Student Experiences in Practice-Based Small Animal Clerkships

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Educational Research

Background:

• Practice-based clerkships offer veterinary students exposure to general practice settings, differing from traditional teaching hospital experiences.
• Understanding student expectations versus actual experiences in these clerkships is crucial for refining veterinary training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare veterinary students' expectations with their actual experiences during practice-based clerkships.
• To identify specific areas of success and deficiency in the clerkship program.

Main Methods:

• Pre- and post-test surveys administered to 47 veterinary medicine students across three cohorts.
• Analysis of survey data to identify significant changes in student perceptions.
• Qualitative analysis of written comments to supplement quantitative findings.

Main Results:

• Students reported significant positive changes in supervision, practitioner approachability, and comfort asking questions.
• Students observed a greater variety of cases compared to teaching hospitals.
• Students experienced significant negative changes regarding expected client interaction, communication, and preventative therapy discussions.

Conclusions:

• Practice-based clerkships offer valuable exposure but require enhancement in client communication and interaction training.
• Further research is recommended to track student experiences longitudinally and survey practitioners to optimize clerkship success.