My professional and personal development was enhanced by participating in the training of trainers for PDS/PE
PDS/PE is a precise method that utilizes intervention techniques to diagnose diseases and conduct epidemiological research. It has been widely used in various studies involving animals and animal diseases to overcome traditional epidemiological limitations.
To highlight the significance of PDS/PE at both national and local levels, a series of training sessions are being conducted with the participation of veterinarians from various provinces.
A national and local central event to recognize the importance of PDS/PE is organized in stages, and veterinarians are selected to participate in PDS implementer training in conjunction with the General Agency for Veterinary Services (GAVS) and General Veterinary Departments in provinces.
We talked with Ms. Khulan, a young professional to share her experiences as a certified PDS/PE practitioner and a participant of essential veterinary training for veterinarians along with other veterinarians from Dornod province organized within the frame of the Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) project funded by the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
- What motivated you to participate in the training of trainers for PDS/PE and how did you learn about it in the first place?
- The CRC project has started being implemented in Tes, Malchin and Tarialan soums of Uvs province in 2021 to organize the training of practitioners of PDS/PE for local herders and veterinarians. I was one of the participants of the training and became a certified practitioner of PDS/PE and I’ve been participating in the training of trainers (ToT) since 2022 to deepen my knowledge and expertise of the PDS/PE to efficiently practice it in the field and my job.
- How long have you been working as a veterinarian and what’s your major focus in the sector as a professional?
- I studied veterinary and graduated from the Mongolia State University of Agriculture in 2015. Since graduation, I’ve been living and working in my hometown which is Uvs province. In 2016, I started my career at the Ulgii Soum Governor’s Office as a livestock health and food security specialist to enhance my skills and later on I worked as an epidemiologist at the General Veterinary Department of Ulaangom soum in Uvs province. Throughout the past 7 years, as a vet professional, I’ve been focused on gaining diverse and crucial skills such as administration, reporting and other skills not only as a vet, but also as a professional in the veterinarian health sector.
- How do you describe the impact that’s brought to you by engaging in the ToT for PDS?
By participating the ToT for PDS/PE as well as the PDS practitioners training, there are following tangible progress has been made in my personal development except from the professional knowledge such as the training have opened up opportunities to get acquainted, exchange experiences and learn from other vets, professionals and practitioners in other provinces. And I see myself gaining my soft skills as I became more open to others, even more open than ever before, significantly tolerant and more skilled in public good manners, and explaining things to others including the herders.
- Do you share your knowledge and experiences from the training for PDS/PE with your colleagues and communities? If so, how do you do this?
- Of course, I like to share the knowledge I gained with my colleagues at the and peer professionals through organizational meetings, provincial veterinarian training and conferences when it happens as well as using the online Facebook community group for vets as a medium to share my knowledge.
- How do you explain the importance of PDS/PE as a professional in particular? What our readers should know about this?
- Talking with local herders according to the method of epidemiology helps us (vets) to be more patient, observant and understanding when it comes to hear their experiences, challenges and obstacles about animal diseases. After talking with herders using the method, we aim to come up with a constructive plan of prevention from the diverse animal diseases which also includes related activities dedicated to decreasing the existing outbreak and preventing from the potential animal diseases based on the herders’ facing challenges and needs. The PDS/PE method works effectively for evaluating the risks of animal diseases, planning the response and mitigation as well as defining the causes of outbreaks of various animal diseases.
- In your opinion, how does the methodology is bringing impact in the herders’ lives?
Practicing the PDS/PE methodology to share the herders’ experiences while learning about their situations is crucial for solving their problems in the agriculture sector and it becomes one of important tools to leverage the herder community’s challenges to the policy level to offer better solutions towards solving their challenges. Training the PDS/PE practitioners increase participation of herders in the veterinary sector activities, to enhance the capacity of veterinarians, as well as building the bridge between herders and authorities and becomes the nudge for improved policies for efficient solutions towards existing challenges in the agriculture sector.
Personally, as a PDS/PE practitioner and a trained trainer of this methodology, I believe it becomes a leverage between herders’ voices and the policy makers for effective collaboration for community development. Last, not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our trainer Ms. Enkhtuya, GAVS, the CRC project funder USAID, World Vision International Mongolia, and the General Veterinary Department of Ulaangom soum in Uvs province for your support and investment in the knowledge of veterinarians.