THE MONTHLY MULE MEMO
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS
A Message From Associate Dean Snider
Now in my seventh month as the new Associate Dean, I am finally arriving at something resembling a steady state in my daily tasks. For sure, there is still much to learn, but I am finally finding a day-by-day steady state. The concept of steady-state is largely a biological concept – synonymous with equilibrium, balance,homeostasis – but also can be metaphorical to where we hope to find our veterinary students. For VM1 in IP4, I hope you are finally settling in. For our VM2, they find themselves near the halfway point of vet school. For our VM3, they’ve now been in clinics for six months and are becoming comfortable with clinical duties. For ourVM4, they are in the last months of steady state, before they hit a phenomenal period of new challenges and new growth. During this time of ‘steady state’ for most of you, take time to plan, to inventory and assess your goals, to explore new opportunities that new classes and new meetings present to you. For me, I am trying to utilize this short phase of ‘steady state’ to do some needed planning for other programmatic goals, and I hope you all can do the same. A time of ‘steady state’ can be your time to plan, develop, and set yourself up to meet some goals.
Associate Dean Snider
MONTHLY NAVLE PREP QUESTION
An iguana is reluctant to move and refuses eat anything except lettuce the occasional mealworm. Radiographs show multiple fractures and thin cortices in bones. Which of following is the most likely cause of the fractures?
(A) Hyperparathyroidism
(B) Hypervitaminosis D
(C) Iodine deficiency
(D) Vitamin A deficiency
MARCH PAWSOME AWARD
Please join us in congratulating Jessica Mossman as the March 2024 PAWsome Award Winner. Jessica is one of our very hard workers in the Diagnostic Lab.
CLUB CORNER
SCVECCS
Hello! It’s SCVECCS here to brag on all things emergency and critical care! Reflecting on this past year, it’s clear that our club has been on an exciting journey together. From captivating speakers to hands-on wet labs to our bi-weekly ECC rounds, we’ve had quite the ride! Wet labs we were proud to host covered procedures such as urinary catheter placement in male cats, feline intubation techniques, basic suturing on cadavers, and placement of esophagostomy tubes. These labs would not have been possible without the dedication of our faculty advisor Dr. F.A. (Tony) Mann and all the faculty, residents, and interns that generously volunteered their time to assist students in these labs.
Mizzou SCVECCS has also arranged for various speakers to share their expertise with our members. A highlight of the year was a collaboration with dental club where we had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Meagan Brophy Rau present on emergency stabilization techniques for jaw fractures. In addition, Dr. Amy Molitoris gave a presentation on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) techniques that led to a wet lab for students to practice. Looking ahead, we are committed to organizing further ultrasound labs, making sure our students continue to gain hands-on experience with POCUS. Lastly, our club secretary recently created some emergency-themed merchandise, which led to a hugely successful fundraiser.
IMPORTANT NAVLE CHANGES
Source: “Number of NAVLE test takers increase as overall scores decrease”
In response to an increased number of NAVLE test takers but a declining pass rate, the ICVA is implementing a new retake policy and introducing additional testing windows.
There was a 17.2% increase in candidates who took the NAVLE between the 2022-23 and 2021- 22 testing cycles, as well as a 33.3% increase in the candidate pool over the past five years. This increase is due to several factors: a 3% increase in first-year students due to the growth of existing class size and new veterinary colleges; and an increasing number of candidates from the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) and Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) educational equivalency programs. These numbers are expected to continue to increase.
In response to the growth, ICVA will continue introducing additional NAVLE testing windows, spaced more evenly throughout the year. For the 2023-24 testing cycle, the November-December window is over six weeks long and the April window is almost four weeks long.
Meanwhile, the ultimate performance passing rate (the rate of passage by graduation by senior students from AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges) has trended downward for the past five testing cycles, to a pass rate of 86% for the 2022-23 school year. The ICVA is monitoring the differences in pre- and post-COVID pandemic passing rates, which according to the ICVA “is not yet attributable to any single source or cause”.
There has also been an increase in NAVLE retakes, from 1,067 in 2018-19 to 2,135 in 2022-23. Starting with the November-December 2024 administration, ICVA is changing the allowable number of retakes to five, including incomplete attempts. All attempts made before the effective date are counted toward the new limit. Previously, ICVA recommended a maximum of five attempts in five years but allowed licensing boards to have their own retake policy.
Another change is that candidates may now file an appeal with the ICVA board of directors for permission to take the exam past the five-attempt limit. As a requirement of the appeal process, the candidate must secure verification from a licensing board that it would accept a passing NAVLE score on that additional attempt.
A MONTHLY BOOK SUGGESTION FROM DR. SNIDER‘S BOOKSHELVES
This is a wonderful book that will be of great overall general interest, but will also specifically complement your veterinary parasitology knowledge. It provides a popular, layperson’s coverage of all sorts of interesting parasitic relationships we encounter in our world.
OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS
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Timothy A. Snider Lisa McCubbins Lisa Thompson Jennifer Hamilton
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Stephanie McClaren Manda Riley Kathy Seay Doug Tindall |
Kerry Karaffa Tiffany Sanford-Martens |