Using Distance Education to Teach the AAVMC's Spectrum of Care Subcompetencies: Positive Changes in Self-Efficacy as Self-Reported by Students Enrolled from Multiple Colleges of Veterinary Medicine in the United States.

内容摘要

In 2025, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Spectrum of Care Initiative Task Force added spectrum of care (SOC) subcompetencies to their Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE®) learning outcomes expected to be achieved by all graduates. This study analyzed the self-reported changes in confidence and self-efficacy of professional veterinary students before and after they completed interactive online coursework aligned with the AAVMCs' SOC subcompetencies related to companion animals. Course content was created using universal design for learning (UDL) principles and offered free of charge to colleges of veterinary medicine (CVMs) accredited by the AVMA Council on Education®. Each college determined where, when, and how to insert it into their curriculum. Google Forms was used to collect voluntarily shared data from veterinary students who enrolled from multiple CVMs in the United States. Analysis of de-identified paired pre- and post-course responses from 121 veterinary students showed statistically significant gains for 25 of 26 survey questions that were mapped to the SOC subcompetencies and learning outcomes for companion animals. This study demonstrates that distance education (DE) can be an effective tool for delivering didactic content consistently within the professional veterinary curriculum across multiple CVMs, freeing time for more direct student-to-instructor interaction during clinical rotations where students can apply their SOC skill set. The findings suggest the educational value of including targeted online coursework within the professional veterinary curriculum to teach SOC subcompetencies while meeting accreditation standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education® regarding DE.