Criteria used by employers to select new graduate employees

OBJECTIVE: To find out what criteria and methods are used by Australian employers to select new graduates to work in their practices. DESIGN: Questionnaires were completed by 258 employers and the responses were analysed using the SAS system. RESULTS: During selection, employers placed most reliance on formal interviews or visits to the practice. These occasions were used to assess the applicant's personal qualities including their ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues. Employers used resumes mainly in selection of applicants to interview and many discounted nominated referees as being insufficiently critical. Academic knowledge was regarded as less important than personal qualities and very few employers reported using gender as a basis for selection. CONCLUSIONS: Senior veterinary students need to be aware of the importance placed by employers on interpersonal skills and personal qualities and should make every effort to engage in practical work, paid work and other activities that will help develop these attributes. They should be conscious that practitioners with whom they work may be contacted by potential employers and they should learn to present themselves realistically in a resume.     

Mechanism-based diagnostic reasoning: thoughts on teaching introductory clinical pathology

Abstract: Teaching introductory clinical pathology to veterinary students is a challenging endeavor that requires a shift in learning strategies from rote memorization to diagnostic reasoning. Educational research has identified discrete cognitive stages required to achieve the automated, unconscious thinking process used by experts. Building on this knowledge, we developed a case-based approach to clinical pathology instruction that actively engages students in the learning process and links performance with positive reward. Simulated cases provide context and create a structure, or "schema", which enhances the learning process by enabling students to synthesize facts and link them with their causal mechanism to reach a defensible diagnostic conclusion. Web-based tools, including the "Problem List Generator" and tutorials, have been developed to facilitate this process. Through the collaborative Biomedical Informatics Research Group, we are working to further develop and evaluate Web-based instructional tools and new educational methods, to clarify the diagnostic reasoning processes used by experienced clinical pathologists, and, ultimately, to better educate our future students to be effective diagnosticians.     

Adipose tissue lipogenesis in growing steers adapted to different levels of feed intake

The association between feed intake and lipogenic activity in adipose tissue was investigated in growing cattle. Twenty-five 300-kg steers were allotted by BW to one of five levels of intake of a single high-energy corn-corn silage-based diet. Steers were adapted to diets over 4 wk and intakes were adjusted weekly to achieve steady but varying rates of growth. Daily intakes (% of BW) averaged .92, 1.15, 1.64, 2.28 and 2.69 and resulted in growth rates over the final 3 wk of -.28, .07, .71, 1.67 and 1.69 kg/d, respectively. Lipogenic activities in biopsied tissue and circulating concentrations of glucose and insulin were lowest at maintenance feeding and below but increased linearly (P less than .01 for lipogenesis; P less than .1 for glucose and insulin) as intake increased above maintenance. Mean minimal and maximal rates (mumoles.-min(-1).10(6) cells(-1)) or concentrations were fatty acids synthesis ([14C]acetate---fatty acid)), .065 and .723; fatty acid synthetase (NADPH oxidized), .266 and 2.97; lipoprotein lipase (fatty acid released), .048 and .359; glucose (mg/dl), 60.4 and 70.7 and insulin (ng/ml), .70 and 1.66. In a preliminary study with the same 25 steers fed ad libitum, nearly 25% of the variability in adipose tissue lipogenesis was accounted for by variation in feed intake. Results indicate that activities of lipogenic enzymes and lipogenic capacity in growing steers coordinately adapt to the level of feed consumed and that nutrient availability and(or) insulin concentrations may participate in this adaptation.     

Lymph node cytology

In clinical practice, animals with lymphadenopathy are eminently suitable candidates for cytology sample collection by FNAB from several enlarged nodes; or, if surgical biopsies are made, imprint smears from the tissue may yield diagnostically useful information to supplement the histological findings. Cytology may reveal the lesion to be reactive, inflammatory, or neoplastic. Cytologically, reactive nodes will contain increased numbers of plasma cells, possibly with some inflammatory cells, along with the resident lymphoid population. If inflammation is present, neutrophils and macrophages also will be found and the type of inflammation may be classified. Any infectious agent such as fungal hyphae, yeasts, bacteria, and protozoa also may be demonstrated. Aspirates may be cultured directly onto blood agar plates or transported in nutrient broth for culture at a referral laboratory. In chronic dermatopathic nodes, a mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate is expected, and in pruritic skin disorders, eosinophils usually are plentiful in node aspirates. Increased numbers of eosinophils also may be found in dogs that are microfilaremic with heartworm infection. Background debris of hemosiderin and melanin pigment and other fine particles may occur in some chronic inflammatory lymphadenopathies. Metastatic lesions are identified by the presence of foreign neoplastic cells, but this diagnosis may be missed in early metastatic spread or if the aspirate is not sufficiently cellular. A cytological guide to the classification of the more common diffuse canine lymphomas is provided but full characterization of the lymphoma type may require histology and immunocytochemistry. In practice, a simple differential Romanowsky stain such as Diff Quik is suitable for most purposes. Supplementary stains using 1 per cent toluidine blue may increase the detection of mast cells. Aspirates also may be transferred into suitable media for transport to a referral diagnostic laboratory for cytocentrifugation or further tests such as electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and culture. Although definitive diagnosis by histopathology and other tests still may be required, in many routine cases, diagnoses can be achieved expediently in clinical practice by aspiration cytology.     

Caudal vena caval thrombosis in a cow

Caudal vena caval thrombosis was diagnosed in a 13-year-old Santa Gertrudis cow with a history of chronic weight loss. Anemia, abnormal lung sounds, hemoptysis, and melena were the predominant clinical signs of vena caval thrombosis.     

Cyclical changes of vaginal cytology in the cat

Vaginal smears from seven cats were examined at two-day intervals for 32 days in order to describe the cyclical pattern of epithelial cells exfoliated throughout the stages of the estrus cycle. Vaginal epithelial cells were classified as parabasal, intermediate and superficial (nucleate and anucleate) cells, and their dimensions were measured for the purpose of definition. The percentages of the epithelial cell populations (i.e. Maturation Index) from Wright's stained smears, were determined at all stages of the estrus cycle. The Eosinophilic Index was estimated on Papanicolaou stained smears.Smears of cats in estrus were populated almost entirely with nucleate and anucleate superficial epithelial cells. Proestrus was characterized by intermediate epithelial cells with increasing eosinophilia, and rare neutrophils. Metestrus was associated with desquamation of intermediate and parabasal epithelial cells, neutrophils and debris. In the anestrus period, groups of intermediate cells and some parabasal epithelial cells were exfoliated.Two cats in the study did not cycle and exhibited anestrus. Of the five cats cycling, eight estrus periods were observed of two to five days duration. The cycles were of 15 to 17 days interval in three normal cats. Two cats did not show a second estrus within 30 days, and were subsequently found to have bacterial growth on the culture of vaginal swabs, however the presence of an initial ovular estrus cannot be ruled out. The rare presence of erythrocytes was associated with vaginal bacterial infections and discharge in two cats.