VETERINARY MEDICINE 3 - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module will comprise of three clinical practice units, companion animal, equine and production practice. The content combines the previous student's knowledge of body systems, with husbandry and management of the animal into the context of holistic veterinary clinical medicine at the various stages of the life cycle. The emphasis will be on maintaining animal health, welfare, productivity and performance through a proactive approach, working in partnership with animal managers/owners.

Module provider

School of Veterinary Medicine

Module Leader

VAN SCHOOR Mirinda (Vet Med)

Number of Credits: 60

ECTS Credits: 30

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The student's knowledge, skills and attributes to support companion, equine and production veterinary practice will be covered within the teaching and assessment of this module.

Topics covered include:

Maintenance and monitoring of animal health

Animal nutrition

Management of the reproductive and parturient animal 

Neonatal and growing animal care

Disease diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control

Imaging and other diagnostics

Sustainable treatment selection

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Metabolic/ hormonal diseases

Traumatic conditions and critical care

Toxicology

Management of the senior/geriatric animal

Veterinary Surgeon's role in improving productivity and efficiency of production animal systems

Leadership and communication

Digital capabilities - data analysis

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessments are applicable to the following portfolio assets: - The Group Herd Report  - alternatively students need to submit an Individual Report. - The Group Health Management Audit -  alternatively students need to submit an Individual Audit. - The Grand-Rounds - alternatively students will be required to watch the recordings of the presentations delivered in semester and submit a written reflection on the presentation about the case that the student worked on (maximum 500 words) 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate: • Clinical and professional skills • Problem-solving skills, ability to assimilate and interpret diagnostic findings • Clinical reasoning and case-management skills at an individual/population level. • Knowledge of animal health management protocols. • Client ‘education focussed’ communication skills • Understanding of the relationships between life-stage, disease risk and preventative strategies, health, and welfare. • Demonstrate day-one clinical skills, in the context of simulation training and making use of live animal resources if appropriate, within a must-pass clinical skills portfolio.

There are five units of assessment that must be passed: the three individual Written Examinations, the OSCE, and the Clinical Practice portfolio.

Written examinations for this module consists of:  

Companion Animal Practice Written Examination - 33% of the module mark (90 minutes) Core

Equine Practice Written Examination - 33% of the module mark (90 minutes) Core

Production Animal Practice Written Examination - 34% of the module mark (120 minutes) Core

The pass mark for each of the 3 written examinations is 50%. 

Examination units are onsite closed-book invigilated fixed-time assessments. They are delivered through SurreyLearn using campus PC Labs.

 

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) PASS/FAIL Core

To obtain a pass in the OSCE unit of assessment, 80% of the stations need to be passed.

 

Clinical Practice Portfolio PASS/FAIL Core

Companion animal practice (25%) In-class test

Production practice (25%) Group Herd Health Report

Equine practice (25%) In-class test

Production practice (25%) Group Herd Health Management Audit

General clinical examination peer review of three core species (completion task) 

Clinical Skills Log (completion task)

Grand-rounds attendance and case presentation (completion task)

To obtain a pass in the Clinical Practice Portfolio an aggregate of 50% of the weighted portfolio assets and completion of all the other assets is required.

Module aims

• The Student will apply existing knowledge, clinical and professional skills to companion animal, production, and equine practice across the different stages of the animal's life.
• The Student will develop a rational, problem-solving approach to the common presentations in companion animal, production, and equine practice at an individual and/or herd/flock/colony level.
• Emphasise the role of the veterinary surgeon to the student in promoting animal health and welfare through a proactive, evidenced-based, and cost-effective approach to, including prevention and control, through partnership with managers/owners.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to build and expand student's knowledge, skills, and attributes required to become a proficient Veterinary Surgeon in companion, equine, and production practice.
 
The learning and teaching methods include: 

• 
  Lectures and seminars (including flipped classroom)
  


• 
  Small group work and discussions 
  


• 
  Case-based learning
  


• 
  E-learning using Think Aloud cases and other platforms
  


• 
  Self-directed learning, including clinical skills practice
  


• 
  Teaching activities include simulations and role-playing
  


• 
  Simulation training
  


• 
  Practical sessions involving computer-based data analysis
  


• 
  Clinical skills practical sessions
  

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: VMS4008

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 contributes to the development of a range of clinical and technical graduate attributes and skills essential to the “RCVS Day One competencies”, highly valued by veterinary employers and of direct importance to a successful veterinary career. The students will be exposed to real-life workplaces (practices and farms) promoting understanding of their future role as veterinary surgeons. Through group case-based learning sessions and assessed group work portfolio assets, students are able to develop critical thinking, cultural awareness, communication skills, decision-making skills, collaboration, and leadership. Students will also have opportunities to engage with veterinary professionals working in a diverse range of roles via off-site practical sessions with our partner practices and farms, promoting students' awareness of employability within the industry.

 Digital Capabilities - Students are required to use digital technology in the creation of and contribution to shared documents in group work throughout the case-based learning sessions and assessed herd reports associated with portfolio assets. Students will also enhance digital capabilities by interpreting findings of health data analyses from groups of animals, integrating these with observations, weighting their significance in order to prioritize problem lists, synthesize differential diagnoses considering both welfare and economics.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine qualification is recognized, not only by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), but also by veterinary regulatory bodies in other countries and regions, thus enabling our graduates opportunities to work internationally and in culturally diverse environments. Furthermore, even working locally, both the veterinary profession and its stakeholders, including the client base, represent great diversity. Finally, the profession operates within the context of One Health considerations, global mobility (including pet, livestock, and food import and export), and veterinary public health issues. Gaining global and cultural awareness is therefore essential. Within this module, decision-making tasks and group assignments during case-based learning sessions provide opportunities to collaborate, communicate, and build relationships with people from different backgrounds, reflecting on different experiences and adapting norms and belief systems. 

 Sustainability: The module incorporates sustainability practices in promoting more efficient production animal systems through the control of livestock disease and herd health monitoring. Students are also encouraged to make sustainable treatment and management decisions, on case-based learning activities, to prevent antimicrobial and antiparasiticide resistance, which has a potential major impact on animal and human health. 

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Students are engaged in simulations that require them to be resourceful and resilient under stressful and emotional situations. This module offers opportunities for student reflection and self- evaluation of their and their peers' performance through several activities including Think Aloud case-based learning, clinical skills logs, and in-practice practical sessions. Feedback opportunities through formative and summative assessments provide ample opportunities for students to improve and gain confidence in their skills. All these activities will promote student confidence in their skill set and attributes which in turn nourishes resourcefulness and resilience. 

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.