The Learning and Assessment Center at Michigan State University (MSU) is a result of the collaborative vision of the Colleges of Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, and Osteopathic Medicine at MSU.

MSU’S Learning and Assessment Center (LAC) opened in 2005 and allows veterinary students to practice communications skills with hands-on clinical care scenarios using actors, or simulators, who play the role of animal owners. The center provides recorded interactions for multiple CVM classes for review and assessment throughout the didactic portion of the curriculum.

“Students have to introduce themselves, talk to the client, build a rapport, and then get to the medical history or whatever they need to do,” says Matt Koss, LAC’s information technology manager. “It’s a whole different type of learning because students have to really think on their feet.”

Students begin using the center during their second semester. LAC staff works with CVM faculty to create medical scenarios and then train the simulators accordingly. In addition to client communication, CVM faculty and students use the LAC to practice taking histories and animal examinations with simulated clients and live animals and also for problemsolving situations.

Client communication is the focus for students at the LAC. “The actors are instructed to play the role of animal owners who are very concerned about their pet but who don’t have advanced veterinary knowledge.

They are engaged but don’t necessarily understand the intricacies of veterinary medicine,” says Associate Professor Ioana Sonea.

The students’ sessions are recorded and they meet later in small groups with a facilitator to watch the videos and provide feedback to each other. Sonea assesses whether the client was encouraged to ask questions, for example, or how many medical terms the student used but didn’t explain.

During students’ first visit to the center, Koss says, “They’re so nervous about being recorded. I’m watching 12 different video feeds, so the main thing I notice is body language, and some of the students are so scared they’re backed up against the wall.”

Soon, though, students tend to forget about the camera. Group feedback sessions focus on what went well, and the first session is typically chalked up to practice. “It’s easy to memorize information,” says Sonea. “But if they have to present it to a lay person, they have to explain it and make sure the person really understands it. If they don’t understand the material, they can’t explain it in everyday terms.”

While Sonea’s students work on physiology-focused cases that become the basis for their client scenarios at the LAC, Dr. Sarah Abood employs the LAC with her second-semester Nutrition students. Her students are recorded as they take diet histories and practice examinations with a live animal and a simulated client.

The simulation is also a good way to assess the depth of students’ knowledge. “This [LAC] provides students with a fabulous opportunity to practice skills they will use every day in their careers,” says Abood. “Just like the anatomy lab this ‘learning lab’ provides an environment for student to learn how to clearly communicate important information to clients.”

Dr. Ann Rashmir-Raven uses the LAC in Veterinary Integrated Problem Solving. In this class, students are expected to take thorough histories and explain the results of diagnostic tests to a simulated client. Afterwards, students meet in small groups with facilitators, many of whom are local practitioners and CVM clinicians. The small groups view the recordings and provide constructive feedback aimed to improve future client interactions.

What do students think about using the LAC as an alternate learning environment? “Most of them say, ‘I got in, I forgot about the camera, and it was very valuable.’ It’s something I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life,” says Sonea.

October 2012