Knowledge Group Process & Findings

The primary objective of the Knowledge Working Group in Stage 1 was to recommend an educational framework for producing veterinarians who can make higher order connections across domains and contexts, and develop an actionable knowledge set that has both depth and breadth. They reviewed many studies of critical knowledge sets for early career veterinarians; considered feedback from stakeholder interviews, surveys, and round table discussions; and compared existing resources such as the NAVLE and the AAVMC competencies.

Knowledge Group Recommendations

Graduates first need core knowledge to pass the NAVLE, then be prepared to enter a career path in our diverse and changing profession. This would mean that they have the knowledge to be competent across species and proficient in their chosen area of practice.

Knowledge should be made clinically relevant whenever possible, and knowledge and skills should be integrated from the first year of the curriculum.

Knowledge needs to be integrated with clinical reasoning. This means that students will be able to apply and prioritize their knowledge in clinical scenarios. They should also be able to recognize the limits of their knowledge and identify appropriate resources.