Veterinary Education: What Have the Hybrid Model and Pandemic Taught Us?

A panel discussion from various didactic and clinical instructors from Texas A&M University focusing on how the pandemic changed teaching and learning. Veterinary education is ever-evolving and changing, with curricular shifts focused on evidence-based methods and pedagogy. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world and catapulted all levels of education into a scramble of discovering strategies to effectively and remotely teach their students. Now, two years later, we are beginning to see the effects on faculty and student learning and wellbeing. A variety of undergraduate and professional level programs are observing and reflecting on the impact the pandemic and remote/hybrid teaching have had on their teaching and learning methods. While the pandemic has negatively influenced and challenged certain aspects of teaching and learning, particularly in the medical fields where clinical skills and hands-on education are imperative to one’s career, it has also drawn-out creativity, resillience, and resourcefulness in the face of need. Many of the lessons learned during the pandemic have been positive in nature, and can guide our pedagogy into the future.