Professional Veterinary Practice (VETS40018)

This subject is undertaken as a series of 25 weeks of scheduled clinical rotations, internally within the University Veterinary Hospital and in external placements, 19 weeks on extramural elective placements, and concludes with a one week capstone 'transition to the workplace' lecture and workshop series. The subject comprises 45 weeks of study.

This subject addresses and assesses the five core learning domains of Veterinary Professional Practice:

• Personal and Professional Development
• The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice
• Clinical Skills
• Ethics and Animal Welfare, and
• Biosecurity and Population Health

The internal rotations include training in clinical disciplines such as; general practice, small animal medicine, small animal surgery/neurology, equine medicine and surgery, production animal medicine, diagnostic imaging, anaesthesiology, small animal emergency medicine and pathology.

The external rotations include training in clinical disciplines such as; veterinary public health, dairy cattle medicine and surgery, and shelter medicine and surgery.

Nineteen weeks of extramural elective placements must be completed, of which 15 weeks are scheduled in the final year rotation schedule. The remaining 4 weeks may be completed immediately after achieving passes in all subjects in Year 2 of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (i.e. BVSc2). The scheduled 15 weeks must be completed after achieving passes in all subjects in BVSc3. These may be taken in sequences lasting from one to five weeks' duration. They may be undertaken in approved veterinary practices in Australia or internationally, in government veterinary laboratories or other organisations, or in a veterinary research environment. A research project may be undertaken during extramural elective rotations.

A compulsory Capstone series of lectures and workshops concludes the year with reviews of topics that prepare students for transition to the workplace. An annual research project under supervision of an appropriate mentor is also required to be completed.