Looking to train future veterinarians as well as retrain those already working in the field that less is more when it comes to antibiotics, a group of professors and scientists have developed AMR (antimicrobial resistance) Learning Outcomes. It is hoped that these new standards will serve as the framework for grade-appropriate as well as professional continuing education AMR curriculums. The AMR Learning Outcomes were developed by the AMR Core Competencies Working Group, part of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture. The learning outcomes are designed to define what learners will know and what skills they will have at the end of a program that incorporates various kinds of learning activities or courses, according to Working Group Chair Virginia Fajt, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVCP, clinical associate professor of veterinary physiology and pharmacology at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “One of the most important things we can do in addressing this public health threat is to help educate core stakeholders about the proper stewardship and judicious use of antibiotics in production agriculture,” said Andrew Maccabe, DVM, AAVMC CEO. “The creation of the AMR learning outcomes produced by this working group represents a substantial step forward in this effort, and we’re grateful for their very significant contribution,” Dr. Maccabe added. The learning objectives are tailored to novice (youth, Future Farmers of America and 4H), developing (undergraduate and graduate) and professional (practicing veterinarians) and are grouped into six learning modules: Healthy Animals, Global Impact, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antimicrobial Drugs and Resistance, Roles and Relationships, and Critical Analysis. The AMR Learning Outcomes are available for download at aavmc.org. Originally published in the May 2017 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today!
