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A longitudinal study of veterinary students and recent graduates. 3. Perceptions of veterinary education
T J Heath1, A Lanyon, M Lynch-Blosse
1Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Queensland. t.heath@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Objective:
To examine the attitudes and opinions on veterinary education at the beginning and end of the veterinary course, and after graduation.
Design:
Longitudinal study.
Population:
Students-154 in all-who began studying veterinary science at The University of Queensland in 1985 and 1986.
Procedure:
Questionnaires were completed in the first and fifth year of the course and in the second year after graduation. The data were analysed using the SAS System for Windows.
Results:
When they entered the course, the students were looking forward more to learning about animals than about basic sciences. At fifth year and after graduation most believed that more emphasis should have been placed on all facets of their education except the basic sciences. It may be difficult to increase this emphasis without placing undue pressure on the students, although more than half of the fifth year students and graduates agreed that there is much in the curriculum that is not needed by a practising veterinarian. Only one-third or less agreed that veterinarians are well equipped to practise veterinary science immediately they graduate. There was no relationship between the level of agreement with this statement, and the academic grades obtained.
Conclusions:
A majority of veterinary graduates do not believe that they are well equipped to practice immediately they graduate. They believe that more emphasis should have been placed on most facets of their education, but, conversely, that there is much in the curriculum that is not needed by a practising veterinarian.