Personal & Professional development

Course goals

1. The student can explain or illustrate with examples that there are multiple perspectives on situations and that in many cases there are also multiple solutions to a clinical or professional problem.
2. The student acknowledges or demonstrates through his or her verbal and nonverbal behavior the right of a colleague to autonomy in his or her professional decision-making.
3. The student demonstrates self-awareness through the ability to identify and articulate individual priorities in professional and clinical decision-making in an educational setting, based on their own ethical values and beliefs.
4. The student demonstrates self-awareness by identifying their own strengths and pitfalls, as well as the environmental factors that influence their behavior.
5. The student shows empathy (rather than criticism or judgment) in conversations with fellow students, teachers, and (future) colleagues.
6. The student shows respect and trust, not only toward teachers and clinic staff, but also toward fellow students, patient owners, and (future) colleagues.
7. The student functions effectively as part of a team, including supporting other students in the group.
8. The student maintains professional relationships to ensure the continuity of the collaboration.
9. The student takes responsibility for his or her own learning.
10. The student reflects on personal actions both individually and in a group (peer review group).
11. The student organizes their own work and applies time management skills.
12. The student demonstrates that they take care of their own well-being and that of others.

Content

In addition to learning the professional knowledge and skills that students need to practice as veterinarians, during the master's program they will also prepare for their role as veterinarians in society and the responsibilities that come with it. This involves understanding what is happening in society and finding their professional role within it. We also refer to this as socialization. Students will also work in a team with various professionals. This also requires a socialization process. In addition, the Master's program has a third objective, which is to support the development of professional identity. This means something different for every student. Each student has a different set of experiences, qualities, and ambitions. In the longitudinal line of personal and professional development, explicit time is set aside to reflect on (educational) activities, learning objectives, and the feedback that students receive from lecturers and fellow students. The education challenges students to step outside their comfort zone, seek out new experiences, and discuss them with fellow students. The goal is that by the time they graduate, students feel sufficiently prepared and competent to make the transition to the professional field and that their expectations of themselves and the professional field correspond with reality.