The National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues (NCVEI) was formed in 20001 by the AVMA, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in response to the findings of the 1999 KPMG study2 of which the executive summary (The current and future market for veterinarians and veterinary medical services in the United States) was published in 1999. As one approach to improving the economic health of the veterinary profession, the NCVEI formed a working group to enhance the nontechnical skills, knowledge, aptitudes, and attitudes (SKAs) of veterinarians. This action was taken as a result of increasing evidence that many veterinarians, although clinically competent, may lack some of the crucial SKAs that typically are correlated with, and could be essential for, their professional success. One key source of this evidence was the KPMG study itself, which suggested directly that a weakness in SKAs was a problem facing the veterinary medical profession. In addition, the KPMG study identified other key issues of economic importance to veterinary medicine, some of which have been attributed indirectly to a lack of critical SKAs.3 A separate study,4 contemporary with the KPMG study, identified similar issues related to the nontechnical skills and attributes of veterinarians.
It has been several years since the KPMG study was published. A considerable amount of discussion and work has been completed in the interim, and much has been accomplished. As one of the three agencies that sponsored the KPMG study and initiated the NCVEI, the AAVMC has been actively engaged in a number of efforts to enhance the SKAs. The objectives of this commentary are to provide an overview of the SKAs-related work coordinated through the NCVEI and to suggest future directions for such work.
Problem Identification
To characterize the SKAs issue initially, a workshop was conducted in Augusta, Mich, during December 2000.5,6 A number of vital perspectives were presented at that conference, including the following:
• Consideration of a potential mismatch between the interests and attributes of veterinary students and the reality of activities and situational demands in veterinary medical careers.7
• Methods of identifying behavioral traits as an aid in the admissions process for colleges of veterinary medicine.8
• Methods of determining which attributes are expected of veterinary college graduates.9
• Review of current status of and suggested changes for veterinary practice management education.10–13
• Suggestions for incorporating some of the SKAs into the veterinary curriculum.14
• Models for partnerships between industry and veterinary medical academic institutions for purposes of strengthening SKAs.15
• Methods for assessing the outcomes of SKAs educational programs in veterinary medicine.16
In addition, a comprehensive list of SKAs was developed by participants (Appendix). One key item that gained consensus agreement involved the realization that a number of opportunities exist for improving the SKAs of veterinarians at various points along the timeline of a typical veterinarian's professional career. These opportunities include the following:
• Recruitment (or attraction) into the applicant pool.
• Preveterinary courses and experiences.
• The admissions process.
• Courses and experiences during the time students are in the professional veterinary curriculum.
• The continuing education experiences that are available over the duration of the 30to 40-year career of a typical veterinarian.
SKAs Projects
In response to the KPMG findings, a number of projects were designed through and in conjunction with the NCVEI working group on the SKAs.17 Consistent with the consensus agreement identified at the Michigan workshop, focus of these projects spanned the scope of a typical veterinary career, from recruiting and admissions through continuing education.
Personnel Decisions International study—As an initial foray into the realm of projects intended to enhance SKAs in the veterinary profession, a study was designed to identify the core nontechnical competencies for success in veterinary medicine and to recommend methods for achieving and developing those competencies in veterinary college graduates.18,19 This project, funded by a group of nine colleges of veterinary medicine and Bayer Animal Health, ultimately achieved the following:
• Developed a definition of success in veterinary medicine.
• Identified challenges in achieving success in veterinary medical careers.
• Identified core nontechnical competencies for success in veterinary medicine.
• Provided recommendations for achieving the core competencies for success.
• Developed an interview guide for use in admissions and selection that emphasized the core competencies for success.
AVMA-funded initiatives—In November 2001, the AVMA Executive Board approved funds to support activities of the NCVEI Working Group on Skills, Knowledge, Aptitude & Attitude, and several SKAs projects were initiated.
NATIONAL FORUM TO DISCUSS CORE COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS
A workshop was designed to present results of the Personnel Decisions International (PDI) study; discuss and analyze the implications of the PDI study results for academia, private practice, and industry; identify actionable items and discuss opportunities and barriers; and develop appropriate recommendations and devise specific actions for implementation as next steps.20 Twenty-five veterinary colleges were represented at the workshop and 110 attendees participated, achieving a broad representation of the veterinary profession (both academic and nonacademic). Prioritized recommendations for implementation and initial action plans for next steps were developed, including the following: publicize results of the PDI study; reconsider current admissions policies and processes; evaluate the applicant pool and current recruitment programs; develop structured mentoring programs; enhance DVM and VMD training programs; coordinate development of continuing education programs; and overcome existing barriers to change. Suggested next steps involved collaborative efforts across all sectors of the veterinary profession to develop plans for implementation of the workshop's recommendations involving the AAVMC, AVMA, and AAHA, either individually or collectively through the NCVEI. Partnerships with industry were also strongly encouraged.
APPLICANT POOL STUDY
A study was designed to assess certain personal characteristics, knowledge of the veterinary profession, and influences on career choice among potential veterinarians.21,22 Methods involved mailed surveys to a broad group of current veterinarians and a diverse sample of potential veterinarians (students). Results indicated that veterinarians were the leading influencers on career choice for potential applicants, but high school and college courses also played an important role. However, prospective veterinarians did not tend to have an accurate perception of the activities involved in or the outcomes obtained from veterinary medical careers. In addition, contrasts between veterinary college applicants who were accepted to a college of veterinary medicine and those who had not been accepted revealed that admissions processes appeared to have a deleterious effect on certain desirable personal characteristics. Although overall mean SKAs levels were not found to be overtly low in typical veterinary school applicant pools, differences in the levels of nontechnical SKAs between applicants who had been accepted by veterinary schools and those who had not been accepted indicated that, in all cases, those not accepted were higher on average in the desirable characteristics than those who were accepted. In addition to the degree to which applicants were attracted to behaviors that characterize veterinary careers, personal attributes that were considered in the study included self-esteem, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, extroversion, and emotional stability. Recommendations included development of realistic job descriptions related to careers in veterinary medicine to be distributed through channels suggested by the study to be influential in the choice of veterinary medicine as a career. Further study of admissions processes was also strongly suggested, with the goal of development and implementation of systems with improved performance.
MODEL CURRICULUM
During October 2001, a workshop was conducted at Michigan State University with objectives to develop a recommended curriculum for veterinary professional development and career success and foster professional interaction between educators and consultants in the broad area of veterinary practice management.23,24 As a result of this meeting, a draft curriculum was developed with the desired outcome being a competent, entrylevel associate veterinarian. During curriculum development, emphasis was exclusively placed on “what to teach,” without immediate concern for “how to teach.” In addition to the curriculum, a list of useful references on these topics was compiled. A considerable number of constraints to the adoption of this curriculum were also identified during the workshop, including recognition of a widespread shortage of available resources for teaching such topics in veterinary curricula. Additional work was recommended, with emphasis on developing plans for implementation.
VETERINARY LEADERSHIP SKILLS
A study was designed to identify leadership needs and viable methods for enhancing the prevalence of well-developed leadership skills within the veterinary profession.25,26 Methods involved interviews to obtain the thoughts and opinions of a diverse group of current leaders in the veterinary profession. Results revealed a variety of expectations for challenges and changes related to the future of veterinary medicine, along with a broad array of leadership needs and critical nontechnical competencies for success of future leaders. Recommendations were also provided as reasonable next steps for meeting the profession's leadership needs. Creation of a veterinary leadership institute was suggested as one specific follow-up action to help ensure a sustainable capacity for developing leaders over time. In that regard, development of programs was suggested in the following five general areas: personal growth for leadership excellence; strategic thinking; team building; communications, attaining influence, political skills, and advocacy; and assisting in development of other leaders. One key issue involved the need to recognize that our leaders will be expected to be effective educators, and our educators will be expected to be strong leaders. In part, study results were consistent with separate NCVEI recommendations related to the need for structured mentoring opportunities in veterinary medicine.27
VETERINARY TEACHING HOSPITAL BUSINESS MODEL
Another study was designed to develop a model for leadership and management in the veterinary teaching hospital (VTH). Following rigorous review of the literature,28 methods used to develop the model included numerous focus group meetings across the veterinary medical profession involving academic administrators, faculty, practitioners, and practice management consultants.29,30 Results revealed that perhaps the greatest challenge lies in achieving appropriate balance among teaching, service, and research. In addition, numerous recommendations were offered for VTH management, starting with strong leadership and active engagement in strategic planning and management. With regard to financial management, it was recommended that VTHs engage in cost accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting. Emphasis was placed on the importance of financial benchmarks. Cost information was recognized as a vital background to pricing exercises, but perceived value was also important. In human resource management, the importance of team-work in a respectful workplace was recognized. Also, specific suggestions were offered for faculty- and staff-related issues. Marketing recommendations focused on the referring veterinarian as the primary target. Measuring, monitoring, and improving efficiency were emphasized with regard to operations, and legal and ethical concerns were quite varied. The primary constraints identified related to cultural inertia, balancing the mission, and working within the university system. Recommendations regarding follow-up actions included initiation of a national dialogue on the future of the VTH, communication of the VTH business model to each veterinary college, and development of an enhanced network among VTH directors and administrators for improved communication and benchmark development.
SKAS EXPERTS
Five individuals provided research assistance on the SKAs projects. In doing so, they developed or applied their own expertise in the SKAs arena. Two of these individuals were PhD candidates in the Department of Management at Michigan State University. Another was a veterinarian with a master's degree in educational psychology, and the fourth was a veterinarian with an MBA. The fifth individual was a veterinary student whose undergraduate training was in finance. It is hoped that each of these individuals will continue to conduct work related to the SKAs in the veterinary profession throughout their careers.
Further Developments
Along with the projects described here, a number of additional initiatives have been completed or are underway with the intent of enhancing the nontechnical SKAs.
SKAs Colloquium—The SKAs Colloquium31 was designed to present the results of the applicant pool, veterinary leadership, and VTH business model projects; to discuss their importance for the future of the veterinary profession; and to develop action plans accordingly. In all, 24 veterinary colleges were represented at the workshop and 72 attendees participated, achieving a broad representation of the veterinary profession (both academic and nonacademic). Recommendations for implementation and initial action plans for next steps were developed, including a list of potential AAVMC follow-up activities: advocating and facilitating programs across colleges to engage and educate faculty regarding the results of these projects, developing realistic information on careers in veterinary medicine, organizing an AAVMC leadership consortium, working toward further development and implementation of the VTH business model, coordinating and sponsoring a national forum on the future of the VTH, reviewing admissions processes, integrating leadership into veterinary curricula, and organizing opportunities for faculty development in leadership.
Work on recruiting and admissions—As a consequence of the SKAs research results, changes are underway in veterinary medicine recruitment and admissions, and these have been communicated to undergraduate health-professions advisors.32 Reevaluation of admissions policies and processes in veterinary medicine has been initiated, and measures of nontechnical SKAs are being sought for veterinary college applicants that will enable identification of individuals who possess desired characteristics. These would include measures to objectively evaluate knowledge of the veterinary profession. Advisors have been informed that a wider recognition is evolving in which technical and nontechnical competencies are not seen as totally separate domains; fundamentally sound science and practice are possible only when state-of-the-art technology and training exist, and these exist only when socially and economically feasible; and sustaining a high level of quality in medicine and surgery over time is not possible in the absence of a solid base in the nontechnical SKAs.
SKAs in the curriculum and cocurricular programs— Authors of the model curriculum recognized that development of an effective delivery system for the suggested material would likely present a challenge and formulated a set of recommendations to help achieve that end. These included collaboration with the NCVEI to achieve visibility and broad-based support across the veterinary profession, seeking support from private practitioners and academic administrators in the AAVMC member institutions, developing liaison with the Association of Veterinary Practice Management Consultants and Advisors to garner their input and support, and coordinating meetings to help fine-tune the recommended curriculum and to work together on overcoming implementation constraints. Toward that end, a workshop was conducted on July 19, 2003,33 for veterinary college administrators, educators, and practice management consultants with two objectives: to demonstrate educational methods that have been successfully used for teaching in the arena of career development and practice management and to develop a professional network to facilitate communication and collaboration toward effective teaching and learning. Sponsored by the NCVEI Workgroup on Skills, Knowledge, Aptitudes, and Attitudes (with additional financial support from Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc), the program included presentations from seven individuals related to methods being used to successfully teach career development and practice management by their respective institutions, and open discussion was encouraged. Similar workshops were conducted on July 18, 2005, and July 15, 2006, sponsored and coordinated by the AAVMC as a part of their summer meetings held in conjunction with the AVMA annual conference.
As one specific approach for teaching some of the SKAs, an innovative model for teaching the principles of financial management as they apply to the veterinary practice was developed.34 Zodiak: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy is a business-literacy game in which players work together in small teams (generally four people) to operate a fictional multimillion-dollar company called Zodiak Industries for three simulated years to learn principles of business finance and strategy. After the four-and-a-half-hour game, participants spent the rest of the day in exercises called Making the right connections, which were exercises designed to connect what participants had just learned to business strategies, financial statements, and operational tactics from veterinary practice. Issues addressed for the veterinary practice, with parallels drawn to Zodiak, included return on owner investment in a veterinary practice (vs salary drawn by owner veterinarians), pricing (setting prices; price elasticity of demand; and relationships between volume, quality, and price), human resources and operations management as they relate to profitability and efficiency, cash flow and management of accounts receivable, and commonly used financial benchmarks. Workshop venues included Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, the University of Illinois, and Purdue University. Financial and in-kind support were provided through partnership with Pharmacia Animal Health (now Pfizer Animal Health) and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. The business simulation in a workshop format was especially useful for teaching these nonmainstream topics because traditional classroom lecture approaches may not have sufficiently engaged students to achieve effective learning. In addition, the partnership developed between academia and industry offered substantial benefits to both parties, and it was recommended that similar educational approaches be considered for additional aspects of the nontechnical SKAs.
VTH initiatives—Following completion of the initial work on the VTH business model,28–30 a number of follow-up initiatives have developed. The energy and passion behind these initiatives speaks to the momentum that seems to be growing with regard to proactively creating the future of the VTH.
FORUM ON THE FUTURE OF THE VTH
In response to the recommendation for a national dialogue on the future of the VTH, an initial symposium was organized. With the assistance of funding from Pfizer Animal Health Inc, a daylong workshop entitled Challenges Facing the Veterinary Teaching Hospital: Determining the Future of Clinical Education in Veterinary Medicine was conducted at the AAVMC meeting in July 2004 (in Philadelphia with the AVMA annual conference). Key issues that provided the context for the workshop were attracting and retaining specialists as clinical faculty, maintaining an appropriate caseload mix, balancing service and teaching, and managing the VTH progessively with regard to finance, marketing, operations, and human resources. Stated goals of the workshop included the following:
• Identify key strategic and operational issues for the future success of clinical teaching in veterinary medicine, with specific emphasis on the future of the VTH.
• Develop a direction for future actions by the veterinary colleges and teaching hospitals, both collectively and individually, to address those key issues.
• Define tangible next steps, including answers to the questions: who will be responsible? what is the timeline? and what resources are needed?
Speakers at the meeting addressed several perspectives on the future of the VTH, including those of a veterinary college dean, a clinical department chairperson, a VTH director, the executive director of AAHA, and the president of AVMA. Attendees included representatives from across the AAVMC (deans, associate deans, clinical department chairpersons, hospital directors, hospital administrators, clinical faculty, and AAVMC executives), the AVMA, and the AAHA. After the presentations, discussion groups convened to identify action steps for the future. Among the primary recommendations were the organization of a daylong forum at the AAVMC annual meeting in March 2005 (to include AAVMC, American Association of Veterinary Clinicians [AAVC], and North American Veterinary College Administrators [NAVCA]) and the creation of a national task force on the future of the VTH.
JOINT WORKSHOPS OF AAVMC, AAVC, AND NAVCA
On the basis of the recommendation from the 2004 forum on the future of the VTH, a daylong workshop was developed in conjunction with the AAVMC annual meeting in March 2005 (in Washington, DC). The purpose of the workshop was to address the role of teaching hospitals in veterinary medical education. Participants included representatives from AAVMC, AAVC, and NAVCA, and the charge was to address the following areas: balancing the mission (teaching, research, and service); recruitment and retention of clinical faculty; maintaining and enhancing caseloads; and enhancing day-to-day management and operations of the teaching hospital.
Primarily following a small-group discussion format, participants were asked to share their perspectives on ideals and best practices, which were defined as either goals to work toward or actual programs that have had a positive influence on their institutions. Recommendations for collective follow-up that resulted from the discussions included the following:
• Creation of an issues paper to succinctly capture the critical nature of the current VTH situation.
• Development of methods to assist faculty in understanding the VTH issues.
• Conducting a workforce study to help define the anticipated needs for clinical specialists in academia.
• Formulation of VTH benchmarks for use across institutions to enhance VTH management.
• Continuation of the dialogue among the AAVMC, AAVC, and NAVCA.
A similar half-day workshop was conducted in 2006, with a dual focus on recruiting and retaining clinical faculty and on new initiatives in college satellite teaching hospitals.
At the 2006 meeting, speakers presented results from two surveys pertaining to recruitment and retention of clinical faculty, which were subsequently discussed in open forum. In addition, information was presented on satellite teaching hospital initiatives from Kansas State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Tufts University, and the University of Florida. Ensuing discussions focused on the merits, limitations, challenges, and opportunities of the various models.
NAVCA SYMPOSIA
Consistent with the recommendation to engage in a national dialogue, NAVCA has included focal sessions on the VTH business model and related developments at each of its past five annual meetings. Venues for these discussions included Michigan State University in 2002, Cornell University in 2003, Texas A&M University in 2004, the University of California, Davis, in 2005, and Ross University, St Kitts, in 2006. In 2002 and 2003, the sessions focused primarily on a project update, while work on benchmarking was also included in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
AAVC SYMPOSIA
Also consistent with the concept of a national dialogue, AAVC included the VTH business model as a key part of their annual meetings in 2004 (informational project update), 2005 (project update and benchmarking discussion), 2006 (benchmarking update and discussion of future directions), and 2007 (benchmarking update and joint meeting with AAVMC to define and prioritize strategic initiatives). Of the topics addressed in the VTH business model project, the two that resonate most strongly for AAVC members involve the increasing degree of difficulty associated with recruitment and retention of clinical faculty and the growing need to progressively manage VTH operations.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE FORUM
Continuing with the theme of a national dialogue, a half-day forum on the VTH business model was conducted at the 2005 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) conference. The purpose of this session was to carry the discussion to a specialty college both to inform the attendees of the VTH issues and to obtain feedback on potential teaching collaborations with specialists in the private sector.
SYMPOSIUM ON VETERINARY TEACHING HOSPITALS AND THE FUTURE OF CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICAL EDUCATION
As an outgrowth of the ongoing national dialogue, a special symposium was held November 9 to 11, 2006, in Kansas City, Mo, to engage a broader audience for purposes of considering the VTH of the future, the scope of veterinary clinical education, and meeting the demand for veterinary clinical educators.
Participants included representatives from academia, industry, private specialty practice, and organized veterinary medicine. With an emphasis on sharing ideas and innovation, it was agreed that follow-up should include an open forum in conjunction with the March 2007 AAVMC annual meeting to define and prioritize key collective strategic initiatives.
VTH TASK FORCE
On the basis of recommendations from the 2004 forum on the future of the VTH, the AAVMC formed a VTH task force for purposes of coordinating and leading forthcoming national initiatives related to the VTH. Although AAVMC provides leadership, staff, and budgetary support for this task force, the group's membership includes representation from both AAVC and NAVCA. To date, the VTH task force has coordinated two joint workshops of AAVMC, AAVC, and NAVCA (2005 and 2006); conducted the Symposium on Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and the Future of Clinical Veterinary Medical Education; initiated a venture to develop benchmarks for managing the VTH; and conducted a workshop to define key strategic initiatives.
VTH BENCHMARKING
The VTH benchmarking initiative originated as a result of recommendations from the VTH business model project that were subsequently reaffirmed at both the 2004 forum on the future of the VTH and the 2005 joint workshop of AAVMC, AAVC, and NAVCA. Coordinated by the NCVEI, the overriding goal is to develop management indices to enable both internal comparisons (to identify performance trends over time) and external comparisons (to compare performance to similar operations). Primary input in this process comes from NAVCA members, with additional support from AAVC and AAVMC representatives. Initial focus is on designing measures to track financial performance and operational efficiencies. Ultimately, the intent is to use the measures developed to append or amend the VTH portion of the AAVMC comparative data report. Target for completion is midyear 2007.
Campus visits to AAVMC member institutions— As is apparent, results of the various SKAs projects have been presented at numerous national meetings and conferences. Because attendees at these meetings were almost exclusively academic administrators and leaders from organized veterinary medicine, the suggestion repeatedly surfaced that results of the projects should also be provided to faculty, staff, and students at the AAVMC member institutions. For this reason, the NCVEI board approved funding for travel to interested colleges of veterinary medicine to engage in SKAs dialogue. To date, 14 such visits have been conducted, with additional visits currently in the planning stages. Depending on specific interests at individual institutions, discussion topics have included SKAs overview, SKAs in recruiting and admissions, curricular and cocurricular SKAs programs, the VTH business model, and leadership issues in veterinary medicine. Numerous changes have been initiated at the colleges as a result of the campus visits.
Future Directions
Changes in academia—Of the 31 AAVMC member institutions in existence at the time of the KPMG study, 29 have implemented specific program changes consistent with the study's findings related to the SKAs. Twenty-three of these institutions provided feedback in response to a survey conducted in summer of 2003,35 and information from the other six was obtained through a second survey (unpublished) in 2004. The changes have spanned a broad spectrum in preveterinary programs, admissions, orientation, curriculum, cocurricular activities, the VTH, continuing education programs, and a wide variety of other areas. On the basis of discussions associated with the SKAs campus visits and follow-up actions, it is expected that the trend toward change will continue.
Importance of diversity—The proportion of underrepresented minorities in the AVMA membership is estimated be < 10% on the basis of the demographics of AAVMC student enrollments.36 In comparison, an estimate from the US Census Bureau indicates that the country's population now includes 25% nonwhite individuals when considering both race and ethnicity, and some states have > 50% nonwhites.36 Furthermore, data indicate a decided trend for an increase in the proportion of nonwhites in the US population on the basis of the demographics and distribution of the nation's children under age five.37 Such marked change in the diversity of communities consuming veterinary services, either directly or indirectly, is likely to bring similar change in the demand or need for veterinary services. At the same time, it signals a very real need to closely evaluate the diversity of the veterinarian population to determine the likelihood of the profession's ability to continue to anticipate and meet societal needs. Enhancing cultural awareness, building cultural sensitivity, and strengthening the group of SKAs that allows persons, organizations, and systems to fully appreciate and effectively work with diverse racial, ethnic, and social groups in an inclusive manner (ie, cultural competence) will lead to a greater probability of sustained success for the veterinary profession. Achieving such a change in culture will be a vital SKAs concern for the future.
Additional research—On the basis of SKAs results to date, it is clear that additional research is needed in several areas to maintain the current momentum and follow up on key findings. These include the following:
• Develop reliable, consistent measures for SKAs to assist in monitoring progress in recruiting, admissions, curriculum, cocurricular programs, and continuing education initiatives that target improved SKAs.
• Evaluate current admissions programs to assess the efficacy of individual approaches for enhancing SKAs.
• Design outcomes assessment systems to provide feedback on SKAs.
• Develop benchmarks for VTH management.
Pursuit of these projects will maximize the benefits attained from the work already completed.
Leadership development—Although the leadership study recommended a national leadership development strategy, implementation has been slow to materialize.38 Many noteworthy leadership development programs have been initiated across the veterinary profession, but centralized coordination and communication is currently haphazard at best. Developing our next generation of leaders is a crucial step for the future success of the veterinary profession, and a coordinated national effort will be invaluable.
Summary
The KPMG study called for enhancement of SKAs across the veterinary profession. The NCVEI has taken broad strides toward development of awareness, infrastructure, and programs to achieve SKAs growth in the veterinary profession. Early results indicate that the AAVMC member institutions are working diligently to implement change. Although it will admittedly take time for the new skill sets and attributes to exert their full desired impact on success in the veterinary profession, a critical momentum has been attained. Sustained efforts in this regard will hopefully achieve a tipping point at which SKAs programs will be self-perpetuating, and the ability of the veterinary profession to meet societal needs will be forever enhanced.
References
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Appendix
SKAs as identified by NCVEI task force.
| Work ethic | Service orientation | ||
| Empathy and compassion | Emotional resilience | ||
| Drive for results | Foster teamwork | ||
| Effective communication | Agent of change | ||
| Ethics and integrity | Lifelong learner | ||
| Open-minded | Optimistic | ||
| Enthusiasm | Flexibility | ||
| High self-esteem | Goal oriented | ||
| Self-motivated | Energetic | ||
| Sincerity | Interpersonal skills | ||
| Knowledge of profession | Business management | ||
| Time management | Problem solving | ||
| Effective delegation | Personal finance | ||
| Strategic planning | Leadership | ||
| Adaptability | Visionary | ||
| Creativity | Accountability and responsibility | ||
| Mentoring skills | Self-assessment | ||
| Social awareness | |||
