Background Receiving feedback while in the clinical workplace is probably the most frequently voiced desire of students. In clinical learning environments, providing and seeking performance-relevant information is often difficult for both supervisors and students. The use of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) can help to improve student assessment within competency-based education. This study aimed to illustrate what students' perceptions are of meaningful feedback viewed as conducive in preparing for performing EPA unsupervised. Methods In a qualitative multicentre study we explored students' perceptions on meaningful feedback related to EPAs in the clinical workplace. Focus groups were conducted in three different healthcare institutes. Based on concepts from the literature, the transcripts were coded, iteratively reduced and displayed. Results Participants' preferences regarding meaningful feedback on EPAs were quite similar, irrespective of their institution or type of clerkship. Participants explicitly mentioned that feedback on EPAs could come from a variety of sources. Feedback must come from a credible, trustworthy supervisor who knows the student well, be delivered in a safe environment and stress both strengths and points for improvement. The feedback should be provided immediately after the observed activity and include instructions for follow-up. Students would appreciate feedback that refers to their ability to act unsupervised. Conclusion There is abundant literature on how feedback should be provided, and what factors influence how feedback is sought by students. This study showed that students who are training to perform an EPA unsupervised have clear ideas about how, when and from whom feedback should be delivered. Keywords Entrustable professional activities · Feedback · Competency based · Clinical workplace · Veterinary education · Medical education · Students · Focus group What this paper addsTo enhance the educational environment in the workplace, meaningful feedback and valid assessment of students are required. As the literature shows, it is difficult to successfully apply workplace-based assessments in clinical practice. The use of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) can help to improve student assessment within competencybased education. However, there still is little evidence about what students perceive as useful information to prepare for performing an EPA with less than full supervision. This study aimed to illustrate what students' perceptions are of meaningful feedback viewed as conducive to prepare for the performance of an EPA unsupervised Am I ready for it? Students' perceptions of meaningful feedback on entrustable professional activities 257

IntroductionClinical training programs increasingly use entrustable professional activities (EPAs) as focus of assessment. However, questions remain about which information should ground decisions to trust learners. This qualitative study aimed to identify decision variables in the workplace that clinical teachers find relevant in the elaboration of the entrustment decision processes. The findings can substantiate entrustment decision-making in the clinical workplace.MethodsFocus groups were conducted with medical and veterinary clinical teachers, using the structured consensus method of the Nominal Group Technique to generate decision variables. A ranking was made based on a relevance score assigned by the clinical teachers to the different decision variables. Field notes, audio recordings and flip chart lists were analyzed and subsequently translated and, as a form of axial coding, merged into one list, combining the decision variables that were similar in their meaning.ResultsA list of 11 and 17 decision variables were acknowledged as relevant by the medical and veterinary teacher groups, respectively. The focus groups yielded 21 unique decision variables that were considered relevant to inform readiness to perform a clinical task on a designated level of supervision. The decision variables consisted of skills, generic qualities, characteristics, previous performance or other information. We were able to group the decision variables into five categories: ability, humility, integrity, reliability and adequate exposure.DiscussionTo entrust a learner to perform a task at a specific level of supervision, a supervisor needs information to support such a judgement. This trust cannot be credited on a single case at a single moment of assessment, but requires different variables and multiple sources of information. This study provides an overview of decision variables giving evidence to justify the multifactorial process of making an entrustment decision.

BackgroundThe goal of veterinary education is to prepare learners to successfully enter the profession. However, the transition from learner to professional can be an intense and stressful phase. In this study, recently graduated veterinarians’ perceptions of readiness to work independently and to successfully cope with early career challenges are addressed.MethodsA survey based on five commonly occurring entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in primary care was sent to newly qualified veterinarians (graduated between six months and three-and-a-half years ago and working in primary veterinary clinics). The survey was a combination of open and Likert scale-type questions and contained items on the self-reported need for supervision for these EPAs. One hundred and fifty-six participants (response rate 41.2 per cent) answered the survey. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse and present the quantitative data.ResultsThe day-one after graduation levels varied per EPA between ‘with direct, proactive supervision’ and ‘supervision at a distance’. On average after 6.8 months participants felt ready to execute all five tasks with distant supervision. After almost 10 months, participants had the feeling of being fully competent to execute the EPAs unsupervised.ConclusionThis study provides insight into early career challenges faced by recently graduated veterinarians. The results emphasise the importance of adequate preparation of veterinarians during education and the importance of guidance during early career to foster a successful transition from veterinary school to clinical practice.

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are professional tasks that can be entrusted to a student under a given level of supervision once he or she has demonstrated competence in these tasks. The EPA construct was conceived to increase transparency in objectives for clinical workplace learning and to help ensure patient safety and the quality of care. A first step in implementing EPAs in a veterinary curriculum is to identify the core EPAs of the profession. The aim of this study was to develop EPAs for farm animal health. An initial set of 36 EPAs for farm animal health was prepared by a team of six veterinarians and curriculum developers and used in a modified Delphi study. In this iterative process, the EPAs were evaluated until higher than 80% agreement was reached. Of 83 veterinarians who participated, 39 (47%) completed the Delphi procedure. After two rounds, the panel reached consensus. A small expert group further refined and reorganized the EPAs for educational purposes into seven core EPAs for farm animal health and 29 sub-EPAs. This study is an important step in optimizing competency-based training in veterinary medicine. Future steps are to implement EPAs in the curriculum and train supervisors to assess students’ ability to perform EPAs with increasing levels of independence.

The transition from being a veterinary student to becoming a member of the veterinary profession is known to be challenging. Despite being licensed directly after graduation, many veterinarians do not feel fully equipped to practice unsupervised when they graduate. The increasing rate of attrition from veterinary practice, and a relatively high percentage of burnout during the first years in practice, has been suggested to be related to a lack of early career support. Over the past decade, medical education has adopted the concept of entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Recently, EPAs have been proposed to restructure veterinary education to help support the transition from veterinary student to practicing veterinarian. Implementing an EPA-based approach could help to bridge the gap between school and clinical practice, potentially preventing veterinary graduates from dropping out early on from what could have been a promising and exciting professional career.