First-year vet students at The University of Queensland are benefiting from a new program that aims to increase leadership skills among the veterinary profession.
Head of the School of Veterinary Science Professor Jonathan Hill said the program – called Hill’s Veterinary Leadership Experience (Hill's VLE) – helped develop the students’ skills in team building and communication.
“The veterinary science degree is a highly demanding five-year program that has traditionally focused only on technical issues of science, surgery and medicine,” Professor Hill said.
“While technical skills are very important, surveys of employers of veterinarian graduates show that important attributes are communications skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
“That is why training in these areas is being introduced into the curriculum."
The Veterinary Leadership Experience program kicked off with OWeek activities last month held at both the St Lucia and Gatton campuses with activities organised and run by existing vet students.
Second-year veterinary science student Sasha Laws-King, and third-year students Guyan Weerasinghe and Julia Dowsett last year attended Veterinary Leadership Experience training in the USA and are using the skills learned there to benefit this year’s intake of students.
“The key to the VLE program is developing a supportive learning environment for first-year vet students, and encouraging that to continue throughout the five-year vet science course and beyond into the workforce,” Ms Laws-King said.
“This is why we are introducing the Hogget Buddy system this year.
“Hoggets are two-year-old sheep, so the name Hogget Buddies is a play on words with a livestock flavour added.
“The second-year vet students (the hoggets) have the most to offer first-year students as mentors as they settle into uni life in the vet school,” she said.
In addition, 125 first-year students visited the Gatton Campus last month to check out the new vet school facilities under construction and participate in a range of communication and team building activities.
Professor Hill said the Veterinary Leadership Experience OWeek activities provided a fun learning environment that served as an introduction to formal training students receive in communication, self-assessment, team building and reflective practice.
The Hill’s pet food company provide corporate sponsorship for the Veterinary Leadership Experience in vet schools throughout Australia and the USA.
Media: Erin Pearl (07 3365 0229, e.pearl@uq.edu.au)
