Entrustable Professional Activities to Facilitate the Transition from Veterinary Medical Education into Veterinary Practice

Abstract

The veterinary profession is under great pressure as many veterinarians are faced with work-related stress and burnout, resulting in veterinarians leaving practice, mostly within the first years post-graduation. It is speculated that an experienced gap between veterinary medical education and the veterinary practice has a major role in these problems. The entrustable professional activity (EPA) was developed as a tool to be used in competency-based medical education (CBME) allowing abstractly defined domains of competence to be assessed holistically with an outcome-based approach. EPAs are hypothesized to be a useful tool to support the young veterinarian’s transition from education to practice, and possibly to reduce work-related stress, increase job fulfilment, stimulate the feeling of engagement and capability, increase satisfaction regarding the received guidance from colleagues, increase awareness regarding one’s current competence, and get grip on one’s professional development. In this study, 14 recently graduated (< 2,5 years) veterinarians (study group (n=7) and control group (n=7)) filled out two digital surveys (three-and-a-half months apart) to assess their mental wellbeing and work experience during their phase of transition. All participants had a clinical coach, but only the study group discussed three EPAs with their coach to support their professional development, both technically and personally. Additionally, during the two survey moments the study group self-assed their knowledge and skills on the three EPAs using the scale of entrustment and supervision. Data suggests EPAs help to provide a more favorable private life-work balance and decrease work-related stress and are useful tools to support the starting veterinary professional as it provides a clear and appreciated structure to support development.