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Unit of study_
VETS6101: The Veterinary Professional 1
2026 unit information
This Unit of Study introduces the student to foundational knowledge, skills and attitudes for being an effective veterinary professional. Key themes include lifelong learning, professionalism, one health, communication, teamwork, ethics, the human-animal bond and anthrozoology, cultural competence, emotional intelligence and leadership. The course also orientates you to studying with the Faculty and University as you attain your veterinary degree. Specifically, this Unit of Study will prepare you for: contributing to society as a professional veterinarian; making the most of your veterinary degree; conducting effective veterinary consultations; working successfully in veterinary workplace environments and teams; fostering positive practices in relation to professional wellbeing and self-care; maintaining clear professional records; upholding professional standards and ethics; effectively approaching situations in different cultural settings; managing your finances and career; and consistently improving your professional practice. Developing your knowledge and skills in these areas will help you develop veterinary graduate attributes essential for long term effectiveness and success in your veterinary career. Risk assessments are regularly conducted for units that require the completion of compulsory learning activities that may expose students to zoonotic diseases. These assessments aim to identify appropriate risk mitigation controls, such as vaccination against vaccine- preventable zoonoses. Vaccination against Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) is an inherent requirement for students enrolling in this unit of study. Students must be vaccinated against Q fever before commencing the unit or no later than week two of the enrolled teaching session. Q fever vaccination is only available in Australia with the vaccination process taking three weeks to complete. Students must also submit a Q fever Vaccination Declaration upon enrolment. Students who fail to receive vaccination by the specified deadline and/or submit a Q fever Vaccination Declaration are precluded from practical learning activities and will not be able to satisfactorily complete relevant units of study and/or progress in their course more generally. Please refer to the University’s website https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/q-fever-vaccinations.html for more information on student vaccinations.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | School of Veterinary Science Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 3 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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One semester of study in each of: general chemistry (physical and inorganic), organic chemistry, biology and biochemistry |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. appraise and critically apply codes of conduct and ethical frameworks to decision making in diverse veterinary, university and cultural contexts
- LO2. critically evaluate the influence of personal leadership, emotional intelligence and self-care on developing co-operative relationships for working sustainably and effectively as a veterinarian
- LO3. apply effective and context specific communication strategies for working successfully as a veterinarian
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2026
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.