Determining Relevant Competencies for National Veterinary Food Animal Curricula

Abstract

Most veterinary colleges in the US have not traditionally sought the help of practitioners to aid in curriculum development. Veterinary faculty are removed by time and distance from private practice and the rapidly changing animal agriculture industry. The logic behind this project was that expert practitioners could define and describe their job more accurately than anyone else. The objectives of this study were to: 1) have practitioners identify and validate the entry-level knowledge requirements and skills (competencies) needed by new veterinary graduates as they enter food animal practice and 2) disseminate the findings to national and international veterinary colleges so this information is available to improve and modernize veterinary food animal curricula throughout the US and the world.