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This study builds on previous research on predictors of depression and anxiety in veterinary medical students and reports data on three veterinary cohorts from two universities through their first three semesters of study. Across all three semesters, 49%, 65%, and 69% of the participants reported depression levels at or above the clinical cut-off, suggesting a remarkably high percentage of students experiencing significant levels of depression symptoms. Further, this study investigated the relationship between common stressors experienced by veterinary students and mental health, general health, and academic performance. A factor analysis revealed four factors among stressors common to veterinary students: academic stress, transitional stress, family-health stress, and relationship stress. The results indicated that both academic stress and transitional stress had a robust impact on veterinary medical students' well-being during their first three semesters of study. As well, academic stress negatively impacted students in the areas of depression and anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, general health, perception of academic performance, and grade point average (GPA). Transitional stress predicted increased depression and anxiety symptoms and decreased life satisfaction. This study helped to further illuminate the magnitude of the problem of depression and anxiety symptoms in veterinary medical students and identified factors most predictive of poor outcomes in the areas of mental health, general health, and academic performance. The discussion provides recommendations for considering structural changes to veterinary educational curricula to reduce the magnitude of academic stressors. Concurrently, recommendations are suggested for mental health interventions to help increase students' resistance to environmental stressors.

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Veterinary schools have been moving toward competency-based education and assessment for the past 15 or more years. In 2015, educational leaders from Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) member schools came together with a strong call to action to create shared tools for clinical competency assessment. This resulted in the formation of the AAVMC Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) Working Group, which then embarked on the creation of a shared competency framework and the development of eight core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) linked to this framework. This paper will report on the development of these EPAs and discuss their role in competency-based veterinary education and assessment. Practice Points  Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) integrate multiple competencies to create opportunities for workplace-based assessment.  The AAVMC Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) EPAs describe eight core workplace activities in veterinary clinical practice.  Each EPA includes a description, brief commentary, and elements of the activity.  Each EPA is mapped to the most relevant competencies in the CBVE Competency Framework.

Terminal academic degrees: PhDCurrent position: Associate Professor of Veterinary Educational Development Area of research: Techniques for teaching clinical reasoning, veterinary curriculum design, and outcomes assessment in veterinary education ORCID iD: http:// orcid.org/ AbstractActive teaching approaches such as the flipped classroom are linked to better quality student learning outcomes across healthcare disciplines, with the potential to support students' preparedness for practice.In the flipped classroom instructional approach, students engage in significant pre-class preparation to learn foundational knowledge and skills, then undertake instructional activities in the classroom which require them to integrate, apply and extend their learning to new contexts. This study reports the results of a multinational survey of flipped classroom use in veterinary education. Participants' (n = 165) familiarity with and extent of use of the flipped classroom technique were investigated, together with the teaching strategies used and the perceived benefits and barriers to implementation. Relationships between respondent characteristics and flipped classroom use were also explored. The results indicated that 95% of participants were familiar with the flipped classroom technique, although fewer (64%) used it in their teaching. Pre-class activities included reviewing online and printed material, and engaging in preparatory learning activities such as quizzes, case analyses, reflective assignments and group activities. A variety of active learning strategies were used in class, including discussions, presentations, quizzes, group activities, problem-solving and laboratory/practical exercises. Most participants perceived that the flipped classroom technique benefited student learning, with some also identifying benefits for the faculty involved. A range of student-, faculty-and institution-related barriers to implementing the flipped classroom technique were identified. These barriers need to be addressed by teachers and administrators seeking to improve students' preparedness for practice by implementing flipped classrooms in veterinary education.