Abstract:

Covid-19 is one of the most important pandemic disease of the last decades, with a significant impact on health status, lifestyle, and habits. To prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, we experimented various constraints, both in private and professional aspects of our life. The necessity of frequent hand-disinfection, face mask wearing, or social distancing were recommended and in some cases, compulsory.

All of these did not bypass the teaching process which, until recently, was supposed to be a community based on onsite interactions between students and their teachers. Undoubtedly, these restrictive measures were the best way of acting in the context of pandemic prevention actions, and functioned as an accepted compromise over a limited period of time.

Some areas of higher education better suited to online education, while others experimented some weaknesses, not so much technologically, but rather how the students managed to understand the information and to gain practical competences in the lack of his/her involvement in laboratory activities. The Veterinary education is important in the context of all Medical Sciences, and implies various practical activities in specific subjects of Preclinical and Clinical subjects, or those of Laboratory and Public Health. By touching various anatomical pieces, participating in diverse medical experiments, or participating in surgical interventions, the student acquires practical skills further useful in the chosen profession. In agreement with the EU Directives, veterinary educational establishments are responsible for developing the "day one competence" of the students (approved by ECCVT in 2019) until graduation. A consistent part of the "day one competence" for a veterinarian refers to the practical skills and involves having the ability to transfer what has been learnt to a variety of contexts as practitioner.

Therefore, a full online profile of Veterinary higher education it's not just undesirable but also not suitable and recommended for the needs of tomorrow's veterinary practitioners.

The aim of this study is to debate the fitness of restrictive measures during the pandemic Covid-19 on Veterinary higher education system.

Keywords:

Veterinary education, practical applications, competences.