Lifelong learning
Paving the way for easily accessible and broadly recognised veterinary continuing education
Besides Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes, Utrecht University increasingly offers education to professionals, from short courses to extensive programmes.The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is also working on a new range of courses for veterinary professionals.
Daniela Salvatori was recently appointed Director Professional Education at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. She grew up in Italy, studied in Scotland, worked at Leiden University Medical Centre and has been Professor of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology at Utrecht University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine since 2019.
Why is continuing education important?
‘It is incredibly valuable for both veterinary professionals and for us as a faculty. Our world is rapidly changing and with that the vet’s role and the expectations that veterinary professionals must satisfy. Education for professionals is not only a way of sharing new scientific knowledge with the professional field, but also for learning from practitioners. Their expertise and the challenges they struggle with are valuable input for our research and education. If through continuing education we can bring science and practice closer together, then we will all benefit from this.’
What kind of courses do you offer?
‘We have made a modest start. We currently offer a limited number of courses, but the ambition is to considerably expand these in the coming period. A recent survey among alumni revealed that there is definitely a demand for this. Both the content of our course offering and the way we make them accessible must fit within the busy lives of vets. We offer a lot of blended learning with a mix of studying in one’s own time, online interaction and, when it adds value, on-campus education. Thanks to digitalisation, we can respond well to current developments. For example, in April we organised a webinar about COVID-19 and companion animals. That attracted a lot of interest.’
The boundaries between bachelor's, master's and continuing education will blur
How do you collaborate with other parties?
‘There are many possibilities for jointly developing the courses offered, for example with veterinarians’ organisations such as the Royal Dutch Veterinary Association (KNMvD), or with Aeres University of Applied Sciences when it comes to courses for paraveterinary assistants. We can also achieve a lot internationally. We are in talks with top international institutions about jointly setting up educational programmes. We all have our own expertise and strengths, and we can make smart use of these in a blended learning environment. With the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) we hope to set up pilots for the European certification of provision of flexible education.’
Will the former PEGD be restarted?
‘Yes, under the new name Education for Companion Animal professionals (OvP GD). Together with Hans Kooistra, Sarah Galac and Sarah Janssens from the Department of Clinical Sciences we are working on a new range of courses for companion animal vets, paraveterinary assistants and technicians. Examples are courses about interpreting laboratory results, antibiotic use, and cancer in companion animals. We also want to make courses from the Master’s programme more widely available. For example, in the elective course Euthanasia, led by Tijs Tobias and Ellen Deelen, we devote attention to animal welfare, but also the psychological impact on the vet. That is not just relevant to students but also for professionals.’
Education for professionals is not only sharing scientific knowledge but also learning from practitioners
What is your vision for the future?
‘The boundaries between Bachelor’s, Master’s and continuing education will blur. I see these as interconnecting cogs. Of course, each programme has its own objectives, and the students and participants from veterinary practice have very different competencies and experience. But they can also learn from each other. We want to contribute to that by facilitating collaboration wherever possible. Knowledge from the field enriches our mainstream education. In turn, the connection with our research and education gives a substantive boost to the value of continuing education for vets. We will make sure to stay in touch with practitioners on a regular basis, to make sure our courses meet their needs. Our lecturers are incredibly enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge, so I have full confidence that we will be able to jointly provide a fantastic and instructive range of courses.’