Are They Ready? Trials, Tribulations, and Professional Skills Vital for New Veterinary Graduate Success

Abstract

Stress and burnout levels are high among young veterinarians with the transition to practice being particularly challenging. This qualitative study aimed to capture and document the new graduate veterinary experience within the United States and which professional skills are most important for success during the transition to practice. The researchers sought to better understand this challenging transition period and provide insight for veterinary educators who are tasked with preparing new veterinary graduates for day 1 practice readiness. To gain a deeper understanding of the new graduate experience, a focus group was conducted with six veterinarians who recently graduated from four different U.S. veterinary colleges. Several themes arose regarding their experiences in the transition to practice including setbacks and adaptations, self-sufficiency and self-doubt, changing clientele and ethical dilemmas, leadership and conflict, and good vs. bad mentorship. Self-care, conflict management, and client communication were perceived as the most important professional skills for success in the transition to practice. New graduate veterinarians reported that they were least prepared for working with clients with financial constraints and managing conflict. Drawing from this qualitative data, the researchers propose several topics that could be incorporated into professional skills curriculum to further enhance day 1 preparedness of new veterinary graduates to promote well-being in the transition to practice.

Early career clinicians euthanize more dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen but not gastric dilatation and volvulus than more experienced clinicians

“…30,31 Over 65% of human medical students felt unprepared and distressed about speaking to dying patients, and a small survey of first-year veterinary graduates found they find euthanasia discussions more emotionally challenging than more experienced clinicians. 32,33 Client communication is one of the most important professional skills for a clinician, which is why the AVMA requires communication training in veterinary school. 32,33 The learning environment and teaching style plays a critical role in learners' satisfaction and outcomes.…”

“…32,33 Client communication is one of the most important professional skills for a clinician, which is why the AVMA requires communication training in veterinary school. 32,33 The learning environment and teaching style plays a critical role in learners' satisfaction and outcomes. 34 Regardless, since no level of training is sufficient to fully preparing new clinicians for the challenges of practice, it is likely useful to provide opportunities for continuing education both surrounding specific diseases and communication with owners.…”

“…34 Regardless, since no level of training is sufficient to fully preparing new clinicians for the challenges of practice, it is likely useful to provide opportunities for continuing education both surrounding specific diseases and communication with owners. 33 The conversation with owners regarding NTH or GDV can be challenging, especially if the clients were not previously aware that their dog was critically ill. The costs associated with hospitalization and surgery (estimated in our hospital of $4,500 to $6,500 USD as of May 2022) are significant, and due to the critical nature of NTH and GDV and the need to perform surgery in a timely fashion, owners are typically required to make a decision rather urgently.…”

Family Quality of Life: pet owners and veterinarians working together to reach the best outcomes

“…6,16 When pet owners do not opt for the veterinarian's primary recommendation and the veterinarian must provide care that they perceive as offering an inferior medical outcome, it creates an ethical dilemma for the veterinarian and may result in the veterinarian experiencing moral distress. [17][18][19] Understanding that decisions about the pet's care are made by balancing positive and negative influences on FQoL may decrease this moral distress, 18 whether the recommendation is for treating serious disease and end of life care or for less serious, more frequently treated conditions. 20 Reframing veterinary care decisions in the context of FQoL may give veterinarians the confidence and motivation to proactively offer and provide alternate evidence-based options.…”

Clinical supervisors' and students' perspectives on preparedness for veterinary workplace clinical training: An international study

“…42,43 The first step in addressing this problem is to determine where differences in expectations exist. 44 There is extensive literature published regarding preparedness for graduate veterinary practice, [45][46][47][48][49][50][51] but this study specifically explores preparedness for the preceding phase: pre-qualification workplace-based learning. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the similarities and differences in the perspectives of workplace clinical supervisors and pre-WCT veterinary students regarding preparedness for veterinary WCT.…”