| Unit name | Clinical Year 4 (Unit 5) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETSM0059 |
| Credit points | 80 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Sorrel Langley-Hobbs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Completion of unit 2, 3, and 4 is required before starting unit 5 |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
Unit 1 spans all 4 years of the programme |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Unit 5 is important as is the clinical unit which will span the entire fourth year.
An overview of content
This unit will involve practical delivery of clinical skills including some or all of the following - history taking, patient examination, differential diagnoses, surgical skills, imaging techniques, evaluation of results, post mortem examinations, pathophysiological basis of disease, technical aspects of treatment and imaging modalities. The students will build on previous clinical units (units 2, 3, 4) with increasing case responsibility and clinical autonomy inline with requirements for becoming a specialist in a clinical discipline.
Regular subject specific journal / book club to be attended by the student and senior clinicians. Students will read and prepare journal critiques and summaries in advance. The journal summaries will be presented and discussed at the journal club.
Students will be on clinics full-time during the week while on clinical rotations to ensure they maintain their skills and knowledge and have sufficient exposure to a set numbers of cases of appropriate difficulty for entry into the European diploma training programme. Direct contact which consolidates old learning, contributes to learning new techniques and greater knowledge and understanding while on clinical rotations and time for independent learning will be approximately 25 hours a week.
450 hours - clinical skills, independent learning and knowledge - 25 hours / week
50 hours - journal club / book club and preparation of journal critiques
50 hours - direct contact - seminars
250 hours - teaching, feedback, assessment of undergraduate students when on clinics 1 hour / day
Total - 800 hours
How students personally will be different after the unit.
This final year of clinical study will increase the clinical experience and case exposure for surgery residents. This increased knowledge and expertise will equip the residents as they prepare for Board specialism exams and transition to becoming a recognised specialist.
Intended learning outcomes
1.Expertise in the specific clinical discipline
2.The pathophysiological principles behind the clinical area of study
3.Ethical and welfare issues relating to clinical practice, teaching and research
4.New developments in the relevant area of clinical expertise
5.Ability to communicate clearly to both scientific and non-scientific personnel
6.Develop teaching and learning skills
7.Show good time management and organisational skills
8.Develop team leadership skills
9.Planning and prioritisation
10.Show logic in decision making
11.Demonstrate professional attitude and behaviour
12.Finding, reading and critiquing scientific literature
13.Clinical research methodology
14.Statistical analysis of clinical or laboratory data
15.Develop presentation skills including use of technology
16.Reflect critically on their teaching
17.Be able to teach small groups of students in clinical and seminar settings
18.Be able to undertake effective feedback conversations with students
19.Able to contribute to assessment processes in clinical teaching
20.Learn information technology skills
Students will learn primarily through direct one to one teaching by clinical supervisors, management of clinical cases under supervision and discussions at clinical case rounds. Background clinical knowledge and remaining up to date with published literature will be through self-directed learning and continuous formative assessment and feedback on journal paper critique. Multi-source feedback will be used to inform professional skills and attributes.
Assessment will be the same as for 3-year MSc in Veterinary Science, with all compulsory tasks assessed pass/fail and no grades will be assigned.
The handbook is worded as follows:
The assessments for this programme are designed to test your attainment of the learning outcomes. There is significant focus on clinical skills training and hence several of the assessments are linked to determining clinical competency. For these assessments it is not pedagogically appropriate to grade your achievement and hence they will be marked as pass or fail and hence no final unit mark will be given. As this type of competency-based assessment is core to the units comprising the programme we have designated such Units as ‘must pass’, which means that we will not allow compensation between taught units.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Professional skills and attributes: Ongoing formative assessment in clinics with supervisor. 6 monthly written self-assessment by student. 6 monthly multi-source feedback.
Clinical skills and knowledge: Formative assessment using recognised workplace learning assessment tools such as mini-CEX (mini clinical examination) and case-based discussions (CBD). A minimum of 12 WBPA including DOPS, CEX, CBD and TBD required. Portfolio of a selection of clinical case summaries and/or reports, including an oral presentation or written reflection. Student to show increasing independence and ability to problem solve and reflect on multiple aspects of challenging cases. Students will be required to perform to a satisfactory level in at least 75% of these tasks in order to progress. Case log to be maintained by students documenting a range of cases. Case log to show an increase in primary case responsibility
Clinical practical skills: Ongoing formative assessment by supervisor of student's ability to perform a wide range of practical tasks, as required within each specialty and demonstrating ability to work with a further reduction in direct supervision as compared with previous units 2, 3 and 4. Where appropriate for the subject, directly observed procedural skills (DOPS) will be used as a formative tool to provide feedback on a range of skills, these will be of increased complexity. Students will be required to perform to a satisfactory level in at least 75% of DOPS.
Knowledge and critical evaluation of the literature: Students will be required to have submitted journal reviews and critiques of the required number for each subject and of which at least 75% is considered satisfactory in order to progress.
Clinical teaching: Engagement in teaching and formative assessment of BVSc and VN students during clinical rotations (assessed by supervisor)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Overall summative assessment at the 6 and 12 monthly reviews with supervisor(s) and programme directors, following review of clinical progress and compulsory tasks.
When assessment does not go to plan
Students will be allowed one opportunity to revise and resubmit the written work if it is not considered satisfactory. Unsatisfactory clinical progress and/or performing below expectations during time on the clinic will trigger additional meetings with supervisors and programme directors to monitor further progress and to ensure the student stays on track or gets back on track.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. VETSM0059).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
