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Unit of study_
VETS6302: Clinical Foundations
2026 unit information
This unit of study will facilitate foundational clinical knowledge and skills in disciplines including anaesthesia, surgery, medicine, imaging, therapeutics and infection control. This foundational unit of study will sit at the beginning of semester 1. The student will study fundamental concepts for practicing safe and humane sedation administration (chemical restraint), general anaesthesia, and pain relief in animal species. Foundational surgical concepts will include principles of wound healing, surgical suture materials and their use, haemostasis principles, and aseptic techniques as part of foundational principle of infection control in practice. Foundational knowledge and skills in diagnostic imaging will encompass radiography and ultrasonography principles, radiological safety, and principles of image interpretation. The students will be introduced to concepts of prescribing therapeutics in clinical and non-clinical veterinary practice, including rationalisation of use based on disease priority, safety, efficacy, patient response, disease prevalence, and by considering owner and regulatory constraints. Students will advance understandings of diagnostic frameworks and case management in veterinary medicine through clinical reasoning, utilising an evidence based approach, and remaining cognisant and sensitive to clients' needs and constraints. 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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VETS6101 and VETS6102 and VETS6103 and VETS6104 and VETS6105 and VETS6106 and VETS6107 and VETS6108 and VETS6201 and VETS6202 and VETS6203 and VETS6204 and VETS6205 and VETS6206 and VETS6207 and VETS6208 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. develop a plan for anaesthesia including monitoring and support, analgesia and post-anaesthesia management of a stable patient
- LO2. interpret diagnostic images, advise on generating diagnostic images using common techniques by applying radiation safety
- LO3. prescribe and dispense therapeutics correctly and responsibly, in accordance with relevant legislation and good practice
- LO4. apply the fundamental principles of surgery to surgical procedures and and provide solutions for wound management
- LO5. apply the principles of clinical reasoning and evidence based medicine in diagnosis and management of disease.
- LO6. recognise indications for CPCR, respond to critical abnormalities in fluid balance including shock by suggesting a correct and responsible therapeutic approach
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 2026
|
Normal day | Camden, 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.