Pan-European soft skills curriculum

for undergraduate veterinary education

I believe that life skills are currently one of the most important things we should discuss in veterinary medicine education (yeah, One health, zoonoses, antibiotic resistance, exotic diseases and animal welfare are also important). But this feels like a burning issue amongst students and veterinary professionals. I hope our project sets a path towards quick and efficient modernisation of veterinary professional life.

So delighted that I will be working on a new project: "Pan-European soft skills curriculum for undergraduate veterinary education" with these great partners  #VetEd with #vetmedzagreb #VetmeduniVienna #wu_vienna #vetmedLjubljana #UNIVET_Budapest #EAEVE #IVSA

Against the background of rapid change in veterinary sciences and practice, graduates do not only need excellent medical competences but also well-developed life skills. At Vetmeduni Vienna we are convinced that skills in the area of communication, digitalization, and entrepreneurship are not only central for dealing with the changing environment but also for actively shaping the future of veterinary sciences and practice.

The project is very exciting. Besides teaching our professional topics it is always good to renew ourselves and get involved in something which forces veterinary education forward. Including soft skills in our curricula meets the demand from the society and our students who want to be well prepared not only in their profession, but also in life skills.

University professors teach all the aspects of veterinary profession and they think that communication skills will be acquired as a collateral effect of teaching basic sciences or clinical subjects. We must realize, this does not work like this. This project brings the teaching of life skills to a system level. I find this project inevitable.