How does emotional intelligence fit into the paradigm of veterinary medical education?

Full Abstract

The term ''emotional intelligence'' (EI) has become very popular in the business world and has recently infiltrated veterinary medical education. The term purports to encompass those qualities and skills that are not measured by IQ tests but do play an important role in achieving success in life. Veterinary medical educators often incorporate these in a category called ''non-technical competencies'' (which includes, for example, communication skills) and acknowledge that veterinarians need more training in this area in order to be successful. Although EI looks promising as a means for teaching these non-technical competencies to students and practitioners, there are some challenges to its application. To begin with, there are three competing models of EI that differ in definition and measuring instruments. Although some research has suggested that high EI is associated with success in school and in business, there are no studies directly correlating high EI with greater success in the veterinary profession. Nor have any studies confirmed that increasing a student's EI will improve eventual outcomes for that student. It is important that educators approach the implementation of new techniques and concepts for teaching non-technical competencies the same way they would approach teaching a new surgical technique or drug therapy. EI is an intriguing and promising construct and deserves dedicated research to assess its relevance to veterinary medical education. There are opportunities to investigate EI using case control studies that will either confirm or discredit the benefits of incorporating EI into the veterinary curriculum. Implementing EI training without assessment risks wasting limited resources and alienating students.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Timmins, Richard P (RP);

Affiliation: Center for Animals in Society at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA. rptimmins(-atsign-)ucdavis.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Journal of veterinary medical education (J Vet Med Educ), published in Canada. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-; vol 33 (issue 1) : pp 71-5

Dates: Created 2006/06/12; Completed 2007/10/29;

PMID: 16767641, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

Veterinary medicine in Canada: opportunity for renewal. 29 Jun 1998
Personal characteristics, knowledge of the veterinary profession, and influences on career choice among students in the veterinary school applicant pool. 29 Nov 2003
Praise for outcomes assessment program. 13 Jan 2002
A profession at the crossroads? 13 Feb 2003
The more things change, the more they should stay the same. 30 Dec 2005
Global veterinary opportunities and responsibilities: some recent graduates' perspectives. 30 Dec 2005
Communication skills. 15 Feb 2007
Assessment of clinical reasoning skills in veterinary students prior to and after the clinical year of training. 13 Sep 2008
Longitudinal study of veterinarians from entry to the veterinary course to 10 years after graduation: attitudes to work, career and profession. 30 Jul 2002
Client confidence in veterinarians: how can it be sustained? 29 Sep 2002

See 100+ related articles.