College of Veterinary Medicine Technical Standards

The Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (A-State CVM) is committed to educating and training outstanding veterinary clinicians and scientists who will promote and protect the animal and public health within their local, state, regional, and national communities.We have an ethical responsibility to achieve this while concurrently safeguarding the well-being of our patients, clients, faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.

Graduates of A-State CVM’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program will be fully prepared to practice independently and autonomously in all entry-level positions within the veterinary profession upon graduation. They will possess the necessary basic scientific knowledge, clinical skills, and professional ethics to fulfill the commitments in the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Veterinarian’s Oath. The broad knowledge and skills required are taught in alignment with the Competency Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) Model and adheres to the accreditation polices of the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE). The AVMA COE requires graduating students to attain the following nine competencies:

1. Comprehensive patient diagnosis (problem-solving skills), appropriate use of clinical laboratory testing, and record management
2. Comprehensive treatment planning, including patient referral when indicated
3. Anesthesia and pain management, patient welfare
4. Basic surgery skills, experience, and case management
5. Basic medicine skills, experience, and case management
6. Emergency and intensive care case management
7. Health promotion, disease prevention/biosecurity, zoonosis, and food safety
8. Client communications and ethical conduct
9. Critical analysis of new information and research findings relevant to veterinary medicine

These competencies are taught through a 3-year pre-clinical and a 1-year clinical curriculum, involving direct patient care and communication with clients, colleagues, and veterinary professionals.  The AVMA COE requires that student achievement in both the pre-clinical and clinical curricula, as well as post-graduation, be measured, analyzed, and used to improve the program as part of the outcome monitoring requirements for accredited DVM programs.  

To ensure graduates attain entry-level knowledge in all nine competency domains, DVM candidates (prospective students, applicants, and/or enrolled DVM students) must be able to perform minimal essential functions and technical standards in the following categories: 1) Observation; 2) Communication; 3) Motor; 4) Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative; 5) Behavioral and Social Abilities; and 6) Ethics and Professionalism.  These standards seek to balance the rights of the candidates, the safety of the veterinary patient and clients, all individuals part of the pre-clinical and clinical components of the DVM program, the minimum competency-based skills required in the CVM curricula, AVMA COE accreditation requirements, and conditions for licensure within the US.

Achieving the Essential Functions and Technical Standards

The A-State CVM is committed to actively collaborating with candidates to ensure our program is accessible, fostering a respectful, accountable culture through specialized disability supportand encourage candidates with disabilities to seek accommodations to help support their successful completion of the DVM program. A-State CVM does not discriminate based ondisability, and all candidates will be considered without regard to their disability status.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to contact the A-State Access and Accommodation Services (AAS) to establish eligibility for accommodations and to notify the Associate Dean for Admissions, Student Programs, and Research of the potential need for reasonable accommodations, after which the A-State CVM will work collaboratively with the A-State AAS to provide reasonable accommodations to facilitate enrollment and participation of qualified individuals with disabilities.  These accommodations cannot alter the integrity of the curriculum, nor can they exclude any elements in the pre-clinical and clinical components deemed essential to the education of a veterinarian. Accommodations cannot include the use of human intermediaries to aid or alter the candidate’s decision making or who directly complete the required competencies for the candidate. Accommodations required by the DVM candidate cannot pose a direct threat to the candidate, patients, clients, or any other individuals involved in DVM program.  The accommodations cannot interfere with or disrupt the educational experiences of other candidates nor create an undue hardship for the A-State CVM. Timely requests are essential, as accommodations may take time to implement and cannot be granted retroactively. Due to the clinical nature of our programs, some candidates may not qualify for enrollment or continued enrollment, which may limit access to A-State CVM's academic programs.

Technical Standards

Admission and continued enrollment are contingent upon the acknowledgement and ability to meet the following technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation:

Observation Skills Standard

Candidates must be able to actively engage in acquiring information from in-person, direct observation in all aspects of both the pre-clinical and clinical coursework. Candidates should be able to assess a patient and evaluate findings accurately, detect changes in patient behavior, physical and mental status to provide appropriate veterinary care. Candidates must use skills which require the use of vision, hearing, and touch or the functional equivalent.

Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:

• Observing gross and microscopic anatomic and pathological specimens.
• Recognizing signs of distress, fear, aggression, or other potentially dangerous behaviors made by a variety of species at a distance and in close proximity in rapidly evolving situations.
• Distinguishing the origin of sound from multiple patients in an area and responding to the warning sounds and signs within the laboratory, animal shelter, and veterinary clinical environments.
• Perform a physical exam including assessing the physical appearance and obtaining vital physical information from a patient through palpation, auscultation, and manipulation.
• Interpret graphical images and videos such as radiographs and ultrasounds and interpret physiological recordings via digital or analog recording mechanisms with or without the use of assistive devices.

Communication Skills Standard

Candidates should be able to communicate with clients and all members of the health care team, to establish effective professional relationships in order to elicit and provide information. Students should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively, both in person and in writing.

Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:

• Communicating effectively using verbal, nonverbal, and written methods in a variety of environments including busy veterinary clinics, farms and feedlots, specialty practices, and emergency hospitals, even when background noise is present.
• Clearly articulate patient information, instructions, and other pertinent information in high-stress situations and surgical settings (including when wearing surgical masks), either naturally or through assistive devices, using verbal, non-verbal, and written communication as appropriate.
• Use professional written communication to accurately document patient care (e.g. medical records), provide care instructions, and share other essential information with colleagues, the veterinary team, and clients.

Motor Function Standard

Candidates must possess the physical capacity to perform physical examinations, diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency procedures, requiring coordination of both fine and gross motor movements, balance, and equilibrium. These actions must be executed safely and efficiently within a reasonable time frame.

Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:

• Fine motor tasks:
  • Palpation of pulses and anatomical structures, performing diagnostic procedures such as fine needle biopsy, performing clinical procedures such as catheter placement and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and handling surgical and anatomical instruments.
• Gross motor tasks:
  
  • Moving safely while handling patients ranging from under 1 kg to over 800 kg in confined or outdoor areas, standing for extended periods of time, and restraining patients.
• Physical abilities:
  
  • Routinely lift animals or objects weighing up to 10 kg to a height of 1 meter.
  • Carrying objects or animals weighing up to 20 kg for distances of at least 2 meters.

Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Standards

Candidates should be able to comprehend, retain, and apply detailed and complex information and engage in problem-solving throughout the pre-clinical and clinical coursework. Candidates are expected to possess the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and communicate information. In addition, after a reasonable amount of instruction, candidates should be able to comprehend spatial and three-dimensional relationships of structures, such as the anatomical structure of an animal. And candidates should also be able to adapt to different learning environments and modalities.

Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:

• Collect, organize, prioritize, analyze, and synthesize the findings from a patient history, physical examination, and/or diagnostic data to make reasoned and informed diagnoses and treatment decisions.
• Independently and accurately measure, estimate, and calculate medication doses in a timely manner.
• Solve complex clinical scenarios promptly to ensure patient safety and high-quality care.
• Retain and recall critical information and patient information when patient charts and reference materials are unavailable. 

Behavioral and Social Abilities

Students should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective

relationships with clients, fellow students, faculty, staff, and the entire health care team. They should be able to fully attend the curriculum, which requires active engagement in educational and clinical activities. They should display flexibility and adaptability and function in a fast-paced, changing environment with the uncertainties and stressors inherent in the clinical problems of many of their patients. Students must also be able to receive, comprehend, and act on informal and formal constructive feedback. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, professionalism, interest, motivation, punctuality, and consistent attendance are all personal qualities expected during the education process.

Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:

• Manage a high caseload while being able to handle the uncertainties and stressors inherent in the veterinary medical profession, including adapting to rapidly changing, fast-paced environments and clinical situations.
• Exercise sound judgement in the diagnosis and care of patients for continuous periods of time which may be longer than eight hours.
• Contribute to a positive work and study environment by effectively giving and receiving feedback and take personal responsibility for making positive changes based upon constructive feedback and self-reflection.
• Provide patient care after-hours and respond to on-call duties promptly with a positive and professional attitude.

Ethics and Professionalism

Candidates should maintain and display ethical and professional behaviors commensurate with the role of a veterinarian in all their interactions with clients, patients, faculty, staff, fellow students, the entire health care team, and the public. After a reasonable period of time, students should also be able to demonstrate realistic self-assessment of knowledge and skills and engage in personal reflective practice to achieve the competencies of the program and of the profession. The student is expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of veterinary medicine and function within the law and ethical standards of the profession.

• Essential functions candidates must be able to perform to meet this standard include, but are not limited to:
• Maintain professional behavior in all pre-clinical and clinical activities, official extracurricular activities, and official A-State functions.
• Understand the legal and ethical aspects of the veterinary profession, including specific laws within the candidate’s chosen practice area.
• Adhere to the professional and ethical principles and code of conduct of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
• Engage in regular self-reflection and constructive self-assessment to identify areas for improvement and develop an action plan to enhance professional growth and competence in areas identified as needing improvement.

The Office of Student Programs and Admissions will maintain this policy in the A-State CVM Student Handbook and on the A-State CVM Admissions website for prospective and enrolled candidates. All candidates who accept admission to the A-State CVM must understand and accept this A-State Essential Functions and Technical Standards Policy.  Admission and continued enrollment are contingent upon this acknowledgement and ability to meet the technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations.