Veterinary student competence in equine lameness recognition and assessment: a mixed methods study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Equine Lameness Evaluation
• Perceptual Skill Development

Background:

• Perceptual skill development is crucial in veterinary education.
• Accurate lameness evaluation is a key competency for veterinarians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess veterinary student competency in equine lameness evaluation.
• To compare skill levels before and during clinical rotations.
• To identify factors influencing lameness assessment accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Veterinary students (third and fourth/fifth year) evaluated video recordings of horses trotting.
• Eye-tracking data were collected to analyze visual attention during lameness assessment.
• Students completed a structured questionnaire on their performance and perceived difficulty.

Main Results:

• Experienced students demonstrated higher competency than inexperienced students.
• Even experienced students incorrectly classified approximately 25% of horses.
• Errors frequently involved misidentifying the affected limb, with sound horses detected at chance level.
• Experienced students focused on upper body movements, while inexperienced students concentrated on limb movements.
• Inexperienced students identified more visual lameness features than experienced students.

Conclusions:

• Clinical rotations improve equine lameness evaluation skills, but proficiency remains a challenge.
• Current assessment strategies may require refinement, with a need for focused training.
• Understanding gaze patterns and feature identification can inform educational interventions for better diagnostic accuracy.