The document discusses OIE standards and recommendations regarding veterinary education competencies and veterinary statutory bodies (VSBs). It outlines the minimum competencies defined by OIE that new veterinary graduates should possess, including basic general competencies in veterinary sciences and clinical skills, as well as specific competencies related to national veterinary service tasks. It also discusses OIE standards for VSBs and provides examples of different VSB structures from ASEAN countries. In summary, applying OIE guidelines on veterinary education and VSBs can help ensure quality professional services and increase credibility of veterinary services to support good governance.

1. Veterinarian’s competencies
based on OIE
Tri Satya Putri Naipospos
Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies
63rd International Veterinary Student Association Congress
Yogyakarta, 7 Agustus 2014

2. O u t l i n e
• Introduction
• OIE Standards on Veterinary Education
• OIE Recommendations on the Competencies
of graduating veterinarians
• OIE Standards on Veterinary Statutory Bodies
• VSB status in some OIE member countries
• Summary

3. Introduction
• The activities of Veterinary Services (VS),
both public and private components, are
recognised as a global public good
• Veterinary education (VE) serves as the
foundation on which a country can build
effective Veterinary Services (VS)
• Quality veterinary education together
with effective Veterinary Statutory Body
(VSB) are cornerstones of good veterinary
governance
Source: B. Vallat, Director General of OIE (2013). Presentation on Veterinary
Education and the Importance of the Veterinary Statutory Body

4. Introduction
• There is a need for better global harmonisation
of VE worldwide and strengthening the role of
VSB, based on OIE guidelines
• OIE has been mandated by Members to take
global leadership role in establishing the basic
VE requirements
• A crucial first step in establishing a strong
educational foundation is to define minimum
competencies for both public- and private-
practice veterinarians to perform VS tasks
Source: B. Vallat, Director General of OIE (2013). Presentation on Veterinary
Education and the Importance of the Veterinary Statutory Body

5. One Health Strategy
• The application of the “One Health” strategy
at the animal-human interface will strengthen
veterinary capacity to meet it’s challenge
• Today’s public demands pertain specifically to
societal needs such as
– food safety and public health;
– combating emerging or re-emerging diseases, especially
zoonoses with the necessary disease surveillance and
management of risks;
– food security and animal production to address the ever
increasing states of human malnutrition and poverty;
– safeguarding biodiversity and addressing environmental
management and sustainability; and
– bio-security and meeting threats of bio-terrorism
Source: H. Schneider, Chairman of the OIE Ad hod Group on Veterinary Services.
Presentation on The Importance of Strengthening the Private Veterinary Sector and
the National Veterinary Statutory Bodies (VSB)

6. OIE Standards on Veterinary
Education
• Chapter 3.1. on Veterinary Services 
General organisation
Article 3.1.2. (point 7)  descriptions of each
position within the Veterinary Services to
include the requirements for education,
training, technical knowledge and experience
• Chapter 3.4 on Veterinary Legislation
Article 3.4.6 (point 1.b)  definition of the
minimum initial and continuous educational
requirements for veterinarians and veterinary
para-professionals

7. OIE Recommendations on the
Competencies of graduating veterinarians
• “Day 1 graduates” or “Day 1
competencies” = minimum
competencies that new
veterinary graduates need to
have to fulfil National
Veterinary Services tasks as
defined by the OIE
• Comprises both public and
private sectors

8. Veterinarian’s competensies
Basic competencies = minimum
knowledge, skills, attitudes and
aptitudes required for a veterinarian
to be licensed by a VSB
This comprises:
• General competencies
• Specific competencies

9. Veterinarian’s competencies
Basic general competencies = basic
veterinary sciences,
– which are normally taught early in the
curriculum and are prerequisite to clinical
studies; clinical veterinary sciences
– which provide the competencies
necessary to diagnose, treat and prevent
animal diseases; and animal production,
includes health management and
economics of animal production

10. Veterinarian’s competencies
Advanced competencies = minimum
knowledge, skills, attitudes and
aptitudes required for a veterinarian
to work within the Veterinary
Authority

11. Specific competencies (11 aspects)
• Epidemiology
• Transboundary
animal diseases
• Zoonoses (including
food borne diseases)
• Emerging and re-
emerging diseases
• Disease prevention
and control
programmes
• Food hygiene
• Veterinary products
• Animal welfare
• Veterinary legislation
and ethics
• General certification
procedures
• Communication skills

12. Advanced competencies (8 aspects)
• Organization of
Veterinary Services
• Inspection and
certification
procedures
•Management of
contagious disease
•Food hygiene
• Application of risk
analysis
• Research
• International trade
framework
• Administration and
management

13. Veterinary Education
Core Curriculum
• Companion document to “Day 1
graduates”
• TheseGuidelinesareto develop
curriculato educateveterinary
studentstotheexpectedlevelof
competency
• A model serving as a tool for
developing curricula
• Allows every flexibility to
accommodate vast differences

14. Model core Veterinary Curriculum
Course Sequence Competencies
Biochemistry Early General
Genetics Early General
Anatomy Early General
Physiology Early General
Immunology Early General
Biomathematics Early General Specific
Animal welfare and
ethology
Early to mid General Specific
Parasitology Mid General Specific
Pharmacology/toxicology Mid General Specific
Pathology Mid General Specific
Transmissible diseases Mid Specific Advanced
Microbiology Mid Gen. Spe. Adv.

15. Model core Veterinary Curriculum
Course Sequence Competencies
Epidemiology Mid Specific Advanced
Rural economics, business
management, and animal
production
Mid to late General Advanced
Clinical and diagnostic
sciences
Mid to late Specific
National and International
veterinary legislation
Mid to late Specific Advanced
Herd health management
and nutrition
Late Specific Advanced
Public health Late Specific Advanced
Food safety/hygiene Late Specific Advanced
Professional jurisprudence
and ethics
Late Specific
Communication Throughout Gen. Spe. Adv.

16. Veterinary Statutory Body (VSB)
• An autonomous authority regulating
veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals
• Article 3.2.12 deals with the Evaluation of a
VSB and provides an overview of the different
elements of a VSB. An evaluation would in
particular consider the:
1. legislative basis, autonomy and functional capacity
2. membership representation
3. accountability and transparency of decision-making
4. financial sources and financial management
5. programmes for training and for continuous
professional development for veterinarians and
veterinary para-professionals

17. OIE Standards on Veterinary
Statutory Body (VSB)
Veterinary legislation should provide a definition of
veterinary medicine/science to address:
1. Prerogatives of veterinarians and of the various
categories of veterinary para-professionals
2. Minimum initial and continuous educational
requirements and competencies for veterinarians
and veterinary para-professionals
3. Conditions for recognition of the qualification for
veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals
4. Conditions to perform the activities of veterinary
medicine/science
5. Exceptional situations under which non-
professionals may undertake professional activities
Article 3.4.6: Veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals

18. OIE Standards on Veterinary
Statutory Body (VSB)
Veterinary legislation should provide a regulatory
basis and therefore should:
1. describe the general system of control
2. describe the various categories of veterinary para-
professionals with their respective training,
qualification, tasks and extent of supervision.
3. prescribe the powers to deal with conduct and
competence issues including licensing requirements
4. provide for the possibility of delegation of powers
to the VSB
5. where powers have been so delegated, describe the
prerogatives, the functioning and responsibilities of
the mandated body
Article 3.4.6: Control of veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals

19. OIE Standards on Veterinary
Statutory Body (VSB)
In summary, a VSB
 is established by law
 should be autonomous
 has a democratically elected membership representing the
whole spectrum of the profession
 determines minimum standards of veterinary education
 sets standards for professional performance and ethical
behavior and
 licenses/registers veterinarians and Veterinary Para-
professional´s which also implies the authority to withdraw
such licenses and de-register following breaches of
professional conduct or ethical behavior

20. Members with VSBs or
equivalent accreditation bodies
• 23 out of 32 members with VSB
• 6 out of 32 members without VSB
• 3 members with no information
Source: R. Abila and M.J.N. Gordoncillo, OIE Sub-Regional
Representation for South-East Asia (2013)

21. Three types of VSBs or
Accreditation Bodies
• Veterinary Board or Council = 12 / 23
• Ministry of Agriculture (Vet Authority) = 8 / 23
• Vet Association = 3 / 23
Source: R. Abila and M.J.N. Gordoncillo, OIE Sub-Regional
Representation for South-East Asia (2013)

22. VSB Legislation
• Specific legislations to regulate veterinary profession including creation of VSB
• Part of the animal health and livestock development legislation
• No legislation but some guidelines issued by relevant government agencies
• With Legislation = 15 / 23
• Without Legislation = 8 / 23
Source: R. Abila and M.J.N. Gordoncillo, OIE Sub-Regional
Representation for South-East Asia (2013)

23. VSB Licensing/Registration
• Examination from accredited schools
– Set in an examination after graduation
• Automatic registration from accredited schools either from domestic or
foreign
• Examination from accredited schools = 7 / 23
• Accredited schools = 16 / 23
Source: R. Abila and M.J.N. Gordoncillo, OIE Sub-Regional
Representation for South-East Asia (2013)
Examination
30%
Accredited
schools
70%

24. VSB composition
• Selected from various field of expertise
of veterinary professionals
• Institutional Representation from VS,
Vet schools and Vet Association
• Elected members
• Appointed by Ministry of Agriculture /
Veterinary Authority

25. Examples of Veterinary Council in
some ASEAN countries
No. ASEAN countries Name of Veterinay Council
1. Brunei Darussalam Brunei Darussalam Veterinary Council*
2. Malaysia Malaysian Veterinary Council**
3. Myanmar Veterinary Council of Myanmar***
4. Philippines Council on Ethics****
Council on Biologics and Therapeutic Agents****
Council of Animal Welfare****
Council of Continuing Professional Education****
5. Thailand Veterinary Council of Thailand*****
* Constitution of Brunei Darussalam Veterinary Surgeons Order 2005
** Veterinary Surgeons Act 1974 (Act 147)
*** The Veterinary Council Law of Myanmar 1995
**** Adopted Constitution and By-Laws Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, Inc (Amended 1997)
***** Veterinary Professional Act 1992

26. Summary
Applying OIE Standards and Recommendations on
Veterinary Education and VSB’s
 ensures quality in the delivery of professional
services
 increases credibility of the Veterinary Service
 contributes to the development of good governance.

27. Summary
High quality veterinaryeducation is of criticalimportance to
the efficientfunctioning of VeterinaryServices
Improvingthe quality of veterinaryeducationis thereforekey
to improving governanceof VeterinaryServices
The minimum competenciesrequired by graduating
veterinarians(Day 1 graduatesand VeterinaryEducationCore
Curriculum) to be adequatelypreparedto work in National
VeterinaryServices(both public and privatesectors)