Veterinary Intern Program for Entrustable Professional Activities Skills, a.k.a. Intern Boot Camp

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Large Animal Internal Medicine
• Professional Skills Development

Background:

• Large animal veterinary interns require standardized training for essential clinical skills.
• The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) identified a need for a uniform approach to entrustable professional activities (EPA) for interns.
• A structured program was developed to ensure interns gain competency in core clinical skills early in their training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an intensive training program for large animal veterinary interns.
• To establish a uniform standard for entrustable professional activities (EPA) skills.
• To assess the program's impact on intern preparedness and skill development.

Main Methods:

• A 4-day intensive training program, the "Intern Boot Camp," was developed.
• The program combined case-based lectures with hands-on wet laboratory sessions.
• Interns completed an evaluation survey post-program to provide feedback.

Main Results:

• 90% of participants rated the program 5 out of 5 (excellent).
• Nearly 95% felt more prepared for their internship after attending.
• 100% of participants would recommend the program to future candidates.

Conclusions:

• The Veterinary Intern Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) program, or "Intern Boot Camp," is a valuable component of veterinary intern training.
• The program effectively enhances intern preparedness and skill competency.
• The "Intern Boot Camp" model is adaptable to other veterinary training programs.