Veterinary Education Case Study

Recordatorio Número Especial REDU
Veterinary differentiation; how veterinary education can adequately support the developing profession

We are in a pivotal point in time for the veterinary medical education. A decision to broaden the scope and potential of veterinary medical education is fundamental for the profession to navigate a transition into a sustainable future. Leadership, collaboration and a shared vision will determine the destiny of the profession. This article describes current challenges in the profession and the opportunities for differentiation in veterinary education.

A brief history
Formal veterinary education began in the Western world in the 1760s in Lyon and Alfort in France with the establishment of the first Western

As a professional training a veterinary study programme should focus on the outcome in terms of skills and competences. Veterinary training shall provide an assurance that the professionals have acquired the competencies required “to enable the veterinary surgeons to perform all their duties” (Dir 2005/36/EC, Annex V). Minimum knowledge and skills are listed in Article 38 of Dir 2013/55/EU. These have been interpreted and translated into more specific day-one competences by the European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT, 2009). The list was set up 1978 and has never been revised according to scientific, technical and societal development. An update and modernisation is necessary, in response to the knowledge expansion that has occurred in the veterinary

1. Vets would like to see veterinary training developed further. They want it to reflect the real breadth of career choices graduates face – and allow students to specialise earlier (BVA1, 2015). Without significantly increasing the length of the veterinary training programme, it is unfeasible to expect all individual universities to provide the requirements to meet all of the anticipated needs. Increasing the length of the study programme, i.e. similar to the human medical field, will further increase student debt. In addition, society has accepted differentiation at a basic level, i.e. the 'farm vet ' versus the 'companion animal or equine vet '. The concept of change is for an adaptive and responsive system of veterinary medical education, achieved by defining the areas of professional focus, which would address the anticipated needs of society. Universities would choose to offer selected areas of professional focus most appropriate to their capabilities. Experts would also be centralized in appropriate centres of emphasis to create leading-edge critical masses of expertise. Food and farming industries, the veterinary profession and veterinary education centres of expertise would be in an ideal position to explore opportunities for a 'food supply chain career development path ' for veterinary