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Graduating Senior Exit Questionnaire & Alumni Survey

2024 Data Trends

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  • Sent to seniors on May 1
  • Four content areas
    • Curricular content (18 items)
    • Educational and support resources (6 items)
    • Overall impressions of program (20 items)
    • Focused and open comments (12 focused, 1 open)

Graduating Senior Exit Questionnaire

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Response Rates

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Content Trends

In the following specific content areas, the DVM program provided adequate instruction and educational opportunities to allow students to develop an understanding of...

5-Year Average (2024-2020)

Business finances and practice management

9.4%

Personal finances management

12.8%

How to seek and negotiate employment

18.5%

How to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues

49.1%

Professional ethics and delivery of professional services to the public

49.2%

Theory and practice of surgical management of diseases in a broad range of species in animals

53.2%

Emergency and intensive care management

56.7%

Disease prevention and biosecurity techniques as applied to both individual animals and animal populations

69.2%

Principles of disease epidemiology

64.9%

How to acquire information about patients and manage patient information, including medical records

69.7%

Comprehensive patient management, care and treatment skills, including an understanding of factors impacting a decision to refer a patient for specialty care

70.7%

A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Percentages reported below are combined agree and strongly agree responses of each question for classes graduating in the corresponding year.

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Content Trends

In the following specific content areas, the DVM program provided adequate instruction and educational opportunities to allow students to develop an understanding of...

5-Year Average (2024-2020)

Theory and practice of medical management of diseases in a broad range of species of animals

75.1%

Zoonoses, food safety, the interrelationship of animals and environment, and the contribution of the veterinarian to overall public health and the professional health care teams

79.0%

Principles, application and interpretation of physical and laboratory diagnostic methods

80.1%

Anesthesia and pain management skills for patient welfare

80.5%

Manifestations of important animal diseases, including foreign animal diseases

84.0%

Central biological principles and mechanisms that underlie animal health and disease from molecular and cellular levels to organismal and population levels

89.6%

Normal body function as well as the pathophysiology and mechanisms of disease

93.3%

A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Percentages reported below are combined agree and strongly agree responses of each question for classes graduating in the corresponding year.

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Resource Trends

Regarding resources at the University of Wisconsin, SVM

5-Year Average (2024-2020)

Physical resources (computers, building facilities, etc.) were adequate to support learning

31.8%

Opportunities for education experiences outside the classroom and laboratory portions of the curriculum during years 1-3 were adequate

40.7%

Clinical supervision and faculty interaction in year 4 were adequate and appropriate

54.2%

Opportunities to interact with faculty in years 1-3 were adequate

60.6%

The 4th year scheduling process was sufficiently flexible and supportive of student needs

61.8%

Student support services were appropriate to student needs

63.0%

A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Percentages reported below are combined agree and strongly agree responses of each question for classes graduating in the corresponding year.

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Program Trends

Regarding the DVM program in general,

5-Year Average (2024-2020)

Program provided an adequate level of hands-on learning experiences in years 1-3 of the curriculum

34.0%

There was an atmosphere of respect from faculty and staff toward students

48.1%

Program provided an adequate level of hands-on learning experiences in year 4 of the curriculum

48.9%

Program promoted team-learning/team-building skills

56.2%

I would highly recommend this DVM program to others

57.6%

Program provided adequate opportunities to build leadership skills

58.7%

Overall curriculum offered sufficient flexibility to allow students to focus on their primary are of professional interest, while simultaneously giving them broad-based training indicative of a strong DVM program

60.3%

Program provided a fair and equitable assessment of student progress

62.4%

Program provided adequate opportunities to learn and practice clinical problem-solving skills in year 4

63.0%

Program provided adequate opportunities to learn and practice problem-solving skills in years 1-3

64.5%

A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Percentages reported below are combined agree and strongly agree responses of each question for classes graduating in the corresponding year.

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Program Trends

Regarding the DVM program in general,

5-Year Average (2024-2020)

Instruction in the clinics was of high quality

64.8%

Program provided appropriate time to pursue externship rotations off campus during year 4

65.0%

Program provided the knowledge and promoted the personal skills necessary to responsibly address the health and well-being of animals in the context of ever-changing societal expectations

66.4%

Program provided adequate opportunities to gain an appreciation for the role of research in advancing the practice of veterinary medicine

67.2%

I am very satisfied overall with the education I received in the DVM degree program

67.6%

Program provided adequate knowledge and skills for my career choice

69.3%

Program provided adequate opportunities to appreciate the breadth of the veterinary medical profession and career opportunities

73.5%

Program provided an adequate knowledge base in preparation for the NAVLE

80.7%

Instruction in the classroom was of high quality

82.4%

Program encouraged a commitment to life-long learning

83.5%

A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Percentages reported below are combined agree and strongly agree responses of each question for classes graduating in the corresponding year.

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  • Survey of recent alumni
    • Sent to 1, 3, and 5-year alumni
      • ex. 2024 survey sent to classes of 2023, 2021, and 2019
  • Preparation, satisfaction, employment, and compensation are main focus of survey

SVM Alumni Survey

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How well did the UW-Madison DVM program prepare you for…

clinical/technical tasks at your current job?

communication tasks at your current job?

business/practice management tasks at your current job?

2021

78.6%

90.0%

28.6%

2022

81.4%

83.7%

11.6%

2023

72.0%

92.0%

18.2%

2024

77.4%

87.5%

33.3%

Average

77.3%

88.3%

22.9%

Percent (%) Somewhat, Very, and Extremely Prepared Responses by Survey Year

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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How well did the UW-Madison DVM program prepare you for…

clinical/technical tasks at your current job?

communication tasks at your current job?

business/practice management tasks at your current job?

2021

44.3%

58.6%

5.7%

2022

39.5%

55.8%

2.3%

2023

24.0%

52.0%

0.0%

2024

51.6%

71.9%

7.4%

Average

39.9%

59.6%

3.9%

Percent (%) Very and Extremely Prepared Responses by Survey Year

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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Percent (%) Somewhat, Very, and Extremely Satisfied Responses by Survey Year

How satisfied are you with the…

quality of education you received from the UW-Madison DVM program?

the financial investment you made attending the UW-Madison DVM program?

2021

94.3%

84.3%

2022

95.5%

81.8%

2023

80.0%

80.0%

2024

93.8%

81.3%

Average

90.9%

81.8%

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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Percent (%) Very and Extremely Satisfied Responses by Survey Year

How satisfied are you with the…

quality of education you received from the UW-Madison DVM program?

the financial investment you made attending the UW-Madison DVM program?

2021

70.0%

57.1%

2022

65.9%

45.5%

2023

52.0%

40.0%

2024

78.1%

62.5%

Average

66.5%

51.3%

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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Percent (%) Somewhat, Very, and Extremely Likely Responses by Survey Year

How likely are you to…

recommend the UW-Madison DVM program to others interested in Veterinary Medicine?

2021

87.1%

2022

88.6%

2023

80.0%

2024

90.6%

Average

86.6%

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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Percent (%) Very and Extremely Likely Responses by Survey Year

How likely are you to…

recommend the UW-Madison DVM program to others interested in Veterinary Medicine?

2021

71.4%

2022

59.1%

2023

56.0%

2024

78.1%

Average

66.2%

<45%

45% - 59.9%

60% - 79.9%

>= 80%

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  • Asked to rate level of preparation for 62 items
    • Extremely well
    • Very well
    • Moderately well
    • Slightly well
    • Not well at all
  • Trends across last 4 alumni surveys

Preparation Items

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  • Percent (%) Moderately, Very, and Extremely Well-Prepared Responses
    • >90% = 14 items, 22.6%
    • 80-89.9% = 20 items, 32.2%
    • 70-79.9% = 18 items, 29.0%
    • 60-69.9% = 4 items, 6.4%
    • 50-59.9% = 1 item, 1.6%
    • 40-49.9% = 3 items, 4.8%
    • 30-39.9% = 1 item, 1.6%
    • 20-29.9% = 1 item, 1.6%

Preparation Items

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Percent (%) Moderately, Very, and Extremely-Well Prepared Responses by Survey Year

2021

2022

2023

2024

Average

Maintaining a work-life balance.

45.7%

50.0%

40.0%

57.6%

48.3%

Preparing & adjusting costs based on client needs & economic constraints.

31.9%

38.6%

36.0%

57.6%

41.0%

Reproductive problem

42.5%

43.5%

38.5%

36.4%

40.2%

Behavioral abnormality

26.4%

26.7%

38.5%

48.5%

35.0%

Understanding business finances & practice management.

28.6%

21.4%

16.0%

36.4%

25.6%

Preparation Items: <50.0%

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  • AVMA Graduating Senior Survey
    • Typically released in September
    • Survey focus
      • Demographics,
      • Educational debt
      • Employment
      • Compensation

Next Survey Data