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

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.