A preliminary study on assessment of wellbeing among veterinary medical house officers.

Mental wellness is an important topic among practicing veterinarians. Peer reviewed studies focusing on veterinary house officers' wellbeing are lacking in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to assess wellbeing of house officers using validated surveys for anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life. A cross-sectional survey of 103 house officers (residents, interns, and fellows) was performed. Respondents were invited to voluntarily complete the online surveys. Anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form-8 (SF-8), respectively. Descriptive statistics were calculated. For qualitative analysis, respondents were requested to rate their perception of the level of stress regarding various work-related stressors. The first survey was completed in 2017 with 60 respondents of which 51 (85%) identified as females and nine (15%) identified as males. The second survey was completed in 2018 with 43 respondents of which 35 (81.4%) identified as females and 8 (18.6%) identified as males. Respondents reported high levels of burnout characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment but reported mild levels of anxiety and depression. The mental component of their quality of life score was lower than the general US population, whereas the physical component score was consistent with the general US population. Respondents indicated moderate scores of stress for concerns regarding patient management, research, teaching, work-life balance, relationships, organizational skills, time management, finances, and the mental and emotional impact of the work environment. The high levels of burnout, and low mental quality of life in house officers require specific intervention programs to improve wellbeing.

Correction to: Assessment of burnout in veterinary medical students using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educational Survey: a survey during two semesters.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Exploring issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing across two continents: A preliminary cross-sectional collaborative study between the University of California, Davis, and University of Pretoria.

Mental health and wellness research continue to be a topic of importance among veterinary students in the United States of America (US). Limited peer reviewed literature focusing on South African veterinary students is available. South African veterinary medical students might benefit from approaches to improve mental health and wellness similar to those recommended in the US. However, these recommendations may not address the underlying risk factors for mental health and wellness concerns or mismatch resources available to South African veterinary medical students. The purpose of this collaborative study was to compare the mental health and wellness among veterinary students enrolled at the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the University of Pretoria (UP), the only veterinary school in South Africa. Our primary research question was; Are the measures of mental health and wellness for students at similar stages in the veterinary curriculum different between the two schools? We hypothesized that mental health and wellness as determined by assessment of anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life between the two schools is different. A cross-sectional study of 102 students from UCD and 74 students from UP, at similar preclinical stages (Year 2 for UCD and Year 4 for UP) of the veterinary curriculum was performed. Anxiety, burnout, depression, and quality of life were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form-8 (SF-8), respectively. Students from both schools had moderate levels of anxiety, high levels of burnout, mild to moderate levels of depression, poor mental health, and good physical health. Our results suggest that similar mental health and wellness concerns in South African veterinary students is comparable with concerns in veterinary medical students in the US. Recommendations and resources to improve mental health and wellness in US veterinary medical students might be applicable to South African veterinary medical students.

Correction to: Assessment of burnout in veterinary medical students using the Maslach burnout inventory-educational survey: a survey during two semesters.

Following publication of the original article [1], we've been notified by an author that they have published their manuscript without seeking permission for the survey that was included in one of their tables (Table 1).

Is a veterinary student's performance on multiple-mini interviews affected by personality preferences?

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between a student's Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) preference pairs and resulting types and his or her multiple-mini interview (MMI) scores upon admission, and to determine the proportions of types among veterinary classes over five years. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for data collected from 706 students admitted into the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (UCDSVM) program beginning in the fall of 2013 and ending in the fall of 2018. Data consisted of a candidate's MBTI preference pairs and types which were collected during the first week of enrollment and multiple-mini interview scores from his or her admission data. RESULTS: A total of 706 students from 5 classes completed the MBTI survey. Multivariate analysis showed no significant association between the MBTI preference pairs of extroversion and introversion (F(1, 697) = 3.30, p=0.0959), sensing and intuition (F(1, 697) = 0.40, p=0.4395), thinking and feeling (F(1, 697) = 3.59, p=0.0591), or judging and perceiving (F(1, 697) = 0.38, p = 0.5657) and MMI score. Analysis showed no trends (χ2 (60, N=706) =76.51, p=0.074) in the student's MBTI types over the 5-year period. CONCLUSIONS: The MMI score of a candidate admitted into the UCDSVM is unlikely to be affected by personality preferences. Therefore, it is unlikely that multiple-mini interview scores included in the admission process will affect the personality diversity of candidates admitted into a veterinary class.

Assessment of Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life in Veterinary Medical Students: Use of the 2-Item Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Questionnaire (PRIME-MD PHQ) and the 8-Item Short Form-8 Survey (SF-8).

Depression and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are major concerns affecting veterinary students' well-being. Shorter versions of instruments to assess depression and HRQOL are timesaving and preferable. To the authors' knowledge there are no studies available that assess HRQOL in veterinary students. The objectives of this study were to screen veterinary students for depression during two semesters using a 2-item Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Procedure Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD PHQ), and to assess HRQOL over two semesters using the Optum Short Form-8 (SF-8) Health Survey. A cohort of 273 students from two classes were invited to complete the PRIME-MD PHQ and the SF-8 survey during the fall semester of their first year, and again in the spring semester of the second year. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, multiple regression, and logistic regression were used to perform data analysis. The proportion of students with symptoms of depression was high, ranging from 37.4% to 56.8% between the two classes. The SF-8 survey indicated a mental component summary (MCS) score of <50, indicating poor mental health for both classes, whereas the physical component summary (PCS) was >50, suggesting good physical health. Female students (p =.043) had low MCS scores compared to males. Students from both classes had lower MCS scores in spring compared to fall (p =.019). The PRIME-MD PHQ and the SF-8 were acceptable instruments for assessing depression and HRQOL in veterinary students, respectively.

Approaches and Study Skills of Veterinary Medical Students: Effects of a Curricular Revision.

The objective of this study was to determine if a revised, recently implemented curriculum, embracing an integrated block design with a focus on student-centered, inquiry-based learning, had a different effect on veterinary medical students' approaches to studying than the previous curriculum. A total of 577 students completed a questionnaire consisting of the short version of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). It included questions relating to conceptions about learning, approaches to studying, and preferences for different types of courses and teaching. In addition, students were asked to respond to general questions regarding the design of the revised curriculum. The scores for the deep and strategic learning approaches were higher for students studying under the previous curriculum compared to the revised curriculum, despite the fact that the revised curriculum was specifically designed to foster deep learning. The scores for the surface learning approach were lower in the students studying the revised curriculum compared to students studying under the previous curriculum. We identified the following factors affecting student learning: alteration of learning activities, such as problem-based learning, from the recommended models; a lack of instructor support for the revised curriculum; assessments that were not aligned to encourage critical thinking; and directed self-learning activities that were too comprehensive to complete in the allotted time. The results of this study can be used to improve the implementation of student-centered and inquiry-based curricula by identifying potential problems that could prevent a deep learning approach in veterinary medical students.

Assessment of burnout in veterinary medical students using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educational Survey: a survey during two semesters.

BACKGROUND: Burnout among veterinary students can result from known stressors in the absence of a support system. The objectives of this study were to evaluate use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES) to assess burnout in veterinary students and evaluate the factors that predict the MBI-ES scores. METHODS: The MBI-ES was administered to first (Class of 2016) and second year (Class of 2015) veterinary medical students during the 2012-2013 academic year in the fall and spring semesters. Factor analysis and test reliability for the survey were determined. Mean scores for the subscales determining burnout namely emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and lack of personal accomplishment (PA) were calculated for both classes in the 2 semesters. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate other factors that predict the MBI-ES scores. RESULTS: A non-probability sampling method was implemented consisting of a voluntary sample of 170 and 123 students in the fall and spring semesters, respectively. Scores for EE, DP and PA were not different between the 2 classes within the same semester. Mean ± SD scores for EE, DP and PA for the fall semester were 22.9 ± 9.6, 5.0 ± 4.8 and 32.3 ± 6.7, respectively. Mean ± SD scores for EE, DP and PA the spring semester were 27.8 ± 10.7, 6.5 ± 6.1and 31.7 ± 6.8, respectively. The EE score was higher in spring compared to fall while DP and PA scores were not different between the 2 semesters. Living arrangements specifically as to whether or not a student lived with another veterinary medical students was the only variable significantly associated with the MBI-ES scores. Students in this study had moderate levels of burnout based on the MBI-ES scores. CONCLUSIONS: The MBI-ES was an acceptable instrument for assessing burnout in veterinary medical students. The EE scores were higher in the spring semester as compared to the fall semester. Thus students in the first and second years of veterinary school under the current curriculum experience the greatest levels of emotional exhaustion during the spring semester. This has administrative implications for the school, when considering the allocation and use of resources for student support systems during each semester.

Influence of a veterinary curriculum on the approaches and study skills of veterinary medical students.

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year veterinary medical students' approaches to studying and learning as well as the factors within the curriculum that may influence these approaches. A questionnaire consisting of the short version of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was completed by 405 students, and it included questions relating to conceptions about learning, approaches to studying, and preferences for different types of courses and teaching. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha analysis, and log-linear analysis were performed on the data. Deep, strategic, and surface learning approaches emerged. There were a few differences between our findings and those presented in previous studies in terms of the correlation of the subscale monitoring effectiveness, which showed loading with both the deep and strategic learning approaches. In addition, the subscale alertness to assessment demands showed correlation with the surface learning approach. The perception of high workloads, the use of previous test files as a method for studying, and examinations that are based only on material provided in lecture notes were positively associated with the surface learning approach. Focusing on improving specific teaching and assessment methods that enhance deep learning is anticipated to enhance students' positive learning experience. These teaching methods include instructors who encourage students to be critical thinkers, the integration of course material in other disciplines, courses that encourage thinking and reading about the learning material, and books and articles that challenge students while providing explanations beyond lecture material.

Factors affecting track selection by veterinary professional students admitted to the school of veterinary medicine at the University of California, Davis.

Factors affecting track selection before admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, and factors affecting change of tracks after the first two years of the curriculum were investigated by means of a survey of the 118 students of the graduating class of 2009. The student's background experience before admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine and other personal reasons were significant factors affecting small-animal and mixed-animal track choices. The student's background experience before admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine was the only significant factor for choosing the zoological track. The most significant factor for students to change their track from the mixed or zoological track to the small-animal track was background experience before admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine. Anticipated increased employment opportunities after graduation was the most significant factor for students to change their track from the mixed- or small-animal track to the zoological track. Other personal reasons was the significant variable for students to change their track from small-animal or zoological to mixed-animal track. Thus, to increase the number of students interested in tracks with lower enrollment, exposure of potential applicants to experience relevant to that track before admission and Admissions Committee selection criteria are likely to increase the odds of students' choosing that track.