CasePALs is an online collection of real clinical cases from the veterinary hospitals and clinics at the University of Edinburgh. Final year veterinary students select cases for CasePALs, based on cases they have seen during their clinical rotations. These cases are regularly added to CasePALs, forming a continually growing case log which is accessible to all.
Cases contained in CasePALs are divided according to discipline (e.g. small animal orthopaedics, exotics), difficulty (easy, moderate, difficulty) and body system. As cases are added over time, each section will grow.
During your undergraduate education, you may have been taught to manage cases using a framework or template, which is an excellent way to start learning clinical reasoning. However, in clinical practice it is rarely possible to rigidly follow a set protocol and because the CasePALs cases are real, the same problem is encountered here. Initially, this may cause frustration: as vets, we have experienced this during our own learning curve and understand. But, as you work through the case, you will understand why some deviation from a standardised clinical template should be anticipated, influenced by factors such as the discipline involved, case ethics, owner expectations, financial constraints etc. This is real life, and will be excellent preparation for your own life in clinical practice. Importantly, it should help you to realise that there are often multiple ways of managing a patient. You may have chosen a different path to the one in CasePALs and this does not always mean you are wrong. Indeed, in some cases, your chosen path may have been the preferable option. Wherever possible, alternative options for investigation\/treatment will be discussed and we hope each case will spark debate between you and your peers and educators.
We hope you enjoy CasePALs and would welcome any feedback you have.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CasePALs is an online collection of real clinical cases from the veterinary hospitals and clinics at the University of Edinburgh. Final year veterinary students select cases for CasePALs, based on cases they have seen during their clinical rotations. These cases … Continue reading