Arizona Veterinarians' Perceptions and Consensus Regarding Skills, Knowledge, and Attributes of Day One Veterinary...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Professional Skills Assessment
• Veterinary Practice Management

Background:

• Veterinary schools aim to produce graduates proficient in clinical skills, knowledge, and professional attributes.
• Assessing practitioner consensus on essential competencies is crucial for curriculum development and ensuring practice readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Arizona veterinarians' perceptions of critical skills, knowledge, and attributes for "Day One" veterinary graduates.
• To identify demographic factors influencing consensus on these essential items.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, survey-based study using a 5-point Likert scale to rate 44 items across clinical skills, knowledge, and attributes.
• Quantitative and qualitative analyses, including divergent stacked bar charts, were used to assess responses and consensus levels.

Main Results:

• High consensus (strong/very strong) was observed for 80% of items, with key areas including preventive care planning, interpreting results, animal handling, pain management, anesthesia, teamwork, problem-solving, and client communication.
• Moderate (18%) and weak (2%) consensus were found for a smaller proportion of items.
• Demographic variations, particularly between large and small animal practices, influenced consensus on specific items like necropsy skills and theriogenology knowledge.

Conclusions:

• While broad agreement exists on core competencies, specific demographic differences highlight areas for potential curriculum refinement.
• Evaluating the veterinary curriculum, distinguishing core versus elective content, could enhance student preparedness and meet employer expectations.