Program Assessment

The CVM curriculum is designed to launch students into the world of veterinary medicine as confident, capable, and compassionate professionals—ready to make an impact from day one. Through rigorous, hands-on training and a commitment to excellence, the program ensures that every stage of a student’s journey is aligned with real-world veterinary demands. Comprehensive program assessments will not only track success throughout their education but will also continue to validate their growth and effectiveness well into their professional careers.

Curriculum Design

The Utah State University (USU) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree curriculum aims to train thriving day-one mixed animal veterinarians with the professional, foundational, and applied competencies to serve urban and rural communities in Utah and beyond. The curriculum is being designed to align with the educational missions and goals of USU and the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). It follows the domains of competency and the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) defined by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Competency-Based Veterinary Education group (AA VMC CBVE) as well as the nine competencies defined by the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the A VMA COE. Students will gain foundational knowledge as they study the well body in year one, the diseased body in year two, and medicine and surgery in year three. Clinical and professional skills will be built upon each year, allowing students to combine subject matter with skills and preparing them for the clinical year.

To create a competency-based curriculum, the CVM Curriculum Committee first created a list of program learning outcomes (PLOs) which guided the creation of a list of 45 clinical competencies and a detailed list of new graduate competencies (NGC). The PLOs follow the AAVMC CBVE EPAs and domains of competence and the AVMA COE nine competencies.

Curriculum infographic

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This infographic outlines how outcomes are aligned across the DVM curriculum at multiple levels. It begins with Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), continues through Clinical Competencies, and flows down to course-level instruction and assessments. 1. Program Learning Outcomes (11 PLOs): Broad skills and knowledge that students are expected to achieve upon completion of the program. Each course generally aligns with 1 to 3 PLOs. 2. Clinical Competencies (45 CCs): Skills, behaviors, and professional abilities demonstrated independently in real-world veterinary clinical settings. These reflect day-one readiness and are mastered in year 4. 3. Pre-Clinical Competencies (PCC): Foundational skills and knowledge applied in simulated or instructional settings. These contribute to the mastery of species/system-specific clinical competencies and are typically mastered in years 1 to 2. 4. Species/System-Specific Clinical Competencies (SCC): Specific clinical competencies practiced in simulated or instructional settings. These contribute to the mastery of clinical competencies and are typically mastered in years 2 to 3. 5. Course Objectives: Each course has 2 or more overarching goals, developed for the 2025–2026 academic year and subject to refinement. 6. IDEA Objectives: These are standardized evaluation criteria used across the university. Each course aligns with 3 to 5 objectives from a total of 13. 7. Topic-Level Learning Outcomes: Each topic within a course includes 2 to 10 or more measurable learning outcomes that indicate what students should be able to do after completing the topic. 8. Instruction: Includes all course materials that students will read, view, practice, or use—such as lectures, readings, homework, and textbooks. 9. Assessments: Includes exams, quizzes, and other tools that measure the achievement of the course objectives and topic-level outcomes. Arrows indicate alignment and flow from high-level program outcomes down through competencies, course and topic-level objectives, instruction, and assessments.

Curriculum Alignment and Mapping

To become competent in each clinical competency, students must gain foundational and medical knowledge as well as clinical and professional skills. To attain this competency, students must gain foundational knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system; learn the pathophysiology of the disease; learn to interpret diagnostic results; and select a treatment plan. Students must also demonstrate how to communicate all aspects of clinical case management. To create a comprehensive instructional plan that links the curriculum map to outcomes assessment, learning activities (lectures, laboratories, etc.) and assessments will be associated with PLOs.

Learning objectives will also be linked to student assessments to identify instructional gaps, redundancies, and misalignments to improve the curriculum. Curriculum mapping will facilitate timely revisions to incorporate current issues and advancements in technology and knowledge.

PLO 1: Gather history, handle or restrain an animal, perform an examination, and create a prioritized differential diagnosis list (handle and restrain animals).

Alignment of Clinical Competencies and Pre-Clinical Competencies for Program Learning Outcome 1: Gather history, handle or restrain an animal, perform an examination, and create a prioritized differential diagnosis list.
Clinical Competencies Pre-Clinical Competencies
CC1.1 – Gather history.
  • PCC1.1.a – Define signalment and obtain a complete history for common domestic species.
CC1.2 – Perform physical exam.
  • SCC1.2.1 – Restrain an animal appropriately for a physical exam.
  • SCC1.2.2 – Perform a physical exam and interpret clinical findings.
  • PCC1.2.a – Identify and describe normal anatomical structures of major domestic species.
  • PCC1.2.b – Locate key anatomical landmarks relevant to physical exams.
  • PCC1.2.c – Complete a systematic physical examination of all body systems, distinguishing normal and abnormal findings using knowledge of anatomy and physiology.
  • PCC1.2.d – Differentiate normal from abnormal physical exam parameters.
CC1.3 – Develop differential diagnosis.
  • SCC1.3.1 – Recognize the common history, clinical signs, and disease course of the most common diseases in domestic and zoological animals.
  • SCC1.3.2 – Develop differentials for the common symptoms of the common diseases in domestic and zoological animals.
  • PCC1.3.a – Recognize anatomical variations that may affect disease presentation.
  • PCC1.3.b – Assess physiological parameters (heart rate, respiration, temperature).
  • PCC1.3.c – Describe homeostasis and physiological responses to stress.
  • PCC1.3.d – Explain how physiological dysfunctions contribute to disease.
  • PCC1.3.e – Develop a problem list using appropriate medical terminology based on signalment, history and physical exam.
  • PCC1.3.f – Correlate tissue structure with function in normal and diseased states.

Curriculum Assessment and Revisions

The curriculum will be managed and continuously assessed based on program and student outcomes data. Multiple types of data will be captured through the outcome assessment process and may include:

  • Student academic performance (mid-term and end of semester)
  • Course and instructor evaluation
  • Wellness climate surveys
  • Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA) and NAVLE reports (standardized test results)
  • Admissions data
  • Fourth-year preceptor evaluations
  • Senior student exit interviews
  • Alum surveys
  • Alumni employer surveys
  • Clinical and professional skill mastery level

Student Assessment and Remediation

Student assessment and remediation plans are detailed in the USU CVM Academic Standards and Procedures Policy.