Assessing clinical competency: reports from discussion groups.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Clinical Competency Assessment

Background:

• Accreditation of veterinary programs requires assessment of clinical competencies.
• Existing assessment methods may not fully capture all essential skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose new assessment models for eight of nine required clinical competencies for veterinary education.
• To enhance the evaluation of veterinary student preparedness.

Main Methods:

• Development of models through discussion groups at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' Clinical Competency Symposium.
• Specific proposed models include neurologic examinations, concept mapping, portfolios, OSCEs, and simulations.

Main Results:

• Proposed models cover comprehensive patient diagnosis, treatment planning, anesthesia, surgery, medicine, emergency care, health promotion, and client communication.
• Models incorporate diverse evaluation techniques from case studies to 360-degree feedback.

Conclusions:

• The proposed models offer a framework for more robust assessment of veterinary clinical competencies.
• These advancements aim to ensure graduates meet high standards for practice and patient care.