250-319 Professional Practice 1 (Hospital)

Special requirements: suitable protective clothing is required for all practical work in the clinics and laboratories. A white scrub suit or white short-sleeved coveralls are required for surgical clinics, a clean white coat for medical clinics, and grey or khaki coveralls and rubber over-boots for all large animal clinics. Students must provide themselves with a stethoscope, thermometer, pen light and dog lead.

Lectures will consider the following topics: food safety and public health; state veterinary medicine; legislative control of animals and animal diseases (Livestock Diseases Act, Quarantine Act, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, etc.); reporting adverse drug reactions; handling disease emergencies (Austvetplan); aquatic animal health; animal welfare; and urban animal management.

Students will undertake weekly clinical rotations in sections of the Department of Veterinary Science and Department of Veterinary Clinic and Hospital, with daily attendances from 8am to 1pm. Some sections require out-of-hours work during the week, on weekends and on public holidays.

Clinical rotations include autopsy, clinical pathology, microbiology and parasitology; diagnostic imaging; small animal medicine; small animal surgery; anaesthesiology; equine medicine and surgery; agriculture animal medicine; animal reproduction; and small animal emergency and critical care.

Extramural work between teaching periods and between clinical years involves two weeks in third year and two weeks in final year in the Veterinary Clinic and Hospital, including an out-of-hours component and additional attendance as directed by clinicians; twelve weeks of approved extramural work with an academic associate of the faculty, or other approved experience during the third and final years; and one week at the Rural Veterinary Centre, Maffra. This work must be completed by the end of second semester of final year.

Students completing this subject should have acquired the following:

• cognitive, analytic and problem solving skills, involving independent thought, rational enquiry and self-directed learning;

• respect for intellectual integrity and professional ethics;

• professional and technical skills;

• writing skills and the use of advanced communication technologies;

• time management and planning skills;

• people management, the ability to participate effectively in collaborative learning, interpersonal relationships and grief counselling; and

• finance and business management skills.

Clinical rotations, including Veterinary Public Health assignments (80%) and two 15-minute oral/practical examinations at the end of semester, covering clinical and applied aspects of professional practice (20%). Students are required to pass all components of assessment including all clinical rotations.