Effective Learning and Teaching in Veterinary Medicine With a Proposed Educational Model in Veterinary Pathology

Veterinary medical education (VME) requires the creation of an effective learning and teaching environment within the veterinary medicine degree program to ensure the acquisition of Day One Competences (DOCs) and to support the development of lifelong learning skills, preparing job-ready veterinarians. The authors aim to understand how to provide this, particularly in veterinary pathology. In veterinary pathology, a well-established DOC is to perform a necropsy. To achieve this competence effectively, the authors believed in using a deep learning strategy that incorporates elements and principles of effective learning and teaching. The authors developed a proposal for an educational model that aims to enable learners to acquire skills not only in performing necropsies and recalling the most important steps during and after the procedure, but also in developing macroscopic-clinical correlation reasoning and effective communication. The conceptual model consists of seven learning steps in a logical workflow order and is called PENSIVE. Students are considered self-directed adult learners, with the instructor acting as facilitator and guide. By implementing this model, the authors believe that learners will develop the deep learning skills necessary for accurate and thorough post-mortem examination, thereby improving their competence in veterinary pathology and enhancing their professional skills.