Use of drama in teaching the human side of veterinary practice

To describe a teaching experiment in which fifth year veterinary students were given the opportunity, using dramatic scenarios, to consider ways of dealing with emotive issues relevant to veterinary practice, that demand good communication skills.

Workshops were devised using dramatised scenarios of several critical incidents in practice, including euthanasia. A clinical psychologist and several veterinary practitioners participated in discussions. Both live performances and video scenarios were presented to fifth year veterinary students and were followed by group discussions. Each workshop was evaluated and modifications were made where necessary.

The teaching format involving drama was well received. The combination of drama and discussion was more effective than a formal talk and discussion, provoking animated participation and maintaining audience attention. The majority of students considered that comments and advice from attending veterinarians were the most useful part of the workshops in preparing them for veterinary practice. The large audience (up to 45 attendees) was considered to be desirable for enhancing discussion. Requests for more similar sessions were made by students.

Drama was found to be a satisfactory modality in teaching communication skills in preparing veterinary students for practice.