Curriculum Philosophy
The curriculum has been designed in accordance with the EU directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. It consists of theoretical and practical training. Practical training takes place in the 5th and final year of the programme. It covers all the fundamental topics of veterinary medicine, including anatomy, animal husbandry, cells and genes, physiology, the concept of professionalism, epidemiology, infectious diseases and pathology. It is fully aligned with the One Health agenda.
An integrative approach has been adopted to deliver knowledge in a horizontal and vertical manner in order for the students to understand the multifaceted science underpinning veterinary practice and research. The curriculum enables students to understand the basic biological principles of normal body function and disease, and the ability to distinguish the pathological from the normal, to prevent disease and safely manage the processes of animal production. The primary educational goal of the DVM programme is to prepare graduates for a productive career within the veterinary medical profession, while at the same time give them a strong academic foundation to pursue a research career.
One Health Agenda
The One Health agenda aims to establish close links with all stakeholders with the view to improve the public’s awareness of animal rights and protect and preserve a healthy ecosystem, which will safeguard the health of both animals and humans. Students will have the opportunity to learn the fundamental theoretical knowledge and develop clinical skills that will assist them to acquire the necessary Day One skills and competencies to practise the veterinary profession whether choosing to work with companion, production or equine animals. In addition, they will be endowed with critical thinking skills and in-depth understanding of evidence-based medicine, which will prepare them to follow a research career path.
Curriculum Objectives
The curriculum has been developed upon specific Learning Objectives that set the expectations for what a student in the DVM programme should know and do at graduation. They fall under the following domains:
A. Knowledge and Understanding
Basic science, preclinical and clinical knowledge
Business
Public, environmental, and animal population health
B. Skills
Clinical skills
Communication skills
Problem solving, critical thinking and life-long learning skills
C. Behaviour
Ethics
Professionalism
Curriculum Design
The delivery of the curriculum is divided into two components. The intramural studies and the extramural studies. Intramural studies refer to all the courses (as listed below) that constitute the accredited component which will be directly supervised by UNIC. Extramural studies refer to activities which supplement the training received by the students in their intramural studies. This training takes place during the summer break and is not supervised directly by UNIC personnel. Students can choose the sites of their extramural studies having obtained prior approval by UNIC.
During the first 4 years, students learn about normal animal structure and function, pathology, medicine and surgery. They also learn clinical communication as well as diagnostic and clinical skills. They also have extramural studies (Years 1&2), activities which supplement the training received during the semesters and which take place during the summer break. The 12 weeks of extramural studies are divided as follows: 2 weeks Equine; 2 weeks Pig; 2 weeks Sheep; 2 weeks cattle; 2 weeks Small animals; 2 weeks select.
In the fifth year students attend clinical rotations of small animals, farm animals and horses.
Intramural studies
This is divided into two years of clinical sciences, two transitional years and one year of clinical practice. Both the clinical sciences modules and the transitional years’ modules are designed to provide students with comprehensive and wide-ranging knowledge of the science underpinning the veterinary profession. During the fifth year, students will undertake twenty-six weeks of compulsory on-campus or off-campus clinical rotations, focusing on gaining practical in veterinary practices, attending lectures and workshops and completing a major research project. The Clinical rotations will be broken down into three components:
Small animals –16 weeks
Farm animals – 6 weeks
Equine – 4 weeks
Extramural studies
This component of the curriculum takes place during vacation time but it is required. During the first two years, twelve weeks of Animal Husbandry Extra Mural Studies (AHEMS) are compulsory. These are designed to assist students to consolidate the learning obtained during the intramural teaching about animal husbandry, develop animal handling skills, and learn about animal industries. Following that, and over the remaining three years, students are expected to attend 24 weeks of Clinical extramural studies (ClinEMS) dedicated to gaining additional practical clinical experience and support of the learning gained through academic teaching. ClinEMS will help students gain experience in a variety of different clinical and other veterinary-related activities and help them consolidate their learning about diagnosis and management of animal diseases that will enhance their practical clinical skills.
During years 1 & 2 students will have 12 weeks of extramural studies divided as follows: Two weeks Equine; Two weeks Pig; Two weeks Sheep; Two weeks Cattle; Two weeks Small Animals; Two weeks select.
During years 3-5 students will have 24 weeks of clinical extramural Studies (ClinEMS).
Semester Breakdown
Teaching
The DVM programme employs various teaching strategies to encourage active and deep learning as outlined below:
- Lectures
- Guest lectures
- Tutorials
- Laboratories and practical work
- Anatomy and Histology Resource Centre
- Clinical Skills Facility
- Patient Oriented Learning (PtOL)
- Observation of clinical practice
- Supervised clinical experience
- Portfolio-based learning
- Role play
- Independent study
- Digital Recording
- Presentations
Assessment
The assessment in the five years of the DVM degree is designed to thoroughly assess the knowledge, skills and behaviours that veterinary medicine students will need to attain to allow them to practise as veterinarians. Students are assessed on Professional Values and Behaviours, Professional Knowledge and Professional Skills, Veterinarian as a Professional, Veterinarian as a Scholar and a Scientist and Veterinarian as a Practitioner. Note that not all types of assessment feature in every year of the programme. Formative assessments are given to the candidates for familiarisation with the assessment format and in order to provide them with feedback. They do not count towards student grades and student progression. Summative assessments evaluate a student’s knowledge, skill or competence and count towards student grades and progression. Students will receive feedback on their performance in assessments. Students’ progress is monitored by the Programme Director, the Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, the Academic Lead for Assessment and others, to ensure that poor performance is noted and support offered to students enabling them to take remedial action. Satisfactory progress includes not only good performance in the various assessments, but also a good level of attendance, participation in group work and other such activities and compliance with the regulations of the School of the Veterinary Medicine. Students making unsatisfactory progress shall be referred to the Programme Director.
Interprofessional Learning
The Strategic Plan for Interprofessional Learning (IPL) of the 5-year Veterinary Programme of the University of Nicosia Veterinary School seeks to achieve enhancements to the IPL activities of the Veterinary School by building on current strengths of the Medical school, seizing key opportunities, and by developing and implementing solutions to current challenges.
The IPL Plan aligns with the Veterinary School’s vision, which espouses the holistic concept of One Health, which emphasizes the relationship between the health of humans and animals within a healthy, sustainable environment. The strategic plan further aligns with our core values and mission, which aims to provide innovative, student-centred and high-quality education, and outlines the strategy to be taken over the next three years.
Current and future versions of this plan will take into consideration feedback received from relevant stakeholders, such as students, staff, faculty and partners, as well as that of external experts, such as our International Advisory Committee and the external evaluators engaged by CyQAA