VETERINARY MEDICINE 2 - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module will prepare students for topics pertinent to professional practice and career planning such as communication, patient safety, practice management and law, and is thus a critical module for employability. It also introduces students to clinical conditions of the urinary, reproductive, haemopoietic, neurological and endocrine systems as well as conditions of the organs of special senses across all veterinary species, the means of their diagnosis and their therapy both with medical and surgical interventions. By presenting conditions across the species, the commonality of disease process and similarities of therapies are illustrated. The species specific therapies will also be explored.

Module provider

School of Veterinary Medicine

Module Leader

AUGER Emily (Vet Med)

Number of Credits: 45

ECTS Credits: 22.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Fundamentals of Veterinary Practice

Communication

• Client relationships


• Euthanasia and bereavement


• Communicating in challenging situations

Law

• Legislation governing animals, society and business

Business

• Practice management

Ethics

• Ethical frameworks and decision making


• Ethical dilemmas

Clinical reasoning

• How veterinary surgeons make clinical decisions

Clinical governance

• How does being human affect our practice


• How can patient safety within veterinary practice be improved

Pharmacy Practice

• The safe handling, storage and disposal of medicines


• The Cascade and withdrawal periods


• The safe handling and disposal of clinical  waste

Careers

• Explore different career paths open to veterinary graduates

 

Clinical Practice

Special sense organs

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases affecting the ocular system. Diagnostic and interventional techniques related to the eye will be taught in the practical classes.

 Neurological System

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases affecting the neurological system. Assessment of the neurological system will be taught in practical classes.

Haemopoietic System

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases affecting the haemopoietic system. Diagnostic techniques related to this system will be taught in practical classes.

 Endocrine System

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases affecting the endocrine system.

Reproductive System

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of condition conditions of the reproductive tract and neonate. Diagnostic and interventional techniques related to the reproductive tract and neonate will be taught in the practical classes.

 Urinary System

• Lectures will introduce the approach to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of urinary conditions. The clinical skills associated with examination and management of urology cases will be taught in the practical classes.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative opportunities for group based portfolio assignments such as Grand Rounds and Communication Simulations are provided to students unable to participate. Students must complete these assignments, providing evidence of work produced, and work with their peers where needed to complete the alternative assessment activities. Grand Rounds - Students must watch the recordings of the presentations delivered in semester and submit a written reflection on the presentation about the case they worked on (maximum 500 words) Communication Simulations - Students must practise their communication skills with a peer by completing two communication scenarios. Students should choose one personal learning objective for each scenario and receive feedback from their peer. Students will then submit a 450 word written reflection on these scenarios.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Practical skills associated with professional and clinical practice


• That students have taken full responsibility for their own learning through use of flipped classroom resources and independent study 


• Teamwork and participation in group learning both in the practical sessions and group presentations with active engagement in problem-based task requirements to achieve sustainable solutions and outcomes


• Content knowledge relating to the key subject areas of module of professional practice and urinary, reproductive, haemopoietic, neurological and endocrine conditions as well as conditions of the organs of special senses

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this core module consists of:

• Portfolio (addresses learning outcomes 1 - 12)


• OSCE (addresses learning outcome 11)


• Written Examination: Short Answer Questions (addresses learning outcomes 1 - 12)


• Written Examination: Multiple Choice Questions (addresses learning outcomes 1 - 12)

 

To pass the module students are required to achieve a weighted aggregate mark of 50% in the Written Examinations and obtain a pass in the Portfolio and OSCE.

In order to obtain a pass in the Portfolio students must complete all of the following elements:

• Clinical Skills Log (completion of peer led clinical skills log)


• Reflective Essay (submission of reflective essay and completion of peer-feedback on the submission of another student)


• In Class Test (completion of online test)


• Communication Simulations (completion of a group communication simulation with peer feedback)


• Grand Rounds (submission of group work and attendance at presentations)


• Clinical Examination Assessment (pass the dog examination pass/fail assessment)

In order to obtain a pass in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), the student must pass 80% of stations within the OSCE.

(Exam Units are onsite closed-booked invigilated fixed-time assessments. They are delivered through SurreyLearn using campus PC Labs)

Formative assessment:

• Practice papers and weekly online quizzes


• Formative Principle Seminars

 

Feedback

• Verbal feedback is provided in small group teaching, following case presentations, in one to one discussions and during practical sessions.


• Written feedback is delivered when online formative tests are completed and individualized feedback and grades are provided on completion of principle seminars.

Module aims

• Provide students with the foundation knowledge and non-clinical skills required for veterinary practice, including practice management, clinical reasoning, patient safety considerations, and the ethical and legal responsibilities pertinent to veterinary surgeons
• Foster continued development of independent learners
• Encourage consideration of diverse career opportunities
• Develop students' understanding of bereavement and the euthanasia process and develop communication skills to deal with challenging conversations
• Develop students understanding of the requirements of pharmacy practice, clinical waste management and the need for pharmacovigilance
• Provide students with the core knowledge and skills required for the clinical evaluation, diagnostic intervention, management and therapy of conditions affecting the urinary, reproductive, haemopoietic, nervous, endocrine systems and the organs of specials senses across all veterinary species

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Provide hands on opportunities to develop the skills required for clinical and professional practice.


• Provide a safe supportive environment to learn these essential skills such as communication, working as a team and clinical skills prior to starting EMS


• Ensure that students understand the legal and workplace requirements prior to being placed in a clinical setting


• Provide deep understanding of the clinical conditions of the urinary, reproductive, haemopoietic, neurological, endocrine systems and organs of special senses – their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis


• Highlight the similarities of the disease processes across the species and allow the concept of One Health – One Medicine to be considered for some conditions.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures, flipped classroom, small group sessions, case based scenarios, virtual learning material, practical classes using real and simulated equipment, clinical pathology specimens, models, image video and audio libraries, cadaveric surgical studies and live animal examination

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: VMS3011

Other information

The School of Veterinary Medicine is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 

Employability:  

This module fosters the development of a range of graduate attributes which are integral to the RCVS Day One competences and learning across the topics within this module including communication, legislation, business, ethics, patient safety, career planning, business and veterinary professionalism prepares students for the professional workplace. Through team-based practical sessions, students are able to develop critical thinking, cultural awareness, communication skills, decision-making, collaboration and leadership. Portfolio tasks and the assessment strategy require students to demonstrate reflective skills, research and presentation skills, use of digital tools and application of knowledge acquired across the topics within the context of work in the veterinary industry.    

 Digital Capabilities:  

Throughout the module, students are required to utilize digital technology, including the creation of and contribution to shared documents in practical group work, use of a web-based peer-review system, accessing the library databases for literature evaluation, use of referencing software and creating presentation materials.   

Global and Cultural Capabilities: 

Within this module, decision-making tasks and group assignments during practical directed study sessions provide opportunities to collaborate, communicate and build relationships with people from different backgrounds, reflecting on different experiences and adapting norms and belief systems. Module content incorporates perspectives from a range of cultures and global contexts through the inclusion of representative scenarios and conversations around veterinary ethics and veterinary consultation skills from varied stakeholder perspectives.  

Resourcefulness and Resilience: 

This module teaches and encourages reflective engagement, collaboration and active learning through online, supported self-learning, active learning workshops and group practicals, self-directed activities and reflective exercises. Portfolio activities and assessments challenge and stretch students and are geared towards promoting resourcefulness and resilience. Through opportunities to self-evaluate and reflect on their own performance and that of their peers in portfolio tasks, students are able to build self-efficacy and confidence by learning from experience. Students are guided to optimize feedback opportunities, to reflect thoughtfully and in a structured manner on learning and experiences, and to respond flexibly to challenges throughout the module, thus enhancing their resilience and resourcefulness.  

Sustainability:

Veterinary students will develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes needed to work, live and lead in a way that meets the current needs of the profession without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Students are aware of the requirements for the safe handling, storage and disposal of veterinary medicines and clinical waste and the need for pharmacovigilance, and to reflect on how this can impact sustainability

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.