Training evidence-based veterinary medicine by collaborative development of critically appraised topics

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine (EBVM)

Background:

• Veterinary curricula often lack training in critical appraisal of scientific literature.
• Essential skills include retrieving, appraising, interpreting, and applying research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of team-based critically appraised topics (CATs) for training veterinary students in EBVM.
• To assess student perceptions of CAT development as a learning tool.

Main Methods:

• 116 fifth-year veterinary students participated in a clinical rotation.
• Students worked in teams to develop 18 CATs on chosen topics.
• A literature evaluation form was used to assess publication quality.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of students endorsed critical appraisal training and found CAT development effective.
• Students reported stimulated discussion on research quality.
• The literature evaluation form was perceived as a useful tool.

Conclusions:

• Team-based CAT development is highly valuable for EBVM training in veterinary clinical rotations.
• This method enhances learning and motivation by simulating practice-based problem-solving.
• The approach effectively prepares students to integrate scientific evidence into clinical practice.