First prize went to the University of Edinburgh’s Molly Vasanthakumar (pictured right) for her Knowledge Summary comparing the ecological impact of woven versus disposable drapes. Molly found that there is not enough evidence that disposable synthetics reduce the risk of surgical site infections when compared to reusable woven drapes, based on her assessment of the available literature.
Molly said: “The Veterinary Evidence student competition gave me an opportunity to identify a specific issue, find and appraise the evidence and then apply it to a practical setting.
"Winning the competition has given me a chance to further my skills in evidence-based veterinary medicine [EBVM] and also raise awareness of an incredibly important and topical issue."
Molly received her prize at RCVS Day, and her published paper can now be read in Veterinary Evidence: http://bit.ly/MollyVasanthakumar
Second prize went to Honoria Brown of the University of Cambridge, whose paper asked: "Can hoof wall temperature and digital pulse pressure be used as sensitive non-invasive diagnostic indicators of acute laminitis onset?"
Honoria said: "Writing this Knowledge Summary was the perfect chance, not only to develop my ability to navigate and analyse databases, but also to present my findings for the benefit of other clinicians who face these issues.
"I feel that these skills will be very useful to me later in my career, and I am grateful to Veterinary Evidence for providing me with the opportunity."
Jacqueline Oi Ping Tong from the University of Edinburgh won third prize for her critical appraisal of the evidence for whether a daily probiotic improved clinical outcomes in dogs with idiopathic diarrhoea. She said: "This experience makes me recognise the importance of evidence-based veterinary medicine to the veterinary community; it connects scientific research to everyday practice.
"It was a great opportunity to engage in EBVM early in my veterinary career, and start learning how to critically appraise the current evidence."
Jacqueline and Honoria’s Knowledge Summaries have been accepted for future publication in Veterinary Evidence.
All submissions were subjected to the same standards and peer-review process as normal journal submissions.
RCVS Knowledge’s Executive Director, Chris Gush, said: "EBVM and its application into practice starts as part of the undergraduate degree, and we are delighted to encourage and champion student involvement.
"This new initiative from our journal taps into the student body’s potential to help grow the evidence base, whilst preparing the next generation of veterinary professionals for when they graduate."
The Veterinary Evidence Student Awards are running again for 2020 and are open for submissions.
The awards are open to all undergraduates studying veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing or bioveterinary science (and equivalent). More information can be found here: http://bit.ly/VEstudentawards
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