BVSc application InstructionSheet

[airrick16]

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Saw this on the Univ of Melbourne BVSc application information.

http://www.vet.unimelb.edu.au/future/BVScInstructionSheet2010.pdf
Extra requirements for Veterinary Science Applicants
Animal Handling Requirements
Completion of no less than eight weeks of experience in animal handling, care and management during the vacations of the first and second years is required before the end-of-year examination in
second year. Prior to this experience students must have completed a faculty approved animal handling and environmental health and safety course. The approximate cost of this course is $800.

Is this done before or after applying? What course? What examination? 😕

 

[bunnity]

It says "during the vacations of the first and second years" so I think they mean winter break, spring break, and the summer between first and second years. So it sounds like this is something you don't have to worry about until after you start school.

 

[laurafinn]

Looks like those 8 weeks are farm/animal practical work. Basically, you go be a farm worker for a few months during your school vacations. Or shadow a farrier, or maybe work in a cattery, or something similar. Or all of the above, a couple of weeks at a time. The point is to get real world experience with Australian farming systems and animal husbandry (yes, cue the sheep jokes).

The $800 class likely deals with animal handling and safety, teaching you how to restrain all sorts of animals, how to drench sheep, how to catch budgies, how to cast a cow, how to safely work around horses and bulls, etc. I suspect the test afterward is just stuff like making sure you don't stand in horse strike zones, know that you have to wear leather gloves to deal with falcons, explain how to peg a cat. You'll be taught all this, and it's fairly straightforward. I would not worry about it too much.


FYI - That PDF doesn't contain the instructions you need, unless you are an Australian/New Zealand citizen or Australian Permanent Resident who is eligible for a Commonwealth-supported position. Look for the international student version.

 

[airrick16]

Thanks for the heads up!
Like Laura said, it sounds like these are all things you would need to do while ur already enrolled in the BVSc program. Why they decided to put this in the application intro makes little sense to me.
I was also surprised it doesn't say anything about how many recommendations you need.

PS- What does it mean to peg a cat? I have my suspicions (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) but..

 

[laurafinn]

Putting three clothes pegs (clothes pins) on the loose skin along back of a cat, starting right behind the head and working backwards, chills it out and serves as a method of gentle restraint. Odd, but true.

There is a writeup of this method in a Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery article, where they call it clipnosis 🙂

 

[Nexx]

http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=305f3e6149c583acb1f3673d00b1c523

The link to said article for anyone interested (or as a bonus, I attached it, and it has pics 🙂 )

Makes me wonder why so many cat vets are aversive to scruffing, although I need to read the article a bit later when I can focus fully as I probably missed some point in there 🙂 *shrug*