35480 - Clinical Methods in Veterinary Medicine

Learning outcomes

The course “Veterinary Clinical Methods” is aimed to provide the student with the cultural and operative tools to perform a thorough and complete physical examination focused to assess the health status of an animal. At the same time, the course has the objective to teach the basic correct clinical procedures necessary to collect biologic samples in the different domestic species.

At the end of the course:
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:  – the student knows the different methods and the equipment to perform a complete and thorough  physical examination and to collect biologic samples in the main domestic species according to the different semiologic modalities previously quoted;

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – the student is able to:
 - properly collect the data related to the signalament and history;
 - adequately approach an animal in order to warrant his own safety and that of the patient;
 - perform the correct manual procedures pertaining to the physical examination of an animal;
 - recognize, appreciate and collect the clinical signs;
 - correctly perform the manual procedures necessary to collect biologic samples for the necessary diagnostic investigation

LEARNING SKILLS, ABILITY OF MAKING JUDGEMENTS AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS  - the  student is able to:
 - solve the proposed problems through the exposition to real clinical cases;
 - communicate and share with the other students and with the tutor her/his own inferences;
 - utilize complementary resources available In situ (Portale Didattico Veterinario, web-search systems  and similars) to solve the proposed problems.

Course contents

Prerequisites
The student, starting this course, should already have the knowledge, and be able to use it in the different clinical applications, the information related to the normal morphology and physiology of the differnt organs and systems. The student should also have know the fundamentals of the pathologic processes, acquired through the study of the general pathology.
The student should have the knowledge and understading of the spoken and written English language in oreder to be able to read and understand the slides that the teacher may use and abstracts of publications, textbooks and handbooks.
(Regolamento didattico: Art. 4 - Frequenza e propedeuticità - http://www.vet.unibo.it/NR/rdonlyres/08E3C369-31C6-48AB-B63B-E5D3F367C01A/253007/RegolamentodidatticoCdS8618.pdf).

The course “Veterinary Clinical Methods” is aimed to provide the student with the cultural and operative tools to  perform a thorough and complete clinical examination focused to assess the health status of an animal. At the same time, the course has the objective to teach the basic correct clinical procedures necessary to collect biologic samples in the different domestic species.

The detailed syllabus of the course is downloadable at the teacher's website ( http://www.unibo.it/docenti/gualtiero.gandini )

Readings/Bibliography

teaching material consists of the suggested textbooks (see below) and of the material put on the specific course website (http://campus.cib.unibo.it or website of the teacher responsible for the course: http://www.unibo.it/docenti/gualtiero.gandini ).

Specifically. the suggested textbooks are:
- "Semiologia e Diagnostica Medica Veterinaria" di A. Messieri e B. Moretti, Libreria Universitaria Tinarelli, 1963.
- Ettinger SJ, Feldman EC, eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders, 2010
- Nelson RW, Couto CG, eds Small Animal Internal Medicine, 4th  ed. Philadelphia, Saunders, 2008
- "L'esame Clinico del Bovino", di G. Rosenberger, terza edizione a cura di G. Dirksen, HD. Gruender, M. Stoeber, Edagricole, 1993;
- "Clinical Examination of Farm Animals", di P. Jackson e P Cockcroft, Blackwell Publishing, 2002;

Teaching methods

The course is made of academic (frontal) lectures (27 hours) and practical lessons (12 x 4 hours)
a. Academic lectures
Academic lectures require close interaction between the teacher and students and are organized with the aim to best represent the real professional situation and environment of the veterinary surgeon.

More precisely, the academic lectures are dedicated to the explanation of the clinical approach to the patient using the in-depth description of the items hereunder reported:
· procedures of direct semiology
· signalament and anamnesis
· “esame obiettivo generale (EOG)” – General physical examination
· “esame obiettivo particolare (EOP)” – Physical examination
· examples of algorythms according to the “problem oriented approach”

b. Practical and “hands on” lessons
Practical lessons are held dividing the students in four groups of about 25 students each, further divided in smaller groups of 4-6 students. The same hour of practical lesson is marrane for each major group
The goals of the practical lessons are:
· making the student able to perform the practical procedures of the physical examination (hands on activity) – this activity is focused to gain professional skills;
· develop the student's ability to recognize and collect the clinical signs using either real cases from the Teaching Hospital and videos or pictures in the informatic lab. – this activity is focused to gain skill in learning and making judgements, communication and capability to working in groups;
therefore, practical lessons belong to two categories:
 - hands-on activity on the live animal to acquire the necessary manual skills;
 - interactive sessions using the computer, where the tutor will ask for problems to be solved using the information acquired in the academic lectures;.
Within the practical lessons, the teacher/tutor will emphasize the importance and necessity of the group work, oriented to the development of searching, learning, judgement and communication skills.

Assessment methods

The final exam has the objective to evaluate the achievement of the main learning outcomes:
- Ability to adequately and thoroughly collect the history of the patient;
- Knowledge of the manual procedures of the clinical examination o fan animal and ability to practically perform them;
- Ability to detect and collect the clinical signs in a sick animal;

The final mark of the integrated teaching course “Metodologia, Patologia Clinica e Medicina Legale” results from the mean of the marks obtained in the final evaluations of the single different parts that comprise the teaching course. The marks obtained in the different part of the exam do not expire and are integrated in order to obtain the final mark. 
The evaluation of the student for the teaching course “Metodologia Clinica Veterinaria” consists of a pratical part, organized during the last practical lessons and of an oral part.
The goal of the practical part of the exam, performed on a live animal, is to assess the achievement of an adequate skill in the manual procedures necessary to perform a thorough physical examination;
  - This part of the exam is passed when the candidate is entitled of the assessment “pass” (idoneo).
  - This part of the exam is NOT passed when the candidate is entitled of the assessment “Fail” (NON idoneo).
The goal of the oral part of the exam is to assess the achievement of the theoretical knowledge as detailed in the part “learning outcomes”. This part of the exam is passed when the candidate is able to answer to two main questions concerning topics discussed during the course. The mark will include the assessment “pass” concerning the practical part of the exam.
  - The evaluation of the candidate may include other minor questions related to the topics of the two main questions.
  - It's considered extremely important that the candidate has the knowledge of the relevant information acquired in the previous teaching courses (prerequisites), and specifically those pertaining the physiological function of the different systems of the body, as well as those related with the principal physiopathological mechanisms of dysfunction.
  -  When evaluating the candidate's answers, the examining committee will put specific relevance in evaluating the achievement  of a logic-deductive methodology in the discussion of the topics of the questions.
  - During the exam is not allowed the use of any support material, such as textbooks, nots, notebooks and other electronic devices.

Practical Information

Students are strongly encouraged to take the practical and oral part of the exam during the same venue.

The examination committee will evaluate the necessity to establish other dates for the practical test. This will happen according to the same modalities described for the oral part of the exam.
Students can make a reservation for the practical and oral part ofthe exam using the modalities of the Atheneum' online system “Alma Esami”:
  (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm).
   · The dates of the exam are proposed within the dedicated periods of the academic year for the students that have regularly attended the course in the present academic year. All the other students (so called “fuori corso” students) can take the exam in specific dates that are proposed during the whole year.
   · Depending on the frequency of the available dates, the examination committee will decide the maximum number of the candidates allowed to take the exam per day. In any instance, the maximum number of candidates per day is eight.
   · In the case that for a specific date the number of candidates for the oral part of the exam is greater than eight, the examination committee is committed to find the way to make them taking the exam in the earliest time possible, preparing an appropriate caledndar of subsequent dates during the first day of the exam.
   · Each student can't make reservations for multiple dates of the exam at the same time.
   · The student who fail the oral part of the exam, can retake the same part of the exam after a minimum period of three weeks.

Teaching tools

Clinical cases (real and videotaped) , computer room, Portale Didattico Veterinario (PDV), material and structures of the teaching Hospital , including the multimedial lecture room.

Office hours

See the website of Gualtiero Gandini