SGU's DVM curriculum has been designed to integrate professional skills, clinical skills. and the necessary scientific and clinical knowledge in a systems-based curriculum. This is to incorporate the cognitive. psychomotor, and behavioral skills necessary to become a veterinarian. There are 2 spirals with 2 vertical pillars. The first spiral covers healthy animals and disease processes, and the 2nd spiral covers clinical presentation and case management. The vertical pillars cover professional and clinical skills and content builds on each previous term.
VM 520 is an integrated course divided into three (3) units: Professional Skills 2 (PS2), Clinical Skills 2 (CS2) and Systems 2 (SYS2). For successful course completion, each of the units must be passed with at least 69.50% to progress on to the next term.
PS Unit 2 (PS2)
PS 2 focuses on the continuous development of the professional attributes of a competent day-one veterinarian and builds the foundational knowledge. skills and attributes aligned to the six PS domains: Career and Personal Development, Leadership and Collaboration for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA); Wellbeing; Ethics and Clinical Governance; Communication; Financial Literacy and Practice Management; and Scholarship, Evidence Based-Medicine, and Life-Long Learning.
Specific coursework and activities will emphasize the understanding of career paths in veterinary medicine, guiding students to identify various trajectories and to prepare compelling application portfolios. Students will develop essential interviewing skills and will engage in discussions and implementation of emotional intelligence, conflict management, and cultural humility skills relevant to veterinary practice. The unit will address the impact of perfectionism and imposter syndrome on mental wellbeing and the profession. Students will delve into the meaning of Professional Conduct with ethical implications, practicing communication skills using the Calgary Cambridge Model. and modeling effective feedback exchange. In addition. the unit encompasses topics such as the significance of the Human-Animal Bond in veterinary communication, evaluation of personal financial standing, discussion of introductory financial concepts in veterinary practice, and exploration of bioethics and responsible conduct in scientific research and writing.
CS Unit 2 (CS2)
CS2 focuses on building introductory core clinical skills that arc necessary to produce a day-one competent veterinarian. Students are introduced to skills which must be performed to a specified standard prior to the student being allowed to progress to the next portion. This ensures student and animal safely as well as skill acquisition and retention. Interactive laboratory sessions practicing hands-on skills, along with associated out-of-class supplementary and supportive pre- and post- laboratory work reinforce skills and allow repeated exposure and practice with learning materials. As the students progress through the curriculum, they will continue to apply these clinical skills and build upon these to develop new abilities and competencies.
During the second term, students will learn to be able to safely perform canine. feline. equine. and bovine physical examinations, starting with a model and progressing to the live animal when appropriate. Surgical skills training includes continued instrument handling, introduction of suture patterns. knot tying, and building upon skills introduced in CS I.
Systems 2 (SYS2)
SYS2 will promote learning in three modules: Hormones and Regulation (HR), Urinary Tract and Water Balance (lJTWB). and Digestion, Metabolism, and Nutrition (DMN). The students will be introduced to basic scientific principles and will continue building the knowledge base necessary to achieve day-one competencies. Case-based learning will continue to build clinical reasoning and reinforce a logical approach to case management.
SYS2 is divided into three (3) modules:
- The HR Module aims to guide the students in learning the most important hormones involved in the regulation of body functions and homeostasis in healthy animals, integrating the structure and function of the endocrine system and its relationship with the central nervous system. This module also guides the students to understand the basic pathogenesis of the most common endocrinopathies in domestic animals with emphasis on the dog with clinically relevant comparisons for other species. The module leads the student to become familiar with basic endocrine terminology and basic scientific principles to achieve day-one competencies.
- The UTWB module aims to guide the students in learning to recognize and explain the Urinary Tract as a body system and the regulation of Water Balance in the context of a healthy animal and basic pathological processes. Integrating the overall structures and functions of the Urinary Tract as a body system with the regulation of the Water Balance is promoted using a clinical problem-solving perspective, highlighting the pathogenesis that explains the most common clinical presentations in primary care. Emphasis is placed on describing the kidneys and lower urinary tract structures and functions along with the pathogenesis of common and clinically relevant case examples.
- The DMN module aims to guide the students in learning to recognize and explain the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs (liver and pancreas) in the context of healthy animals and the basic pathogenesis of the most common clinical presentation. Integrating the overall structures and functions of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion in domestic animals is promoted using a clinical problem-solving approach, considering the most common diseases presented in primary care. Emphasis is placed on describing the gastrointestinal tract, functions of the liver and pancreas in the metabolism of healthy animals. The module also emphasizes the basic and clinically relevant principles or animal nutrition.
Each module will use clinical cases lo emphasize clinical reasoning, to tie basic science concepts to clinical medicine, and to reinforce a logical approach to clinical reasoning, and case management.
Each unit PS2, CS2, and Systems 2 will use similar teaching-learning strategies. The students prepare themselves for the in-class interaction by engaging in supplemental and supportive pre-work to obtain core knowledge in preparation for the in-class sessions. The instructor-led interaction time (in-class) involves active learning activities (mini-lectures, scenario based learning, group discussions, laboratory sessions, and formative questions) where critical thinking and clinical reasoning, professional communication, and hands-on skills practice are promoted. During the post-class time students will revise/study knowledge areas, engage in reflective practice and self-evaluation, and practice hands-on skills acquisition. SYS2 modules will use a weekly in-class formative assessment session to give timely feedback and ensuring student engagement. Case-based learning will be utilized to emphasize clinical reasoning and tie current learning objectives to clinical case management.