in force, code of Good Veterinary Practice and reality of day‐today equine practice. It can be concluded that practising equine medicine in The Netherlands using only authorised equine VMPs is impossible. In most cases the ‘cascade’ or list of essential substances is needed to legitimise the use or, even worse, the use is not legitimised at all. Existing differences between European Union member states in the outcome of procedures for obtaining a marketing authorisation for the same product is seen as an obstacle for the availability and development of equine VMPs needed for safeguarding the future of a professional equine veterinary healthcare.     

The use of disinfectants in veterinary practice

The use of chemical disinfectants within the veterinary practice is only permitted when the disinfectants are legally registered. A distinction has to be made between disinfectants to be used on the skin of men or animals and disinfectants to be used on surfaces like floors, walls, cages, stables and for veterinary instruments. For the first group, to be considered as (veterinary) medicines, the Act on (Veterinary) Medicines applies. For the second group, to be considered as veterinary biocides, the Pesticide Act applies. A small survey carried out by the Keuringsdienst van Waren shows that in veterinary practice disinfectants are applied in an inappropriate way. A lack of knowledge and the lack of hygienic protocols could be reasons for these misuses. In this article the Keuringsdienst van Waren gives information about the legal aspects of disinfectants that fall within the scope of the Pesticide Act.     

An alumni survey to assess self-reported career preparation attained at a US veterinary school

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) has challenged veterinary schools to improve self-assessment of curricular outcomes. One way to assess the quality of education is to gather feedback from alumni. To successfully gather feedback using a questionnaire, questions must be pertinent to veterinary education and include quantifiable responses. Several principles must be applied in questionnaire development to ensure that the questions address the intended issues, that questions are interpreted correctly and consistently, and that responses are quantifiable. The objectives of the questionnaire for alumni of Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU-CVM) were twofold: (1) to determine whether graduates were comparable to their US peers in terms of work opportunities and salary, and (2) to evaluate how well the CVM curriculum prepared students to begin their veterinary careers. Demographic categories used by the AVMA and published knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aptitudes of veterinary graduates were used in developing the questions. College-specific questions, such as those relating to student activities and impressions of college resources, were also incorporated. Questionnaires were mailed to participants, who could respond via the World Wide Web. Questionnaire results allowed leaders within the college to determine which aspects of alumni's experiences were exceptionally positive, which needed immediate response, and which might require further study. This article describes the application of principles in developing, administering, and analyzing responses to a questionnaire regarding veterinary education.