Cognitive processes of second-year veterinary students in clinical case resolution

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Cognitive Science in Professional Training

Background:

• Established understanding of cognitive processes and expert-novice differences in problem-solving.
• Need to evaluate problem-solving skills in veterinary students within lecture-based curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the problem-solving abilities of second-year veterinary students.
• To analyze the cognitive strategies employed during clinical case resolution.

Main Methods:

• Audiotaped "think aloud" protocols of students solving a progressively disclosed clinical case.
• Analysis of transcribed thoughts using a novel taxonomy to identify problem-solving strategies.

Main Results:

• Identified a variety of problem-solving strategies among students at the same training level.
• Students exhibited characteristics of novice problem solvers when presented with ill-defined problems.
• No single, consistent problem-solving pattern was observed across all students.

Conclusions:

• Veterinary students' problem-solving approaches can be diverse, even at similar educational stages.
• Ill-defined clinical problems may elicit novice-like cognitive strategies in veterinary trainees.
• Further research and curriculum development may be needed to enhance veterinary students' problem-solving expertise.