A Comparison of Public Perceptions of Physicians and Veterinarians in the United States

Veterinary medicine consists of virtually the same medical specialties as human medicine, with veterinarians performing similar roles as medical doctors, albeit with different species. Despite these similarities, anecdotally, some perceptions of veterinarians as not “real doctors” persist. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare public perceptions of physicians and veterinarians. Participants were provided brief definitions of a physician and a veterinarian and then asked to provide a rating that best describes their perception with respect to 25 different personality characteristics/traits. A sample of 606 participants (unweighted) in the United States completed the survey. The results of this research show that the public tends to perceive veterinarians more favorably than physicians. More specifically, veterinarians were viewed as more approachable, sensitive, sympathetic, patient and understanding, while physicians were viewed as more proud, arrogant and overconfident. These results point to the favorable public perceptions of veterinarians. These findings are particularly relevant for veterinary educators who train the future workforce and have a significant role both in how the profession is portrayed and emphasizing the relationship between the public trust and social responsibility. Reinforcing the public’s strong trust in the veterinary profession throughout students’ education could enhance their own self-concept, self-esteem and overall mental health and well-being

Social media and impression management: Veterinary medicine students’ and faculty members’ attitudes toward the acceptability of social media posts

Introduction: While social media has the potential to be used to make professional and personal connections, it can also be used inappropriately, with detrimental ramifications for the individual in terms of their professional reputation and even hiring decisions. This research explored students’ and faculty members’ perceptions of the acceptability of various social media postings. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015. All students and faculty members at the College of Veterinary Medicine were invited to participate. The sample size included 140 students and 69 faculty members who completed the Social Media Scale (SMS), a 7-point semantic differential scale. The SMS consisted of 12 items that measured the extent to which a variety of behaviors, using social media, constituted acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Items appearing on the SMS were an amalgamation of modified items previously presented by Coe, Weijs, Muise et al. (2012) and new items generated specifically for this study. The data were collected during the spring semester of 2015 using Qualtrics online survey software and analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA. Results: The results showed that statistically significant differences existed between the students’ and faculty members’ ratings of acceptable behavior, as well as gender differences and differences across class years. Conclusion: These findings have implications for the development of policy and educational initiatives around professional identity management in the social sphere

Analysis of Final Year Veterinary Students’ Telephone Communication Skills at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Client communication is a core clinical skill that is taught as part of the required curriculum at many veterinary colleges. Although much client communication occurs face-to-face, telephone communication is used to provide patient updates, relay results of diagnostic tests, and check on discharged patients. This research explored fourth year veterinary medical students’ telephone communication skills. We recorded and analyzed the transcripts of 25 calls students made to clients of three different services in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Additionally, we explored the perspectives of veterinary educators by distributing a survey to university faculty and house officers (n = 57). Results indicate that students excelled at identifying the patient and purpose of the call and incorporating professional language and clear explanations. They require development in providing structure and incorporating core communication skills. Compared with our survey results, the student findings are at odds with clinicians’ expectations of students’ communication abilities. We conclude that additional training is required to familiarize students with expectations regarding telephone communication, including reviewing the case thoroughly, preparing to answer questions and provide explanations, following organizational protocol, and incorporating open ended questions, reflective listening, and empathy. This data will inform design, and help to measure the impact, of telephone communication education and training that will be incorporated into the existing veterinary communication curriculum

Respondents to an American College of Veterinary Surgeons diplomate survey support the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

ObjectiveTo objectively measure the current demographic makeup of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) diplomates and to develop a survey tool to be used as a metric to measure future changes in the ACVS demographic profile.Sample737 ACVS diplomates.MethodsA 14-item electronic survey was sent to 2,199 ACVS diplomates between August 25 and September 9, 2021, via email. Survey items included demographic information as well as perceptions about the ACVS and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Responses were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed.ResultsThe survey response rate was 34% (737/2,199). The median age category among respondents was 45 to 54. The median years in practice as a diplomate was 11 to 15. The majority of respondents identified as white/Caucasian and heterosexual, with male and female respondents being similarly represented. Most respondents identified English as their first language. Few considered themselves first-generation college graduates or identified as disabled. Many respondents considered DEI to be an important initiative to promote in the ACVS.Clinical relevanceFindings suggested that the majority of ACVS respondents are supportive of DEI efforts. This study also serves as an objective analysis that can be reassessed in the future to determine the success of such initiatives

Measuring Factors that Influence Decisions to Become a Veterinarian

Introduction: Veterinary medical education; Psychometrics; Career influence; The purpose of the present study was twofold. First, we sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument designed to measure factors incoming veterinary medical students indicated were important (or not) in their decision to become a veterinarian. Second, we sought to produce a measure of these factors by utilizing a state-of-the-art psychometric modeling technique to produce an empirical hierarchy that illustrates the construct of interest and make appropriate inferences about the findings. Methods:The Career Influence Factors Survey (CIFS) was administered to an incoming class of veterinary medical students. Data were analyzed via the Rasch Rating Scale Model. The psychometric properties of the instrument were evaluated according to Messick’s framework of construct validity. Results: Results indicate the Career Influence Factors Survey is a psychometrically-sound instrument capable of accurately and reliably measuring veterinary medical students’ motivations for becoming a veterinarian. Substantive results indicated issues pertaining to animal welfare were the most important in making the decision to become a veterinarian. Previous exposure to a particular animal or family pet was only moderately influential in students’ decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Factors such as a desire to work on food production issues and anticipated earning potential tend to be of lesser importance to incoming students. Conclusion: We encourage others to utilize the instrument and/or adopt the methodology to evaluate the psychometric properties of other instruments. Substantive findings generally corroborated findings from previous studies, but may identify new insights for improving the recruitment of veterinary medical students