Effective Veterinary Clinical Teaching in a Variety of Teaching Settings

Abstract

This review explores different modalities for clinical teaching of veterinary learners globally. Effective clinical teaching aims to prepare graduates for a successful career in clinical practice. Unfortunately, there is scant literature concerning clinical teaching in veterinary medicine. Our intent for this review is to stimulate and/or facilitate discussion and/or research in this important area. We discuss the different forms that veterinary clinical teaching can take, depending on their setting, which can be university-based clinical activities, work-based in commercial clinical practices, or in a traditional academic setting with little to no real-time exposure to clients and patients. We suggest that each of these modalities has a place in clinical teaching of veterinary learners at any point in the curriculum but that a mix of these approaches will likely provide an improved experience for the learner. Further, we discuss strategies to improve clinical teaching in these different settings. Potential strategies related to the teaching skills of clinical instructors could include training in delivery of clinical teaching in a variety of learning settings, and instructors’ official recognition, including opportunities for career progression. Potential strategies to improve clinical teaching in different teaching settings would vary with the learning settings. For example, in traditional academic settings, case-based learning with incorporation of simulation models is one proposed strategy. The involvement of learners in ‘teach-others’ is a strategy for both traditional academic and clinical settings. Finally, clearly addressing Day One competencies is required in any clinical teaching setting.

Facilitating Development of Problem-Solving Skills in Veterinary Learners with Clinical Examples

“…A learner may lack elements necessary for effective problem-solving during a clinical encounter ( Table 1 ; [ 11 , 12 , 26 , 27 , 33 , 35 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]). Similarly, this would also apply to case-related discussions, particularly when working in smaller groups.…”

Use of Effective Feedback in Veterinary Clinical Teaching

“…The aim of clinical teaching in veterinary medicine is to prepare graduands to meet required day-one competencies. Assisting veterinary learners in the development of their veterinary medical and professional attributes requires exposure to practice (work-based learning), in which they work within the clinical context of the institution [1,2]. A common misunderstanding is the term 'clinical teaching' being applied only to the exposure to practice.…”

“…Clinical teaching is essential for development and application of 'clinical reasoning' by veterinary medical learners. Methodology used in the delivery of the clinical teaching can be used in other aspects of veterinary medical education [1,3,4]. An essential element of clinical teaching, as in any other competency-based methodology, is the provision of regular feedback on the acquisition of attitudes/knowledge/performance (hereafter competencies) by the learner [2,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”