Ken Lindeblad
Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science (Surgery) from University of Copenhagen, 2015.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark, 1982.
Veterinarian at Faxe Dyrehospital (Faxe Animal Hospital).
Never too experienced to learn new techniques
On the road to becoming a certified danish veterinary specialist
As an experienced veterinarian, Ken has been looking for an opportunity for continuing education that gives ECTS-points and international recognition. At the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science he found it:
“It is important for me to get a Certificate on my qualifications. You can say that I get my qualifications validated by getting the ECTS-points.”
An important aspect of Ken’s motivation for enrolling in the programme is his plan to become a danish veterinary specialist:
“For me it is a step towards getting certified as a danish veterinary specialist. I had applied to become a certified danish veterinary specialist and had received an education plan before I became aware of this Master programme. But when I saw this programme I immediately applied. I saw that the Master programme maybe could be the help I needed to get the academic part in place in the sense that I get to produce literature, articles, and assignments. For me, who works in a practice, that would be a way to set aside time to write articles which otherwise would be difficult in a busy life. ”
Focus on both academic and practical skills
The Master programme has strengthened Kens academic skills and taught him new ways to obtain knowledge:
”The important part of the programme has been the academic part of our profession. At my age, I have not received the same training in for example literature search and achieving insight in an area through the large databases that exist. I have also learned to look critically at literature and obtain knowledge that way around. So you get upgraded academically and become capable of seeking knowledge and assess it critically.”
Beside the academic part, Ken has also experienced new practical techniques that can be implemented in the practice:” The programme has given us insight in some new techniques that we have been practicing. In the first module in soft tissue surgery we were presented for techniques that I have not used in my practice and that I will consider using in the future. I found this very exciting.”
Ken is a lecturer himself and finds that the programme gives him the possibility to include the newest knowledge and thereby be more credible:
“when I am holding a lecture it is really great to be able to say that I have been searching for these specific topics and found that specific information. That makes me more credible in the lectures. So I believe that the part of the programme where we seek evidence for what we do is a great place to be stimulated.”
Experienced but still space for development
Even though Ken has many years of experience as a private practitioner, he has obtained new knowledge from the programme:
“I would say that through the written assignments I have acquired thorough understanding of certain subjects which I have been capable of using in my everyday life.”
Besides the new knowledge Ken has also become acquainted with new practical methods:
“in some of the first modules I worked with some tools that I have never worked with before and that was a lot of fun.”
Interview from 2014 when Ken Lindeblad was enrolled at the specialisation track in Companion Animal Surgery.