A Visual Analogue Scale Exercise for Teaching Antimicrobial Selection in Veterinary Pharmacology: Tool Development...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pharmacology
• Veterinary Education

Background:

• Antimicrobial drug selection in veterinary medicine is complex, involving multiple factors and often lacking a single correct choice.
• Veterinary students frequently encounter difficulties in this decision-making process, impacting their clinical readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel teaching tool to enhance veterinary students' decision-making skills in antimicrobial drug selection for companion animals.
• To align the tool with the competency-based veterinary education (CBVE) framework, specifically focusing on explaining justifications.

Main Methods:

• A series of small animal case vignettes were created, presenting students with various antimicrobial options.
• Students utilized a visual analogue scale (VAS) to rate drug safety and efficacy, providing written justifications for their choices.
• Responses were anonymized for instructor review, with data aggregated and visualized as bar graphs for class discussion.

Main Results:

• The VAS tool facilitated engagement and discussion among veterinary students regarding antimicrobial selection.
• Instructor review of anonymized responses allowed for identification of common choices and justifications.
• The tool proved effective in generating discourse in a clinical pharmacology context with multiple viable options.

Conclusions:

• The visual analogue scale (VAS) tool is a valuable supplementary aid for teaching antimicrobial drug selection in veterinary education.
• It effectively promotes critical thinking and justification skills, fostering deeper understanding in complex pharmacological scenarios.
• Implementation requires consideration of curriculum integration and instructor time for review and discussion.