A Prioritized List of Veterinary Clinical Presentations in Dogs, Cats, and Horses to Guide Curricular Content, Design, and Assessment.

Abstract

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges competency-based veterinary education (CBVE) framework can be used to guide curriculum and assessment design and is intended to prepare veterinary graduates for Day One of clinical practice. However, while the framework defines curricular outcomes in terms of demonstrable competencies, it does not define the specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to achieve those outcomes. In some human medical curricula, prioritized lists of clinical presentations guide curricular content, design, and assessment. These lists are based, in part, on practice analysis surveys. A prioritized list of this nature does not currently exist in veterinary medicine. We surveyed 1,706 veterinarians across the country regarding the relative frequency and importance of 274 clinical presentations to generate a prioritized list by species. Acceptable statistical power was achieved for dogs, cats, and horses. These lists can be used in conjunction with the CBVE framework to inform curricular content and assessment decisions.