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Unit of study_
VETS9056: Necropsy and Surgical Pathology Adv
2026 unit information
This Unit of Study focuses on developing advanced observation, interpretation and reporting skills for morbid anatomy and histopathology. Students will perform necropsies and select complete ranges of tissues for histopathological examination. They will also be expected to develop skills in techniques of processing a wide range of tissues and staining (in particular histochemical and immunohistochemical stains). There will be a greater emphasis paid to describing gross and microscopic changes, and writing reports. Students will be exposed to advanced levels of interpretation. At the end of this Unit of Study, students will: Perform necropsies on, and collect a wide range of tissues from, standard species; Describe and communicate gross pathological changes (necropsy and biopsy) at an advanced level; Select a wide range of fixed tissues for histopathological processing; Understand the theory and practice of routine tissue processing and staining; Understand the theory and practice of histochemical and immunohistochemical processing and staining; Perform histochemical and immunohistochemical processing and staining; Examine and describe histopathological slides to an advanced level; Be able to interpret common diseases from necropsy and biopsy material; Write superior biopsy and necropsy reports. 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 | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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VETS9052 |
|---|---|
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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. Perform necropsies on, and collect appropriate tissues from a variety of species.
- LO2. Effectively describe and interpret common and uncommon gross pathological changes at necropsy and communicate findings effectively to colleagues at an advanced level.
- LO3. Describe and perform the techniques of histochemical and immunohistochemical processing and staining.
- LO4. Evaluate and interpret histopathological slides of common and uncommon diseases and communicate findings effectively to colleagues to an advanced level.
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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Supervision | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney | |
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Semester 2 2025
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Supervision | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 1 2026
|
Supervision | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Semester 2 2026
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Supervision | 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.
Important enrolment information
Departmental permission requirements
If you see the ‘Departmental Permission’ tag below a session, it means you need faculty or school approval to enrol. This may be because it’s an advanced unit, clinical placement, offshore unit, internship or there are limited places available.
You will be prompted to apply for departmental permission when you select this unit in Sydney Student.
Read our information on departmental permission.
Additional advice
Students must have current registration with the NSW Veterinary Practitioners Board, Australia and must be admitted into a UVTH residency training program.