Self-care practices and depression, anxiety, and stress scores in veterinary students during a semester.

Objective: To measure associations between self-care activities and depression, anxiety, and stress of preclinical veterinary students during a semester. Procedure: Preclinical veterinary students at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine were recruited voluntarily. Depression, anxiety, and stress scores (DASS-21) were measured, and a self-care questionnaire was administered at the beginning and end of the semester. Results: Depression, anxiety, and stress scores did not change during the fall semester (P = 1.000). At the beginning of the semester, students who spent 15 to 30 min (P = 0.042) or 30 to 60 min (P = 0.013) outside daily had lower anxiety scores compared to those who spent < 15 min outside daily; students who spent > 2 h daily on social media had higher stress scores than students who spent < 60 min (P = 0.024); and students who slept for 6 to 8 h daily had lower stress scores than students who slept < 6 h (P = 0.015). At the end of the semester, students who "often" felt that self-care techniques managed their stress had lower depression (P = 0.003) and anxiety (P = 0.011) scores than those who "rarely" did; students who spent 30 to 60 min outside daily had lower depression scores than those who spent < 15 min (P = 0.031); students who spent 15 to 30 min (P = 0.002) or 30 to 60 min (P = 0.009) outside daily had lower stress scores than those who spent < 15 min; and students who exercised 30 to 60 min daily had lower stress scores than those who exercised < 15 min (P = 0.047). Conclusion: Self-care activities that were associated with lower depression, anxiety, or stress scores at the beginning or end of the semester included spending at least 15 min daily outside or exercising; spending < 30 min on social media daily; and sleeping 6 to 8 h daily. These practices warrant further investigation. Clinical relevance: Encouraging certain self-care practices among preclinical veterinary students has the potential to enhance their mental health and should be considered part of a veterinary school curriculum.

Pratiques d'autosoins et scores de dépression, d'anxiété et de stress chez les étudiants vétérinaires au cours d'un semestre. Objectif: Mesurer les associations entre les activités d'autosoins et la dépression, l'anxiété et le stress des étudiants vétérinaires au cours d'un semestre. Procédure: Les étudiants vétérinaires de la faculté de médecine vétérinaire de l'University of Calgary ont été recrutés sur une base volontaire. Des scores de dépression, d'anxiété et de stress (DASS-21) ont été mesurés et un questionnaire d'autosoins a été administré au début et à la fin du semestre. Résultats: Les scores de dépression, d'anxiété et de stress n'ont pas changé au cours du semestre d'automne (P = 1,000). Au début du semestre, les étudiants qui passaient 15 à 30 min (P = 0,042) ou 30 à 60 min (P = 0,013) à l'extérieur par jour présentaient des scores d'anxiété inférieurs à ceux qui passaient < 15 min à l'extérieur par jour; les étudiants qui passaient > 2 h par jour sur les réseaux sociaux avaient des scores de stress plus élevés que les étudiants qui passaient < 60 min (P = 0,024); et les étudiants qui dormaient de 6 à 8 h par jour avaient des scores de stress inférieurs à ceux qui dormaient < 6 h (P = 0,015). À la fin du semestre, les étudiants qui estimaient « souvent ¼ que les techniques d'autosoins géraient leur stress avaient des scores de dépression (P = 0,003) et d'anxiété (P = 0,011) inférieurs à ceux qui l'étaient « rarement ¼; les étudiants qui passaient 30 à 60 min à l'extérieur quotidiennement avaient des scores de dépression inférieurs à ceux qui passaient moins de 15 min (P = 0,031); les étudiants qui passaient 15 à 30 min (P = 0,002) ou 30 à 60 min (P = 0,009) à l'extérieur quotidiennement avaient des scores de stress inférieurs à ceux qui passaient < 15 min; et les étudiants qui faisaient de l'exercice de 30 à 60 min par jour avaient des scores de stress inférieurs à ceux qui faisaient de l'exercice < 15 min (P = 0,047). Conclusion: Les activités d'autosoins associées à des scores de dépression, d'anxiété ou de stress plus faibles au début ou à la fin du semestre comprenaient le fait de passer au moins 15 minutes par jour à l'extérieur ou de faire de l'exercice; passer < 30 minutes sur les réseaux sociaux quotidiennement; et dormir 6 à 8 h par jour. Ces pratiques méritent une enquête plus approfondie. Pertinence clinique: Encourager certaines pratiques d'autosoins chez les étudiants vétérinaires a le potentiel d'améliorer leur santé mentale et devrait être considéré comme faisant partie du programme d'études d'une école vétérinaire.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Phronesis in Veterinary Medicine: Navigating the Complexity of Practice with Wisdom.

With the knowledge explosion currently occurring in veterinary medicine, it is difficult to impart to our learners all the actions that can be done, let alone teach them how to determine what should be done. Ethics curricula can provide an essential part of this answer but leave it incomplete. This can result in the disengagement of veterinary learners from the situational understanding that leads to the most appropriate actions. Phronesis is a practical understanding with sound judgment and ethical orientation. It has recently become a talking point in medicine as a framework of support for health professionals that brings together the goals of ethical care with clinical judgment. We can work to incorporate it more effectively into our curricula by evaluating how phronesis is already used in veterinary medicine. This will give learners the opportunity to practice phronetic judgment and support practical wisdom in clinical settings.

Expert Veterinarians Should Be Trained Expertly: Fostering the Development of Adaptive Expertise in Veterinary Students through Faculty Development for Veterinary Educators.

The field of health professions education is rapidly evolving, and with it the field of veterinary education. This discussion piece amalgamates literature across health professions education to provide a picture of what a veterinary clinician-educator is, why there is a need for veterinary clinician-educators when developing learners with adaptive expertise, and how faculty development can support the growth of clinicians into clinician-educators. It is intended to outline the best practices for fostering the development of adaptive expertise in veterinary students through faculty development for veterinary educators.