Final‐year student and employer views of essential personal, interpersonal and professional attributes for new veterinary science graduates

Schull, Daniel; Jm, Morton; Coleman, Glen; Mills, P. C.

doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00874.x

Cited by 31 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While our findings conflict with what has been previously reported, the importance of graduate self-confidence may be industry-specific, or alternatively it could be that our results indicate a recent shift in employer attitudes towards this attribute. Employers' low ranking of an ability to work in teams and an understanding of ethical conduct is surprising, especially given the corresponding high levels of agreement that these skills and attributes are important, and the broad recognition of teamwork as a desirable graduate attribute (Business Council of Australia, 2011;Casner-Lotto & Barrington, 2006;Schull et al, 2012). The discordance between our results and those observed elsewhere provides a potential opportunity for further investigation.…”

Section: Interpersonal Attributescontrasting

confidence: 50%

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Rayner

Papakonstantinou

2015

JTLGE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Graduate employability has become increasingly contentious as employers call for greater development, evaluation and benchmarking of student skills and capabilities in university courses. However, the increasing range of graduate attributes and competencies demanded by industry is further pressuring an Australian higher education sector already stretched by greater student numbers and declines in government funding. Given these circumstances, there is a need to better understand employer perspectives of the current and future value of vocational, interpersonal and generic attributes of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. A survey of STEM graduate employers showed that vocational skills, such as graduates' abilities to contextually apply and develop knowledge, together with generic skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, were valued most highly. Conversely, self-confidence and independence, along with numeracy and related skills, were valued least by the employers. However, attributes such as flexibility/adaptability, self-confidence, personal planning and organisation and developing knowledge relevant to the position were all predicted to become significantly more valuable in a decade's time. The results of this study suggest that Australian undergraduate STEM curricula, which commonly focus on knowledge acquisition, be redesigned to provide students with opportunities to apply such knowledge more often, and in real life, industry-based contexts, such as workintegrated learning (WIL) and industry-based learning (IBL) programs. Through such initiatives, together with greater dialogue and collaboration between academics and employers, employability skills and attributes can be better inculcated in undergraduates, to the benefit of graduates and society as a whole.

show abstract

Section: Interpersonal Attributescontrasting

confidence: 50%

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Rayner

Papakonstantinou

2015

JTLGE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The present study replicates previous findings that training in communication and social support skills for grieving clients has been lacking in veterinary training, with the majority of veterinarians indicating their skills for dealing with grieving clients were self‐taught. Previous research has demonstrated that veterinarians agree that good communication is essential to a successful veterinary practice and should be taught as part of the formal veterinary curriculum . Thus, modules in curricula that address the grief and loss of companion animal owners and where to refer them to when they need assistance would be beneficial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Research has identified that members of the veterinary profession are at high risk of occupational stress, burnout, poor psychological wellbeing and an elevated rate of suicide. Although scholarly interest in veterinarians has increased in recent years, relatively few studies have specifically examined the emotional work in veterinary interactions and what effect dealing with companion animal owners' grief has on the wellbeing of veterinarians. The purpose of this study was to determine if dealing with bereaved clients affected the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. The concept of compassion fatigue was explored, including whether veterinarians believed that their training had equipped them for communicating with grieving clients. Methods Veterinary surgeons registered in South Australia in 2015 were invited to complete an online survey, with 105 participants responding. Results Many participants, particularly female and younger veterinarians, were experiencing mild to severe psychological distress and nearly half of the sample was experiencing high to very high levels of compassion fatigue. No participants reported seeking psychological or other professional mental health support and the majority had not referred a grieving client to a psychologist or other mental health professional. A significant proportion of veterinarians felt their own mental health was affected by dealing with clients grieving the loss of a companion animal. Discussion The findings are discussed in terms of increasing the wellbeing of veterinarians through improved curriculum training and workplace health promotion, particularly considering the high suicide rate reported for the profession.

show abstract

“…Survey items around 'awareness of limitations' were collectively ranked more important than similar items around reflection, self-audit or acceptance of criticism, including when compared directly within a study Schull et al 2012). Items allocated to 'relationship-centred care' were diverse and suggested an internal split between highly-ranked items around 'gain respect and confidence of clients', and more lowly-ranked personality items such as friendliness, cheerful disposition, good sense of humour, likeable or outgoing personality Schull et al 2012). Research skills were ranked as clearly least important by this meta-analysis; although some caution is required due to the low quantity of evidence (four items from three surveys), this bottom-most ranking was replicated independently by all three studies, across a range of stakeholder groups.…”

Section: Stakeholder Perceptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Final‐year student and employer views of essential personal, interpersonal and professional attributes for new veterinary science graduates

Abstract: Final-year students and employers of new graduates from The University of Queensland ascribe similar importance to a variety of personal, interpersonal and professional attributes for new veterinary science graduates.

Cited by 31 publications

References 16 publications

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

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

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About