Developing a Professional Studies Curriculum to Support Veterinary Professional Identity Formation

Abstract

Professional studies teaching in medical and veterinary education is undergoing a period of change. Traditional approaches, aiming to teach students professional values and behaviors, are being enhanced by curricula designed to support students' professional identity formation. This development offers the potential for improving student engagement and graduates' mental well-being. The veterinary professional identity associated with emotional resilience and success in practice incorporates complexity in professional decision making and the importance of context on behaviors and actions. The veterinarian must make decisions that balance the sometimes conflicting needs of patient, clients, veterinarian, and practice; their subsequent actions are influenced by environmental challenges such as financial limitations, or stress and fatigue caused by a heavy workload. This article aims to describe how curricula can be designed to support the development of such an identity in students. We will review relevant literature from medical education and the veterinary profession to describe current best practices for supporting professional identity formation, and then present the application of these principles using the curriculum at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) as a case study. Design of a "best practice" curriculum includes sequential development of complex thinking rather than notions of a single best solution to a problem. It requires managing a hidden curriculum that tends to reinforce a professional identity conceived solely on clinical diagnosis and treatment. It includes exposure to veterinary professionals with different sets of professional priorities, and those who work in different environments. It also includes the contextualization of taught content through reflection on workplace learning opportunities.

The influences of curriculum area and student background on mindset to learning in the veterinary curriculum: a pilot study

“…However, on the assumption that a fixed mindset tendency may contribute to this complex issue, a number of curriculum interventions have been implemented to encourage students’ engagement and development of a growth mindset in this area. The redesign of the curriculum has been undertaken with an increased understanding that students’ attainment of multiperspective critical thinking is a gradual process, with a need for incremental developments in the level of complexity presented (Armitage‐Chan & May ,). A systematic framework for professional reasoning is now used, which aims to scaffold students’ integration of professional reasoning competences, and provide a more tangible, systematic approach to analysing complex problems (Armitage‐Chan ).…”

“…Recent work in veterinary education highlights the importance of non‐clinical competences such as critical thinking, communication and teamwork for employability and resilience (Armitage‐Chan & May ,; Bell et al . ).…”

The Veterinary Identity: A Time and Context Model

“…Curricular interventions that scaffold this professional identity formation are described elsewhere. 3…”

“…This model of professional identity has contributed to curriculum design in our institution. 3 Other authors have highlighted the lack of clear evidence supporting the benefits of veterinary professionalism teaching. 38 It will be interesting to evaluate whether a curriculum model that is focused on identity formation through individual agency, environmental engagement and reflection better supports student development, increases competence at engaging with complexity and improves resilience to discordant behaviours.…”

“…2 This change in focus incorporates the significance of context and environmental complexity to the individual professional's decisions and actions, prompts the individual to consider not only the way they act, but also their underlying values and motivations, and places a greater emphasis on the diversity of priorities and values that exist within a profession's members. 3 Challenges for veterinary education include determining how teaching designed around professional identity formation will be of benefit to current and future veterinarians. Alongside this, we need to identify our teaching aims: a model of professional identity and its formation that is of most value to our profession.…”