The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is advancing education and student success through a new outcomes-based curriculum that focuses on graduating competent and confident veterinarians who are prepared for broad career paths. We are educating more than 650 veterinary students, 150 house officers and graduate students, and treating over 78,000 companion animals, equine, and farm animal patients annually.
In 2019, we began a comprehensive curricular redesign using the Competency-Based Veterinary Education framework, part of a critical paradigm shift in veterinary medicine. Our ‘Preparing for Excellence in Veterinary General Practice’ program has been at the forefront of this new educational approach, including clinical assessment changes such as entrustable professional activities and longitudinal tracking of student performance.
We’ve shifted away from students receiving most of their clinical training through observation of specialty care for complex cases to a more balanced approach by providing hands-on learning across a spectrum of care considerations. This provides students experience with technological advances and higher cost options in specialty rotations as well as a range of care options that can be provided in first opinion practices which are aligned with cost expectations of a diverse client population. This prepares career-ready veterinarians to provide high-quality, affordable care for the broadest range of clients and animals while maintaining sustainable business practices.
Students receive immersive hands-on training starting first semester of first year with clinical and communication skills training in the Veterinary Clinical and Professional Skills Center and rotations through the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic, a state-of-the-art facility that provides unique opportunities for experiential learning. This continues throughout their early years and culminates during the clinical year, where students serve as the doctors with faculty veterinarians as coaches. Students gain mastery of a broad array of diagnostic, therapeutic, business and communication skills needed for practice success.
We’re committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our program and the profession. For the past 5 years, we’ve received the national Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for our work to reduce barriers to entering the profession, recruit more diverse students, nurture a supportive environment for everyone to thrive, and provide outreach veterinary services to underserved populations and associated student experiential learning opportunities.
Advancing student success through outcomes-based education, spectrum of care, diversity, and well-being.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 260, 11; 10.2460/javma.22.06.0261
We place a strong focus on well-being. A comprehensive Be Well initiative with a broad array of resources and programming across nine dimensions of wellness, supports students as well as faculty and staff, and gives them tools to maintain their well-being as they navigate the workplace. This includes providing a more accessible and affordable veterinary education through limiting tuition increases to no more than 2% per year, growing philanthropic scholarship distribution nearly 650% over the last 7 years, removing the burden of out-of-state tuition after the first year, and focusing on personal and professional financial management.
We strive to Be The Model™ comprehensive college of veterinary medicine in the world, impacting animal and human health through innovation, collaboration and excellence. Learn more at www.vet.osu.edu/spotlight.
