Graduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice

Veterinary General Practitioners are the main health care providers to a wide range of animals.

They are expected to ensure quality of care is delivered to all their patients via strategies that include disease prevention advice as well as medical and surgical interventions.

To achieve this, they require a broad understanding of many health areas that allows them to give holistic and balanced patient care.This practical and immersive Graduate Certificate is designed to broaden and increase the general practitioner’s depth of knowledge and understanding of the common problems encountered in small animal veterinary practice, thus making practice more efficient, enjoyable and effective.

Course structure

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• a degree in Veterinary Science, or an equivalent qualification from a Veterinary School listed in the World Health Organisation Directory of Veterinary Schools; and
• a minimum of 2 years of professional experience.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance; and
• the professional experience;

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board Rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

Inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete this course that must be met by all students. For information on the inherent requirements specific to this course contact the course/program coordinator. In some circumstances reasonable adjustments may be available to enable students to meet these requirements while still preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. For more information on how to seek these adjustments refer to the Student Equity and Disability Support website: https://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the pathophysiological principles that relate to small animal veterinary practice
• Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and therapy to successfully manage systems including: cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal gastrointestinal, renal, urinary tract, reproductive. Metabolic, endocrine, haem lymphatic, neurologic, musculo‐skeletal, ophthalmic, integumentary;
• Accurately prioritise a patient's problems;
• Demonstrate effective assessment and management conditions relating to internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, surgery, dermatology and ophthalmology;
• Apply the principles of anaesthesia and analgesia;
• Communicate surgical procedures including techniques and complications;
• Evaluate medical conditions including the dose, indications, mechanism of action, contraindications and drug interactions;
• Create fluid therapy and transfusion therapy plans considering uses, limitations and risks
• Interpret various tests and monitoring and procedures commonly used in small animal veterinary practice;
• Justify preventative medicine protocols that apply to small animal practice;
• Produce nutrition plans for various medical conditions;
• Communicate ethical dilemmas of animal welfare as it relates to veterinary practice.