Knowledge and Opinions of Third Year Veterinary Students Relevant to Animal Welfare Before and After Implementation of a Core Welfare Course

Abstract

Although leading veterinary organizations emphasize the importance of animal welfare knowledge, there exists a gap in current veterinary student animal welfare education and training. A survey instrument was created to assess third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student knowledge of key animal welfare topics, opinions regarding the inclusion of welfare education in the veterinary curriculum, and views on veterinarian responsibilities as advocates. In Spring 2018, Colorado State University added a required animal welfare course to the DVM curriculum. Pre- and post-course paper surveys were distributed to the third-year students enrolled in the animal welfare course. One hundred thirty one completed pre-course surveys were collected and 125 completed post-course surveys were collected. Of the pre and post-course surveys collected, 61 were paired with identification codes and utilized for statistical comparison. Results indicated that the course led students to view the inclusion of an animal welfare course in the veterinary curriculum more favorably ( p = 0.009) and improved their confidence in conducting research on animal welfare topics ( p < 0.001). The course did not change students' sense of responsibility toward welfare advocacy. Associations were not found between attitudes toward these issues and demographic variables of home community, respondent gender, and track selection ( p > 0.06). Veterinarians were consistently ranked by students as the most influential member of a community in matters of animal welfare. Future research on the lack of veterinary student knowledge of animal welfare should be done on a national scale to facilitate strategic development of mandatory animal welfare courses in veterinary curricula. Future research should be designed to gain knowledge regarding DVM students' opinions and attitudes regarding effective methods of incorporating animal welfare education into their professional training.

Perceptions of animal welfare and animal welfare curricula offered for undergraduate and graduate students in animal science departments in the United States

“…While perceptions of animal welfare have been assessed in different groups including veterinary students ( Abood and Seigford, 2012 ; Johnstone et al, 2019 ; Proudfoot and Ventura, 2021 ) and students internationally ( Freire et al, 2017 ; Mota-Rojas et al, 2018 ; Vargas-Bello-Pérez et al, 2021 ), there is still a lack of research regarding undergraduate and graduate animal science student perspectives of animal welfare as part of their education in the United States. Although there has been growth in the number of faculty members at universities specifically trained in animal welfare science ( Broom, 2005 ), the field is still novel and expanding relative to other more traditional animal science specialty areas, for example, nutrition, genetics, and meat science.…”

“…Interestingly, while courses in animal welfare seemed widely offered at the participating universities, the majority of survey respondents had not taken an animal welfare course previously. Several studies assessing veterinary student perspectives about the value of an animal welfare course before and after enrollment have shown generally positive responses, indicating improved confidence in researching and assessing welfare scenarios, increased agreement that an animal welfare course is a valuable component of the curriculum, and improved ability to identify and discuss ethical dilemmas ( Lord and Walker, 2009 ; Abood and Seigford, 2012 ; Johnstone et al, 2019 ). This survey did not ask students why they had or had not taken a welfare course, though this would be valuable information to request in future surveys.…”

“…This lack of knowledge could play a role in how students perceive and assess animal welfare challenges as they move into different careers in addition to how they engage in the classroom. A previous study demonstrated several benefits to veterinary students who took an animal welfare course, including improved confidence in conducting research on animal welfare topics and more favorable views on the inclusion of an animal welfare course in the veterinary curriculum ( Johnstone et al, 2019 ). Future studies could investigate the benefits to animal science students who take an animal welfare course and how they integrate the concepts learned into their future careers.…”

“…Despite this recognition, animal welfare is still primarily treated as an extracurricular discipline and not as a cornerstone of the veterinary school curriculum ( Broom, 2005 ; Colonius and Swoboda, 2010 ). Recent studies have found that formal animal welfare education is still frequently lacking in veterinary school curricula ( Shivley, 2016 ; Johnstone et al, 2019 ). The same recognition for animal welfare education in undergraduate and graduate animal science programs has not been widely identified.…”

The Role of Veterinarians in Mass Casualty Disasters: A Continuing Need for Integration to Disaster Management

“…It was recommended in 1964 that disaster medical training be given during the veterinary curriculum due to potential difficulty in reaching post-graduate veterinarians stemming from disinterest and competing commitments (10). However, contemporary veterinary students have reported that the current curriculum is already heavy and allows little room for additional requirements; there would likely be little support for inclusion of human-specific disaster medicine (23,24). Fortunately, the elevated importance of animals in disaster preparation and planning following Hurricane Katrina with the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act and Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act has increased post-graduate veterinarian involvement in disaster management activities.…”