Activities / Projects

Professionalism       last updated March 2010

We are involved in several projects relating to professionalism. These include:

• The EMS Driving Licence - a collaborative project between Edinburgh and the Royal Veterinary College, London.
• Graduate Attributes - Easing the Transition from University to Practice - A project led by Edinburgh in collaboration with Glasgow and the Royal Veterinary College, London
• Interprofessional learning in veterinary medicine
• Business skills for veterinary students

Research into these key areas of professionalism and the development of subsequent learning resources aims to improve the skills of students and help them prepare for working in veterinary practices.

Workplace Learning - The EMS Driving Licence

Introduction: Veterinary students in the UK are required by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to undertake 26 weeks of clinical extramural studies (EMS) or placement training. In recent years, student numbers have risen and practices have become increasingly busy. In order for students to make the most of the many and varied learning opportunities encountered during EMS, it is important to ensure they are adequately prepared.

Developing a Computer Aided Learning (CAL) package - The EMS Driving Licence: A project led by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, London has resulted in the production of a CAL package to help students prepare for EMS.

Practicing veterinary surgeons (EMS providers) and veterinary students were consulted through surveys and focus groups. The CAL package includes the following sections: ‘Introduction’, ‘Preparation’, ‘Dealing with People’, and ‘Professionalism’. Other important points and areas are covered in a ‘Top Tips’ section, a list of ‘FAQs’ and via useful links. The CAL package is currently being trialled with Edinburgh and London students and will be made available to all the UK veterinary schools in early 2010.

Evaluating The EMS Driving Licence: A project is currently being undertaken with a CEPPL grant, which has evaluated the CAL package through consultation with students and placement providers. A combination of methods have been used: ‘think-aloud’, focus groups, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews.

The feedback from students and practitioners has been very positive and indicates that the package helps students prepare for placements and addresses the areas that were concerning practitioners. The EMS Driving Licence has been included in the RCVS recommendations on EMS (RCVS Report September 2009) and the final version is available at: EMS Driving Licence (has been released to all UK veterinary schools and Dublin in early 2010).

The effect of the package on EMS experiences has been compared between a group of students who accessed the EMS Driving Licence prior to placements and a control group (who did not access the package). Significant benefits were found including students being more prepared, more likely to set learning objectives and being more able to cope with difficult situations.

A poster summarising the EMS Driving Licence project is available at: EMS Driving Licence Poster (PDF)

Project team (and further information from): Catriona Bell (Edinburgh), Sarah Baillie (RVC), Andy Cavers (Edinburgh), Susan Rhind (Edinburgh), Gill McConnell (Edinburgh), Tierney Kinnison (RVC)

Funding for development of the EMS Driving Licence: HEA MEDEV mini-project grant (2006-2009)

Funding for evaluation of the EMS Driving Licence: CEPPL, University of Plymouth (2009 - 2010)

Graduate Attributes - Easing the Transition from University to Practice

Introduction: Veterinary curricula aim to provide new graduates with the necessary skills to be successful in the profession. Currently, however, little research exists which looks at the skills and attributes that final year veterinary students and recent graduates need to ease the transition between veterinary student and new graduate. A study led by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, London and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Glasgow is being undertaken to establish the 'graduate attributes' and inform future curriculum development. The project is funded by HEA MEDEV (Subject Centre for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine).

Study Methodology: A survey is being distributed to final year students and recent graduates (class of 2008) from 3 UK veterinary schools (Edinburgh, London and Glasgow). This aims to establish what these groups feel are the most important attributes of the new graduate. The survey will be followed by focus groups with individuals from these groups.

Outcomes: The project aims to disseminate the results through presentations and a publication. The information will be distilled into a series of key recommendations for staff involved in curriculum development. Further information will be made available via the respective university websites as it becomes available.

Project team: Susan Rhind (Edinburgh), Richard Mellanby (Edinburgh), Catriona Bell (Edinburgh), Neil Hudson (Edinburgh), Gill McConnell (Edinburgh), Ruth Donnelly (Edinburgh), Sarah Baillie (RVC, London), Tierney Kinnison (RVC, London), Chris Trace (RVC, London), Jenny Hammond (Glasgow)

The project team wishes to thank those who have given up their time to complete the survey and provide feedback.

Interprofessional Learning

Introduction: Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses work closely together on a daily basis. Their effectiveness in a practice depends not only on clinical skill, knowledge and expertise, but also on the ability to function well at an interprofessional level.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) was described by the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) in 2002 as:
"Occurring when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care"

Interprofessional Learning Project: A project is being undertaken by a team of vets and vet nurses at the RVC along with educational researchers. The project aims to develop learning resources for teaching interprofessional skills, such as team working, communication and decision making, all central to a successful veterinary ‘unit’.

Practicing vets and vet nurses, along with students have been consulted for their opinions on the interprofessional skills required. Our learning resources will bring together both groups to learn more about each other's roles and duties and to enable future teamwork to be efficient and enjoyable.

Learning Resources being developed include:

• Talking Walls - a means of exploring each other's roles using flipcharts (see right) [Parsell, Gibbs and Bligh, 1998]
• Team working exercises e.g. anaesthetic emergency scenario run in the clinical skills lab
• Communication skills scenarios exploring difficult situations

The learning resources are currently being evaluated with veterinary and nursing students at the Royal Veterinary College. The resources will be available to download shortly from this website.

Project team (and further information from): Sarah Baillie, Sue Gregory, Hilary Orpet, Perdi Welsh, Rachel Lumbis, Tierney Kinnison

Funding from: VETNET Lifelong Learning Network (2009)

Workshop on Interprofessional Education: March 23rd 2010 at Royal Veterinary College, London (Camden campus). Funding from HEA MEDEV. More information at 'Working together, learning together: exploring interprofessional education'

Business Skills

Introduction: Improving the business skills of veterinary students is important for their future role as practitioners in the modern workplace. Previously, business training has been a minimal part of undergraduate veterinary courses. Surveys have indicated that employers, recent graduates and veterinary faculties recognise the need for more business training in the curriculum.

Identifying the 'Day 1 Business Skills': We have undertaken a project to identify 'Day 1 Business Skills' i.e. those relevant to a new graduate's first few years in practice. A survey of recent graduates and employers was conducted (during a final year student's research project) to identify skills, rate their importance and determine the level of preparation currently provided. Results will be published shortly.

'Case Based' teaching: Learning resources are being developed for case based teaching. Scenarios have been written (as part of a final year student's research project) about an imaginary graduate 'Ellie Prior' and some of the situations she, like any new graduate, encounters. The cases have been trialled in our final year business elective (2009) and are being used in the main curriculum at the RVC in 2010.

Project team (and further information from): Jim Gazzard, Sarah Baillie, Elisabeth Bachynsky (RVC final year student project: recent graduate and employer survey), Tierney Kinnison, Vicki Dale, Claire Denny (RVC final year student project: case studies)