Alignment between veterinary education and veterinary practice

Abstract

The perception of alumni from curriculum 1995 and curriculum 2001 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht was studied as well as an adjustment of the existing questionnaire was made. Questionnaires were send out to alumni from C’95 and C’01 from 2011 until 2013. One hundred and twenty-nine questionnaires were completed and results showed that all competencies were important for their daily activities as a veterinarian. The amount of time spend on the competencies during veterinary education was considered enough for “collaboration” and “health and welfare”, too much for “scholarship” and too little for “veterinary knowledge and skills” and “entrepreneurship”. The competence “communication” was also considered underrepresented in both curriculum and also primary care cases were pointed out as underrepresented in both C’95 and C’01. Comparison of C’95 and C’01 came up with one significant difference in favor of C’95 which suggests that taking an X-ray was less (well) taught in C’01, but sample size was insufficient. There has been little improvement reforming C’95 to C’01, but caution has to be taken in this conclusion because of low number of responses. The questionnaire only differed from the competency framework and AVMA demands on three points which made adjustment of the questionnaire possible with only slight changes.