Development and piloting of One Health curriculum in Jordan.

Background: In Jordan, several steps have been done to implement One Health (OH) approach. To increase the awareness for OH concept and approach among health professionals, there was an apparent need to develop an OH curriculum or package to orientate human, animal, and environmental health officials and professionals. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the development and piloting of a OH curriculum for human, animal, and environmental officials and professionals in Jordan. Methods: OH curriculum was developed and consisted of four chapters/sections, each of which contained series of power point presentations that covered subject thoroughly and met the learning objectives for each section. Four day workshops on OH curriculum were done for four cohorts of participants from different OH partners. Each section started and ended with a quick knowledge assessment consisting of multiple choice questions (MCQs) (pre- and post-chapter). Comparison of the pre- and post-chapter knowledge assessment scores/results were used to assess gain of knowledge after each section of OH curriculum was completed. The scores of correct answers were compared within the different cohorts using Pearson's chi-square test with p-values ≤0.05 considered significant. Results: Of the total attendance, pre- and post- training quizzes were scored for 102 participants (816 quizzes). Pre-training scores for the different cohorts ranged from 29% to 36%, while post-training scores for the different cohorts ranged from 80% to 87%. Post-training correct answers scores were significantly higher than those were for pre-training scores for the different cohorts (p < 0.05). Percentage of knowledge gain ranged from 41% to 62% for the first section, 34% to 47% for the second section, 41% to 55% for the second section, and 48% to 60% for the fourth section. Average percentage of knowledge gain for the first, second, third, and fourth cohorts were 51%, 53%, 47%, and 47%, respectively, and was 50% for all cohorts. Conclusion: The developed OH curriculum improved different OH partners and officials understanding of the OH concept and approach.

Estrategias de afrontamiento y estrés. Estudio longitudinal con estudiantes de Medicina y Veterinaria de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México / Coping strategies and stress. A longitudinal study of medical and veterinary students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Introducción: Medicina y Veterinaria son licenciaturas con alta demanda académica que tiende a ocasionar niveles elevados de estrés entre sus estudiantes. Objetivo: El propósito de esta investigación fue indagar sobre el papel de las estrategias utilizadas por los alumnos para afrontar el estrés. Sujetos y métodos. Se aplicó una encuesta en línea a 244 estudiantes del primer año de ambas carreras en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, al inicio del ciclo escolar y cuatro meses después. La encuesta incluyó la escala de estrés percibido de 10 ítems, el inventario de estilos de afrontamiento, y un apartado que indagó sobre aspectos sociodemográficos y académicos. Resultados: Se observó un incremento en el estrés de los alumnos de ambas licenciaturas, que fue estadísticamente significativo sólo en veterinaria (t(140)= –3,4; p < 0,001; d de Cohen = –0,29). El análisis estadístico mostró que mayores recursos económicos percibidos, mayor equilibrio entre la vida personal y académica, mayor resolución del problema y evitación del problema, así como menor expresión emocional, pensamiento desiderativo y autocrítica, notificados al inicio del ciclo académico, fueron los factores que se asociaron significativamente con un menor estrés percibido después de cuatromeses (F(15,228) = 14,16; p < 0,0001). Conclusión: Se destaca que las escuelas deberían incorporar actividades durante el proceso de formación de los futuros médicos y veterinarios, centradas en guiarlos y motivarlos para que desarrollen y utilicen estrategias que les permitan manejar adecuadamente situaciones desafiantes. De este modo, ellos pueden evitar el incremento de los niveles de estrés y el posible impacto negativo en su desempeño académico y salud mental.(AU)

Introduction: Medicine and Veterinary are careers with high academic demands that tend to cause high levels of stressamong students. Objective: This study investigated the role of strategies used by students to deal with stress.Subjects and methods. An online survey was administered to 244 medical and veterinary students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, at the beginning of their first academic cycle and four months later. The survey included the perceived stress scale-10, the coping strategies inventory, as well as a section that inquired about sociodemographic and academic characteristics. Results: An increase in the stress of the students in both degrees was noted but this was only statistically significant (t(140) = –3.4, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = –0.29) among students enrolled in veterinary. Perception of higher financial resources to cover tuition and fees, greater life and school balance, increased problem-solving and problem-avoidance, less emotional expression, wishful thinking, and self-criticism, mentioned at the beginning of the academic cycle were significantly associated with a lower perception of stress four months later (F(15,228) = 14.16, p < 0.0001).Conclusion: It is highlighted that schools should incorporate activities during the training process of future doctors and veterinarians, focused on guiding and motivating them to develop and use strategies that allow them to adequately handle challenging situations. In this way, they will be able to avoid increased stress levels and the possible negative impact on their academic performance and mental health.(AU)

Utility of focused cardiac ultrasonography training in veterinary students to differentiate stages of subclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Differentiation of the subclinical phases of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs relies heavily on echocardiography. Focused cardiac ultrasonography (FCU) is a point-of-care technique that can assess heart size. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Veterinary students trained in FCU can differentiate dogs with subclinical MMVD based on left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) dimensions. ANIMALS: Forty-eight dogs with subclinical MMVD. METHODS: Veterinary students were trained to measure LV dimension and LA-to-aortic root dimension ratio (LA : Ao) using FCU. Dogs were categorized into 2 cohorts based on whether or not the LV normalized internal diastolic dimension was ≥1.7 and LA : Ao was ≥1.6. Agreement between FCU and echocardiographic studies performed by cardiologists was evaluated. RESULTS: One-hundred and forty-six FCU examinations were performed by 58 veterinary students on 48 dogs. Overall agreement between students and cardiologists was moderate (Fleiss' kappa, 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.69; P < .001). Percentage accuracy in observations with heart dimensions less than the cutoffs (86/89, 97%) was significantly higher than in observations in with larger hearts (31/57, 54%; P < .001). Agreement increased from moderate to good as heart sizes became more extreme. Degree of confidence by students in performing FCU was significantly higher at the end vs start of the study. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Categorization of dogs with subclinical MMVD by veterinary students using FCU was associated with moderate to good agreement with echocardiography. Focused cardiac ultrasonography is a point-of-care method that can help assess clinical stage in dogs with subclinical MMVD.

Effectiveness of rural internships for veterinary students to combat veterinary workforce shortages in rural areas.

Veterinarians are a pivotal force in addressing animal health and welfare surveillance, with a critical role in improving public health security and increasing the profits of livestock farmers. Yet, the veterinary profession is adversely affected by personnel shortages, particularly in rural areas. Since the health of people, animals and their shared environment are interconnected in a One Health perspective, a set of policies are required to ensure public health by attraction and retention of veterinarians in rural areas. In France, a tutored internship programme, financially subsiding students and mentors to execute a training period in remote rural areas, was promoted to better integrate and retain veterinary students ending their veterinary training. This paper aims to evaluate how veterinarians' tutored internships influences students' choices for rural practice, using three different statistical methods derived from causal inference theory. Using survey data for the period 2016-2020, we show that: (i) the average effect of the tutored internship on veterinarians' work in food animal sector is not significant; and that (ii) the tutored internship leads veterinarians with a low share of work in the food animal sector to have a rural practise after they graduated between 13 and 20% greater than those who did not participate in the tutored internship.

A method for teaching depth of corneal lesions using a portable slit lamp (biomicroscope).

A novel, simple, and inexpensive model for teaching depth of lesions within the cornea using slit lamp biomicroscopy to veterinary students, ophthalmology residents, and general clinicians with access to a slit lamp biomicroscope is described. Using common laboratory items, this method can be created in any clinic and can be used to teach and quiz students through independent study with objective self-testing achieved.

Use of sources of final-year veterinary students to answer clinical research questions.

OBJECTIVE: Until now, sources used by final-year veterinary students to develop clinical questions have not yet been investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to record the use of sources by final-year veterinary students. This data should assist with the improvement of future veterinary teaching and enable it to meet the needs of students and veterinarians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this purpose, the use of sources by 172 students in the compulsory development of a clinical question was evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequently cited sources were textbooks (37.7%), lecture notes (27.0%), websites (15.4%), professional articles (11.8%), scientific papers (7.8%), and, least frequently, the category of legal texts (0.3%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that students primarily use sources with which they are familiar from their studies. Educators should be aware of this and design their lecture materials accordingly. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Teaching students competence in the use of scientific literature is a task for teachers in the future.

Application of augmented reality models of canine skull in veterinary anatomical education.

Veterinary anatomy plays a crucial role in the curriculum for veterinary medicine and surgery. The integration of modern information technology in veterinary education can greatly benefit from innovative tools such as augmented reality (AR) applications. The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and interactive three-dimensional (3D) digital model of an animal skull using AR technology, aiming to enhance the learning of skull anatomy in veterinary anatomy education. In this study, a canine skull specimen was isolated, and the skull bones were scanned using a structured light scanner to create a 3D digital model of the canine skull, which was found to be indistinguishable from the original specimen by measurement of skull proportions. Furthermore, the interactive AR model of the canine skull, displayed using Unity3D, was subjected to testing and evaluation by 60 first-year veterinary medical students attending the gross anatomy of the animal. The students were divided into two groups: the traditional group and AR group. Both groups completed an objective test and a questionnaire. The evaluation of learning effectiveness in the test revealed no significant difference between the traditional group (which learned using textbooks and a canine skull specimen) and AR group (which learned using AR tools). However, in the questionnaire, students displayed high enthusiasm and interest in using the AR tool. Therefore, the application of AR tools can improve students' motivation for learning and enhance the comprehension of anatomical structures in three dimensions. Furthermore, this study exemplifies the use of AR as an auxiliary tool for teaching and learning in veterinary anatomy education.