Introduction to Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Abstract

Veterinarians with excellent critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities will be better equipped to compete as providers of service to the cattle industry in the future. We live in an age of dramatic increases in information generated through scientific investigation. Additionally, this information is more quickly available to us than ever before. We and our clients can access wide varieties of information that may be applicable to a problem we've encountered. Furthermore, we can collect massive amounts of data with current computer technological capabilities. The exponential growth of scientific publications,the ability to rapidly retrieve this information, and the ability to use current computer capabilities to collect large data sets in cow-calf and feedlot operations have created greater need for critical thinking skills in feedlot and cow-calf veterinarians. Veterinarians must be capable of bringing the best information to a particular situation, determining the relevance of the information, and providing a recommendation with high liklihood of success. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of critical thinking and problem solving as it relates to beef cattle veterinarians.