Within agriculture, the National FFA Organization’s most valuable contribution is providing the talent pipeline that will feed, fuel and clothe the world and lead the industry into the future. To adequately fulfill this responsibility, National FFA is evaluating the relevance of its programs and competitive events and making necessary revisions that will benefit FFA members and agriculture.

As part of this process, the National FFA Veterinary Science Career Development Event (CDE) underwent updates and adopted a modern framework in 2023. The intended outcome was to deliver a case-based educational experience to help ensure FFA members are prepared to enter the workforce or continue their education in the field of veterinary medicine.

For this CDE, FFA members work in teams of four to demonstrate their technical competency with small and large animals. Participants are required to apply their knowledge and critical-thinking skills to real-life scenarios they are likely to encounter when working as a veterinarian, veterinary assistant or veterinary technician.

“We are creating this event to be a holistic, hands-on approach where students get the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in an A-to-Z environment using the same scenarios, just like they would if they were working in a veterinary hospital,” said Christian Birch, superintendent for the national veterinary science CDE.

To better prepare members for career success, the 2023 event focused on two animal care scenarios. Rather than taking a generalized exam, the 173 participants answered questions and completed activities in relation to the specific scenarios. The practicums also related to the scenarios and included completing handling and restraint activities and performing clinical procedures that are routinely conducted by practicing veterinarians.

“I learned different clinical and restraining practicums, such as applying a lower leg bandage to a horse,” said Mckenzie Souder, a member of the 2023 National FFA Veterinary Science CDE winning team from Denmark FFA in Georgia. “The practicums I learned I later observed during my time shadowing at a vet clinic, which was really cool to see these tasks actually being performed.”

As members completed hands-on activities, they were evaluated by more than 40 veterinarians who served as judges. The judges were looking for teams that had not just memorized materials but also applied their knowledge to address a patient’s unique needs. Birch calls this added element of critical thinking a “game changer.”

Participants recognized and appreciated the valuable career and life skills gained through this updated format.

MacKenzie Kratz, another member of the 2023 National FFA Veterinary Science CDE winning team, found that the practicum portion of the event helped her develop soft skills that she believes will be an asset in her future career.

“The knowledge I gained goes far beyond veterinary science into leadership and communication skills. I am happy to have participated in the veterinary science CDE and have become a better leader from it.”