VETimpulse article - News

An article about WikiVet was in an issue of VETimpulse, a German veterinary magazine that is sent out every 2 weeks to vets and vet students. Our thanks to VETimpulse for allowing us to publish a copy of this article (below), and also to our colleague Dr Jan Ehlers who has provided a translation for us:

Translation:

Wikipedia for veterinarians
Everybody knows wikipedia. Wikivet works quite the same - but with restricted access. veterinary students and vets create and review articles about all topics of veterinary medicine and like this develop wikivet further on. But it is a professional community with strict registration procedures.

In the beginning wikivet was thought to deliver online shared learning content. In 2007 several universities in the uk collaborated. Now more than 206 universities in 76 countries are part of wikivet. From Germany only the TiHo is part of it. The content of wikivet shows aspects of the preclinical and clinical education from vearious perspectives.

Like in the "big brother" wikipedia there are more than 4,000 pages that inform about the whole veterinary field from anatomy (A) to dentistry (Z). Additionally you can test your knowledge in several quizzes, interactively interpret radiographs or save a dog from death in emergency medicine.

A wiki is growing all the time, so here are also several additional (more practical) topics planned. Already in 2012 "VetPro" content shall be of interest for veterinary practitioners. The only problem: By now wikivet is only in Englsih. It is planned to have a Translation to Spanish and French but there are still volunteers for a German version missing. Like in wikipedia the members have to care for the content. "This is why we started with students from the preclinical years" said Nick Short, Head of the e-learning unit at the RVC, London. By now these students are so well trained with these new technologies and tools, that it is very easy for them (compared to practitioners) to create their own topics and pages. "A new generation of clinicians is growing that has no fear of computers. The veterinary community grows together."

Students and practitioners that are interested in translation work please contact Nick Short via email at wikimaster@wikivet.net


<pdf>VETimpulse.pdf</pdf>