Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (MC-DVETMED) // Notes

PROGRESSION IN THE DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE STANDING RULES

A student cannot enrol in any subject in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) course without having completed satisfactorily the prerequisite subject(s).

Convening of the Course Academic Progress Committee

The Faculty's Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC) will convene after results have been certified for each subject to review the progress of any student in the Repeat the Subject, Repeat the Year or Termination of Enrolment category.  Students in these categories will be invited to make an oral and/or written submission to the Committee.  The CAPC is authorised to make decisions on behalf of the Faculty with respect to the progress of individual students and to vary the Standing Rules if it deems that progression of a student can be facilitated without adversely affecting academic standards.

STANDING RULES - Years 1, 2 and 3

1. Hurdle Requirements

1.1 Students must pass each subject on the aggregate mark.  If a subject is pass/fail only, students must pass that subject outright.

1.2 A minimum mark of 40% in the end-of-semester examination component of any subject is required for a student to be eligible to pass that subject.  Students with a mark below 40% in the end-of-semester examination of a subject will be required to pass on reassessment in order to pass that subject.

1.3 Students must pass all hurdle requirements of a subject to pass that subject.  Students who fail one or more hurdle requirements of a subject will be required to pass on reassessment in order to pass that subject.

2. Reassessment

2.1 Reassessment will be granted for a maximum of two subjects per semester and only if a student has achieved a mark of at least 40% in those subjects. 

2.2 Reassessment is the sole determinant of the final mark for that subject.  No earlier assessment components of the subject will contribute to the final mark in that subject.  The format of the reassessment may differ from that of the original assessment(s) in that subject.  Reassessment may be comprised of more than one component or type of assessment.  The maximum mark recorded for reassessment is 50%.

2.3 Reassessment will not be offered to a student who falls into the Repeat the Subject or Termination of Enrolment category.

2.4 Reassessment will not be offered to a student who fails a subject on a repeat attempt.

3. Repeat the Subject

3.1 Students in DVM 1, DVM 2 and DVM 3 are permitted to repeat subjects if they do not fall into the Termination of Enrolment category.

3.2 Repeating students are required to undertake only those subjects that they have failed and must complete all components of those subjects.

3.3 Students repeating one or more subjects must pass all components of those subjects outright and are not eligible for reassessment.

4. Termination of Enrolment

4.1 A DVM 1, DVM 2 or DVM 3 student will be placed in the Termination of Enrolment category if they:

• Fail all subjects in a semester
• Fail any subject at the first attempt with a mark of less than 40%
• Fail any repeated subject.

STANDING RULES – Year 4

1. Hurdle Requirements

1.1 A student cannot graduate without completing satisfactorily all components of the Veterinary Professional Practice 5 subject.

1.2 Students must pass the Veterinary Professional Practice 5 subject on the aggregate mark.

1.3 Students must pass each of the seven hurdles in the Veterinary Professional Practice 5 subject.

2. Hurdle Reassessment

2.1 A hurdle reassessment is a further assessment that will be offered to eligible students who have:

• failed the research project
• failed up to two Core or Track clinical rotations, and/or
• failed to attend the Capstone activities.

2.2 A hurdle reassessment is the sole determinant of the mark or pass/fail outcome for that hurdle component. 

2.3 Where the numeric result for a hurdle requirement contributes to the overall subject mark, the hurdle reassessment mark will be used in that calculation.

2.4 Research Project

2.4.1 Eligible students who fail the research project will be permitted to re-submit the project during the supplementary assessment period.  The maximum mark recorded for this hurdle reassessment is 50%.

2.5 Core and Track Clinical Rotations

2.5.1 Eligible students will be permitted to repeat up to two failed Core or Track clinical rotations.  The Board of Examiners will determine the duration of any repeated clinical rotation and its scheduling.  The maximum mark recorded for any repeated rotation is 50%.

2.6 A hurdle reassessment will not be offered to a student who falls into the Repeat the Year or Termination of Enrolment category.

2.7 A hurdle reassessment will not be offered to a student who fails a hurdle whilst repeating Veterinary Professional Practice 5.

3. Supplementary Assessment

3.1 Students will be offered supplementary assessment if they do not fall into the Repeat the Year or Termination of Enrolment category.  To be eligible for supplementary assessment, students must have an overall subject mark of at least 40%.

3.2 Supplementary assessment will be offered to eligible students who fail the end-of-year written examination.

3.3 Supplementary assessment will be offered to eligible students who fail three Core or Track clinical rotations.

3.4 Supplementary assessment will be offered to eligible students who fail one repeated Core or Track clinical rotation.

3.5 Supplementary assessment will be offered to eligible students who fail to pass the assessment of proficiency in professional entry-level clinical skills by the end of the clinical teaching year.

3.6 Supplementary assessment will not be offered if a student has failed a hurdle reassessment for the research project.

3.7 Supplementary assessment will not be offered to a student who falls into the Repeat the Year or Termination of Enrolment category.

3.8 Supplementary assessment will not be offered to a student who fails any hurdle whilst repeating the year.

3.9 A supplementary assessment is the sole determinant of the final mark for the subject.  No earlier assessment components of the subject will contribute to the final mark.  The maximum mark that can be recorded for the subject after supplementary assessment is 50%.

3.10 The format of the supplementary assessment may differ from that of the original assessment(s) and may involve more than one component and type of assessment.

4. Repeat the Year

4.1 A DVM 4 student who does not fall into the Termination of Enrolment category will be permitted to repeat the year if they:

• fail four or more Core or Track clinical rotations, or
• fail more than one repeated Core or Track clinical rotation, or
• fail the research project after hurdle reassessment, or
• fail a supplementary examination, or
• fail Veterinary Professional Practice 5 after hurdle reassessment or supplementary assessment with a mark between 40 and 49%.

4.2 Repeating DVM 4 students are required to undertake and successfully complete all components of Veterinary Professional Practice 5 on the first repeated attempt.  Repeating students are not eligible for hurdle reassessment or supplementary assessment. 

5. Termination of Enrolment

5.1 A DVM 4 student will be placed in the Termination of Enrolment category if they:

• fail Veterinary Professional Practice 5 at the first attempt with a mark of less than 40%, or
• fail any hurdle in a repeated year.

Last updated: 10 November 2023