Preparation for Professional Practice (VETS3044)

Course overview

The purpose of VETS3044 Preparation for Professional Practice is to assist in the transformation from veterinary technology student to practicing veterinary technologist in clinical and/or various animal-related occupations. Within this course the students must attain a high professional standard in veterinary technology. This course involves the practical application of skills and knowledge in anaesthesia, medicine, surgery, radiology for companion animals, laboratory animals, avian and exotics, equine and livestock. Students will participate in a 9 week teaching block in Semester 1 followed by WIL (clinical rotations and placements) across the remainder of the year. This will include internal and external clinical discipline Work Integrated Learning (WIL) as well as a 4 week clinical/industry placement where they will actively participate in the daily operations of their chosen placement facility. This placement could take place in any approved veterinary related field, including but not exclusive to: veterinary practice, biosecurity, biomedical research, diagnostic laboratories, or nutrition industry. This course is very demanding and requires students to be fully and actively involved in discussions, tutorials and practical classes.

The purpose of VETS3044 Preparation for Professional Practice is to assist in the transformation from veterinary technology student to practicing veterinary technologist in clinical and/or animal related occupations. Within this subject, students must attain a high professional standard in veterinary technology. This course involves the practical application of skills and knowledge in all aspects of clinical nursing multiple species (emphasis will be placed on medicine, anaesthesia, radiography and surgery pertaining to the veterinary technician), as well as engaging with various animal and veterinary enterprises through Work Integrated Learning opportunities. Students will further develop skills and experience in professional communication, management and leadership skills in practicing self-care.

Students are required to complete a set of Clinical WIL Placements at the UQ Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Internal Rotations) in fields including but not limited to anaesthesia, ECC, radiography, surgery, pharmacy, reception, behaviour, medicine, equine and exotics.

Students are required to complete three (3) Clinical Extramural WIL Placements (Self-sourced External Placements). Namely,

1. CEMWIL Career Enhancement 1 - 4-week placement
2. CEMWIL Career Enhancement 2 - 2-week placement
3. CEMWIL Career Enhancement 3 - 2-week placement

These external placements could take place in any approved veterinary related field, including but not exclusive to: veterinary practice, shelter medicine, biomedical research, emergency & critical care biosecurity, specialist practice, pathology service, feedlot, piggery,ﾠlarge animal practice or mixed practice, diagnostic laboratories, the pharmacology or nutrition industry OR on campus at UQ VETS Production Animal Services orﾠUQ VETS Equine Hospital or UQ Veterinary Laboratory Services.

Each placement MUST be completed at a different enterprise or clinic i.e., no facility can be attended for structured placement more than once.

This course is very demanding and requires students to be fully and actively involved in lectures, discussions, tutorials and practical classes during the intensive teaching block in Semester 1,ﾠas well as completing 440ﾠhours of clinicalﾠplacement over 14 weeks in Semesters 1 & 2 which will develop studentﾠknowledge, skills and expertise essential for successful transition to graduateﾠveterinary technologists.

Course requirements

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

Completion of all level 1 and 2 courses

Companion or co-requisite courses

You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:

VETS3009; VETS3017; VETS3018; VETS3043 & VETS3044

Restrictions

Enrolment restricted to Bachelor of Veterinary Technology students.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

A course timetable will be issued during the first weeks of January. Please check your course Blackboard site frequently for the latest Timetable information.

Please note that unexpected changes to the Timetable may occur throughout the Semester. Therefore, it is crucial to regularly check the course Blackboard site. Any updates to the timetable will be communicated to students via Blackboard Announcements. 

The timetable on Blackboard will be the authoritative version.

• Formal Teaching in VETS3044ﾠcommences the week beginningﾠMonday 20thﾠJanuary, 2025.
• Lectures and practicals are not compulsory (unless otherwise specified). However, ALL material covered in VETS3044ﾠis assessable.
• Attendance hours for clinical rotations and placements will vary from facility to facility and you will be informed regarding these.ﾠThe span of hours will be dependent upon the rotation, as some rotations will involve night and weekend work.

Clinical Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placement Schedule

During the final year of the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology (Year 3), you will be allocated a schedule of Clinical Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements in UQ’s placement management system, InPlace. A condition of your enrolment in courses with a Clinical WIL placement requirement is completion of all scheduled WIL placements, including internal and external WIL placements, as per your allocated InPlace schedule. Once published, variations to your InPlace schedule can only be approved by the School of Veterinary Science Chief Examiner via a Deferred Examination Request. Variation requests will be considered in line with the conditions outlined in the UQ deferred examination policy. Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland.

Acceptable grounds for a request to vary your schedule include:

• Medical grounds
• University-sanctioned commitments e.g., registered elite athlete/performer
• Compassionate grounds e.g., death or serious illness of a family member or close relative

Schedule variation requests will NOT be considered for the following reasons:

• Birthdays, weddings, other cultural or social events
• Pre-booked holidays – you should not make any travel or vacation plans at any time during the full calendar year of the final year of your program

To request a change to your schedule, submit a deferred assessment request via mySI-net Requests and include documentary evidence of the reason for your request.

Clinical Extramural WIL Placements must be self-sourced in line with the placeholder dates in your InPlace schedule.

Self-sourced placements must be registered via the VETS3044 Self Placement link on your InPlace dashboard within the following timeframes:

• A minimum of four (4) weeks prior to the placement start date for domestic placements (within Australia).
• A minimum of six (6) weeks prior to the placement start date for international placements (outside Australia) – more than 6 weeks’ notice is preferred.

If you require assistance sourcing an external placement, contact vetenquiries@uq.edu.au to seek support from the SVS Placements Team. Include the following information in your request:

• Placement dates (as per the placeholder in your InPlace schedule)
• Course code and any specific placement requirements (e.g., VETS3044 – small animal clinic)
• Locations other than your normal semester residence in SI-net where you have access to free accommodation (e.g., staying with family or friends)
• Distance you can travel daily for your placement
• Interest / ability to relocate for the placement and support yourself with paid accommodation
• The type of clinic experience you are seeking for this placement (e.g., emergency, specialist, primary care)

If there are fewer than three (3) weeks remaining until the start date of a placeholder in your schedule, and you have not registered a self-sourced placement for these dates, the SVS Placements Team will allocate you to a Clinical Extramural WIL Placement at a site within reasonable driving distance of your Australian Semester Address*, as recorded in your mySI-net Personal Details.

*The SVS Placements Team will provide assistance with sourcing placements within Australia only. All international placements are self-sourced by the student and subject to approval by the Course Coordinator and Head of School.

As a University of Queensland student you are bound by the Student Code of Conduct.ﾠ You are representing the University and any misconduct (including on clinical placement) will be treated seriously and referred to the appropriate authorities.ﾠ It is expected that you have read the Student Code of Conduct.

https://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.01-student-code-conduct

Aims and outcomes

The aim of VETS3044 is to assist a veterinary technology student in their transformation to a “practice-ready” veterinary technician and in the process, attain a high professional standard in clinical practice. It is expected that students will develop an appropriate understanding of One Welfare and the interconnectedness of human, animal and the environment. Students are expected to develop appropriate competency in professional communication, interpersonal and attitudinal attributes while developing their technical, diagnostic and integrative clinical skills. Through WIL, students will have increased exposure to and experience in handling and restraint of healthy, sick, and injured animals including but not exclusive to companion animals, avian and wildlife, livestock, horses and laboratory animals, to perform a basic clinic exam and a range of diagnostic procedures. Students are expected to engage in and model leadership skills and, are expected to develop an understanding of, and living practice of emotional intelligence and self-care required in all animal-related occupations. 

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Assessment sequence - Leadership, Consultation, Interview & RECOVER (Workshops)

• Team or group-based
• In-person
• Online

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Written

Category

Participation/ Student contribution, Practical/ Demonstration, Presentation, Reflection, Role play/ Simulation

Weight

35%

Due date

Please refer to the course Blackboard site for individual Workshop Assessment due dates and submission instructions.

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

Workshop 1. Hand in at the Workshop.

Workshop 2. Submission site on Bb.

Workshop 3. Submission site on Bb.

Workshop 4. RECOVER: Certificates for BLS and ALS completion must be uploaded through the course Blackboard page prior to the Recover Rescuer component of the assessment.

Additional details can be found on the course Blackboard page.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Workshop 2: Interview ONLY

Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension. Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

Content Block Theory Exam

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

40%

Due date

This exam is scheduled for Tuesday 8th April, 2025.

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

In certain circumstances, you can apply to take a Deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams.

• In-semester deferred exam request – applies to exams held at any time other than during the University's end-of-semester exam block periods.
• End-of-semester deferred exam request – applies only to exams held during the University's designated end-of-semester exam periods.

You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.

Further information including acceptable evidence and instructions on how to apply can be found on my.UQ Deferring an exam

Clinical WIL Placements

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Written

Category

Performance, Placement, Practical/ Demonstration, Reflection

Weight

PASS/FAIL

Due date

Assessed during the internal rotation or submitted by the industry placement partner at the end of each placement

Other conditions

Work integrated learning.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Please refer to ADDITIONAL COURSE GRADING Information > Attendance and absence

Conference Week: Case Presentation

• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation

Weight

PASS/FAIL

Due date

Written abstracts due by 5pm 18 July 2025

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension. Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

OSCE Practical Exam

• Hurdle

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Written

Category

Examination, Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

25%

Due date

End of Semester 2 exam block

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

In certain circumstances, you can apply to take a Deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams.

• In-semester deferred exam request – applies to exams held at any time other than during the University's end-of-semester exam block periods.
• End-of-semester deferred exam request – applies only to exams held during the University's designated end-of-semester exam periods.

You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.

Further information including acceptable evidence and instructions on how to apply can be found on my.UQ Deferring an exam

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

To pass VETS3044

• Students must achieve 50% overall to pass this course.
• The Content Block Theory Exam and the OSCE Practical Exam MUST be passed to pass the course.

Attendance and absence

Attendance is required at all rostered shifts during each clinical rotation and forms part of the professionalism criteria on the assessment tasks for each rotation.

• Students are expected to remain until all cases are up-to-date and treated.
• Students must take appropriate breaks as required (at least 10 minutes’ break every two hours) to ensure health and wellbeing.
• Students should check with their rotation supervisor prior to taking a break or leaving for the day.

 All students MUST follow the instructions in the Learning Activities > Additional Learning Activities Information section of this course profile to notify of any absence

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes. 

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Clinical Placement Performance

Students must also perform to a satisfactory standard during theﾠclinical placement toﾠpass the course. In the case of unsatisfactory performance, the student may be required to undertake additional clinical placement or alternative assessment at the discretion of the course coordinator. Attendance days lost due to medical or compassionate reasons must also be made up.

Refer to Learning Activities > Additional Learning Activity Information in this course profile for the SVS policy and procedure for reporting absences and making up missed shifts. This applies to all internal rotations and external clinical WIL placements.

Other

• Students who are unable to attend an examination must complete an "Application for Deferred Examination” form, available from the UQ website. The form must be lodged within 5 calendar days of the original examination.
• It is not acceptable for a student to organise travel or holidays to coincide with assessment tasks (including supplementary period) or placement.
• Students MUST attend assigned practical sessions and cannot change groups without PRIOR consent of the Course Co-ordinator.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

SSWS + UQU

Maintaining a work-life balance and seeking help early is crucial for successful university studies. UQ Student Support and Wellbeing Services (SSWS) and the Student Union (UQU) offer numerous resources for UQ students including various mindfulness programs and counselling services to boost confidence and improve overall physical and mental wellbeing. UQU also offers a range of support, welfare, and wellbeing resources.

For immediate assistance, please call the 24/7 UQ Counselling and Crisis Line at 1300 851 998.

The Hub

The Student Clinical Skills Hub is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art self-directed learning facility located centrally in the School (John Mahon (8105), Room 101) with two main areas and an online resource community available for all SVS students.

The Hub has a lab where students can practice their clinical skills using standard veterinary equipment, on simulators and/or models in conjunction with supporting audio-visual resources and a smaller communications suite with two working consult rooms, a viewing room and a debriefing space.

The Hub’s aim is to provide a safe, authentic, self-directed learning environment where students can practice their clinical skills in accordance with individual competences, beyond the scheduled contact hours of their programs and further enhance their capacity for self-directed, lifelong learning.

If you cannot access the community or have any other questions, please contact the Hub Coordinator via svs-hub@uq.edu.au or ext 15046.

Blackboard

This course will be supported by a Blackboard website which can be accessed from the university e-Learning website -ﾠhttp://www.elearning.uq.edu.au/. You will need to log on using your UQ username/password, i.e. the same one you use to access my.UQ, SI-Net, and student mail.

Blackboard can be accessed through my.UQ, but your time may run out after 30 minutes. If you enter by this route - this could be a disadvantage.

For further information on Blackboard, students should refer to the following website -ﾠhttp://www.library.uq.edu.au/ask-it/learnuq-blackboard.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

Attendance at Clinical WIL placements

Clinical WIL placements are a compulsory component of the final year of the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology (Year 3) program. Attendance at all Clinical WIL placements as per your InPlace schedule is expected, and full attendance is required to be eligible to pass the course. The requirements for attendance will be communicated via the course Blackboard site and shift times will be advised by the Course Coordinator / Rotation Supervisor (internal placements) or the Placement Supervisor (external placements).

Absence from clinical placements

Attendance at a clinical placement is treated in the same way as a course assessment item. Acceptable reasons for absence from clinical placement are in line with the Acceptable reasons for an extension to assessment due date.

In the event you are unable to attend a clinical placement due to illness or other exceptional circumstances, you must take ALL the following steps:

• Notify your placement site prior to your shift start time by phone or email; AND
• Email the relevant Course Coordinator and svs-studentabsence@uq.edu.au prior to your shift start time; AND
• Submit documentary evidence for your absences (i.e., medical certificate, statutory declaration) no more than 48 hours from when the absence has occurred to svs-studentabsence@uq.edu.au.

Rescheduling missed day/s

To make up the lost time resulting from your absence to meet the placement requirements of your course, the following options are available and will depend on the duration/timing of your absence.

OPTION 1: MAKE UP DAY/S

If it is possible to schedule and complete the required make up day/s within the existing dates of the scheduled placement, this can be arranged directly with your Placement Supervisor/Course Coordinator and ‘resolved’ within the scheduled placement.

OPTION 2: EXTENSION

If it is not possible to schedule and complete the required day/s within the existing scheduled dates, you must apply for an extension to your placement dates via the my.UQ Extension to Assessment Due Date process to arrange for the make up day/s to be scheduled at a later time.

If approved, the SVS Placements Team will liaise with the placement site and adjust your InPlace schedule as required. Where possible*, the make up day/s will be scheduled to occur within a holiday period in your schedule. For Internal rotations, missed shifts that are unable to be rescheduled within the existing dates of the scheduled placement, will be rescheduled for the period 13 to 24 October 2025 only - on the condition that the placement site is not at capacity.

OPTION 3: DEFERRAL

If you are absent for the entire scheduled placement, or have missed enough day/s to require rescheduling of the entire placement, you must apply for deferral of your placement via the mySI-net Deferring an exam process, to be considered by the SVS Chief Examiner.

If approved, the SVS Placements Team will liaise with the placement site and adjust your InPlace schedule as required. Where possible*, the deferred placement will be scheduled to occur within a holiday period in your schedule.For Internal rotations, missed shifts that are unable to be rescheduled within the existing dates of the scheduled placement, will be rescheduled for the period 13 to 24 October 2025 only - on the condition that the placement site is not at capacity.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: OPTIONS 2 and 3 may result in delayed graduation

Scheduling make up days or deferred placements within the same academic year will depend on the capacity of the placement site (internal or external) and the student’s individual InPlace schedule.

In some cases, it may not be possible to schedule make up day/s or reschedule the placement prior to the end of year results release, which may result in delayed completion of the course and program requirements and potentially affect your eligibility to graduate.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Fitness to Practise Policy
• Vaccinations and Immunisation Procedure
• Work Integrated Learning and Work Experience Policy
• Student Travel Procedure