Bridge to Success in Veterinary School: Evaluation of a Study Skills and Behavioral Strategies Course for Incoming Students

Abstract

Incoming veterinary students often face challenges adapting to rigorous professional curricula, which impact their academic performance as well as personal well-being. To address this, Iowa State University offered an optional asynchronous online summer course—Bridge to Success in Veterinary School—covering evidence-based learning techniques (spacing, retrieval practice, metacognition), discipline-specific skills (note-taking, exam preparation), and resilience behaviors (growth mind-set, time management, stress management). A mixed-methods evaluation incorporated a pre-course survey, a post-course survey, focus group interviews, and a delayed second-semester survey. Approximately 15% of incoming students completed the course. Participants reported that academic preparedness and exposure to professional workloads motivated participation, while summer commitments limited participation. Overall satisfaction was high, and 90% of completers would recommend the course. About half of participants indicated that they applied new cognitive strategies in their first semester, and a majority adopted behavioral techniques. Participants recommended shorter, example-driven videos, veterinary-specific case studies, a “day in the life” module, and extended access. These findings suggest that targeted logistical and contextual enhancements could strengthen course reach and long-term impact on veterinary student learning.