Defining and using behavioral competencies to manage performance and careers: potential applications and implications for veterinary medicine.

Recent studies have highlighted concerns regarding the skills, career prospects, and economic prosperity of veterinarians. Human resource departments in a wide variety of organizations and industries have adopted a competency-based approach to managing the selection, training, placement, and ongoing development of their staff. This paper defines competencies, characterizes their typical use in industry, and examines the potential applications of a competency-based approach for veterinary medicine. It is argued that the competency-based approaches honed in the private sector promise to assist veterinary colleges, employers of veterinarians, and professional societies in influencing the state of the profession through the selection, education, and development of veterinarians.