Which professional (non-technical) competencies are most important to the success of graduate veterinarians? A Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) systematic review: BEME Guide No. 38

Background: Despite the growing prominence of professional (non-technical) competencies in veterinary education, the evidence to support their importance to veterinary graduates is unclear. Aim: To summarize current evidence within the veterinary literature for the importance of professional competencies to graduate success. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted (CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, Australian and British Education Index, Dissertations & Theses) from 1988 to 2015 and limited to the veterinary discipline (veterinar* term required). Evidence was sought from consensus-based competence frameworks, surveys of stakeholder perceptions, and empirical evidence linked to relevant outcomes (e.g. employability, client satisfaction or compliance). Data extraction was completed by two independent reviewers and included a quality assessment of each source. Results: Fifty-two sources were included in the review, providing evidence from expert frameworks (10 sources), stakeholder perceptions (30 sources, including one from the previous category), and empirical research (13 sources). Communication skills were the only competency to be well-supported by all three categories of evidence. Other competencies supported by multiple sources of empirical evidence include empathy, relationship-centered care, self-efficacy, and business skills. Other competencies perceived to be relatively more important included awareness of limitations, professional values, critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience. Conclusions: This review has highlighted the comparatively weak body of evidence supporting the importance of professional competencies for veterinary graduate success, with the exception of communication skills. However we stress this is more indicative of the scarcity of high-quality veterinary-based education research in the field, than of the true priority of these competencies

The Veterinary Identity: A Time and Context Model

The nature of professionalism teaching is a current issue in veterinary education, with an individual’s identity as a professional having implications for one’s values and behaviors, as well as for his or her career satisfaction and psychological well-being. An appropriately formed professional identity imparts competence in making complex decisions—those that involve multiple perspectives and are complicated by contextual challenges. It enables an individual to act in a way that aligns with his or her professional values and priorities, and imparts resilience to situations in which one’s actions are dissonant to these personal beliefs. There are challenges in professionalism teaching that relate to student engagement and faculty confidence in this area. However, these cannot be addressed without first defining the veterinary professional identity—in effect, the aim of professionalism teaching. In this article, existing identity models from the wider literature have been analyzed through a veterinary lens. This analysis was then used to construct a model of veterinary professional identity that incorporates the self (personal morals and values), social development (learning from the workplace environment), and professional behaviors. Individuals who form what we have termed self–environment–behavior connections are proposed to be able to use workplace learning opportunities to inform their identity development, such that environmental complexity does not obstruct the link between values and behaviors. Those who fail to connect with the environment in this way may perceive that environmental influences (e.g., the client, financial limitations) are obstructive to enacting their desired identity, and they may struggle with decision making in complex scenarios

Starch Iodine Staining Patterns in Petals of Cut Roses

The starch distribution pattern and decline in starch content of Sonia rose petals were examined by starch-iodine staining. Flowers were harvested and held in 150 mg/L of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (DICA) or 150 mg DICA/L + 2% (w/v) sucrose, or were left on the plant. Starch was degraded initially from the outer margins of petals, then from the interveinal area nearest the petal margins, and finally towards the petal bases. Starch was first lost from the outermost petal and then sequentially towards the innermost petals. The rate of starch degradation was slowest in flowers left on the plant, intermediate in flowers harvested and kept in DICA + sucrose, and most rapid in flowers harvested and held in DICA

Effect of nutritional restriction and sire genotype on forelimb bone growth and carcass composition in crossbred lambs

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of low or high whole-of-life nutritional planes on bone growth, maturation, and carcass composition in lambs from sires (n = 9) with high estimated breeding values (EBVs) for post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) or liveweight gain (PWWT), compared with sires of industry average for both traits. Lambs (n = 54) were killed at 8 months of age before measurement of forelimb bones, radiographic scoring, and histological measurement of growth plates, and bone ash mineral analysis. A subset of these (n = 36) had carcass composition serially assessed during growth by CAT-scan. Results reveal that the nutritional restriction imposed in this experiment caused significant restriction of skeletal growth, as reflected by shorter, thinner forelimb bones, altered limb proportions, narrowing (and in some cases permanent closure) of growth plates, and an altered bone mineral profile. CAT-scan analysis showed restriction of bone growth was similar to that of muscle growth. Progeny of high muscling (PEMD) sires showed greater muscle growth, but were possibly more susceptible to some of the skeletal effects of nutritional restriction. Greater sire EBVs for PEMD, PWWT, or fat depth were associated with narrower growth plates, suggestive of slower longitudinal bone growth and shorter adult limb length, although bone mass was not affected according to earlier CAT-scan data. Results also suggest that progeny of high PEMD or PWWT sires are earlier maturing in terms of skeletal (or at least limb) growth, although their bone mineral profile (magnesium content) was more consistent with that of physiologically less mature animals

Sheep genotype, age and muscle type affect the expression of metabolic enzyme markers

The objective of this study was to determine whether genotype, age (4, 8, 14 and 22 months), sex (ewe and wether) and muscle type influence ovine (n = 587) muscle metabolic characteristics. The genotypes represented were Poll Dorsetgrowth × Border Leicester Merino, Poll Dorsetgrowth × Merino, Poll Dorsetmuscling × Merino, Merino × Merino and Border Leicester × Merino. Between 4 and 22 months of age, myoglobin concentration within all muscles and all genotypes doubled, with the bulk of this response occurring between 4 and 8 months of age. Levels in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LT) and semimembranosus muscles were double those seen in the semitendinosus (ST) muscle, and Merinos had the lowest myoglobin concentrations of all genotypes. The other aerobic indicator, isocitrate dehydrogenase, had lower activity in the ST compared with the LT, was lower in 22-month-old sheep compared with all other ages, and decreased as selection for leanness increased. Both phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity tended to increase with age, were lower in the ST compared with the LT, and had higher activity in the Border Leicester × Merino sheep. The correlation between the percentage of total myofibre area comprising type 2X myofibres and metabolic markers was far higher for the oxidative indicators isocitrate dehydrogenase and myoglobin, which both decreased as relative area of type 2X fibres increased. However, the strongest correlations were with the relative area of type 2A myofibres, which were consistently high for both oxidative and glycolytic metabolic markers implying positive coregulation with both energy producing pathways