Development and Formative Evaluation of a Low-Fidelity Equine Castration Model for Veterinary Education.
Abstract: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are units of activity that early-stage professionals perform in the workplace that necessitate simultaneous integration of multiple competencies. EPA #6 requires students to perform a common surgical procedure on a stable patient, including pre-operative and post-operative management. Castration is one of the most common surgeries performed by equine primary care practitioners and is considered an "entry-level competency" for veterinary graduates entering equine private practice, however, to our knowledge there are no equine castration models available for veterinary student education. Therefore, we developed an inexpensive, low-fidelity model of equine field castration and evaluated it using a mixed-methods approach. Two different groups of students, with or without model experience, completed surveys before and after live horse castration. Students who used the model also completed model specific surveys. Videos of the students completing the model were evaluated by at least two different equine veterinary faculty using a 15-point rubric, and inter-rater reliability of the rubric was determined. After completing the model, students reflected on strengths and weaknesses of their performance. From our student survey results, we determined that student attitudes toward the model were mostly positive. Interestingly, there were several student attitudes toward the model that became significantly more favorable after live horse castration. Prior to live horse castration, there was no significant difference in confidence in model vs. no-model groups. Following live horse castration, students who used the model had higher confidence in procedure preparation and hand-ties than students who did not use the model, but they had lower scores for confidence during patient recovery. When reflecting on model castration, students most commonly cited preparation and surgical description as strengths, and ligature placement and hand-ties as weaknesses. Experts provided several suggestions to improve the model, including incorporation of emasculators and the need for better model stabilization. Our findings suggest that both students and veterinary educators feel that this low-fidelity model has educational value. Rubric performance metrics were favorable, but additional steps are needed to improve grading consistency among educators. Future research will determine whether student performance on the model is predictive of competence score during live-horse castration.
Copyright © 2021 Sheats, Burke, Robertson, Fiebrandt and Fogle.
Publication Date: 2021-09-14 PubMed ID: 34595227PubMed Central: PMC8476848DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.689243Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article outlines the development and evaluation of an inexpensive, low-fidelity horse castration model with the purpose of enhancing veterinary student education. The objective of the model is to better prepare future veterinary graduates for such common surgical procedures and improve their competence and confidence levels.
Research Objective and Methodology
- The objective of this research was to create a low-cost, practical model for teaching equine castration which is one of the most performed surgeries in general equine practice. The model was developed as there were no existing models for this purpose.
- The researchers adopted a mixed-method approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the new model. They grouped the students into two groups: those who practiced with the model and those who didn’t.
- Before and after performing real horse castration, students were asked to complete surveys about their experience and confidence level with the procedure.
- The students who practiced with the model also had videos of their training sessions assessed by at least two different faculty members from the equine veterinary department using a detailed scoring system, testing the reliability and consistency of this assessment method.
Results and Findings
- The results indicated that the students had an overall positive attitude towards the model. They felt more favorable towards it after having experienced the live horse castration.
- Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the confidence levels between the model using group and the other group before performing the live horse castration.
- After the live horse castration, students who practiced with the model felt more confident about the procedure preparation and hand-tying techniques but expressed less confidence about patient recovery.
- The students’ reflections on using the model highlighted that they found surgical description and preparation as strengths while ligatures’ placement and hand-ties were considered weak points.
Experts’ Suggestions and Future Direction
- Experts provided suggestions for improving the model further, which included the incorporation of emasculators and better model stabilization.
- The research implied that the model has educational value according to both the students and the educators, as it enhances veterinary students’ skills and confidence. However, grading consistency among educators still needs to be improved.
- Future research should investigate whether a student’s performance with the model reliably predicts their competence during live horse castration.
Cite This Article
APA
Sheats MK, Burke MJ, Robertson JB, Fiebrandt KE, Fogle CA.
(2021).
Development and Formative Evaluation of a Low-Fidelity Equine Castration Model for Veterinary Education.
Front Vet Sci, 8, 689243.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.689243 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States.
- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States.
- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States.
- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States.
- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
References
This article includes 26 references
- Nickels FA. Complications of castration and ovariectomy.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 1988 Dec;4(3):515-23.
- Hubbell JA, Saville WJ, Moore RM. Frequency of activities and procedures performed in private equine practice and proficiency expected of new veterinary school graduates.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008 Jan 1;232(1):42-6.
- Owens CD, Hughes KJ, Hilbert BJ, Heller J, Nielsen S, Trope GD. Survey of equine castration techniques, preferences and outcomes among Australian veterinarians.. Aust Vet J 2018 Jan;96(1-2):39-45.
- Kilcoyne I, Watson JL, Kass PH, Spier SJ. Incidence, management, and outcome of complications of castration in equids: 324 cases (1998-2008).. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013 Mar 15;242(6):820-5.
- Shoemaker R, Bailey J, Janzen E, Wilson DG. Routine castration in 568 draught colts: incidence of evisceration and omental herniation.. Equine Vet J 2004 May;36(4):336-40.
- Searle D, Dart AJ, Dart CM, Hodgson DR. Equine castration: review of anatomy, approaches, techniques and complications in normal, cryptorchid and monorchid horses.. Aust Vet J 1999 Jul;77(7):428-34.
- Favier RP, Ten Cate O, Duijn C, Bok HGJ. Bridging the Gap between Undergraduate Veterinary Training and Veterinary Practice with Entrustable Professional Activities.. J Vet Med Educ 2021 Apr;48(2):136-138.
- Badman M, Höglund K, Höglund OV. Student Perceptions of the Use of a Laser Pointer for Intra-Operative Guidance in Feline Castration.. J Vet Med Educ 2016 Summer;43(2):222-4.
- Read EK, Vallevand A, Farrell RM. Evaluation of Veterinary Student Surgical Skills Preparation for Ovariohysterectomy Using Simulators: A Pilot Study.. J Vet Med Educ 2016 Summer;43(2):190-213.
- Langebæk R, Toft N, Eriksen T. The SimSpay-Student Perceptions of a Low-Cost Build-It-Yourself Model for Novice Training of Surgical Skills in Canine Ovariohysterectomy.. J Vet Med Educ 2015 Summer;42(2):166-71.
- Hunt JA, Hughes C, Asciutto M, Johnson JT. Development and Validation of a Feline Medial Saphenous Venipuncture Model and Rubric.. J Vet Med Educ 2020 Jun;47(3):333-341.
- Anderson SL, Miller L, Gibbons P, Hunt JA, Roberson J, Raines JA, Patterson G, Dascanio JJ. Development and Validation of a Bovine Castration Model and Rubric.. J Vet Med Educ 2021 Feb;48(1):96-104.
- Norcini JJ. Work based assessment.. BMJ 2003 Apr 5;326(7392):753-5.
- Smeak DD. Teaching surgery to the veterinary novice: the Ohio State University experience.. J Vet Med Educ 2007 Winter;34(5):620-7.
- Williamson JA. Construct validation of a small-animal thoracocentesis simulator.. J Vet Med Educ 2014 Winter;41(4):384-9.
- Fahie M, Cloke A, Lagman M, Levi O, Schmidt P. Training Veterinary Students to Perform Ovariectomy Using theMOOSE Spay Model with Traditional Method versus the Dowling Spay Retractor.. J Vet Med Educ 2016 Summer;43(2):176-83.
- Shrout PE, Fleiss JL. Intraclass correlations: uses in assessing rater reliability.. Psychol Bull 1979 Mar;86(2):420-8.
- Bewley WL, O'Neil HF. Evaluation of medical simulations.. Mil Med 2013 Oct;178(10 Suppl):64-75.
- Kolb DA. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. .
- Peel JL, Nolan RJ. You Can't Start a Central Line? Supervising Residents at Different Stages of the Learning Cycle.. J Grad Med Educ 2015 Dec;7(4):536-8.
- Adams L. Learning a New Skill is Easier Said Than Done. (2015).
- Kelley TL. Interpretation of Educational Measurements. .
- McLeod SA. What is Validity?. (2013).
- Jonsson A, Svingby G. The use of scoring rubrics: Reliability, validity and educational consequences. Educ Res Rev (2007) 2:130–44.
- Pinnock R, Young L, Spence F, Henning M, Hazell W. Can Think Aloud Be Used to Teach and Assess Clinical Reasoning in Graduate Medical Education?. J Grad Med Educ 2015 Sep;7(3):334-7.
- Dale VH, Sullivan M, May SA. Adult learning in veterinary education: theory to practice.. J Vet Med Educ 2008 Winter;35(4):581-8.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
