Kandidatuddannelsen i Veterinærmedicin 2012

MSc Programme in Veterinary Medicine - AVAILABLE AS FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2012

The programme is organiSed in accordance with Ministerial Order no. 814 of 29 June 2010 on Bachelor and Master's programmes (candidatus) at universities (the ministerial order of  the study programmes). The programme is under the Veterinary Study Board. Graduation confers the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). In Danish: Cand.med.vet. (candidatus/candidata medicinae veterinariae).

 

The MSc programme is set at a total of 150 ECTS credits corresponding to 2½ years of study.

 

Chapter 1. Programme objectives and competence profile

1.1 The programme’s objectives

The programmes’s main objectives are:

• to provide students with the necessary qualifications to diagnose and treat sick animals, including animals with transmissible diseases, to prevent diseases, to undertake food inspection and professional functions within food-safety, environmental hygiene, and animal welfare protection, and to undertake other professional functions where veterinary competences are relevant
• to provide students with the necessary qualifications to independently maintain and develop their scientific and professional competences
• to provide students with the necessary qualifications to identify, describe and solve or handle complex veterinary problems
• to provide students with more comprehensive knowledge, skills and competences within a given veterinary study differentiation
• to provide students with the necessary qualifications for fulfilment of the day-one competences described by European Association of the Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)
• to provide the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, aptitudes and behaviors necessary to address responsibly the health and well-being of animals in the context of ever-changing societal expectations
• to provide students with the necessary qualifications to pursue PhD studies

Upon completion of the MSc programme, the graduate may apply to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) for licensing as a veterinary surgeon in accordance with applicable laws.

 

1.2 The programme’s general profile

The programme is offered by the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at University of Copenhagen with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) being responsible for parts of some courses. The programme is taught in English with the exception of courses where contact with customers, clients, and/or lay people are required. If a student with no command of Danish, Swedish or Norwegian is enrolled, special arrangements will be made for completing the courses taught in Danish.

The MSc programme is composed of compulsory courses (93.5 credits), electives (differentiation; 26.5 credits) and a MSc thesis (30 credits). Students admitted before 1 September 2005 are required to prepare a MSc thesis corresponding to 27 credits. In case students admitted before 1 September 2005 do not have sufficient credits to graduate, a written assignment corresponding to the missing credits is required.

 

1.3 Employment prospects

The MSc programme in Veterinary Medicine provides the qualifications required for a veterinary surgeon at entry level. The programme focuses on clinical subjects, veterinary public health, herd health, animal welfare, and food hygiene but students may chose to obtain additional professional skills e.g. within biomedicine.

Typical employment areas are:

· Clinical practice

· Teaching and research

· Biopharmaceutical industry

· Food safety and veterinary public health

· Public administration

· Animal welfare protection

 

1.4 Competence profile

Within the MSc programme at Faculty of Life Sciences it is possible to follow one of four different lines of differentiation, i.e. Small Animal Diseases, Equine Diseases, Biomedicine, and Herd Health and Food Safety.

Differentiation is a specialisation which results in specific competences as described below. It is compulsory to follow the differentiation programme described. Subject to approval by the Veterinary Study Board, it is, however, possible to design your own differentiation with its associated competences e.g. by following courses, mainly veterinary courses, at other universities (please refer to 2.3.1 below).

 

1.4.1 General competences

Having completed the programme, the student should be able to:

Knowledge:

• identify, explain and discuss problems relevant to the veterinary field
• explain the delivery of professional services to the public
• explain diagnostic, therapeutic, prophylactic measures relevant to animal diseases
• describe, explain and assess ante- and postmortem control findings
• explain measures within food safety and hygiene, and veterinary public health
• describe personal and business finance and management, to describe the breath of veterinary medicine and career opportunities

Skills

• diagnose and treat sick animals, including animals with communicable diseases and animals with obstetric disorders, to prevent diseases, to undertake food inspection and professional functions within food safety, environmental hygiene, animal welfare protection, and diagnostic laboratories, and to undertake other professional functions where veterinary competences are relevant.

• solve problems by formulating a problem description and relevant hypotheses and investigation of the hypotheses
• retrieve, apply, use, and reference relevant data and information
• apply information and communication technologies where appropriate

Competences

• communicate about veterinary issues with colleagues, authorities, animal owners and other stakeholders and to reflect on problems of communication
• reflect on ethical dilemmas in a veterinary context
• work both independently and in teams
• be self-directed in learning
• discuss, cooperate and plan work

1.4.2 Competences for the differentiation in “Small Animal Diseases”

Knowledge:

• Explain diagnostic procedures and assess diagnostic test results
• Explain the rationale behind diagnostic procedures, handling of complications, therapeutic and prophylactic intervention, and management in specialised small animal practice.

Skills

• Communicate with clients, colleagues and veterinary technicians
• Perform diagnostic procedures, establish diagnoses, perform therapeutic and prophylactic interventions, with relevant assistance, in specialized small animal clinical practice
• Use an electronic problem-based report
• Be responsible for a small number of patients

• Write an epicrisis to a referring veterinarian

Competences

• Work as a team member
• Reflect on and acknowledge personal limitations and ask for help
• Reflect on the importance of continuing education, life-long learning and evidence-based medicine
• Reflect on ethical problems concerning animal welfare

1.4.3 Competences for the differentiation in Equine Diseases

Knowledge:

• Describe principles and methods for diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic and prophylactic measures applicable to specialised equine practice both in individual horses and in populations of horses
• Describe management principles relevant to specialised equine practice
• Explain principles and methods in equine reproduction

Skills

• Communicate with clients, colleagues and veterinary technicians
• Perform diagnostic procedures, establish diagnoses, perform therapeutic and prophylactic interventions, with relevant assistance, in specialized equine clinical practice
• Use an electronic problem-based report
• Be responsible for a small number of patients
• Write an epicrisis to a referring veterinarian

Competences

• Initiate diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic, and prophylactic measures applicable to specialised equine practice
• Discuss relevant aspects of equine management
• Work as a team member
• Reflect on and acknowledge personal limitations and ask for help
• Reflect on the importance of continuing education, life-long learning and evidence-based medicine
• Reflect on ethical problems concerning animal welfare
• Take responsibility for independent retrieval of information and critical review of the literature

1.4.4 Competences for the differentiation in Herd Health and Food Safety and hygiene

Knowledge

• Describe the background for and the function as herd-health veterinarian and official veterinarian as described in relevant legal documents.
• Apply knowledge on food safety, hygiene and zoonoses within veterinary public health

 

Skills

• Plan, collect and analyse data on disease, health, fertility, production, welfare and food safety
• Find and explain relevant scientific literature within the theme of the differentiation
• Apply relevant quantitative analyses
• Apply advanced laboratory methods for herd diagnosis and control of food safety
• Communicate complex biological, practical and technical subjects to colleagues and lay persons

Competences

• Identify and describe, independently and in cooperation with others, objectives as regards knowledge and skills required to provide advice to consumers, authorities and politicians within production animal units
• Reflect on ethical problems concerning animal welfare

1.4.5 Competences for the differentiation in Biomedicine

Knowledge

• Describe bio-imaging, pro- and eukaryotic genomes, and methods used to analyse genomes
• Explain diagnostic methods and principles within microbiology and clinical pathology
• Explain basic principles within biomedical research and principles for the use of animals, and in-vitro methods for research and product development
• Describe general statistic terms, laws, principles, inference, and methods within experimental research planning and risk analysis

Skills

• Conduct genome analysis and bio-imaging under supervision
• Apply diagnostic methods and principles within microbiology and clinical pathology
• Apply basic principles within biomedical research including in-vitro methods and the use of animals
• Plan and execute experimental research and apply general statistic terms, laws, principles, inference, and methods within experimental research planning and risk analysis

Competences

• Contemplate perspectives for application of molecular genetic methods and bioimaging analysis
• Judge the results from diagnostic methods within microbiology and clinical pathology
• Discuss total quality management as it applies to diagnostic laboratories
• Discuss the use of animals and in-vitro methods within research and product development
• Fulfil EU requirements for people responsible for the use of research animals
• Reflect on ethical problems concerning animal welfare

Chapter 2. Degree programme content

The content and organization of the veterinary MSc programme in Veterinary Medicine are based on:

• Consolidated Act on Universities (University Act) (LBK nr 1368 af 07/12/2007) (link)
• Executive Order on Bachelor’s and MSc programmes at universities (BEK nr 338 af 06/05/2004) (link)
• The European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/36 of 7 September 2005 on mutual recognition of professional qualifications (link)
• European Association of the Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) standard operating procedures 2007 (link)

· Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (link)

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accreditation guidelines 2007 (link)

The programme is designed to contribute to the students being able to master the scientific subjects and sciences and day-one competences described by EAEVE and to provide curriculum subjects required by the AVMA

 

2.1 Content

The programme is set at a total of 150 ECTS credits and must include the following elements:

• Core courses 93.5 credits
• Electives (i.e. differentiation course) 26.5 credits
• Thesis 30 credits

Core courses (93.5 credits; compulsory):

300089 Veterinary paraclinics-2 7.5 credits

300078 Emergency, obstetrics, critical care and clinical anaesthesiology/ Akutmedicin, obstetric, intensive terapi og klinisk anæstesiologi * 7.5 credits

300077 Veterinary imaging 7.5 credits

300081 Medicine, surgery and reproduction - Large animal 15 credits

300088 Medicine, surgery and reproduction - Small animal  15 credits

300086 Practical herd health consultancy and meat inspection/Praktisk besætningsrådgivning og kødkontrol * 7.5 credits

300082 General clinical practice, large animals /Almen klinisk praksis store husdyr* 15 credits

300079 General clinical practice, small animals/ Almen klinisk praksis mindre husdyr * 15 credits

300083 Veterinary jurisprudence and animal welfare assessment / Retsmedicin og dyrevelfærdsvurdering* 3.5 credits

 

* courses taught in Danish

 

Electives (26.5 credits):

Differentiation course;

300087 Biomedicine

300085 Herd Health and Food Safety*

300084 Equine Clinic track*

300080 Advanced Companion Animal track *

* courses taught in Danish

 

Thesis: (30 credits, compulsory)

The thesis must correspond to 30 credits. The main supervisor for the thesis must be employed at Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) or DTU. The thesis should preferably be within the field of the selected differentiation.

Specific information relating to the thesis is described in Curriculum – common component.

 

2.2 Scientific and professional progression during the program

The programme starts out with clinical theoretical courses in large and small animals to enhance the studetns’ knowledge of clinical medicine, surgery and reproduction. The theoretical courses expand the knowledge acquired in the courses in clinical theory and pathology in the BSc programme. Also, introductory courses to clinical examination and surgical skills are completed. These courses provide the theoretical and basic clinical practical background to the subsequent practical courses in clinical medicine, surgery and reproduction, clinical pathology, clinical microbiology, clinical serology, herd health and meat inspection, veterinary imaging, and acute medicine, clinical anaestesiology and obstetrics. These courses constitute the main body of core courses which, when completed provide the foundation for the elective courses (differentiations). Finally, an MSc thesis is completed to train and advance the academic skills and competences.

 

 

The Advanced Companion Animal track and Equine Clinic track are each divided into two classes, class 1 and class 2: The courses of class 1 will be placed in blocks 3 and 4 of Year 2, and the courses of class 2 will be placed in blocks 1 and 2 of Year 3. Class 2 will take the course Veterinary jurisprudence and assessment of animal welfare in blocks 1 and 2 of year 3.

 

Courses in block 3 and 4 of Year 1 and blocks 1 and 2 of Year 2 (in bold in the table above) are subject to a rotation.

 

Differentiation course and Veterinary jurisprudence and assessment of animal welfare alternate with Thesis for half of the students following the differentiation course in Small animal diseases and in Equine diseases.

 

2.3 Selection of students for the various differentiations

The rules for selection of students for the differentiations will be corrected in the Spring of 2010.

 

2.3 1. Main rule

Selection of students for the various differentiations takes places according to a special procedure.

Once assigned to a differentiation, this assignment cannot be changed.

 

Exceptions to the main rule

 

Leave of absence

Students who are granted leave of absence still have their differentiation assignment when they return. In case of leave of absence, the Veterinary Study Board cannot, however, guarantee that it is possible to complete the MSc programme in the scheduled time (2½ years plus the leave of absence period).

 

Substitute the assigned differentiation with another course and/or trainee service

A student can apply to the Veterinary Study Board to substitute his/her differentiation assignment. In this case, the student must apply to the Veterinary Study Board in advance for permission to do this and explain the reasons for the substitution and also send in a plan for completion of the MSc programme.

In case the 26.5 credits are to be substituted by courses at other universities/faculties, the course descriptions must also be send to the Veterinary Study Board. The main body of the courses must be within topics relevant to the veterinary field. In case of trainee service, please refer to the Curriculum – common part.

 

Trade assignment with another student

In case that two students agree to trade differentiation assignment, both students must apply in advance to the Veterinary Study Board. The application must include the reasons for trading the differentiation assignments for both students.

 

2.3 Selection of students to the differentiations in case of the number of applicants exceeding the permitted intake

As a main rule, the average grade obtained by the student in his/her BSc degree is used as a selection criterion.

However, it is possible to increase the average grade if:

1. The BSc programme has been completed in 3 years
2. The student has the sufficient number of credits prior to starting on the MSc programme in Veterinary Medicine.

In these cases, the average grade can be increased by the formula: Grade*FAKT.

FAKT is calculated as 1 + the sum of the following:

A. 0.03 for study trips to other veterinary universities/faculties after admission to the BSc or MSc programme

B. 0.03 for three consecutive weeks in clinical practice *

C. 0.03 for one year of student political work * *

D. 0.06 for three consecutive weeks in clinical practice where more than 75% has been in production animal practice '

E. 0.06 for three consecutive weeks at a diagnostic laboratory, food hygiene unit, or biomedical facility *

F. 0.01 for practical training courses in the non-scheduled periods (interim weeks)

G. 0.03 for participation in official veterinary eradication and control programmes (min. 100 hours)

* No payment during the stay

** The following activities count as student political work:

• a post in the secretariat of the student association VMF
• membership of the Veterinary Study Board 
• a post in DSR’s governing bodies (central board or executive committee)

FAKT cannot exceed 1.15.

The activities listed above can be taken more than once, i.e. a student can complete the same activity twice and get twice the credit. Credits cannot be accumulated in periods of leave of absence, nor can they be accumulated during periods of ordinary teaching.

Remember to indicate on the application if the bonus arrangement is to be used and send in relevant documentation if the above activities are to be considered. In case of missing or incorrect documentation, the bonus will not be calculated.

 

2.5. Registration for practicals:

Registration for practicals is made on a special form. Planning of practicals is carried out by the veterinary practicals planner (den veterinære øvelsesplanlægger) e-mail: vet-plan.life.ku.dk

In case of late registration, the student must contact the veterinary practicals planner who will then apply to the Veterinary Study Board.

In case of cancellation of participation in practicals, the student must communicate this to the veterinary practicals planner.

The students is responsible for cancelling his/her participation in exams

Further information: Please refer to the website (www.life.ku.dk) under Studerende – Undervisning – Veterinær undervisning og øvelser.

 

Chapter 3. Admission requirements and admission

3.1 Admission requirements

The BSc programme in Veterinary Medicine with the electives listed below provides direct admission to the MSc programme:

· Veterinær paraklinik-1 – 7.5 credits

 

 

 

 

 

 

As decided by the Veterinary Study Committee, admission to the MSc programme may be on a basis other than the above if the applicants have qualifications equivalent to the above.

 

3.2 Admission

Admission takes place twice a year. On 1 September and 1 February. The curriculum is based on students starting on 1 September.