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The impact of nutrition on animal health requires effective diet-related treatment recommendations in veterinary medicine. Despite low reported rates of veterinary clients’ adherence with dietary recommendations, little is known about how clients’ resistance to nutritional proposals is managed in the talk of veterinary consultations. This conversation-analytic study investigated clients’ active resistance to veterinarians’ proposals for long-term changes to cats’ and dogs’ diets in 23 segments from 21 videotaped appointments in Ontario, Canada. Clients’ accounts suggested the proposals themselves or nutritional modifications were unnecessary, inappropriate, or unfeasible, most often based on patients’ food preferences, multi-pet feeding issues, current use of equivalent strategies, or current enactment of the proposed changes. Resistance arose when veterinarians constructed proposals without first gathering relevant diet- and patient-related information, soliciting clients’ perspectives, or educating them about the benefits of recommended changes. Veterinarians subsequently accommodated clients’ concerns more often when resistance involved patient- or client-related issues rather than clients’ lack of medical knowledge. The design of subsequent proposals accepted by clients frequently replaced dietary changes in the initial proposals with nutritional or non-nutritional alternatives and oriented to uncertainty about adherence. This study provides evidence-based findings for developing effective communication training and practice guidelines in nutritional assessment and shared decision-making.

India has a large, free-roaming dog population, encompassing both owned and stray dogs. Canine surgical neutering is often a central component of dog population management and rabies control initiatives. The provision of practical, surgical training opportunities remains a major challenge for veterinary educational establishments worldwide to ensure competency in this routine procedure. A 12-day educational programme, focusing on surgical neutering skills, was developed to address this need. A questionnaire comprising 26 questions covering surgical and clinical topics, and a self-assessment of confidence in undertaking five common surgical procedures, was completed immediately before and after finishing the programme. A total of 296 participants attended, with 228 achieving the inclusion criteria for the study. Total knowledge scores increased significantly after the training programme (mean score pre-18.94, 95% CI 18.13–19.74; post-28.11, 95% CI 27.44–28.77, p

Public health is a central but often neglected component of veterinary education. German veterinary public health (VPH) education includes substantial theory-focused lectures, but practical case studies are often missing. To change this, we combined the advantages of case-based teaching and blended learning to teach these topics in a more practical and interactive way. Blended learning describes the combination of online and classroom-based teaching. With it, we created an interdisciplinary module for outbreak investigations and zoonoses, based on the epidemiology, food safety, and microbiology disciplines. We implemented this module within the veterinary curriculum of the seventh semester (in the clinical phase of the studies). In this study, we investigated the acceptance of this interdisciplinary approach and established a framework for the creation of interactive outbreak investigation cases that can serve as a basis for further cases. Over a period of 3 years, we created three interactive online cases and one interactive in-class case and observed the student-reported evaluation of the blended learning concept and self-assessed learning outcomes. Results show that 80% (75–89) of students evaluated the chosen combination of case-based and blended learning for interdisciplinary teaching positively and therefore accepted it well. Additionally, 76% (70–98) of students evaluated their self-assessed learning outcomes positively. Our results suggest that teaching VPH through interdisciplinary cases in a blended learning approach can increase the quality of teaching VPH topics. Moreover, it provides a framework to incorporate realistic interdisciplinary VPH cases into the curriculum.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate if low-fidelity surgical training models increased students’ surgical confidence and competence and decreased procedural stress relating to core surgical entrustable professional activities (EPAs).Methods: Final-year students repeatedly performed one of three surgical EPAs on a low-fidelity surgical training model (canine castration, subcutaneous lump removal and eyelid laceration repair) and completed a survey at set time-points. A grading rubric was used to assess participant competence in performing the assigned EPA at 2 different time-points. Survey results and competency gradings were compiled and analysed.Results: Student self-assessed confidence increased, and stress decreased significantly between assessment points on all 3 EPA surgical training models. Graded competence significantly improved on all training models between the assessment points and most students deemed the model’s to be realistic and helpful for student practices.Conclusions: Repeated exposure to low-fidelity surgical training models, increased final-year students’ surgical confidence, competence and reduced procedural stress relating to 3 key surgical EPAs. Assessment of competence using a grading rubric, was successful and could be incorporated into a competence-based veterinary education assessment framework to allow screening of competence prior to graduation.Limitations: Limitations relate to the study involving a single cohort from a single institute and the reliance on student self-assessment.

The aim of this study was to determine the use and effectiveness of virtual learning environments (EVA) in the academic performance of Veterinary Medicine students at the Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University (UNPRG), Chiclayo, Peru. The study included 192 students from the first to the tenth cycle, enrolled in nine generic, specific and specialty training subjects. A questionnaire of 39 questions with Likert-type responses of four ratings was applied to them. Cronbach's alpha was 0.937 for the level of use and 0.912 for the effectiveness of the VLEs (Virtual Learning Environment). The assessment of academic performance was carried out from the grades obtained under the vigesimal system. Most of the students were in moderate agreement in all the dimensions of use, except in the intention of use. Likewise, those from 16 to 20 years of age located in the I to IV cycle had a low level of use (p0.05) and X2=0.57 (p>0.05), respectively. The indicators of intention to use, activities to be carried out, resources used, didactics and nature of the degree program became critical factors of the educational task in a virtual environment., La investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar el uso y efectividad de los entornos virtuales de aprendizaje (EVA) en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de Medicina Veterinaria de la Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo (UNPRG), Chiclayo, Perú. Se trabajó con 192 estudiantes del primero al décimo ciclo, matriculados en nueve asignaturas de formación genérica, específica y de especialidad. Se les aplicó un cuestionario de 39 preguntas con respuestas tipo Likert de cuatro valoraciones. El alfa de Cronbach fue de 0.937 para el nivel de uso y 0.912 para efectividad de los EVA (Entorno Virtual de Aprendizaje). La valoración del rendimiento académico se realizó a partir de las notas en acta en sistema vigesimal. La mayoría de los estudiantes estuvieron medianamente de acuerdo en todas las dimensiones del uso, menos en la intención de uso. Asimismo, los de 16 a 20 años ubicados en el I al IV ciclo tuvieron un nivel de uso bajo (p0.05) y X2=0.57 (p>0.05), respectivamente. Los indicadores de intención de uso, actividades a realizar, recursos empleados, didáctica y naturaleza de la carrera se constituyeron en factores críticos de la tarea educativa en un entorno virtual.

Failing a student is difficult for both educator and student, but administering a failing grade is critical for protecting and ensuring adequate learning for an unsafe student. The failure to fail clinical students has been commonly reported and explored among educators in the human health professions but has not been formally addressed in veterinary education. Forty-three participants attending the Veterinary Educators Collaborative symposium were surveyed concerning their attitudes and experiences failing clinical veterinary students. Results indicated that the failure to fail phenomenon exists among veterinary educators, as the majority of veterinary educators often felt reluctant and unprepared to fail a student on clinical rotations. The most common barriers to failing students were institutional culture and unsatisfactory assessor development or evaluation tools. Veterinary educators must face this fear of failure and explore strategies to overcome existing barriers that can ultimately transform student failure into success.

Understanding scientific concepts and processes is critical for veterinary education. This article outlines the impact of blended learning and the use of an analogy on student understanding of the hypothalamic-pituitary-target gland axis over a three-year period. The first-year veterinary physiology course at our institution was modified to incorporate a blended learning approach. An analogy centered around a fast-food restaurant was introduced via an animated video to explain key concepts using an online module. Students completed the module on their own time and class time was optional for asking questions or obtaining clarification as needed. Learning was assessed using the same set of multiple-choice exam questions (MCQs). As hypothesized, students using the online module performed equally well (significantly better for those in the lower quartile) on three summative MCQs to those who received the same information delivered by traditional lecture. Student feedback identified positive aspects regarding blended learning using the analogy, including dynamic visuals, ability to work at their own time and pace, and ease of repeating information. Students cited lack of discipline and poor time management as obstacles to completing the module. Changing the anatomy and physiology of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland from static images and text to an animated video significantly improved student’s preference for the blended learning approach. Blended learning and the analogy was preferred by 47% of students over the traditional lecture format (21% preferred traditional lecture and 32% were indifferent) and it was more effective in helping students master this important physiological concept.

Post-event debriefing has been described as an effective tool in improving learning achievements in simulator-based teaching. This article examines the effect of structured post-event debriefing sessions in simulator-based veterinary clinical skills training. Nineteen Namibian veterinary students took part in instructor-led practice, self-directed practice with structured post-event debriefing and self-directed practice without debriefing (control) at three different learning stations in a veterinary clinical skills laboratory. Students evaluated their practice experience using Likert-type scales, and learning achievements were assessed using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). The results show that the choice of practice model had no significant effect on learning achievements overall. However, at individual learning stations, different practice models showed significant differences regarding effect on learning achievements. Students generally preferred practice sessions with some form of instructor involvement but the importance of instructor guidance was rated differently at each individual learning station.

Aim: Quality parameters are determined with accreditation standards in higher education institutes. EAEVE carries out international accreditation practices in our country. In this study, the last statuses of Turkish veterinary faculties in accreditation processes are evaluated as of December 2020. Besides, evaluation of the current status of Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (AUFVM) in accordance with European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT) 2019 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) criterion is aimed as an example from Turkey. Materials and Methods: In this study, the accreditation status of veterinary faculties in Turkey are evaluated. The data of AUFVM is evaluated following EAEVE’s current 2019 SOP criterion and found out that the faculty is insufficient for 7 out of 22 main indicators. Excel file provided by European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT) is used to calculate of the last 3 years' data of the faculty. Results: As of December 20, there are 27 fully accredited veterinary schools out of 101 members of EAEVE. Accordingly, there are 3 approved faculties out of 13 member faculties of EAEVE in Turkey as of December 2020. AUFVM is identified as the first member and approved faculty of EAEVE. As an example of Turkey, AUFVM’s data is compared with foreign approved or fully accreditated veterinary schools and strengths and weaknesses are determined. Conclusion: This study has authentic value in terms of being the first study in Turkey according to the EAEVE's last criteria (2020) as a quality commitment of accreditation processes. Consequently, following the latest accreditation criterion for all veterinary faculties in Turkey besides with novel researches is thought to be important in achieving international standardization of veterinary education., Amaç: Yükseköğretim kurumlarında kalite parametreleri akreditasyon standartlarıyla belirlenmektedir. Ülkemizde uluslararası akreditasyon süreçleri EAEVE tarafından yürütülmektedir. Çalışmada Aralık 2020 itibariyle Türkiye’deki veteriner fakültelerinin güncel akreditasyon durumları değerlendirilmiştir. Ek olarak, Türkiye’den örnek olması açısından Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesinin (AÜVF) güncel akreditasyon durumu Avrupa Veteriner Hekimliği Eğitimi Değerlendirme Sistemi (ESEVT) ve 2019 Standart Operasyon Prosedürleri (SOP) bağlamında incelenmiştir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma kapsamında Türkiye’deki veteriner fakültelerinin akreditasyon durumları incelenmiştir. AÜVF’nin verileri EAEVE’nin güncel 2019 SOP kriterleri bağlamında değerlendirilmiş; fakülte 22 ana göstergenin yedisi açısından yetersiz bulunmuştur. AÜVF’nin son üç yılının verilerinin hesaplanmasında ESEVT tarafından sağlanan Excel dosyası kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Aralık 2020 itibarıyla EAEVE üyesi 101 veteriner fakültesinden 27’si tam akredite durumdadır. Türkiye’de EAEVE üyesi 13 veteriner fakültesinden üçü onaylanmış (approval) statüdedir. AÜVF’nin EAEVE’ye ilk üye olan ve approval fakülte olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Türkiye’den bir örnek olarak AÜVF’nin güncel akreditasyon verileri dünyadaki tam akredite veteriner fakülteleri ile karşılaştırıldığında güçlü ve zayıf yönleri olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Öneri: Araştırma EAEVE’nin akreditasyon süreçlerinde güncel kalite taahhütleri bağlamında (2020) Türkiye’de yapılan ilk çalışma olma özelliğinden dolayı özgün niteliğe sahiptir. Sonuç olarak, Türkiye’deki tüm veteriner fakültelerinin veteriner hekimliği eğitim öğretiminde uluslararası standardizasyonun sağlanması için akreditasyon süreçlerini yakından takip etmelerinin ve değişen kriterlere göre yeni çalışmaların yapılmasının önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir.

To study changes in Journal of Veterinary Medical Education ( JVME) content, this article presents the results of an analysis of a purposeful sample ( n = 537) and demographic analysis of all 1,072 articles published from 2005 to 2019. The findings were compared to a prior analysis of articles from 1974 to 2004. Article length increased, as did the number of authors and institutions per article. Female first author numbers grew at a greater rate than the proportion of female faculty at AAVMC-accredited colleges. Close to 85% of articles were by authors in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, while 40 other countries contributed the remainder. The primary topics of papers published from 2005 to 2019 were student affairs (17.3%), professional skills (15.1%), courses and curricula (12.7%), specialty/disciplinary training (12.5%), and technology/information resources (11.5%). The prevalence of articles with an identified research methodology grew from 14.2% in 1974–2004, to 55.9% ( n = 300) in 2005–2019. Among research articles, 54.7% reported an intervention and 70.3% included a comparison. Random assignment to experimental or control conditions occurred in 32 articles (15.2%). Qualitative inquiry expanded, with 16.3% of research articles using this methodology alone. The most cited article was a review paper discussing the human-animal bond. Descriptions of courses and curricula constituted the majority of articles over the journal’s lifespan, while no pattern was discerned between major reports in veterinary education and subsequent publications on that topic. Over the last 45 years, JVME has transitioned from a newsletter to a scholarly publication, with ongoing evolution.

Abstract Veterinary education is becoming more and more complex, but the ultimate goal—providing an education that will prepare students for entry-level positions in the profession—remains the same. Often, hands-on work with living animals aimed at achieving core competencies is relegated to the final year of the veterinary curriculum. But, incorporating honeybees allows introduction of these important concepts during earlier years of veterinary student training. In addition, honeybees are under severe threat from a multitude of health problems, and this has dire implications for our own food supply. Veterinarians need to be actively involved in addressing this health crisis. Ever since the US FDA implemented its Veterinary Feed Directive rule, which dictates how certain antimicrobials can legally be administered in the feed or water of food-producing animals, and made changes to its policy on the use of medically necessary antimicrobials on bees, honeybees have fallen under the direct purview of veterinarians, highlighting the need for greater literacy in honeybee health. The present manuscript describes reasons why and ways how honeybees can play a larger role in the education of veterinarians in the United States.

The first veterinary schools in Europe were established in the eighteenth century. In Spain, this process began in 1793 with the opening of the Madrid veterinary school, followed by other similar institutions founded in the 19th century. The creation of the first Veterinary Faculty in Catalonia took place in 1982. Until then, the creation of a center that would offer these kind of studies had become a recurring topic of interest in Barcelona. This article analyzes, from a local perspective, the project that was conceived in 1888 to transfer the school from Santiago de Compostela to the Catalan capital. The proposal received strong support from civil society and public institutions in the city. It was characterized by the emphasis it placed on an education that did not focus solely on large animals. For the first time in Spain, the demands of intensive animal production, such as poultry or rabbit farming that were beginning to proliferate in Catalonia, were seen as an essential part of veterinary training. This represented a major programmatic modification for a school that, due to the new features it introduced, was labelled “model” in the documentation examined., Las primeras escuelas de veterinaria en Europa se establecieron en el siglo XVIII. En España, este proceso se inició en 1793 con la apertura de la escuela de Madrid, seguida de otras instituciones similares fundadas en el siglo XIX. La creación de la primera Facultad de Veterinaria en Cataluña tuvo lugar en 1982. Hasta entonces, la organización en Barcelona de un centro que ofertara esos estudios se había convertido en un tema de interés recurrente. Esta investigación analiza, desde una perspectiva local, el proyecto que se gestó en 1888 para trasladar la escuela de Santiago de Compostela a la capital catalana. La propuesta, que recibió importantes apoyos entre la sociedad civil e instituciones públicas de la ciudad, se caracterizó por el énfasis que puso en una educación que no se focalizara únicamente en los animales grandes. Por primera vez en España, las demandas de la producción animal intensiva, como la avicultura o cunicultura que comenzaban a proliferar en Cataluña, se contemplaron como eje esencial de la formación del veterinario. Una modificación programática de envergadura para una escuela que, por las novedades que introducía, se asoció con el epíteto «modelo» en la documentación examinada.

Research conducted by the veterinary education community is critical to continual improvement of educational outcomes. Additionally, research productivity is one metric in promotion and tenure decisions. We sought to identify challenges encountered or anticipated when undertaking or planning veterinary educational research (VER), to learn how these challenges might be overcome, and to synthesize tips for success from those who have performed VER. A branching survey was developed and deployed along the authors’ worldwide veterinary education contacts in a cascading manner. The survey collected quantitative and qualitative information from participants who had performed VER and those who planned to perform VER in the future. The 258 participants represented 41 countries. Of the participants, 204 had performed VER (79%) and 54 planned to in the future (21%). The median time spent teaching was 14 years, and median time performing VER was 5 years. The most commonly reported challenges in performing VER were lack of funding, lack of time, and difficulties encountered when undertaking a study, including data collection, analysis, and publishing. When asked about overcoming the challenges, a major theme emerged around people, who provided expertise and mentoring. The most commonly reported tip for success was collaboration; 73% of experienced researchers reported people as most helpful upon beginning VER. Collaborators provided diverse help with ideas, study design, statistics, and other aspects. These results suggest that institutions can offer support to academics in the form of small grants, protected research time, writing workshops, and mentorship to assist with the production of meaningful VER.

Animal welfare science features interdisciplinary and collaborative working across fields, spanning behavioural ecology, psychology, veterinary sciences, economics and fundamental biology. However, education research is not yet prevalent within the animal welfare literature. In a Web of Science search there were 188 papers which specifically discussed or explored how to teach animal welfare from 1978 to 2017. Of these, only 34% (n = 61) specifically focussed on instructional design or pedagogical research, and these were predominantly within veterinary education (57%). Despite this, the literature is in broad agreement that animal welfare education is an important topic that should be done well. Within the UK, there were a possible 586 animal-related courses within Universities College Admissions Service database for potential students to choose from, highlighting the significance of robust and considered educational practice. The current gaps identified in the literature were discussion of hidden curriculums outside of veterinary degrees, animal-centred education, the blueprinting of assessment and authentic assessment. Therefore, this review proposes that animal welfare scientists interested in education consider discipline based educational research (DBER) practices, and engage more fully with the educational research literature. A key component of DBER is the recognition that specialist knowledge needs to be taught by specialists, and so it is important that animal welfare scientists begin to access educational research too.

Medical disputes in veterinary practices are widespread; yet, a limited amount of research has been conducted to investigate the factors contributing to medical disputes. This study examined veterinarians’ and clients’ perceptions regarding risk factors and possible solutions to medical disputes. A total of 245 respondents from Taiwan, including 125 veterinarians and 120 clients, completed an electronic self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire in 2022. The questionnaire covered six dimensions: medical skills, complaint management, the attitudes of stakeholders during interactions, medical expenses, clients’ perspectives, and communication modes. The results highlighted significant differences in the perceptions of risk factors for inducing medical disputes and possible solutions between clients and veterinarians in veterinary practice. First, young veterinarians and clients perceived medical skills as the highest risk factor for inducing medical disputes, while experienced veterinarians disagreed (p < 0.001). In addition, veterinarians with medical dispute experience identified stakeholders’ attitudes during interactions as the top contributing factor. Second, regarding possible solutions, all veterinarians preferred offering clients cost estimates and cultivating empathy and compassion towards them. On the other hand, clients underscored the importance of obtaining informed consent for treatments and expenses and suggested that veterinarians should supply comprehensive written information to facilitate this process. This study underlies the importance of understanding stakeholders’ perceptions to mitigate medical disputes and advocates for improved communication education and training for young veterinarians. These findings provide valuable insights for veterinarians and clients, contributing to preventing and managing medical disputes in veterinary practices.

The flipped classroom is a technique that involves a reordering of classroom and at-home activities. Content provided prior to classroom interactions is used to prepare students for face-to-face classes. The flipped classroom has been shown to benefit students, including improving examination results, and there is increasing interest in using it in veterinary education. The current study aimed to investigate the potential of the flipped classroom approach to preparing students for practicals in a clinical skills laboratory. An online survey was distributed to the international veterinary clinical skills community to determine the extent to which a flipped classroom is used prior to teaching in a clinical skills laboratory and how educators viewed the benefits, challenges, and possibilities. There were 101 survey participants representing 22 countries, and all were involved in clinical skills teaching; 42 were using flipped classroom techniques prior to teaching in a clinical skills laboratory, and 55 others would consider using the technique in this context in the future. Videos were the most common resource used. The main benefits, experienced or anticipated, were positive changes in student behavior, including preparation and better use of time during practicals by both the students and instructors. The main challenges were the time needed for instructors to develop the materials, lack of student engagement with the flipped classroom, space in the curriculum, and institutional issues. In conclusion, many potential benefits could be realized with a flipped classroom approach embedded prior to clinical skills laboratory practicals.

EBVM Learning, an open access online tutorial, has been developed to support the teaching of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). This paper provides the project background and teaching examples. The authors request JEAHIL readers share this resource with colleagues who support evidence-based practices including veterinary medicine.

U radu je prikazano osnivanje veterinarskog školstva od samog početka u Lyonu 1762. g. do 1919. kada je osnovan Veterinarski fakultet u Zagrebu, a spomenuti su i osnivači, odnosno ravnatelji nekih tadašnjih veterinarskih škola. Prikazan je i pregled civilne i vojne organizacije veterinarstva po pojedinim tadašnjim državama. Budući da su veterinari u Hrvatskoj bili većinom školovani u Beču, to ćemo razvoj školstva i veterinarstva u Beču obraditi u posebnom radu. U Francuskoj je 1880. g. uz 419 vojnih veterinara djelovalo i 3 015 civilnih veterinara, ili ukupno 3 434 veterinara. U talijanskoj vojsci ukupno je bilo 142 veterinara, a u španjolskoj vojsci je 1881. g. bilo ukupno 252 veterinara. U belgijskoj vojsci 1868. g. bilo je 34 vojnih dok je bilo i 392 civilnih veterinara, a u Austriji u civilnoj službi bio je 297 veterinara. U Saskoj 1874. g. djeluje više od 200 civilnih veterinara i oko 40 vojnih veterinara, koji od 1864. g. imaju zajedničko veterinarsko društvo. U Prusiji se iz Naredbe od 21. 5. 1875. g. veterinarstvo potpuno odvaja od lječništva, a uz vojne veterinare bilo je ukupno 1 700 civilnih veterinara, i to 39 oblasnih, 422 kotarska, 16 graničnih i oko 1 000 privatnih veterinara. U Badenu su djelovala 54 kotarska veterinara, 65 u slobodnoj praksi i 20 vojnih veterinara i veterinarskih referenata, a u Würtenbergu je bilo 268 civilnih veterinara i 31 veterinar uposlen u vojsci. Nastava je u 19. stoljeću u Francuskoj u Lyonu od 1813. g. trajala 2, odnosno 3 godine, a od 1825. g. trajala je 4 godine. U Španjolskoj je nastava trajala 4, odnosno 5 godina. U Mađarskoj je u Budimpešti nastava 1851. g. godine trajala 2 semestra, a od 1875. g. trajala je 3 godine da bi od 1899. g. bila produžena na 4 godine, potom od 1922. g. studij traje 9, a od 1951. g. 10 semestara. U Njemačkoj je u Hannoveru nastava do 1845. g. trajala 2 godine, a od 1851. produžava se na 3 godine. U Berlinu nastava od 1836. g. traje 6 ili 7 semestara, a od 1878. g. sva je nastava produžena na 7 semestara. U Njemačkoj je u Münchenu studij od 1790. g. trajao 3 godine., This paper presents the establishment of veterinary education from its beginnings Lyon in 1762, until 1919, when the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was established at the University of Zagreb (Croatia). It also presents an overview of the civil and military organization of the veterinary practice in former states. Since the majority of veterinarians from Croatia were educated in Vienna, the development of veterinary education in Vienna will be considered elsewhere. In 1880, there was a total of 3,434 veterinarians in France, of whom 419 were military veterinarians and 3,015 were civilian veterinarians. The Italian army included 142 veterinarians, while the Spanish army included 252 veterinarians in 1881. In 1868, the Belgian army had 34 military veterinarians, and 392 civilian veterinarians. In Austria there were 297 veterinarians in the civil service. In Saskia province, more than 200 civilian veterinarians and about 40 military veterinarians were employed, and the veterinary society was established in 1864. According to an 1875 Regulation, the veterinary practice was completely separated from the medical practice in Prussia, where in addition to military veterinarians, the total of 1,700 veterinarian also included 39 regional, 422 community, 16 border and about 1,000 private veterinarians. Baden province had 54 community veterinarians, 65 practitioners and 20 military veterinarians and veterinary officers. In Würtenberg province, there were 268 civilian veterinarians and 31 military veterinarians. In the 19th century, veterinary education began in France (Lyon) in 1813 with a 2 or 3-year programme, but in 1825 was extended to 4 years. In Spain, the education lasted for 4 or 5 years. In Hungary, Budapest, the education began in 1851 and lasted 2 semesters, in 1875 it lasted 3 semesters, and finally in 1899 it was extended to 4 years. In 1922, the programme lasted for 9 semesters and from year 1951 for 10 semesters. In Germany, Hannover since 1845, education lasted for 2 years and in 1851 it was extended to 3 years. In Berlin, the education started in 1836 and lasted for 6 or 7 semesters, and from 1878 was extended to 7 semesters. In Germany, München, the study of veterinary medicine began in 1790 and lasted for 3 years.

Bovine pregnancy diagnosis (PD) by transrectal palpation (TRP) is an important skill for veterinary graduates. Factors influencing students’ PD accuracy were investigated to optimize bovine PD by TRP training without increasing live animal exposure. The objective was to determine whether arm length and strength, proprioception, and exposure to a 6-week exercise training program were significantly associated with students’ PD accuracy. Veterinary students ( n = 128) who had previously received formal theoretical and practical training in bovine TRP and PD (live cows and TRP simulators) were assessed for PD accuracy on live cows. Prior to assessment, arm muscle strength measurement, an exercise program, and additional TRP sessions on Breed’n Betsy® simulators and live cows were offered to the students. Seventy-eight students volunteered to participate in the arm length measurement, muscle strength, and proprioception testing. Of these, 35 randomly allocated students completed a 6-week exercise program, after which muscle strength was reassessed. Each student performed PDs on six cows of which the pregnancy status, ranging from 6 weeks to 9 months pregnant or not pregnant, was predetermined by an experienced veterinarian. PD accuracy was measured as sensitivity and specificity, being defined as the proportion of pregnant or nonpregnant cows, respectively, correctly identified by the student. It is concluded that hand grip strength and participation in an exercise program are significant predictors of veterinary students’ PD accuracy. Implementation of an exercise program aimed at improving grip strength in the veterinary curriculum is a novel approach to improve bovine TRP and PD training.

Blended learning has received much interest in higher education as a way to increase learning efficiency and effectiveness. By combining face-to-face teaching with technology-enhanced learning through online resources, students can manage their own learning. Blended methods are of particular interest in professional degrees such as veterinary medicine where students need the flexibility to undertake intra and extra-mural activities in order to develop the range of competencies required to achieve a professional qualification. Yet it is unclear how veterinary students engage with blended learning activities and whether they perceive the approach as beneficial. This article evaluates blended learning through review of student feedback from a 4-week-clinical module in a veterinary degree programme. The module combined face-to-face sessions with online resources. Feedback was collected using a structured-online questionnaire at the end of the module and log data collected as part of a routine teaching audit. The features of blended learning that support and detract from the student learning experience were explored using quantitative and qualitative methods. Students perceived a benefit from aspects of the face-to-face teaching and technology-enhanced learning resources. Face-to-face teaching was appreciated for practical activities whereas online resources were considered effective for facilitating module organisation and allowing flexible access to learning materials. The blended approach was particularly appreciated for clinical skills where students valued a combination of visual resources and practical activities. Although this study identified several limitations with online resources, which need to be addressed when constructing blended courses, blended learning shows potential in clinical courses to enhance student-led learning.

As an independent specialty, veterinary medicine was finally formed in Russia during the organization and implementation of the state policy and program of higher professional (veterinary) education in the country. The prerequisites for this were the social demands of society and the needs of the state, dictated by the economic, environmental, social and historical motives of an agrarian country of an entire continent.

RESUMEN La investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar el uso y efectividad de los entornos virtuales de aprendizaje (EVA) en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de Medicina Veterinaria de la Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo (UNPRG), Chiclayo, Perú. Se trabajó con 192 estudiantes del primero al décimo ciclo, matriculados en nueve asignaturas de formación genérica, específica y de especialidad. Se les aplicó un cuestionario de 39 preguntas con respuestas tipo Likert de cuatro valoraciones. El alfa de Cronbach fue de 0.937 para el nivel de uso y 0.912 para efectividad de los EVA (Entorno Virtual de Aprendizaje). La valoración del rendimiento académico se realizó a partir de las notas en acta en sistema vigesimal. La mayoría de los estudiantes estuvieron medianamente de acuerdo en todas las dimensiones del uso, menos en la intención de uso. Asimismo, los de 16 a 20 años ubicados en el I al IV ciclo tuvieron un nivel de uso bajo (p0.05) y X2=0.57 (p>0.05), respectivamente. Los indicadores de intención de uso, actividades a realizar, recursos empleados, didáctica y naturaleza de la carrera se constituyeron en factores críticos de la tarea educativa en un entorno virtual. ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the use and effectiveness of virtual learning environments (EVA) in the academic performance of Veterinary Medicine students at the Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University (UNPRG), Chiclayo, Peru. The study included 192 students from the first to the tenth cycle, enrolled in nine generic, specific and specialty training subjects. A questionnaire of 39 questions with Likert-type responses of four ratings was applied to them. Cronbach's alpha was 0.937 for the level of use and 0.912 for the effectiveness of the VLEs (Virtual Learning Environment). The assessment of academic performance was carried out from the grades obtained under the vigesimal system. Most of the students were in moderate agreement in all the dimensions of use, except in the intention of use. Likewise, those from 16 to 20 years of age located in the I to IV cycle had a low level of use (p0.05) and X2=0.57 (p>0.05), respectively. The indicators of intention to use, activities to be carried out, resources used, didactics and nature of the degree program became critical factors of the educational task in a virtual environment.

This study aims to depict the historical background and recent developments of education on fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic animal diseases in veterinary faculties in Turkey. Data collected by verbal communication with the deanships of veterinary faculties in Turkey and the exploration of their web sites, as well as original documents obtained first-hand from the archives of the Ankara, Ondokuz Mayıs, Bursa Uludağ, Erciyes, Harran, and Aksaray Veterinary Faculties, constituted the main material of this study. Data were assessed by means of the content analysis. In Turkey, while fisheries and aquaculture were first included in the veterinary curriculum in the 1940s as a joint lecture, under the name of Honeybee and Fish Diseases”, the first department was established in 1967 within the Ankara University Veterinary Faculty. In the following years, counterpart departments were established within the veterinary faculties in Elazığ and İstanbul. However, after the reorganisation of higher education in 1981, it was decided to close down those departments. The significant advances of the aquaculture sector by the end of the 20th century, requiring the employment of veterinarians in this sector, and the inclusion of this field in the acquis of the European Union led to relevant lectures being reincluded in the curricula of veterinary faculties in Turkey and relevant departments being established within these faculties. It has been determined that, today, while 5 veterinary faculties continue with related education and training activities and academic research under the tutelage of departments of fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic animal diseases, 21 veterinary faculties with no counterpart departments have included lectures on fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic animal diseases in their curricula. It is considered that in order to improve the aquatic animal health status and to meet the increasing demand for veterinary human resources of the sector in Turkey, education and research opportunities offered by veterinary educational institutions need to be increased, and the authorities and responsibilities of the different occupational stakeholder groups involved in fisheries and aquaculture should be clearly demarcated in the legislation. © 2021, Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi. All rights reserved.

The purpose of the article is to outline the role of Kharkiv in creation of the veterinary education system in the south of the Russian Empire, to highlight the achievements of Polish scientists in that process, and to popularize the knowledge of this aspect of the Polish-Ukrainian history as an example of fruitful collaboration between Poles and Ukrainians during the period of statelessness of both nations. At the beginning of the 19th century, Kharkiv became one of the first cities of the Russian Empire where foundations of veterinary education were laid. A special department was formed at the university: the Veterinary School, which later became the Veterinary College and the Veterinary Institute. During the 19th and early 20th centuries Polish scientists created a system of veterinary education in Eastern Ukraine. The most important role was played by Karol Wiśniewski, the pioneer of veterinary education in Ukraine as a whole, Napoleon Halicki, the first and long-standing head of the Veterinary College, and Jerzy Poluta, one of the authors of the plan for its conversion into the Veterinary Institute. Considering their great services, the Polish scientists deserve to be remembered. Their memory is preserved by the Kharkiv State Zooveterinary Academy, the main research and educational centre in Eastern Ukraine and heir to the scientific traditions initiated in the 19th century.

The importance of communication skills in veterinary medicine has been increasing for a long time. The aim of this article is to investigate how theoretical training, role-playing, and standardized/simulated client (SC) methods improve senior (fifth-year) veterinary students’ skills in breaking bad news. The study was carried out with 67 volunteer senior students. The research was designed from a pre-test and post-test control group pattern. All students encountered the SC. After pre-tests, theoretical training was given to Experimental Group A (EGA) and Experimental Group B (EGB). Then, only the students in EGA role-played together. Each student completed a checklist consisting of 10 basic items after pre-tests and post-tests. After post-tests, focus group interviews with open-ended questions were conducted. In the pairwise comparisons, EGA’s and EGB’s adjusted post-test mean scores were significantly higher than the control group’s ( p < .001). EGA’s and EGB’s post-test scores were found to be significantly higher than their pre-test scores. Women’s empathy and eye contact scores were found to be statistically higher than men’s scores. This study is the first of its kind in Turkey to use SCs and peer-to-peer learning with role-play simulations in training students about breaking bad news in veterinary medicine. These findings show that theoretical training and role-playing has an impact on senior veterinary students’ skills in breaking bad news.

Narrative inquiry is a qualitative research approach that tells the story of lived experiences through the eyes of those who experienced it, as interpreted by the researcher(s). Veterinary educational research (VER) is a relatively new and emerging field with an increasing number of faculty champions spread around the world. The lived experiences of some of the faculty who were involved in VER from the early days and have produced a body of work contributing to the growth of the discipline tells a collective story that outlines the challenges and benefits of being trailblazers for a new field of inquiry. The specific challenges identified included lack of resources, a sense of isolation, lack of respect for the discipline, and having to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully transition from a clinical to an education focus. Their individual narratives also provided an overall positive outlook on the field, from influencing school policies to better, more satisfying teaching and leadership roles; from the excitement of learning a new discipline to nurturing future veterinary education researchers, the participants were generally upbeat about the value their contributions have made and will continue to make. This study provides a narrative that weaves together the individual stories of these VER trailblazers, based on semi-structured interviews conducted during 2020; it demonstrates the ongoing need to support those who choose to pursue VER, cultivate a culture where veterinary medicine values such research, and begin training veterinarians to engage in it early in their careers.

The recent changes in curricula in veterinary medicine have changed the delivery and focus on veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics, resulting in a perceived lack of knowledge of pharmacology and therapeutic decision making in recent graduates. To aid veterinary pharmacologists and clinicians teaching clinical pharmacology, core competencies were drafted by a working group. Following this process, a Delphi study was performed to come to a consensus on day-1 competencies in veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics. The described competencies could be useful to a variety of stakeholders in veterinary pharmacology, including those teaching veterinary pharmacology worldwide. Secondly, they could form the basis of vertical alignment of the subject within schools and across the world, as well as serving to frame the integration of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics into competency-based veterinary education.

Veterinary education establishments (VEEs) and veterinary statutory bodies (VSBs) play key roles in ensuring the effectiveness of veterinary professionals and delivery of competent national veterinary services (VS). Recognizing the need to address the quality of veterinary education and the role of VSBs for its member countries/territories (Members), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has organized conferences, workshops, and ad hoc groups leading to the development of recommendations and guidelines and the introduction of active programmers on veterinary education. In Asia and the Pacific region, veterinary education and practice as well as regulatory approach among Members vary considerably, and limited information is currently available publicly. In 2018, the OIE organized a workshop for VEEs and VSBs in Asia and the Pacific region, for which participants completed a questionnaire regarding each country’s situation relating to veterinary education, regulations, and professionals. The questionnaire results showed that most Members and Observers (Members/Observers) in Asia had at least one VEE and that the OIE guidelines for VEEs are widely used. Similarly, most Members/Observers in Asia had a VSB or equivalent authority that oversees the quality and competence of veterinarians. Some challenges were also revealed, including variations in the roles, responsibilities, and level of autonomy of VSBs and weak collaboration/coordination among the key in-country/territory stakeholders of veterinary education. The OIE offers Members recommendations and guidelines as well as several programs and activities aiming to strengthen the VS, VEEs, and VSBs, including the evaluation of veterinary services’ performance, the VEE and VSB twinning projects, and conferences and workshops.

Zusammenfassung Gegenstand und Ziel Die simulationsbasierte Lehre hat in der tiermedizinischen Ausbildung weltweit immer mehr Bedeutung und ist mittlerweile in Form von Skills Labs ein fester Bestandteil an allen deutschen tiermedizinischen Bildungsstätten. Studierende und Dozierende der Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (TiHo) zeigten eine gute Akzeptanz für den Aufbau und die curriculare Nutzung eines Clinical Skills Lab (CSL). Weiterführend sollen nun die Perspektiven hochschulexterner Interessenvertreter untersucht werden, um die Akzeptanz einer solchen Einrichtung unter klinisch tätigen Tierärzten/-innen zu erfassen. Zusätzlich werden durch die Befragung von Experten/-innen deren Erfahrungen bei der Implementierung eines CSL in die tiermedizinische Lehre berücksichtigt. Material und Methoden Es wurden semistrukturierte Leitfadeninterviews mit Alumni der TiHo, mit leitenden Tierärzten/-innen verschiedener Kliniken und Praxen in Deutschland sowie mit leitenden Experten/-innen einiger der größten tiermedizinischen CSLs weltweit durchgeführt. Ergebnisse Die Interviews zeigten einen Bedarf bei leitenden Tierärzten/-innen und Alumni nach einer Verbesserung der klinisch-praktischen Ausbildung von Tiermedizinstudierenden und die Befragten konnten sich vorstellen, dass die Lehre im CSL hierbei eine tragende Rolle spielen könne. Insgesamt plädierten die Teilnehmenden für eine verpflichtende Implementierung simulationsbasierter Lehre im Curriculum. Schlussfolgerung Die Untersuchung legt nahe, dass die Ausbildung klinisch-praktischer Fertigkeiten von Studierenden der Tiermedizin laufend an die Anforderungen der klinischen tierärztlichen Berufstätigkeit angepasst werden sollte. Hochschulexterne Interessenvertreter scheinen den Einsatz eines CSL zur Verbesserung der entsprechenden Fertigkeiten zu unterstützen und eine weitergehende Implementierung in das Curriculum zu befürworten.

As part of an OIE Veterinary Education Twinning Project linking The University of Queensland, Australia and Nong Lam University, Vietnam, the limited access to animal and clinical resources was identified as an impediment to high quality veterinary education at Nong Lam University. However, student focused, simulated learning spaces, which have been widely adopted in veterinary training, are a cost-effective opportunity to provide initial clinical skills to students in countries where resourcing is constrained. In clinical skills training facilities, students use models and simulators to practice their clinical skills to develop the confidence, competence and muscle memory to enter the clinical phase of their training. While high-fidelity veterinary simulators and models are expensive, effective models for foundational clinical skills development can be built in-house for students to practice their skills authentically. This article outlines the cost effective establishment of a veterinary clinical skills training facility at Nong Lam University.

A growing interest in the use of digital game-based learning has been identified in veterinary education. Projects in the development of veterinary game-based environments and scenarios are mostly initiated by veterinary institutions, faculties, or instructors; however, the process of development is complex and often involves expertise from a variety of disciplines. In the collaboration between professionals, discussions often arise about content, and how specific elements should be implemented or edited. As discussions are based on the individual experts’ varied disciplines, it can be difficult to achieve a common language, and this leads to blockage and frustration in the development process. In 2012, the University of Copenhagen launched a project on digital game-based learning aimed at veterinary and agriculture students. The overall goal was to develop learning games for herd health management in pig production. The project was carried out in a collaboration between professional game developers, educational/didactic experts, and veterinarians. From early in the process, we identified a need to communicate across disciplines. Therefore, the framework of the Serious Game Development Triangle (SDT) was developed as a tool to facilitate a common language for solving complex issues. The SDT consists of three orientations: games, school, and professionalism. These three orientations are topics that are required considerations when developing a serious game that seeks to teach skills for a specific profession. The SDT contributed to improved understanding across disciplines and made the development process more progressive.

As central members of the veterinary education community, students are well placed to highlight current problems in veterinary education. Motivated by the lack of current formal student involvement, the largest global veterinary student association, the International Veterinary Students’ Association (IVSA), realized the necessity for students to express their opinions within the veterinary education field. Thus, two standing committees related to veterinary education were created: the Standing Committee on One Health in 2013 and the Standing Committee on Veterinary Education in 2014. For 7 years, veterinary students have been acting in a four-dimensional plane to involve students in (a) electronic educational resources and e-learning, (b) interdisciplinary collaboration and One Health, (c) curriculum involvement, and (d) vocational guidance. Through multiple projects, such as student and tutor interaction, idea exchanges, development of e-resources, and curriculum development campaigns, IVSA has managed to increase awareness to students and schools of the important role students play within veterinary education. This article highlights students’ ability to work together to help other students learn and succeed within their veterinary studies, as well as the necessity for student engagement in curricular renewal and development. Consequently, IVSA’s projects and achievements are described, highlighting a from students—to students approach to promote active student involvement in veterinary education and curricula globally.

Purpose: Integrating basic sciences with clinical disciplines while fostering clinical reasoning capabilities is difficult. We investigated the utilisation of diagnostic specimens and, a cooperative, case-based learning and teaching model to integrate principles of antimicrobial drug pharmacology and microbiology in the fifth year of a veterinary course. Methods: In small groups, students were assigned diagnostic specimens from which they isolated and identified clinically relevant microorganisms and then performed antimicrobial susceptibility tests based on a review of pharmacology, microbiology and pathophysiology. Results were recorded and analysed followed by a student-led integrative tutorial. Learning outcomes were assessed via individually written reports discussing the disease process, interpretation of diagnostic results and, recommendations and rationales for therapeutic interventions. Results: This approach yielded high quality student reports that conformed to antimicrobial prescription guidelines with consistently high summative assessment scores. Mean scores for the final report in this learning activity were: 82 ± 12%, 80 ± 12% and 80 ± 11% for 2015, 2016 and 2017 cohorts respectively; over the same time period, 98 ± 1% of students indicated that these learning activities facilitated the development of confidence, professional knowledge and skills. Discussion: This was a consistent approach for integrating principles of veterinary pharmacology and microbiology in clinical disciplines. These data illustrate the benefit of a systematic application of a cooperative, case-based learning and teaching model in integrating pre-clinical and clinical disciplines in a bachelor of veterinary science course.

The teaching of animal welfare in Indian veterinary education is limited. Current knowledge and attitudes to animal welfare and euthanasia, and the effect of a targeted educational intervention, were assessed in 84 Indian national and 49 non-Indian veterinarians attending a 2-week training course run by the Worldwide Veterinary Service in Tamil Nadu. A pre-intervention questionnaire, comprising knowledge and attitude questions on animal welfare and ethical issues, was completed. Fifteen students were then retained as a control group. The intervention group was exposed to a predesigned lecture and case studies (day 6). At the end of the course (day 12), another identical questionnaire was completed. Initially, there was no difference in knowledge of the control or intervention groups of Indian participants. Overall knowledge scores were lower in Indian participants compared with non-Indian participants ( p < 0.05). Both groups’ scores increased after the course ( p < 0.05), with the Indian participants improving the most. Indian participants’ attitudes were supportive of animal welfare and euthanasia prior to the intervention. Improvements in scores, with some reaching significance ( p < 0.05), were observed post-intervention. Non-Indian participants’ attitudes were more supportive of animal welfare and euthanasia with strongly agree/ strongly disagree chosen more frequently than Indian responses. Both groups’ self-assessment of their understanding of these topics improved post-intervention ( p < 0.01). No prominent differences were found in questionnaire responses in the control cohort. This study shows that a targeted educational intervention impacts on Indian veterinarians’ knowledge and attitudes toward animal welfare and euthanasia, and is relevant to organizations aiming to improve animal welfare standards in India.

Clinical reasoning is an important skill for veterinary students to develop before graduation. Simulation has been studied in medical education as a method for developing clinical reasoning in students, but evidence supporting it is limited. This study involved the creation of a contextualized, standardized client simulation session that aimed to improve the clinical reasoning ability and confidence of final-year veterinary students. Sixty-eight participants completed three simulated primary-care consultations, with the client played by an actor and the pet by a healthy animal. Survey data showed that all participants felt that the session improved their clinical decision-making ability. Quantitative clinical reasoning self-assessment, performed using a validated rubric, triangulated this finding, showing an improvement in students’ perception of several components of their clinical reasoning skill level from before the simulation to after it. Blinded researcher analysis of the consultation video recordings found that students showed a significant increase in ability on the history-taking and making-sense-of-data (including formation of a differential diagnosis) components of the assessment rubric. Thirty students took part in focus groups investigating their experience with the simulation. Two themes arose from thematic analysis of these data: variety of reasoning methods and “It’s a different way of thinking.” The latter highlights differences between the decision making students practice during their time in education and the decision making they will use once they are in practice. Our findings suggest that simulation can be used to develop clinical reasoning in veterinary students, and they demonstrate the need for further research in this area.

Empirical evidence demonstrates that student learning outcomes improve when animations are developed in alignment with the design principles of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML). The extent to which these principles are used in the design of veterinary instructional animations is unknown. In this study, we reviewed the veterinary education literature for articles that discussed specific veterinary medical animations as learning resources. The 30 referenced animations accessed through this search were analyzed to determine whether they used the CTML’s 11 major design principles. Analysis revealed that the animations most commonly adhered to only 4 principles: coherence, redundancy, modality, and spatial contiguity. The majority of the 11 CTML principles were used in fewer than 40% of the animations. We also examined the alignment between raters’ perceptions of the effectiveness and enjoyment of the animations and adherence to the design principles. Analyses revealed that the animations deemed by raters as most enjoyable and effective did not utilize more design principles than animations they viewed as least enjoyable and effective. The results of this study indicate many missed opportunities to increase learning by developing animated learning resources according to empirically based design principles. Decisions to include specific animations in instruction should be based on whether the resources include elements that have been shown to increase learning rather than subjective perceptions of effectiveness and enjoyment.

Nowadays, simulation represents a reliable educational alternative to traditional teaching techniques. It seems to bring solutions to the many challenges that veterinary medicine education has to face. Indeed, this learning method enables the students to earn their stripes without risking the patient welfare or security. Moreover, it overcomes the problem of limited practical experiences. Transrectal palpation is an essential examination in bovine medicine practice. It is a diagnostic tool both in individual and cattle medicine through the breeding management. However, transrectal palpation is an invasive and stressful examination for cows, and its learning requires a lot of repetitions. That’s why simulation is the right type of teaching for this particular technical movement. The goal of this thesis was to wholly design an educational path that will enable the student to practise. The workshops have been conceived with a progressive perspective. At first, students train on the mannequin in a physiological situation. Once they have mastered this step, they can confront different pathological situations that they will encounter in bovine practice. Like so, they can train with an evolutive prospect without being afraid to hurt the animal or being stressed by the lack of experience. The aim is to integrate this educational simulator into the vet student training in order to enable them to become more confident before starting their clinical rotations.; L'enseignement par la simulation apparaît de nos jours comme une alternative pédagogique fiable face aux enseignements traditionnels. Il représente par ailleurs une vraie solution aux différents défis de l'enseignement de la médecine vétérinaire. En effet, cette méthode d'apprentissage permet aux étudiants de faire leurs armes sans risque de nuire à la sécurité ou au bien-être du patient et permet de répondre à des problématiques d'opportunités limitées de pratique. L'examen transrectal est un geste technique indispensable à la pratique de la médecine bovine. Il représente un outil diagnostique à la fois en médecine individuelle et en médecine de troupeau dans le cadre du suivi de reproduction. C'est toutefois un examen invasif et stressant pour la vache, et dont l'apprentissage nécessite de nombreuses répétitions. C'est pourquoi l'apprentissage de cet examen constitue une réelle indication au recours à la simulation. L'objectif de cette thèse a donc été de concevoir entièrement un atelier pédagogique permettant aux étudiants d'apprendre à réaliser ce geste. Les ateliers ont été conçus de façon évolutive : dans un premier temps les étudiants sont amenés à s'entrainer en situation physiologique uniquement. Une fois cette étape maitrisée, les étudiants peuvent se confronter à quelques affections rencontrées assez souvent en médecine bovine. Ils peuvent ainsi s'exercer avec une perspective d'évolution, sans le stress lié à la découverte du geste, la peur de blesser l'animal ou le stress induit par une situation de « première fois ». L'intégration de ces ateliers au cursus permettra aux étudiants vétérinaires d'être plus confiants avant leurs rotations en clinique.

Veterinary Public Health (VPH) ist ein wichtiger Teil des Tiermedizinstudiums. Die Entstehung neuartiger Zoonosen und die Gefahren zunehmender Globalisierung, und damit auch des Warenhandels tierischer Produkte, zeigen, wie wichtig dieser Bereich auch f��r die Gesellschaft und damit auch im One Health Konzept ist (Greiner et al. 2017). Es ist daher wichtig dieses Themengebiet interdisziplin��r im Studium zu lehren und die Studierenden mit VPH-F��llen zu konfrontieren und f��r diesen Bereich zu motivieren. Der Querschnittsunterricht ist eine interdisziplin��re Lehre von 196 Stunden im Tiermedizinstudium, in dem praxisrelevante Fallbeispiele zu klinischen und VPH-Themen den Studierenden gelehrt werden sollen (Bundesministerium f��r Gesundheit 2006). Aufgrund einer Studierendenevaluation und der Visitation der EAEVE (European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education) stellte sich heraus, dass dieser Unterricht am Fachbereich Veterin��rmedizin der Freien Universit��t Berlin nicht interdisziplin��r genug gelehrt wurde und auch nur einen geringgradigen VPH-Anteil aufwies (EAEVE 2007; Schunter 2016). Die Studierenden konnten daher keinen Mehrwert des Querschnittunterrichts erkennen. Im Rahmen dieses Dissertationsprojektes wurde ein neues fallbasiertes Blended Learning (BL) Konzept in den Querschnittsunterricht am Fachbereich Veterin��rmedizin der Freien Universit��t Berlin vom 6.- 8. Semester eingef��hrt und systematisch evaluiert. Dabei sind 11 verschiedene VPH-Onlinef��lle in den Themenbereichen Tierschutz, Tierseuchenbek��mpfung, Lebensmittelsicherheit und Epidemiologie entstanden. Drei dieser F��lle wurden zus��tzlich von Studierenden f��r ihre Kommiliton*innen erstellt. Untersucht wurden die Akzeptanz des Formats, die subjektive Lernmotivation und der Lerngewinn sowie das Interesse der Studierenden an den angebotenen Themenkomplexen aus dem Bereich VPH. Dies wurde auf zwei verschiedenen Ebenen untersucht. Erstens durch die umfangreiche Evaluation eines Pilotfalls und anschlie��endem Pilotmodul zum Thema Ausbruchsuntersuchungen und Zoonosen in Bezug auf die Fallstruktur, die Benutzbarkeit, das BL-Format, die Lernmotivation und den Lerngewinn. Zweitens durch die Etablierung des fallbasierten BL-Ansatzes in dem gesamten Querschnittsunterricht ��ber drei Semester und dem damit einhergehenden Vergleich der Lernmotivation und des -gewinns zwischen dem alten und dem neuen Format. Es zeigte sich, dass die Studierenden das fallbasierte BL-Konzept sehr gut in ihrer VPH-Lehre akzeptieren, dadurch einen subjektiven Lerngewinn erzielen k��nnen und motiviert waren, an den VPH-F��llen teilzunehmen. F��r das Pilotmodul gaben 87% der Studierenden an, gerne an den F��llen gearbeitet zu haben und 77% der Studierenden gaben an, dass sich ihr Interesse an dem angebotenen Themenkomplex durch dieses Lehrkonzept verst��rkt hat. Diese Ergebnisse k��nnen als Anreiz genutzt werden, um weitere fallbasierte BL-Konzepte in die VPH-Lehre zu integrieren und damit das Interesse der Studierenden f��r diese Themen zu verst��rken., Veterinary Public Health is an important part of the veterinary curriculum. Emerging diseases, globalization, and with that, the increasing trade of animal products show, how important this topic is for society and in the One Health concept (Greiner et al. 2017). It is therefore important to teach VPH in an interdisciplinary way, confront students with VPH cases and motivate them for this topic. Interdisciplinary lectures is a course of 196 hours in the German veterinary curriculum, in which practical case studies on clinical and VPH topics should be taught (Bundesministerium f��r Gesundheit 2006). Based on a student evaluation and the visitation of the EAEVE (European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education) at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universit��t Berlin, it was found that these lectures only had a low interdisciplinarity and a low VPH content (EAEVE 2007; Schunter 2016). Therefore, students could not see any added value of the interdisciplinary lectures for their studies. In this dissertation project, a new case-based BL concept was introduced and systematically evaluated in interdisciplinary lectures at FB-VM FUB from 6th-8th semester. In total 11 different VPH online cases with the main topics of animal welfare, epizootic disease control, food safety and epidemiology were created. Three of these cases were created by students for students. The acceptance of the format, the subjective learning motivation and knowledge gain as well as the interest of the students in the offered topic complexes in the field of VPH were investigated. This was investigated on two different levels. First, by extensively evaluating a pilot case and subsequent pilot module on the topic of outbreak investigations and zoonoses in terms of case structure, usability, blended learning format, learning motivation, and learning gain. Second, by establishing the case-based blended learning approach throughout interdisciplinary lectures over three semesters, and thus comparing learning motivation and knowledge gain between the old and new formats. It was found that students were well-accepting of the case-based BL approach in their VPH lectures, were able to make subjective learning gains as a result, and were motivated to participate in the VPH cases. For the pilot module, 87% of the students reported that they enjoyed working on the cases and 77% of the students indicated that the interest in the subject was enhanced by this teaching concept. These results can be used as an incentive to integrate more case-based BL into VPH teaching to increase the students interest in these topics.

The objective of ILs is the interconnection of different subjects taught in the veterinary curriculum and the preparation of students for their future veterinary profession through interdisciplinary and relevant cases in clinical medicine and VPH. Higher education is often characterised by the departmental boundaries in educational establishments which can hinder the collaboration and joint mediation of content. Interdisciplinary lectures present an opportunity to overcome these boundaries and offer students highly interdisciplinary cases for the interconnection of individual subjects and the application of knowledge. Unfortunately, in education, the focus is often only on the lowest level of Bloom’s taxonomy for learning objectives, and higher levels such as application or synthesis are left aside. Consequently, cognitive processes on higher levels are not promoted, students are not assisted into exploiting their full potential and are not able to fulfil the high expectations irecte towards them. As a consequence of the EAEVE visit of the VM-FUB in 2007, it was decided to revise the ILs with a special focus on their organisation and visibility as well as their content and didactic approach. Also, an internal survey in 2014 showed the students´ criticism that the ILs did not fulfil their requirements for IT. Consequently, the QuerVet project started in 2016 in order to revise the ILs at VM-FUB to meet the German requirements for ILs (according to TAppV) and to respond to the demands for improvement by students and the EAEVE. For the clinical ILs, VPs in a BL delivery format were chosen as a possible approach to offer interdisciplinary casebased content to veterinary students, with learning goals in all categories of Bloom’s taxonomy for educational objectives. This thesis concentrated on the clinical ILs. The objective of this work was to create VPs in a BL delivery format, implement them into the IL setting and to analyse their suitability for teaching ILs in veterinary education. This was realised through several student surveys analysing students’ acceptance of VPs in a BL delivery format for clinical ILs, the achievement of learning objectives in the categories 1-3 of Bloom’s taxonomy for educational objectives and the realisation of the 3 KCs for ILs through VPs in a BL delivery format. The focus of the first study of the present thesis was on the creation, implementation and evaluation of three VPs in the field of small animal reproduction. The surveys concentrated on the case-based approach analysing the didactic use of media and the usability of the cases on the one hand, and the didactic concept on the other hand with an emphasis on selfassessed learning outcomes and the BL concept. The second study of this thesis focussed on the evaluation of the overall BL concept of the new ILs, for both thematic fields of clinical veterinary medicine and VPH. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was done of the previous and new concepts related to the implementation of the three KCs for ILs. The results of both studies showed that VPs are very suitable in a BL delivery format for clinical ILs. The aforementioned deficiencies of the previous ILs at VM-FUB were collectively addressed and corrected in the QuerVet project. The new ILs are now presented on a well-arranged landing page with a coherent course concept and with a balanced ratio of highly interdisciplinary cases from the fields of clinical veterinary medicine and VPH. Furthermore, in the context of the clinical ILs, sustainable, interactive and interdisciplinary VPs with relevance to veterinary practice were successfully implemented in a modular BL delivery format. Virtual patients and BL should be integrated more extensively into the veterinary curriculum as they can also help reach higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy for educational objectives. Furthermore, there is a high level of acceptance of VPs and BL by students and lecturers. Also, IT should be extended further to offer students more opportunities to apply their knowledge to realistic scenarios and better interconnect the different subjects in veterinary education. Practical educational training with animals is classified as animal experimentation and as both VP and BL offer a solution to CBL of clinical topics for the ILs, which at VM-FUB are a nonpractical course, VPs could also help to further implement the 3R principles in veterinary education in general. The results of this thesis and other publications show a high level of acceptance of VPs by veterinary students and further studies regarding their efficiency in combination with other alternative methods should be of future interest., Das Ziel der Querschnittslehre ist die Verbindung von verschiedenen Fächern, welche im veterinärmedizinischen Curriculum unterrichtet werden, und die Vorbereitung auf den zukünftigen veterinärmedizinischen Beruf durch interdisziplinäre und relevante Fälle in klinischer Veterinärmedizin und dem öffentlichen Veterinärwesen. Hochschulbildung ist oft charakterisiert durch die gegenseitige Abgrenzung der einzelnen Institute der Bildungseinrichtungen, wodurch die Zusammenarbeit und gemeinsame Vermittlung von Inhalten erschwert werden kann. Die Querschnittslehre stellt eine Möglichkeit dar, diese Abgrenzungen zu überwinden und bietet Studierenden hoch interdisziplinäre Fälle für die Verknüpfung von einzelnen Fächern und die Anwendung von Wissen. Leider steht in der Lehre oft nur die unterste Kategorie der Lernzieltaxonomie nach Bloom im Fokus und höhere Kategorien wie Anwendung und Synthese werden vernachlässigt. Folglich werden kognitive Prozesse in höheren Kategorien nicht unterstützt und Studierende erhalten keine Hilfestellung um ihr volles Potenzial auszuschöpfen und um diese hohen Erwartungen ihnen gegenüber zu erfüllen. Als Konsequenz der EAEVE-Begehung des Fachbereichs Veterinärmedizin der Freien Universität Berlin im Jahr 2007 wurde entschieden, die Querschnittslehre mit Fokus auf die Organisation und Sichtbarkeit sowie ihren Inhalt und didaktischen Ansatz zu überarbeiten. Zudem zeigte eine interne Umfrage im Jahr 2014, dass Studierende kritisierten, dass die Querschnittslehre ihre Anforderungen für interdisziplinäre Lehre nicht erfülle. Infolgedessen startete das Projekt QuerVet im Jahr 2016 mit dem Ziel die Querschnittslehre am Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin der Freien Universität Berlin zu überarbeiten um die deutschen Anforderungen für die Querschnittslehre (gemäß TAppV) zu erfüllen und um auf die Forderungen nach Verbesserung von Studierenden und der EAEVE einzugehen. Für die klinische Querschnittslehre wurden virtuelle Patienten in einem BL Format als möglicher Ansatz ausgewählt um Studierenden interdisziplinäre, fallbasierte Inhalte anzubieten mit Lernzielen, die sich in allen Kategorien der Lernzieltaxonomie nach Bloom befinden. Diese Arbeit konzentrierte sich auf die klinische Querschnittlehre mit dem Ziel, virtuelle Patienten in einem BL Vermittlungsformat zu erstellen, diese in den Rahmen der Querschnittslehre zu implementieren und ihre Eignung zu analysieren, Querschnittlehre im Veterinärmedizinstudium zu lehren. Dies wurde durch mehrere Studierendenumfragen erzielt, welche die Akzeptanz von virtuellen Patienten in einem BL Vermittlungsformat für die klinische Querschnittslehre durch die Studierenden, das Erreichen von Lernzielen in den Kategorien 1-3 der Lernzieltaxonomie nach Bloom und die Umsetzung der drei Hauptmerkmale für die Querschnittslehre durch virtuelle Patienten in einem BL Vermittlungsformat analysieren. Der Schwerpunkt der ersten Studie lag auf der Erstellung, Implementation und Evaluation von drei virtuellen Patienten im Bereich der Kleintierreproduktion. Die Umfragen konzentrierten sich einerseits auf den fallbasierten Ansatz mit Fokus auf dem didaktischen Medieneinsatz und der Benutzerfreundlichkeit der Fälle und andererseits auf das didaktische Konzept mit Gewichtung auf subjektiv erfasste Lernziele und dem BL Konzept. Die zweite Studie fokussierte die Evaluation des gesamten BL Konzeptes der neuen Querschnittslehre für beide Bereiche der klinischen Veterinärmedizin und des öffentlichen Veterinärwesens. Außerdem wurde die Umsetzung der drei Hauptmerkmale der Querschnittslehre im vorherigen Konzept mit dem neuen Konzept verglichen. Die Ergebnisse der beiden Studien zeigen eine sehr gute Eignung von virtuellen Patienten in einem BL Vermittlungsformat für die klinische Querschnittslehre. Die vorgenannten Defizite der vorherigen Querschnittlehre am Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin der Freien Universität Berlin wurden im Projekt QuerVet insgesamt adressiert und ausgebessert. Die neue Querschnittslehre wird auf einer gut arrangierten Startseite mit einem einheitlichen Kurskonzept und einem ausgeglichenen Anteil hoch interdisziplinärer Fälle aus dem Bereich der klinischen Veterinärmedizin und dem öffentlichen Veterinärwesen vorgestellt. Des Weiteren wurden in der klinischen Querschnittslehre nachhaltige, interaktive, interdisziplinäre und praxisrelevante virtuelle Patienten erfolgreich in einem BL Format implementiert. Virtuelle Patienten und BL sollten stärker in das veterinärmedizinische Curriculum implementiert werden, da sie auch dabei unterstützen können, höhere Kategorien der Lernzieltaxonomie nach Bloom zu erreichen, und die Akzeptanz von Studierenden und Dozierenden gut ist. Ferner sollte die Idee der interdisziplinären Lehre weiter ausgebaut werden um Studierenden mehr Möglichkeiten zu bieten ihr Wissen in realistischen Szenarien anzuwenden und die verschiedenen Fächer der veterinärmedizinischen Lehre besser zu verknüpfen. Die praktische Ausbildung am Tier ist ein Tierversuch und da der oben genannte Ansatz eine Lösung für fallbasiertes Lernen von klinischen Themen für die Querschnittslehre bietet, welche am Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin der Freien Universität Berlin als nicht praktischer Kurs stattfindet, könnten virtuelle Patienten auch helfen, die 3R Prinzipien im Allgemeinen weiter in die veterinärmedizinische Lehre zu implementieren. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit und auch anderer Veröffentlichungen zeigen eine gute Akzeptanz von virtuellen Patienten durch Studierende der Tiermedizin und weiterführende Studien, die sich mit der Effizienz von virtuellen Patienten in Kombination mit anderen Alternativmethoden befassen, sollten von zukünftigem Interesse sein.

Meat inspection is an important part of education for every veterinary student. However, traditional teaching methods require the sacrifice of living animals, and are thus considered expensive, inadequate and inhumane. Development of novel technologies has provided opportunities for new, improved ways of education. Smart 3D Meat Inspection (S3DMI) is an elearning tool that allows veterinary medicine students to acquire required skills using virtual 3D models of animal organs and carcasses. These models can be manipulated and “cut” just like real organs, allowing students to learn this essential skill without the need for animal carcasses. Students are allowed to practice any part of meat inspection as many times necessary, at their own pace, without time, place or resources limitations. This type of education is considered superior to traditional methods. There is no need for sacrification of animals for educational purposes and the cost of education is greatly reduced, while the educational quality is uninterrupted. Models developed for S3DMI can also be adjusted for courses like animal anatomy and pathology, which also require the use of real animal cadavers. S3DMI is still in its developmental stages, but it has a great potential to minimalize the need for animal sacrifice in the education of future veterinarians, while ensuring the quality improvement., Inspekcija mesa važan je dio obrazovanja svakog studenta veterine. No, tradicionalne metode poučavanja zahtijevaju žrtvovanje živih životinja te se stoga smatraju skupima, neadekvatnima i nehumanima. Razvoj novih tehnologija pružio je priliku za nove, poboljšane načine obučavanja. Pametna 3D Inspekcija Mesa (S3DMI) je ealat za učenje koji omogućava studentima veterine da steknu potrebne vještine koristeći 3D modele životinjskih organa i trupova. Ovim modelima može se lako upravljati te organi mogu biti „rezani“ baš kao i pravi, omogućavajući studentima da nauče ovu neophodnu vještinu bez potrebe za životinjama. Studentima je omogućeno vježbati bilo koji dio inspekcije mesa koliko god puta je potrebno, vlastitim tempom, bez vremenskih, prostornih ili financijskih ograničenja. Ova vrsta edukacije smatra se superiornijom naspram tradicionalnih metoda. Nema potrebe za žrtvovanjem životinja pa je trošak obrazovanja uvelike umanjen, a kvaliteta edukacije je nenarušena. Modeli razvijeni za S3DMI mogu se prilagoditi i za tečajeve poput onih iz anatomije i patologije životinja, koji također zahtijevaju uporabu pravih životinjskih leševa. S3DMI je još uvijek u razvojnoj fazi, no ima visoki potencijal za smanjivanje žrtvovanja životinja u obrazovanju budućih veterinara, istodobno osiguravajući napredak kvalitete edukacije., Die Fleischinspektion ist ein wichtiger Teil der Ausbildung für jeden Tiermedizinstudenten. Herkömmliche Lehrmethoden erfordern jedoch die Tötung lebender Tiere und gelten daher als teuer, unangemessen und inhuman. Die Entwicklung neuer Technologien hat Möglichkeiten für neue, verbesserte Lehrmethoden geschaffen. Die intelligente 3DFleischinspektion (S3DMI) ist ein ELearningTool, mit dem Tiermedizinstudenten die erforderlichen Fähigkeiten anhand virtueller 3DModelle von Tierorganen und Kadavern erwerben können. Diese Modelle können wie echte Organe manipuliert und "geschnitten" werden, so dass Studenten diese wichtigen Fertigkeiten erlernen können, ohne ein Tier untersuchen zu müssen. Die Studenten können jeden Teil der Fleischinspektion so oft wie nötig und in ihrem eigenen Tempo üben, ohne zeitliche, örtliche oder finanzielle Einschränkungen. Diese Art der Ausbildung wird als besser angesehen als traditionelle Methoden. Es müssen keine Tiere für Ausbildungszwecke geopfert werden, und die Kosten für die Ausbildung werden erheblich gesenkt, während die Ausbildungsqualität erhalten bleibt. Die für S3DMI entwickelten Modelle können auch für Kurse wie Tieranatomie und pathologie angepasst werden, die ebenfalls die Verwendung von echten Tierkadavern erfordern. Das S3DMI befindet sich noch im Entwicklungsstadium, hat aber ein großes Potenzial, die Notwendigkeit von Tieropfern in der Ausbildung zukünftiger Tierärzte zu minimieren und gleichzeitig die Qualität zu verbessern., La inspección de carne es una parte importante de la educación de todos los estudiantes de veterinaria. Sin embargo, los métodos tradicionales de educación requieren el sacrificio de animales vivos, y por lo tanto, se consideran costosos, inadecuados e inhumanos. El desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías ha proporcionado una oportunidad para nuevas y mejoradas formas de aprendizaje. Inspección inteligente de carne en 3D (S3DMI) es una herramienta de aprendizaje electrónico que permite a los estudiantes de veterinaria adquirir las habilidades necesarias utilizando modelos 3D de los órganos y cadáveres de animales. Estos modelos se pueden manipular y “cortar” como órganos reales, lo que permite a los estudiantes aprender esta habilidad esencial sin necesidad de sujetos animales. Los estudiantes pueden practicar cualquier parte de la inspección de carne tantas veces como sea necesario, a su propio ritmo, sin limitaciones de tiempo, espacio o recursos. Este tipo de entrenamiento es considerado superior a los métodos tradicionales. No hay necesidad de sacrificar animales con fines educativos y el costo de la educación se reduce considerablemente, manteniendo la calidad. Es posible adaptar los modelos desarrollados para S3DMI para cursos como anatomía y patología animal, que también requieren el uso de cadáveres de animales reales. S3DMI todavía está en la fase de desarrollo, pero tiene un alto potencial para reducir el sacrificio de animales en la educación de los futuros veterinarios, garantizando al tiempo el progreso de calidad., L’ispezione delle carni è un importante aspetto del percorso formativo di ogni studente di veterinaria. I metodi tradizionali di studio delle carni richiedono il sacrificio di animali vivi e, quindi, sono ritenuti dispendiosi, inadeguati e disumani. Lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie ha offerto la possibilità di individuare metodi d’insegnamento nuovi e più efficaci. L’ispezione delle carni “intelligente” in 3D (S3DMI) è uno strumento didattico digitale che consente agli studenti di veterinaria di acquisire conoscenze fondamentali per il loro percorso formativo utilizzando modelli tridimensionali degli organi e delle carcasse animali. Si tratta di modelli tridimensionali che possono essere manipolati e “sezionati” come se fossero dei veri e propri organi, il che consente agli studenti di acquisire competenze fondamentali per la loro formazione senza la necessità di sacrificare la vita di alcun animale. Gli studenti potranno esercitarsi su qualunque parte dell’ispezione delle carni quante volte lo riterranno necessario, ognuno secondo il proprio ritmo, senza limiti temporali, spaziali o di risorse. Così facendo, sacrificare la vita degli animali a fini didattici diventerà superfluo, i costi d’insegnamento saranno notevolmente ridotti, mentre la qualità della formazione didattica sarà sempre migliore. I modelli sviluppati con la tecnologia S3DMI possono adattarsi anche a corsi di anatomia o patologia animale, che normalmente richiedono l’impiego di carcasse animali. Lo strumento didattico digitale S3DMI è ancora in una fase evolutiva di sviluppo, ma evidenza fin d’ora un gran potenziale in termini di riduzione dei “sacrifici” animali per la formazione dei futuri veterinari, garantendo, nel contempo, grandi progressi in fatto di qualità dell’insegnamento.

Socialization is promoted by behavioral professionals as a standard of care for domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). However, undesirable behaviors characteristic of inadequate socialization are common. The aim of this work was to develop a foundation of understanding to inform the development of a puppy socialization and training curriculum that can be integrated into veterinary medical education programs. Findings from the review of relevant literature provided robust evidence for an association between higher amounts of socialization and desirable social behavior in adulthood. I recommend 1) provision of socialization programs while puppies are still with their mother and littermates and 2) puppy participation in socialization classes upon adoption, starting prior to 12 weeks of age. The mixed methods study indicated that veterinarian participants believed that puppy socialization and training are critical for ensuring appropriate adult dog behavior and that veterinarians have a responsibility to educate themselves and their clients about this topic. Participant understanding of the topic was minimally supported through their primary veterinary education and together with their valuation of the topic was associated with how they educated clients. The integration of a puppy socialization and training curriculum into veterinary medicine educational programs would enable graduates to confidently provide impactful and specific guidance, services, and referrals to their clientele, contributing to a reduction in the frequency of undesirable behaviors in adult dogs that can lead to a damaged human-dog relationship, relinquishment, and euthanasia.

Veterinary team members encounter a wide range of ethically challenging situations (ECS) in their work. Inability to resolve ECS in accordance with their values may negatively impact the wellbeing of veterinary team members. We sought to determine the types of ECS described in published ethical vignettes in the veterinary literature. We performed a strategic literature search, followed by a thematic analysis of vignettes published in the veterinary literature from 1990–2020. We identified 567 published vignettes in 544 publications. In the majority of vignettes, the protagonist was a veterinarian (61.6%) and the most common categories of animal involved were dogs (28.0%), livestock in general (10.8%), and cattle (10.6%). The primary type of ECS was coded for each scenario, generating 29 themes. These findings extend knowledge about types of ECS that may be encountered by veterinary team members. These themes can help to inform curricula and better prepare veterinary team members to navigate ECS. They may also highlight factors that contribute to ECS that can be addressed on a broad scale, such as through regulation, continuing professional development, or stakeholder education. Knowing that others may experience similar ECS may help veterinary team members feel part of a moral community.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a profound threat to human and animal health. Antimicrobial prescribing behaviours are influenced by psychological factors such as knowledge, beliefs, and emotions. As future antimicrobial prescribers, it is important to understand beliefs about AMR and stewardship among veterinary (vet) students. This cross-sectional online survey assessed vet students’ self-reported behavior, knowledge, and beliefs in specific relation to antibiotic resistance (ABR) and antibiotic usage. Participants were early years (first- and second-year; n = 460) and later-years (third- and fourth-year; n = 113) undergraduate vet students from three UK universities. Self-reported antibiotic-related behaviors were responsible among most students. Knowledge about ABR and stewardship was moderate among early years students and good among later years students. Vet students typically believed that vets had less responsibility for both causing and preventing ABR than other groups (animal owners, human medics, and the public). This study offers evidence that vet students (along with other groups) tend to lay greater responsibility for ABR/AMR outside of their own profession, which may impact their future prescribing behaviors. It is vital that AMR and antimicrobial stewardship are embedded across veterinary curricula, and that the One Health nature of the challenge posed by AMR is emphasized to encourage shared responsibility across all stakeholder groups, thereby helping to reduce ‘other-blaming’ for AMR.

The purpose of this dissertation is first to provide an overview of professional competency development and teaching in veterinary education, and then to address the dearth of research in this area by examining students' motivational perceptions of their courses, how these perceptions compare and contrast across courses, and how their perceptions relate to their effort levels and course ratings. Professional competencies encompass cognitive, social, and personal resource skills such as interpersonal communication skills, collaboration, management, promotion of public health, lifelong learning, ethics, diversity competence, and adaptability to changing environments. The inclusion of professional competencies as a requisite portion of the veterinary curriculum has evolved substantially over the past 20 years. In this dissertation, two manuscripts are presented. The first (Chapter 2) is a literature review exploring the past 20 years of professional competency teaching and its development within, and inclusion into, the veterinary curriculum. The first manuscript concludes by describing recommendations from the literature for effective methods of inclusion of professional competencies into the veterinary curriculum. The second manuscript (Chapter 3) details a study conducted in a veterinary college with the aim of determining the extent to which students' motivational perceptions of their courses affect their effort and course ratings in veterinary courses. A second purpose of this study was to identify teaching strategies that can be used to improve the quality of teaching in professional competency courses. Results indicated that perceptions of empowerment, usefulness, and interest have the strongest relationship with effort and course ratings. Based on student responses to open-ended items, suggestions were made that instructors can use to improve student perceptions in their courses as a means to potentially increase student effort levels and overall course ratings. Together, these manuscripts contribute to current motivational theories and offer instructional design ideas to curriculum designers and educators who wish to improve students' motivation and engagement in professional competency development. Doctor of Philosophy The overall purpose of this dissertation was to explore student motivation within veterinary education with the goal of identifying ways to improve veterinary courses as well as students' willingness to put effort into their coursework. This study focused primarily on the teaching of professional competencies, which refers to skills in communication, collaboration, management, promotion of public health, lifelong learning, ethics, diversity competence, and adaptability to changing environments. The importance of mastering these skillsets has steadily increased in importance over the past two decades and continues to be an underdeveloped area of many veterinary curricula. There are two manuscripts included in this dissertation. Manuscript 1 (Chapter 2) is a literature review exploring the development of professional competency teaching over the past 20 years and its inclusion into the curriculum at most veterinary colleges. The first manuscript concludes by describing recommendations from the literature for effective methods of inclusion of professional competencies into the veterinary curriculum. Manuscript 2 (Chapter 3) details a study conducted in a veterinary college in which students were surveyed and asked about multiple aspects of their veterinary courses. The purpose of this study was to identify teaching strategies that can be used to improve the quality of teaching in professional competency courses, with the hope of improving students' motivation and effort levels as well. Together, these manuscripts contribute to current motivational theories and offer instructional design ideas to curriculum designers and educators who wish to improve students' motivation and engagement in professional competency development.

The unusual and tiring physical activity of bovine transrectal palpation (TRP) requires a novel approach to improve students’ TRP and pregnancy diagnosis (PD) skills. It has been shown that students who participated in an exercise program and students who had a grip strength (GS) of more than 30 kilograms performed better in bovine PDs. Participation in the exercise program increased students’ sensitivity (ability to identify pregnant cows) but did not increase total arm muscle strength. To identify which muscles are used during TRPs and to improve the exercise program, an electromyographic (EMG) analysis was used to identify muscle activation patterns and muscle activity levels during bovine TRPs. Eight subject matter experts (SMEs) each palpated two live cows and one Breed’n Betsy® rectal examination simulator while an EMG Triggered Stimulator recorded muscle activity. Muscle activation was higher for forearm muscles compared with all other examined muscle groups ( p < .001); was higher during retraction of the uterus and palpation of left and right uterine horn, compared with palpation of cervix, uterine body, left ovary, and right ovary ( p < .001); and showed an endurance pattern. Findings have been used to modify the previously developed exercise program in effort to improve students’ TRP and PD skills. The Bovine PD Improvement Exercise Program is available to students through an online application (http://icarus.up.ac.za/vetmlp/) and aims to not only improve GS and TRP accuracy but also stamina and well-being while adding fun to busy study schedules.