Program Overview

MJ-VET-DVM - Veterinary Biology / Veterinary Medicine

Overview

Veterinary Science is a major health profession with its own system of education, registration, organisation, and ethics. Veterinarians are highly trained in skills of diagnosing, treating, and preventing health problems in pets, domestic livestock, wildlife, and laboratory animals. Additional areas of interest for veterinarians are increasing the productivity of animals and maintaining standards of food production and safety, animal research, and public health. This integrated five-year course of study leads to a registrable professional qualification in veterinary medicine. A degree of Bachelor of Science is completed after the first six semesters of the course and is a prerequisite for entry to the six trimesters of study that leads to the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). There is an entry quota.

Structure

The program consists of 138 credit points, including:

• Major: 138 credit points
  • Required Units: 129 credit points
    • ANS101: Introduction to Livestock Science and Genetics (3 cp)
    • ANS102: Introduction to the Animal Body (3 cp)
    • BIO152: Cell Biology (3 cp)
    • BMS107: Foundations of Vertebrate Form and Function (3 cp)
    • CHE140: Fundamentals of Chemistry (3 cp)
    • MAS183: Statistical Data Analysis (3 cp)
    • VET210: Veterinary Professional Life I (3 cp)
    • VET211: Principles of Infectious Disease I - Veterinary Microbiology (3 cp)
    • VET260: Veterinary Structure and Function I (3 cp)
    • VET271: Veterinary Structure and Function II (3 cp)
    • VET272: Comparative Mammalian Biochemistry (3 cp)
    • VET273: Veterinary Structure and Function III (3 cp)
    • VET274: Veterinary Structure and Function IV (3 cp)
    • VET278: Principles of Infectious Disease II - Veterinary Parasitology (3 cp)
    • VET301: Principles of Surgery and Anaesthesia (3 cp)
    • VET310: Preclinical Placements (0 cp)
    • VET331: Introduction to Clinical Practice (3 cp)
    • VET333: Animal Behaviour and Welfare (3 cp)
    • VET375: Processes in Animal Disease (3 cp)
    • VET377: Systemic Pathology and Medicine (6 cp)
    • VET380: Veterinary Nutrition and Animal Toxicology (3 cp)
    • VET392: One Health (3 cp)
    • VET607: Small Animal Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging (3 cp)
    • VET608: Equine General Practice (4 cp)
    • VET614: Small Animal Practice (6 cp)
    • VET615: Transition to Practice (3 cp)
    • VET616-00: Veterinary Professional Investigation (0 cp)
    • VET616-03: Veterinary Professional Investigation (3 cp)
    • VET616-06: Veterinary Professional Investigation (6 cp)
    • VET618: Equine Practice, After-hours, and Diagnostic Imaging (3 cp)
    • VET619: Small Animal Practice 1 (3 cp)
    • VET632: Bovine Health and Management (4 cp)
    • VET633: Small Ruminant and Camelid Health and Management (3 cp)
    • VET635: Pig and Poultry Health and Management (2 cp)
    • VET636: Avian, Wildlife and Exotic Pet Medicine (2 cp)
    • VET637: Theriogenology (3 cp)
    • VET638: Small Animal Practice 2 (3 cp)
    • VET684-00: Veterinary Professional Life II (0 cp)
    • VET684-03: Veterinary Professional Life II (3 cp)
    • VET684-09: Veterinary Professional Life II (9 cp)
    • VET687: Production Animal, Public Health and Pathology (3 cp)
  • Specified Elective Units: 9 credit points
    • VET643: Advanced Topics in Equine Practice (9 cp)
    • VET644: Advanced Topics in Production Animal Practice (9 cp)
    • VET645: Advanced Topics in Wildlife, Zoological and Conservation Medicine (9 cp)
    • VET646: Advanced Topics in Non-Clinical Veterinary Science (9 cp)
    • VET651: Advanced Topics in Mixed Animal Practice (9 cp)
    • VET652: Advanced Topics in Small Animal Practice (9 cp)

Admission Requirements

Enrolment Restrictions

Enrolment is subject to restriction due to constraints on unit enrolments.

Special Requirements

Veterinary Science is an animal-based course. Students are required to participate in practical work involving living and dead animals and/or tissues from animals throughout the course.

Entry Requirements (Onshore)

Students will be admitted into the five-year veterinary course either directly from secondary school for high-ranking school-leavers or after completing prior university study. Students with prior university study in a relevant discipline may be granted advanced standing for the first year, and enter into second year, commencing on campus in January. Australian students who have completed some tertiary study, and all international students, are selected on the following:

• Academic standing from previous university study (or school study for international school leavers)
• A 500-word typed and signed personal statement
• Evidence of recent, relevant, refereed animal-related experience, such as work experience with veterinarians Recommended Preparation: Chemistry ATAR is strongly recommended, and Mathematics: Methods ATAR, Physics ATAR, and Biology ATAR are also recommended.

English Language Requirements

Equivalent of an Academic IELTS overall score of 7.0 with no band less than 7.0.

Additional Progression Requirements/Restrictions

Progression between years: Students must successfully complete all required Part I units in the first year of the BSc (Veterinary Biology) course, at the first attempt, to be guaranteed progression into the second year. Students will not be permitted to enter the DVM component of the course until they have completed all units and unit components from the BSc (Veterinary Biology), or equivalent, and are eligible for the award of the BSc. Students will not be eligible to enter the final year of the veterinary course without passing or having advanced standing for all units comprising the previous years of the veterinary course. Unit Fails and Withdrawals: In the BSc component, students may fail no more than one unit in each year set of units (that is, the units normally undertaken in each calendar year of the course under standard full-time enrolment), regardless of whether these are completed in the same calendar year. Students who fail more than one unit in any year set of units, or who fail more than one unit in any one calendar year, will be excluded from the course after a formal interview process with the Academic Chair. In the DVM component, students may fail no more than two units in each year set of units (that is, the units normally undertaken in each calendar year of the course under standard full-time enrolment), regardless of whether these are completed in the same calendar year. Students who fail more than two units from any year set of units, or who fail more than two units in any one calendar year, will be excluded from the course after a formal interview process with the Academic Chair. A fail in any unit means that the unit will need to be repeated, whilst maintaining the minimal academic progression for completion of that component. Permission to overload will not be given to students who have failed a core unit. Students have the option of withdrawing from a unit but should first discuss this with the relevant Academic Chair. Students who withdraw after the Census Date, or who fail a unit, can apply for retrospective withdrawal. Students failing units, withdrawing from units or obtaining retrospective withdrawal from units but NOT taking a period of intermission/approved leave must maintain the following minimal academic progression:

• Students must complete the 2nd and 3rd years of the BSc in 3 or less calendar years.
• Students must complete the DVM component of the veterinary course in 4 or less calendar years. Students taking a period of intermission/approved leave must maintain the following minimal academic progression:
• Students must complete the 2nd and 3rd years of the BSc in 4 or less calendar years, including any period(s) of intermission/approved leave.
• Students must complete the DVM component of the veterinary course in 4 or less calendar years, including any period(s) of intermission/approved leave. Students can withdraw after the start of a teaching period, or be granted retrospective withdrawal, from a unit only once. Students attempting a unit for the second time must pass the unit at the first attempt. If a student withdraws after the start of a teaching period, or is granted retrospective withdrawal, from the same unit a second time, they will not be permitted a third enrolment in the unit. Second year BSc students with advanced standing, or those repeating 2nd year units after failure, or withdrawal after the start of a teaching period, or retrospective withdrawal, may apply to the Academic Chair for permission to take one or two units from the 3rd year set of units in order to maintain a balanced load.

Professional Outcomes

Professional Recognition

Graduates are eligible for registration to practice veterinary medicine without further examination in Australia and a number of other countries, including Great Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The DVM degree is recognised by the American Veterinary Medical Association, which, after passing the appropriate National or State licensing examinations, makes Murdoch graduates eligible to practice in the USA and Canada.