In my previous articles, I have shared my thoughts on several problems that contribute to many ongoing issues plaguing the veterinary profession and veterinary technicians. In this final article in this series, I will focus on what is being done to advance the profession, as well as the groups working on potential solutions to some of these ongoing problems.

VHMA 2021 Critical Issues Summit on Workforce

The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) held a Critical Issues Summit on Workforce in December 2021. The VHMA invited several veterinary medicine stakeholder organizations to come together to address the issue of veterinarian and veterinary technician shortages. Representatives from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and others presented on their organization's initiatives, research, surveys, etc. Summit attendees participated in small group discussions on the information presented, brainstormed possible solutions, and identified next steps, as well as potential collaboration opportunities. I look forward to a white paper being published and am hopeful viable, actionable items to advance veterinary technology and veterinary nursing will be an outcome of these workshops.

Competency-based veterinary education

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) created the Competency-based Veterinary Education(CBVE) Working Group in 2015, charging it with developing a modern competency framework for veterinary education and clinical assessment. Competency-based veterinary education is an approach modeled after competency-based medical education and is designed to prepare graduates for professional careers by confirming their ability to meet the needs of animals and the expectations of society.

This approach focuses on outcomes-based and learner-centered education and assessment. The three CBVE main components are: framework, entrustable professional activities, and milestones. (Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) - AAVMC).

In 2018, AAVMC published the "Competency-based Veterinary Education (CBVE) Framework," consisting of nine domains of competence with 32 competencies. All of these are considered core competencies for all veterinary graduates. Some competencies lend themselves well to assessment in the authentic (clinical, workplace) context, while others are best assessed in the pre-clinical curriculum. (CBVE Framework—C ompetency-Based Veterinary Education).

 Competency-based veterinary technician education

Using the CBVE framework developed by the AAVMC Working Group, and the competency-based work published by the nursing profession, VetBloom created the Competency-Based Veterinary Technician Education (CBVTE) Framework. The VetBloom team then worked with an AVMA Committee Veterinary Technician Education and Activities-accredited (CVTEA) veterinary technician distance learning program to map the program's curriculum to this framework as a pilot for the Veterinary Learning Credential Network (VLCN). (Growing the veterinary learning credential network with blockchain IBM Supply Chain and Blockchain Blog).