Unit of Study VMED4006 Veterinary Professionalism and Communication 4 (2026)

Future students:
T: 1800 626 481
E: Email your enquiry here

Current students:
Contact: Faculty of Science and Engineering

Students studying at an education collaboration:
Please contact your relevant institution

Show me unit information for year

View previous years of our units

Unit Snapshot

Unit type

Hons Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Pre-requisites

432 credit points in the 3508006 - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Honours)

Enrolment information

1. To pass the unit, students must submit all assessment tasks. 2. Attendance: It is important to recognise the relationship between attendance, participation, student success and retention. Please take advantage of all classes and engagement activities as it will increase your opportunity for learning, progression in the course, and success as a veterinarian. For units with practicals and other learning activities that directly relate to developing AVBC day one competencies that are required for veterinary accreditation, attendance is required. These will be identified within each unit and attendance requirements clearly communicated to students.
Enrolment restriction

To be enrolled in final year units, all students must have completed all units from Year 1-Year 4, and satisfied requirements of all AHWIL, PCWIL and CWIL hours. Students are required to submit a Unit Approval Request.

Unit description

This capstone unit prepares final-year veterinary students for transition into professional practice by integrating advanced clinical, business, and professional competencies essential for a successful veterinary career. Students will engage in authentic, practice-based learning activities that include the critical appraisal of current scientific literature, the development of evidence-based clinical protocols, and comprehensive case management from intake to discharge. The unit emphasises the application of scholarly inquiry and clinical reasoning to support evidence-based veterinary medicine across a range of practice contexts. Students will also explore core principles of veterinary business operations, including workplace legislation, ethical responsibilities, and personal financial management, equipping them with the tools to navigate the complexities of modern veterinary practice. A strong focus is placed on professional conduct, accurate clinical documentation, and the ethical management of client and patient data using veterinary practice management systems. Through reflective practice and collaboration, students will consolidate their communication, leadership, and decision-making skills, ensuring they graduate as competent, confident, and practice-ready veterinarians aligned with the AVBC Day One Competencies and SCU’s values of intellectual rigour, ethical practice, and lifelong learning.

Unit content

No modules required.

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2026

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

critically appraise and synthesise scientific literature to conduct a structured review and develop an evidence-based clinical protocol for a selected veterinary condition, demonstrating scholarly inquiry and application of current best practice

apply evidence-based knowledge and clinical reasoning to competently manage a veterinary case from intake to discharge, including patient assessment, diagnostic planning, treatment implementation, client communication, discharge preparation, and outcome evaluation

demonstrate knowledge and clinical skills required to meet the Veterinary Graduate day one competencies as defined by the Australia Veterinary Boards Council

maintain accurate, consistent, and contemporaneous clinical records using a veterinary practice management system, ensuring traceability, continuity of care, and compliance with ethical and legal obligations regarding data protection and client confidentiality.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

Find out more for domestic fees