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Additional Fee
Additional Fee
By Invitation Only
By Invitation Only
Hybrid Laboratory
Hybrid Laboratory
Preregistration Recommended
Preregistration Recommended
Recorded for On-Demand
Recorded for On-Demand
Working Group
Working Group
Eligible for ACVS MOC
Eligible for ACVS MOC

Contemporary Topics

Competency, Quality, and Growth: Redefining Surgical Residency Education

Saturday, October 25, 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM  

Sponsored by
Eligible for ACVS MOC

This seminar covers key issues relevant to surgical training that are essential to prepare veterinary students to be successful in the practice of surgery upon graduation. Lectures explore innovations in pre-clinical skills training, how to maximize the clinical learning experience to foster practice-ready veterinarians and develop future surgeons, the use of collaborative partnerships to support the educational program, and strategies for building a sustainable faculty workforce. An interactive panel discussion allows expert speakers and interested learners to discuss complex topics critical for ensuring the future of a high-quality surgical education and maintaining the art of surgery in practice.

Learning Objectives:

  • List major challenges facing surgical education in veterinary medical education programs today
  • Identify ways for partnerships to support high-quality surgical education for students
  • Describe effective strategies to help provide students with the necessary surgical skills to prepare for practice

Presentations:

  • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM  
    Setting the Standard: Quality Assurance in Residency Programs

    Speaker: Philip J. Kieffer, DVM, DACVS (Large Animal) (he/him/his) – Evidensia Specialisthästsjukhuset Helsingborg

  • 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM  
    The Future of Veterinary Residency: A Competency-Based Approach

    Speaker: Jennifer L. Huck, DACVS (Small Animal) (she/her/hers) – The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center

  • 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM  
    Dimensions of Wellbeing in Postgraduate Surgical Educaion

    Speaker: Laura L. Nelson, DVM, MS, DACVS (Small Animal) (she/her/hers) – North Carolina State University

  • 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM  
    Foundations of Future Surgeons: The Critical Role of Non-Operative Training

    Speaker: David Upchurch, DVM, MS, MVetEd, DACVS (Small Animal) – Kansas State University