Ep 134: Communication Courses Can Boost Veterinary Well-Being. Here's How, with April Kedrowicz

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by April Kedrowicz, an Associate Professor of Communication at NC State’s vet school.April has been a part of the team at NC State developing a new breed of communication courses with the goal of providing students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed at communication when they graduate.So far, they have seen four cohorts of students graduate through this program and the feedback has been absolutely incredible.Listen in as April discusses what has made these courses successful as she unpacks the ins and outs of evidence-based communication. She also speaks on the positive impact that communication courses have on the well-being of students, and what all of this means for their continued development in a post-pandemic profession.Outline of this episode:[01:56] Introducing April and the development of her pre-clinical communication curriculum for DVM students.[04:07] How engineers communicate differently from veterinarians.[06:18] Measuring communication skills.[12:12] The major challenges that April’s first cohort of students experienced with regards to communication.[15:55] Deciding on learning objectives for each level of the course.[20:45] Student feedback on the course so far.[24:12] The structure of a third-year class.[26:14] Ad break - Become a Thrive member.[27:24] The relationships between communication skills and mental wellbeing.[33:22] Developing communication courses to meet the needs to vet students living through the pandemic.[38:18] The future of communication courses.[42:02] The episode wraps up.