The Swine Disease Eradication Center is proud to present another episode of “Processing the Litter-ature”: a podcast in which peer-reviewed papers are docked, clipped and supplemented with a field perspective.
Drs. Justin Brown and Perle Zhitnitskiy discuss “Swine Medicine Education: A Survey of North American and Caribbean Veterinary Colleges Curricula”.
Today we are sharing a new publication in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education by a team of swine educators across US veterinary colleges, including Drs. Maria Pieters and Perle Zhitnitskiy. The article is available in open access on the journal’s website.
Numerous demands on the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine training program have the potential to reduce the amount of time allocated to food animal species in general including swine medicine, despite it being a key component of veterinary education. The objective of this study was to describe swine medicine training opportunities at North American and Caribbean veterinary education institutions. A 21-question survey was developed and distributed to veterinary colleges across North America and the Caribbean. The survey was available from October 2021 to March 2022, and one response was accepted per institution. Seventy-four percent of contacted institutions completed the survey, representing 29 veterinary colleges located in the United States of America, Canada, or the Caribbean. Responses were aggregated, analyzed, and grouped by topic: institution opportunities, curriculum opportunities, clinical opportunities, and faculty involvement in the swine medicine curricula. There was substantial variation among institutions in the delivery and resources allocated to swine medicine specific curricula. Swine veterinarians help ensure the health and well-being of animals and food safety. More research is required to evaluate the outcomes of the currently available opportunities. Concurrently, veterinary education institutions should prevent the attrition of swine educational program by investing in the support and development of swine opportunities for students.
Today we are sharing a publication in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education from Dr. Perle Boyer (Zhitnitskiy) presenting a new online tool for students enrolled at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine to choose selective course tailored to their career path.
Continue reading “A roadmap to Food Animal Careers at the UMN CVM”