Veterinary Education in the Future

Marcel WannerProf. Dr. Dr. h.c.President of EAEVE

International Symposium “PROSPECTS FOR THE 3rd MILLENNIUM AGRICULTURE”

Cluj-Napoca8 October 2009

Veterinary Education for the Future

Academic veterinary medicine is a challenge because itmust anticipate the changing needs of the society andthe profession andveterinary education must prepare the graduates, thefuture veterinarians, for what might come in the future, not just for what can be seen now.

(Willis, 2007)

Veterinary education needs to be updated

(Vallat, 2009)

Outline

The EC-Directive 2005/36 old-fashioned but with leeways Theoretical and clinical teaching Tracking / streaming Faculties with core competencies Final remarks

The Old Fashioned New Directive

Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualificationsdefines minimum requirements for veterinary training

(The important issues in the new Directive are copied fromthe old Directives 78/1026/EEC and 78/1027/EEC)

Old-fashioned but it gives a leeway!

Exploitation of the Leeway

The programme shall include at least the following basic subjects:

Directive 2005/36/EC

- Physics- Chemistry- Animal biology- Plant biology- Biomathematics

These high-school subjects can(have to) be adapted to the needsof the veterinary curriculum

- Physics basic principles of radiology, of motor activity- Chemistry part of biochemistry- Plant biology feed science

Organ Centered Teaching

- skeleton- skeletal muscles- heart and cardiovascular system- ……- ……

PhysiologyAnatomy

Organ Centered Teaching

HeartAnatomy

Physiology

Diagnostic Imaging

Pathology

PharmacologyPropaedeutics

Histology

Theoretical Training

Self directed learning

Lectures

Reduction of the contact hours

Tele-teaching

Collaborationwith other faculties

e-learning

Common interestsCommon language

Clinical Training

Intra- and extramural clinical training

- Clinical demonstrations- Supervised practical training- Clinical work

- Mobile clinic- Emergency service- Night shift

The students need contact with patients right from the start of the curriculum !

Collaboration with other faculties, with excellent private clinics and practitioners

under (academic) expert supervision

Omnicompetence after 5 Years

The distribution of the theoretical and practical trainingamong the various groups of subjects shall be balancedand coordinated in such a way that the knowledge andexperience may be acquired in a manner which willenable veterinary surgeons to perform all their duties.

(Annex V, point 5.4.1Directive 2005/36/EC)

Omnicompetent new graduates

Omnipotent new graduates

Is this still modern and forward?

Tracking/Streaming

- Decreasing interest in farm animals- Increasing interest in pets and horses- Increasing impact of food hygiene

Consequences ?

Tracking/Streaming

feminisation

Farm Animal Practitioner

Tracking / Streaming

New curriculum with tracking/streaming Master degree- pet medicine- horse medicine- farm animal medicine- food hygiene- veterinary public health- biomedical research ….

Advantages- for the students: focus on the preferred intended career - for the teachers: more interested students- for the faculties: focus on core competencies

Farm Animal Practitioner

The specialist for the monitoring of thewhole food chain from feed to food

Faculties with Core Competencies

- Each faculty defines its core competence - The teaching hospitals are focused on specific clinical areas (Students choose the faculty wich is offering the favoured track)- Faculties have to collaborate so that on the national level all the educational tracks are available

Modern Curriculum Development

The ingredients for a modern curriculum development- formulate, in conjunction with the profession, governmental bodies and industry, the day-1 skills of graduates- develop a curriculum in which healthy and diseased animals make the central core up and integrate animal health and welfare and public health- develop extramural clinical training under academic supervision- strengthen evidenced based veterinary medicine by interconnecting research outcomes in the curriculum- develop objective criteria to judge the performance and quality of teaching staff

(Cornelissen, 2009)

Final Remarks

Academic teaching is a research based transfer of knowledge and skills and of doubt

Faculties need networks and collaboration

Veterinary training has to be focused on animals and animal patients

Don‘t forget: Our students are critical young adults whom we train for the future professional life as veterinary surgeons