Best Evidence Veterinary Medical Education (BEVME)
BEVME is a virtual Community of Practice (COP) that has been
established to bring together stakeholders from all aspects of veterinary
education to encourage and foster the development of Best Evidence Veterinary
Medical Education.
History
BEVME was formed early in 2011 as part of a Doctoral Research
Programme exploring Self-Directed Learning(SDL) in the Veterinary Profession
and more generally the challenges and barriers that veterinary education
currently faces. Specific issues that surfaced during the research that prompted
the development of BEVME were:
- The need and opportunity to improve the Extra
Mural Study experience in preparation of Day 1 skills - The opportunity that exists to improve New
Graduates transition into practice by providing support that is currently absent
but which could both reduce the trauma of the transition and contribute to
longer term wellbeing of the graduates - The worryingly low levels of SDL readiness in
both undergraduates and recent graduates and the opportunities available to
improve this. - The opportunities that exist to improve the
evidence base, effectiveness and return on investment of postgraduate CPD
Benefits
The benefits will vary with stakeholder group and are in the
process of being identified by the community members for Veterinary Practices
and Veterinary GP’s. Universities, Corporate Practices, and Veterinary organisations
will be provided with the opportunity to look specifically at their own
potential benefits as part of the initiative.
Example benefits might include:
New Graduates – Easier transition into practice and
development of in Practice skills
Recent Graduates – Enhanced development of critically
reflective lifelong learning skills
Practice Owners – More effective CPD for their staff
Corporate Practices – Measurement and development of cost
effective CPD for their group with consideration of Return on Investment etc.
CPD Providers – Development of best practice
Veterinary organisations – Various dependent on interests
How it works
The community currently operates via a monthly E-Newsletter,
an online “Dialogue” group, a webpage, a blog and individual networking within
the community.
An “Ask BEVME” service, where anyone can seek
assistance with any aspect of education, professional development or their own
research will commence in November 2011 and a set of online educational
resources will become available early in 2012.
The community operates on a non-profit basis meaning that
there is no charge or obligation placed upon the membership and the results are
freely available to all.
Recruitment within GP practices means that there are now a
little over 2000 individual vets/GP practices within the community. Recruitment
within corporate practices has recently started and recruitment within the
universities started in September 2011. Veterinary organisations, institutions
and CPD providers will be invited to join early in 2012.
To Join
To register an interest, please go
to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BEVME
Underpinning Research
The Doctoral Research programme clearly indicated the need
for a more holistic view of veterinary education that can cope both with the
faster moving and ever more complex world that we inhabit and the systemic
barriers that currently exist.
Humans have a remarkable ability to repeat old actions and
expect different results. The approaches detailed here are all backed by years
of rigorous academic research and give us the opportunity to look at veterinary
education through a different lense. Here we look at some of the ideas that
underpin the BEVME approach and make it a little different. They are offered as
an additional not an alternative approach to the great work that has been done
over the years within veterinary education.
The BEVME Community of Practice is, primarily, an appreciative,
solution focused, systemic intervention.
Community of Practice
COP’s are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and
learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. They sit both within and
without organisational structures and are therefore ideal for working with the
complex multidisciplinary groups involved in veterinary education. Although
BEVME is based on the work of Lave & Wenger, COP’s have existed and
functioned for many hundreds of years.
The veterinary profession has some of the most intelligent,
creative and free thinking people in the country and the Community is for all
stakeholders within veterinary education. We are encouraging the development of
a truly multidisciplinary space.
Appreciative
An appreciative approach means that we place on hold our
criticality until we truly understand each other, respect positions that may be
different from our own and build on our mutual strengths. The basis for this
approach comes from the work of Professor David Cooperrider and colleagues at Case
Western Reserve University and also the work of Dr Martin Seligman and
colleagues in the field of positive psychology.
Solution Focused Approaches
The raison d’être of the veterinary profession is to solve
problems but this can bring with it a tendency to focus disproportionately on
problems and to seek out problems to solve which can narrow our focus and be
unproductive. Solution focused approaches, which come from social science
research, offers the opportunity for more generative approaches. Focusing on
solutions can encourage both bigger view and the identification of
opportunities which lead to other opportunities.
Systems Based approaches
As scientists we are trained to be critical thinkers good at
using reductionist techniques to break issues down into their component parts.
This “objective” approach works well as long as all interactions are linear and
variables are controlled. This has become increasingly less true in the last
twenty five years or so and “Systems thinking” has developed to offer alternative
ways of bringing about beneficial change within complex adaptive situations. Using
a systems approach allows BEVME greater flexibility allowing us to take greater
advantage opportunities that emerge without getting trapped within existing
ways of thinking and doing.
If you would like to
join BEVME, register an interest at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BEVME
If you would like more information, Email: Christopherwhipp@aol.com