| Unit name | Animal Health and Disease in Professional Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETS20024 |
| Credit points | 0 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Slingsby |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of BVSc Year 1 |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
There are no co-requisite units. However, as specified by the RCVS and outlined in the Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) handbook, you will need to undertake EMS placements during vacation time. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
Not applicable |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
This unit has two co-leads: Louisa Slingsby and Daniel Enriquez-Hidalgo.
How do animals control their limbs to walk, gallop or fly? What happens in the body when things go wrong through disease or injury? What micro-organisms are important in animals? How do vets help safeguard the health of humans and the planet?
This unit will continue to build on the systems-based approach used in BVSc1, focussing on the structure and function of musculoskeletal and neurologic systems before moving onto exotic species and learning about "The Big Picture". You will increase your depth of knowledge across a diverse range of species, learning how to approach unfamiliar animals and new situations. As you become more confident with the normal functioning of body systems, you will be introduced to what happens when things go wrong with those systems, how we investigate disease, and the essential role of vets in public health and global sustainability challenges.
Building on what you learnt in BVSc1, by the end of this unit you will have a thorough understanding of "normal", and the basics of handling, husbandry and welfare across a wide range of species. Learning how the body responds to disease processes, and how vets investigate these diseases at the individual and population level, will prepare you to apply your knowledge on Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) placements and to learn about disease diagnosis and management in subsequent years. All of the teaching and assessment in BVSc2 is incorporated within this Unit. It is a "must pass" unit for progression to BVSc3. You will also be required to complete the RCVS pre-clinical EMS requirements prior to progression to BVSc3.
This unit will cover the anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, as well as building on your knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of diverse species. Your knowledge of animal welfare and behaviour will be developed further. The unit will also cover the husbandry and handling of species such as pigs, poultry and exotic pets. You will learn about pathology, microbiology, parasitology, immunology, pharmacology and disease investigation, research skills and evidence-based veterinary medicine integrating and applying your knowledge through case-based learning. You will continue to develop your professional identity and lifelong learning skills. Coursework will include and individual "deep dive" in an area of interest.
Through case-based learning, you will start to "think like a vet", further developing your lifelong learning skills and professional identity, working both independently and in a team. You will develop cultural competence and awareness of diversity, and develop a broader understanding of the many roles of the veterinary profession in protecting the health of humans and the planet. Learning outcomes related to the programme's five vertical themes are outlined below.
Scientific foundations of veterinary medicine
Build further on your knowledge of structure and function in a range of species, explain basic principles of disease, pathology, diagnosis and management, behaviour and welfare and apply principles of evidence-based veterinary medicine.
Practical and clinical skills
Demonstrate safe handling of a broader range of species, and develop basic clinical veterinary skills such as fundamentals of clinical examination and client communication
Clinical and professional reasoning
Apply professional and clinical reasoning skills to a wide range of situations, integrating your knowledge of normal and disease states with the basic principles of diagnosis and management
Developing as a professional and lifelong learner
Reflect on your approach to learning and feedback, explain the importance of diversity and cultural competence, and illustrate the ethical and legal responsibilities of veterinary surgeons
Animals, people and planet
Describe the role of veterinary professionals in maintaining human and animal health and discuss global challenges affecting people and animals such as antimicrobial resistance and sustainable food production
You will learn through a blend of in person teaching and online resources (such as videos, readings and worksheets). The online resources, many of which you will work through independently, will prepare you for a range of in-person teaching including case-based learning classes (where you will work through real veterinary scenarios in groups), practicals and quizzes. The teaching will be structured into blocks, with the first two blocks focussing on a different body system, the third, exotic species and the final block “The Big Picture” with teaching on topics e.g. behaviour integrated into the blocks. Coursework and other tasks will provide opportunities for reflection and "deep dives" to focus on specific areas of interest. As specified by the RCVS, and outlined in the Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) handbook, you will need to undertake EMS placements during vacation time.
The programme has a pass/fail assessment strategy. Where appropriate, marks are provided for individual feedback purposes.
You will be required to complete a range of tasks and activities during the Unit, with formative feedback provided. You will also receive formative feedback through online and in-class quizzes, peer feedback and meetings with personal tutors.
Summative Written Assessments: An integrated programmatic assessment will be undertaken at the end of Year 2, covering a wide range of ILOs across themes, as a test of application of knowledge derived from all the Year 2 learning opportunities. The summative written assessment will comprise a 2-hour single-best-answer (SBA) paper and a 2-hour multiple-short-answer (MSA) paper. You must gain a minimum of 50% overall to pass this examination. The End of Year 2 Summative Written Assessments will be taken as a first attempt in the Summer Examination Period and, if required, as a second attempt (resit) in July.
Summative Practical Assessment: Practical assessments will be held during the year. These assessments are a "must pass" assessment for progression to BVSc3, and prior to Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) in the relevant species.
Engagement and coursework requirements:
Students must satisfy all engagement and coursework requirements as set out in the BVSc2 Student Progression Requirements (SPR).
Satisfactory and appropriate engagement with the programme will be determined by the Progress Committee which will normally meet on a termly basis. The committee will monitor student attendance, levels of professionalism and engagement as outlined in the SPR document. A student who has not demonstrated satisfactory and appropriate engagement with the programme, nor reached a satisfactory level of professionalism (as determined by level of engagement and any other evidence relating to professionalism presented to the Progress Committee) will not be permitted to sit the End of Year 2 Summative Assessments and thus will not be able be progress to Year 3. In accordance with University regulations, students will be permitted two attempts at summative assessments in Year 2. Dependent on exceptional circumstances and, subject to University regulations, a student may be permitted a second attempt at completion of Year 2 or otherwise will be required to withdraw from the programme.
Progression to Year 3:
In order to progress to Year 3 of the BVSc programme students must have met all of the engagement criteria as outlined by the SPR and passed the Summative Year 2 assessments at first or second (resit) attempt as determined by the Board of Examiners. The pass marks for the End of Year 2 assessments will be determined by a formal standard setting process.
The end-of-year written assessment marks are recorded.
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. VETS20024).
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 University 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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
