Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience 1:Veterinary Students at CSU and UAF. During this project the HOP hostsveterinary externs from Colorado State University (CSU) and UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks). CSU CVMBS partners with the UAF Department of Veterinary Medicine, to offer a collaborative degree veterinary program, where veterinary students complete their first two years of school at UAF and their final two years at CSU, known as the 2+2 program. Fourth year veterinary externs travel from Colorado and first- and second-year veterinary students travel from Fairbanks to Bethel to participate in the HOP as part of their education. The fourth-year students apply for participation in the program, these applicants are primarily students that intend to work in low resource and rural communities upon graduation. Actualized audience: This grant supported the travel and externship experience for88 students (97 total student trips) comprised of both first and second years at UAF and fourth years traveling from CSU.These veterinary students experienced the delivery of medicine and care via the community clinics and additionally were exposed to the specific curriculum developed through the USDA grant. They participated in a formal education program of a 10 day externship, with a curriculum of surgery, discussion based rounds and delivery of outreach and education to geographically isolated communities. Target Audience 2: A goal of the youth outreach projects was to connect with 11th and 12th graders of the YK Delta in Alaska.The population in this area is approximately 82% all or partially Alaska Native. Approximately 50% of the population is under 18 years old. The area is considered one of the poorest in Alaska with the lowest per capita income in the United States, and many people continue to practice a traditional subsistence lifestyle. Actualized audience: While the goal was to target 11th and 12th graders, it is importantto note that there was age and grade variation in the actual audience. This is based on 1) the interest of schools and group leadership, 2) who the school/group invited to participate in the visit, and 3) that grades are often combined under one teacher due to the small school/class sizes in rural areas. Some visits to communities occurred during the summer holiday, so youth engagement was with community youth-focused clubs and organizations. Visits occurred in the following 12 communities due to their designation as hub and spoke communities by the HOP;Bethel, Akiak, Aniak, Crooked Creek, Grayling, Hooper Bay, Kalskag, St. Mary's, Emmonak, Napaskiak, , Quinhagak, and Tununak. Several communities received multiple visits, but the veterinary team was hosted by distinct youth clubs.Additional communities' leadership invited the educational team to visit, as well. Each of these communities fall within the NIFA Shortage Situation. The project estimated 275 community youth participants from the YK Delta. Additional audience: The community members who visited the veterinary MASH style clinic, either with their own animals or to learn about services. Engaging and inclusive conversation spread knowledge and information about the veterinary care and the program, about disease and opportunities to impact human and animal health positively. Changes/Problems: A money reallocation was requested and granted in 2023 that allowed the team to grow in a different direction away from the "One Health Veterinary Internship." While many people showed interest in the internship across multiple levels, from potential interns, veterinary expertsin the Access to Veterinary Care and governmental positions, the position remained unfilled over two seasons. The nationwide systemic changes in the veterinary professionassociated with the veterinary shortage and increased demand, along with changes in business structure as well as the overwhelming veterinary student dept upon graduation, the interested parties all elected to take a fully paid private practice position instead of accepting the low salary of an internship. The money designated for that position was redirected to invest in support of student travel to the region, and the focus became increasing exposure to the externship for fourth year students. This adapted success is thoroughly highlighted in the associated documentation with that goal. Additionally in that money reallocation was a request to reassign funds that had been designatedfor contracting a community leader to aid in materials and lecture development. The local leader that had been included in the original grant request was unable to participate in the program due to unforeseen personal circumstances. The development of curriculum and educational tools shifted focus as well to ensuring a conscientious approach to delivering information. Original materials development was resource heavy, with video and web-based development of tools. The team focused on a sleeker management of educational tools and supplies, and focused on ensuring the message was delivered in a culturally inclusive manner, as well as in an active and engaged way. With this approach, the message can be adapted to the specific and unique aspect of each community. This does require a flexible, improvisational approach to engaged education/lecture delivery and an active attempt to connect with youth and people where they are. The initial grant proposal indicated multiple trips with more than one high school student to the University of Alaska - Fairbanks campus and hosted visits with theveterinary program instructors. Learnings from attempting to do this uncovered a number of unanticipated challenges. These challenges will be listed below. The team has a suggestion to address the complications and costs and meet the goals of the intention of the visits, this proposal is addressed in the description of the High School Student Visit to UAF section of this report. (reference appendix) Travel Logistics - a primary reason that the YK Delta is isolated are associated with the geographic and transportation boundaries to access the region. Transportation costs will be high as flight costs and lodging must be accounted for. Since the distance is not drivable, the number of visitors to the campus is limited by costs for lodging and flights. Student demographic - the HOP team overlooked the additional layer of complications of needed parental permission and need to travel with Indigenous underaged students to a city. Inherent travel and work challenges also exist as the best calendar time to attend a university program in session would require missing school, work and also weather impacts on travel. The final challenge that the team had to adapt to was the depth of research capable on the impacts to the high school students. Obtaining consent to work with, collect and publish data on vulnerable aged Indigenous people must go through many layers of approval and consent, including student, parent/guardian, school system, regional health system, tribal council. The time associated with obtaining these approvals would fall well outside the time constraints of the grant. The HOP team elected to proceed in a manner that would allow a general gathering of information important to inform educational proposals moving forward, without proceeding through the processes described above, to attain publishable data. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided educational exposure to high school aged youth in medical and health fields. As time permitted, they were able to experience engaging in some clinical skills, i.e., listening to cardiac and respiratory rhythms and looking at radiograph images.However, the training experiences were primarily focused on the veterinary student externships. On top of the clinical skill set development that a typical educational externship provides, veterinary students were exposed to cultural, professional and career practice skill sets. Participation in these preventive medicine clinics provided "traditional" experiential learning in the following categories: Patient care: physical examination, handling and restraint Injections: subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous Pharmaceutical: calculating doses and drawing up medications Anesthesia: administration and monitoring Surgical skills: fourth year externs, canine castrations and ovariohysterectomies Exploration of preventive medicine and public health topics The unique and critical learning opportunities for veterinary students were centered on the following themes: Empowerment to provide care in geographically and financially restricted regions. Using ingenuity and creativity in providing care in areas with low resources and outside of a traditional clinic or hospital setting. Application of high quality medical and surgical skills with limited supplies (e.g., weight and travel restrictions impacting what is available) Engaging in client communication with pet owners that have nuanced approaches to the human-animal bond. Receiving communication through a new lens of intercultural communication approaches. Participate in client, team, intercultural communication in intensive and distinct locations. Provide youth education through school and community visits. Recognition and application of One Health concepts of the veterinary profession, expanding to concepts of human safety, food security, food safety and how changes in environment and society impact all health. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?As the collection and assessment of the data and impacts have occurred at the end of the grant period, no results have been disseminated to communities to date. However, upon completion of the assessments and associated products, the HOP team will present relevant findings to community and organizational partners. Locally, information will be shared with the YK Health Corporation, tribal leaders, all hosting teaching districts and youth groups and University of Alaska Fairbanks. Regionally, findings will be shared with the state veterinary partners and associations, the Alaska State Veterinarian, USDA and the Alaska Board of Veterinarians. Nationally, the findings from this grant and work will be shared through three manuscripts and four presentations at the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention in 2025. The learnings and suggested curriculum can be shared with interested veterinary educational partners. Local and regional information will be shared in written format and via presentation as requested. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Expose students in the YK Delta in Grades 11 and 12 to culturally appropriate educational materials on veterinary medicine, One Health, and career opportunities. The impact of this exposure is to spread knowledge about animals, disease and health and professional opportunities among the upcoming generation of residents. Major activities The HOP veterinary team visited schools and youth groups during community clinics. The HOP team hosted one high school student from the YK Delta at the UAF campus. Data collected Information about the youth's knowledge and experiences was collected from "Interactive Worksheets," distributed during the presentations. Due to the nature of the participant demographic being vulnerable aged, Indigenous youth, this information cannot be officially published. Summary and discussion of information gathered from the visits with YK Delta youth. Age and Grade of Students - The youth ranged in age from 11 to 21 years old and were enrolled in grades from 6 to 19. It is important to note that age and grade variation is due to school/group leadership interest, who was invited to participate, and that grades are often combined under one teacher due to small school sizes. The top social media platforms used were Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook. Notable highlights of responses to a series of questions are listed here. Responses: 92% of youth said they like animals; 75% said they take care of animals at home; about half (47%) knew that diseases that affect humans can come from animals and about a third (37%) knew that humans can give animals disease. The majority of the youth (82%) did know what a veterinarian is, and that rabies is dangerous to humans (95%) as well as animals (87%). Youth were asked to write-in responses naming which wildlife spread disease. Answers varied, but primarily focused on the major carnivores that are found locally. It is interesting to note that dog was included (12) under this wildlife question. The team wonders if this could be related to the roaming nature of village dogs and the dog-overpopulation reality of the region. The second most common response was "I don't know" (15). Most of the youth, either a) didn't know if they had an experience with (35) or b) had never encountered a veterinarian (17). Especially notable when 75% reported they take care of animals at home. Most students had not heard of the term One Health, and therefore did not make a connection of how a veterinarian might play a role. Discussion The information gathered here gives critical knowledge about what regional youth know and how they communicate. It can be used to inform educational approaches moving forward. The Alaskan youth of this region have contact with animals, care for animals and like animals. However, they have had much less exposure to information on providing health care, the connection of One Health, and disease exposure and transmission. The approach the HOP team used, of engaged and informed instruction is an approach that can be modeled and used to engage youth and inspire them to consider how they can engage in impacting the health of their community. Direct and invested engagement and enthusiasm is an effective tool for guiding youth to understand their opportunity to influence their lives and communities. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. A change in knowledge via: Visits to schools and youth groups Over the course of this project, 12 communities received visits from the HOP team, 58 different veterinary students from CSU and UAF participated in the 275 contacts and 20 presentations to groups of Alaskan youth. In the moment of the presentations, the feedback from the workshops was integrated into the discussions and all students were then exposed to the concepts of health, one health, veterinarians, and processes to consider integrating these into their lives and families. A change in knowledge via: High School student visit to UAF campus. Summary: An 11th grade student was selected to visit the UAF Veterinary Medicine Department after the HOP team visited her class. She showed a particular interest in veterinary medicine, voluntarily spending time shadowing during HOP veterinary clinics. She traveled from Bethel to Fairbanks, and due to weather and scheduling challenges, she had to travel alone. She was able to visit veterinary students and faculty, experience a necropsy laboratory, tour the university facilities and importantly speak to the admissions team about the process of application. Specific challenges she will face will be graduating from a rural, underserved high school, and understanding the undergraduate admissions process, the costs, and the timeline is essential if she wants to continue to advance and study veterinary medicine. Outcome: a YK based student with interests in veterinary medicine was able to have hands-on, eye-opening exposure to the process and realities of university and vet school and have many of her questions answered. Outcome: the HOP team experienced first-hand the challenges of navigating travel in winter for underaged youth. A key recommendation would be that universities interested in engaging/recruiting rural youth spend time in classrooms with the information needed to answer questions and foster excitement. The team proposes introducing "UAF in a Box" a mobile kit for recruitment and engagement to the UAF and the Department of Veterinary Medicine. We recognize that youth travel from a rural community into Fairbanks is difficult, therefore a mobile kit can bring interactive experiences to youth. Goal 2: Develop and implement a formal veterinary student externship curriculum. Major activities completed A survey was developed to understand the experience of veterinary students during formal externships, and to note the impact of the curriculum. A total of 99 veterinary students, previous participants of HOP, were invited and 49 participants completed the survey at least partially, a 54% response rate Data collected. A survey was conducted to gather information regarding the impact (professional, education and personal) of the HOP on its veterinary student participants. Summary statistics and discussion of results Of findings on tools gained to work in rural areas, impacted perceptions and knowledge of various topics and lasting impacts of the program on the students. Human Animal Bond: People everywhere love their animals and want them to be happy/healthy There are a variety of human-animal bonds that people hold, the bond may look different but there was still love perceived between human and animal. Direct involvement with clients and patients on the ground and in the field was impactful to students. Both hands-on and cultural experiences. Realization that quality medicine is possible in limited resources and small spaces. In asking student participants about which, if any, clinical skills were impacted, most students (78%) felt their client communication skills were impacted. The most frequently noted themes from the expanded responses to this skill included, at a basic level, direct exposure to client communication, but also exposure to a diverse set of clients, diverse client needs, and gaining empathy and/or respect for clients and communities. Discussion of impact It is clear that the HOP has had an important impact on its student participants. Most students felt they came away with perceptions, knowledge, and/or skills impacted regarding working in remote/rural communities, communication with diverse clients and communities, and the concept of One Health. Most student participants felt they gained multiple tools to work in rural areas. Finally, several students indicated that their career path was impacted or affirmed through participation. Key Outcome A full description of these results is aiming for publication March 2025.
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during this period of the report includes 4 categories. 1. We are exposingthe youth, especially the 11th and 12th graders that live in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska to future professional opportunities. 2. We are providing educational opportunities to veterinary students from the University Alaska Fairbanks and Colorado State University veterinary program. 3. We are exposing praticing veterinarians from around the US to successful models of rural and preventive medicine care for communities. 4. We are providing care to the animals of the communities in the YK Delta of Alaska. Changes/Problems:The grant team has experienced two challenges that have impacted the original goals stated at the start of this grant. The first significant challenge the team experienced involved the local community-based cultural advisor. Initially the team had this advisor identified and had engaged in a number of communications to establish the partnership and collaboration. Upon receiving the award, the grant team experienced a setback in that the advisor requested time to assess their availability for participation, and in the end opted out of participating in the program. The grant team approached a second program partner from the YK Delta to explore if they would be willing to advise on the content. While they were willing to advise, their schedule is incompatible with the timeline of this grant. The second significant challenge the team experienced involvedthe veterinary internship. While the first round of recruitment did have three applicants, the grant team was unable to place them into the position. The position was offered to the top candidate, who accepted the position and four weeks from start of the program withdrew without giving much reason (evenafter multiple attempts to solicit cause). The team then moved to consider the second candidate. However, they were unable to comply with regional tribal regulations and therefore could not be hired. The third applicant was not available for the entirety of the time frame for the internship and to participate in the program in the identified way. The grant team considers the low salary as the primary challenge in recruitment. The salary was set and granted prior to the unprecedented changes to the veterinary profession as (primarily) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which include dramatic increases in starting salary, hiring bonuses and strong recruitment of veterinary students earlier in their third and fourth years. Moving forward the grant team has identified a number of ways to adjust the approach. These adjustments include initiating recruitment earlier, flexibility in start date, aiming to identify funds to increase the salary offered, direct recruitment of known interested students and a more clearly defined position description. As of May 2023 the internship was still not filled and a community-based cultural advisor was not identified, so the request was made for a budget change allocation on this grant. This budget change allows enhanced delivery of our grant in the areas we have been successful. The approved budget allocation allows for support of travel for instructors andveterinary students associated with the educational rotations and community outreach. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The focus of this grant is training and professional development for veterinary students and early career professionals. Additionally, we have been able to take the stories, experiences and learnings to various partner, governmental and veterinary organizations to increase understanding of and exposure to the challenges rural life expereinces. Each veterinary student participated in programming that ranged from 4 to 7 days on the ground, and a full day of travel on either end. Every piece of our program is exposed to the realities, challenges, and specific skill sets needed to provide care in rural regions. This includes patience, logistics, planning, communication, door-to-door visits, examinations, vaccinations, and surgery time. The second-year students averaged 120 hours of contact time and the fourth-year students averaged 200 hours of contact time and received credit for an externship. Our team also participated in a surgical instructors retreat at Colorado State University (CSU). The focus was on building the CSU surgical curriculum and the improved preparation of students for work in access to care and other spaces upon graduation. In October 2021, Dr. Laurie Meythaler-Mullins spoke at the Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (ATCEM) at the invitation of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). The focus of the presentation was the lack of access to veterinary care in tribal communities, the public health implications, and how the HOP is a model for a possible successful solution. That same month we helped usher a critical resolution that was passed at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. This Resolution 22-9 states: "LACK OF VETERINARY CARE IS AN UNMET PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES CALL TO HAVE VETERINARY SERVICE BE INCLUDED UNDER INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE PURVIEW". This resolution can lead the way to making even bigger collaborations possible. Our program will continue to work with Alaska Native tribal leaders on making public health veterinary services accessible in these indigenous spaces. Other conferences where we have shared our work were the 2022 Access to Veterinary Care Conference, the 2022 US Animal Health Association Conference, and the 2023 One Health Conference in Fairbanks, AK. We share stories such as the rabies outbreak in Nightmute and how the HOPprogram responded when asked by the Alaska State Veterinarian and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Wildlife Veterinarian. During this outbreak, a rabid fox came into the community and attacked several unvaccinated dogs. We worked with the Nightmute Village Safety Public Officer to euthanize exposed, unvaccinated animals and with the local healthcare provider, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Care Corporation (YKHC), to identify five community members exposed to rabies by their pet dogs. During this rabies outbreak, the community was without their school teacher who was undergoing rabies post-exposure prophylaxis for two weeks, showing the reverberating effects of lack of access to veterinary care in this region. Three employees of the local healthcare provider YKHC have joined HOP during community visits to St. Mary's, Quinhagak, and Crooked Creek. HOP has a Memorandum of Understanding with YKHC as well as a Institutional Review Board approval for the survey research we are collecting. This professional relationship ensures that veterinarians as well as medical providers are part of a One Health approach to veterinary success in rural communities. We have also collaborated with the UAF Center for One Health Research and their fellow, Elizabeth Van Ha. Elizabeth has worked on developing the educational materials used when speaking to 11th and 12th grades. Dr. Jodie Jones, Veterinary Medical Officer, USDA APHIS VS Field Operations, joined HOP in the communities of Bethel and Kwethluk. Dr. Jones is interested in public health issues in rural Alaska. Bringing Dr. Jones along with HOP allowed her to meet with tribal leaders and serve as a point of contact within the agency. Dr. Jones also joined us speaking to 4H about food safety and security issues including avian influenza. We have also hosted a director from PetSmart Charities, our other grant funder, to discuss ways non-governmental organizations can work to help rural and underserved communities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data collection for this project is ongoing. We are collecting survey information on access to veterinary care, knowledge of the veterinary profession, public health issues, and community perception of animals. The output of veterinary student work that has been disseminated to community members includes veterinary student extern assignments. These are reflection assignments on what learnings were gained during their externship. Other outputs include a current paper in progress entitled "Notes on Epidemiologic Descriptive: Initial Findings from community perspectives on Dogs and health in Rural Alaska." In April 2023, a TED Talk about the HOP project titled, "Access to Veterinary Care in Alaska: Impacts on Animal & Human Health" was recorded and is available for communities to view. HOP was also represented in the USDA-APHIS meeting on November 14, 2023 "Partnering with Native Communities during animal health emergencies". Upon completion of these documents and the associated programming, HOP will ensure to disseminate any and all papers to the community and organizational partners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As the program has established trust and efficiency in services, the team will focus on data and information collecting to allow for model documentation and sharing. The local impact of the program will continue to be implemented through 11th and 12th-grade school visits, veterinary services, veterinary externships, and community visits through the remainder of this grant, August 2024. This will allow for further community health impact, data collection, and exposure for veterinary students. During thesubsequent year, post completion of the USDA grant, and during the final year of the PetSmart Charities grant, through October 2025, the HOP team will focus in the creation of several documents aimed at taking the learnings from this process and adapting them into models and guides for others hoping to address similar access to care issues. The focus of these deliverables is that they can act as 1) viable models to be utilized by other programs hoping to bring accessible programming to communities in Alaska; 2) training tools so other organizations can replicate similar programs across Alaska and other rural communities; 3) providing viable practice models to the veterinary students so that those who aim to practice in Alaska can return and understand how to better serve the population.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Many accomplishments under these goals were attained in the reporting year and the focus was on both the high school and veterinary student impacts, as the third goal of the grant, the internship was shifted during this period, more description follows the end of this section. The CSU-UAF Veterinary Hub Outpost Program (HOP) is exposing 11th and 12th-grade students in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska to veterinary medicine, One Health, and career opportunities. While this grant focus is on 11th and 12th-grade classrooms, it is not unusual for the school's principal to invite us to speak to other grade levels. During all classroom visits, we highlight how veterinarians and veterinary-community partnerships can help manage challenges faced in human, animal, and environmental health in a One Health approach. We ask students to share issues impacting their community, and then discuss careers they could pursue associated with addressing the challenges in their backyard.Since this grant project's start date of September 1, 2021, we have completed 21 school or educational programming visits in the following 13 communities and programs: Bethel: Bethel Regional High School (3 visits) Bethel 4H (3 visits) Alaska Native Science & Education Program Emmonak Kalskag Holy Cross Quinhagak Toksook Tununak Hooper Bay (2 visits) St. Mary's (2 visits) Aniak Crooked Creek St. Paul's Grayling Veterinary medical students are an important part of this 11th and 12th-grade educational outreach, as well as part of the second goal of the project. During their veterinary externships with HOP, veterinary students are expected to take an active part in the 11th and 12th grade classroom teachings. They share their backgrounds and paths to veterinary school. From September 1, 2021, to present HOP trained 72 veterinary students. Thirty-eight of these students were in the process of completing their first two years of veterinary school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, then finishingtheir studies at Colorado State University as part of the "2+2" program. Having veterinary students who have lived in Alaska speak to these 11th and 12th graders has been powerful. A hope is that these high school students from rural communities will hear the stories and be inspired to attend college and possibly continuing to veterinary school, then return home and practice medicine in their communities. During their time with HOP, these 72 veterinary students have learned about practice in rural regions including understanding food safety, public health, and community interactions. An intention is to prepare a veterinary student considering a path of starting work in a rural/underserved area. With veterinary students, we have completed 31 community visits in 18 communities: Bethel Akiak (3 visits) Aniak (2 visits) Emmonak (2 visits) Kalskag (2 visits) Holy Cross Quinhaghak (2 visits) Toksook Bay Tununak (2 visits) Hooper Bay (2 visits) St. Mary's (2 visits) Akiachak (2 visits) Napasiak (2 visits) Kwethluk (2 visits) Napakiak (2 visits) Crooked Creek St. Pauls Grayling The final goal stated in our original grant application has shifted; the creation of a One Health Veterinary Internship. We created the internship position in 2021 and advertised it in both 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately we were unable to fill the position with a veterinary intern. This has been an important learning from this grant. A budget re-allocation approved in May 2023 allows us to use these funds to further support the participation of veterinary externs and include early career professionals interested in accessible veterinary care, to participate in the community clinic-visits,through the end of our granting period.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period we have focused on the first objective of exposing high school students to appropriate educational materials on Veterinary Medicine, One Health, and related career opportunities. The grant team has prepared the first draft of this educational material and has delivered it to 30 students in the Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska. These students are primarily Alaska Native students, who live and attend school in a geographically isolated and an economically disadvantaged area. Changes/Problems:The grant team experienced two notable challenges during this reporting period that have impacted progress and approach to implementation. The first significant challenge the team experienced involved the local community-based cultural advisor. Initially the team had this advisor identified and had engaged in a number of communications to establish the partnership and collaboration. Upon receiving the award, the grant team experienced a setback in that the advisor requested time to assess their availability for participation, and in the end opted out of participating in the program. The grant team approached a second program partner from the YK Delta to explore if they would be willing to advise in the content. While they were willing to advise, their schedule is incompatible with the timeline of this grant. The team has identified a third advisor that fits into the ideal description for the program and will be approaching them about potential participation. The second significant challenge the team experienced involved the veterinary internship. While the first round of recruitment did have three applicants, the grant team was unable to place them into the position. The position was offered to the top candidate, who accepted the position and four weeks from start of the program withdrew without giving much reason (even after multiple attempts to solicit cause). The team then moved to consideration of the second candidate. However, they were unable to comply with regional tribal regulations and therefore could not be hired. The third applicant was not available for the entirety of the initial time frame identified and to participate in the program in the identified way. The grant team considers the low salary as the primary challenge in recruitment. The salary was set and granted prior to the unprecedented changes to the veterinary profession as (primarily) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which include dramatic increases in starting salary, hiring bonuses and strong recruitment of veterinary students earlier in their third and fourth years. Moving forward the grant team has identified a number of ways to adjust the approach. These adjustments include initiating recruitment earlier, flexibility in start date, aiming to identify funds to increase the salary offered, direct recruitment of known interested students and a more clearly defined position description. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective one: The grant team will continue to deliver the High School student education program throughout the school year, and while keeping the primary themes the same, make any needed enhancements identified by delivery of the program. Objective two: The grant team will focus on the development of the veterinary externship formal curriculum. Veterinary externships occur year-round with an informal curriculum. This curriculum will be made more robust to explicitly address veterinary career work and skills needed for work in areas that are rural and that have a largely native clientele base. Objective three: During this period the grant team will complete the second recruitment phase for the veterinary intern and hopes to successfully place an intern into the available opening. A variety of approaches are being put into action to hopefully increase the success of this objective including a shift in potential timeline. Depending on the intern selected and their availability their start time could begin any time between January 1 and July 1, 2023. Additionally, an advisor will be identified to support the culturally appropriate development of all three objectives. This advisor ideally will be an Alaska Native from the YK Delta region and have experience with either community outreach or health careers, ideally both.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The primary focus during this first reporting period was placed on objectives one and three. Regarding objective one, "development and delivery of culturally appropriate educational material for high school students...", the first round of instructional material was created and delivered to 30 students in the YK Delta. This process included the following pieces: hiring of two veterinary students to support the development of materials, communication with schools and individual teachers to request time to deliver the materials during the school year, adaptation of materials for delivery in a virtual or in person format, coordination of schedules to deliver during community visits that align with the grant and veterinary team's preventive veterinary medicine travel clinics. This material will continue to undergo enhancements and delivery throughout this upcoming school year. Regarding objective three, "Create and manage a One Health Veterinary Internship..." the grant team made significant progress, but experienced a number of challenges, which will be outlined in the "changes/problems" section of the report. The progress that was made included 1) development of the internship position at Colorado State University, through collaboration with the Clinical Sciences Human Resource team, 2) creation of the proposed schedule of the internship to run for 12 consecutive months from June 1-May 30, 3) draft written of the learning themes, objectives and outcomes to include a skills development assessment sheet, spanning skill development in communication, surgery, and outreach coordination 4) drafting and distribution of the position description through various professional avenues in an attempt to recruit a candidate and 5) development of the intern guide and handbook. The recruiting period ran from end of 2021 and concluded in May of 2022 and three applications were received and evaluated. While no qualified intern was available for the 22-23 internship period, all lessons learned from the process have been assessed and potential solutions were applied for the next round of recruitment. These lessons learned will be described in the "changes/problems" section.
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