Companion Animal Internal Medicine – Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with Gastrointestinal and Respiratory Diseases

A mixture of lectures, e-learning, theoretical and practical exercises. Case-study work.

Having completed the course, the student must be able to:
 
Knowledge

• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with gastrointestinal symptom.
• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with respiratory symptoms.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Define, identify and evaluate veterinary methodology and the use of minimally invasive techniques for patients with  gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms.

 
Skills

• Apply evidence based approaches to dogs and cats with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• Perform oral presentation of patient history, symptoms and diagnostic plan for both specialist and non-specialist colleagues and clients.
• Discuss relevant problems and questions within the systematic approach to patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms.
• Use and adjust endoscopy equipment.
• Perform a systematic endoscopy with relevant sample collection.
• Interpret, assess, and reflect on collected patient data in order to identify/localise the cause of gastrointestinal or respiratory disease occurrence, make clinical decisions, arrive at a diagnosis and apply and integrate evidence based scientific approaches to plan and administer further diagnostics, patient therapy and management.

 
Competences

• Collaborate and communicate within and between specialist and non-specialist peers and lay persons involved in companion animal patient management.
• Plan, evaluate and manage a diagnostic work-up and treatment of patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• Independently obtain, evaluate and elaborate on evidence based new knowledge at a specialty level within complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.

You must meet the following criteria to be admitted to this course: 

• Hold a degree in Veterinary Medicine.
• Hold one of the following certifications:
  • DVA Certificate in Small Animal Diseases (equivalent to the 4 compulsory courses of the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science).
  • Swedish / Norwegian / Finnish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats.
  • Equivalent competences.
• Have a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience from companion animal practice.
• Be proficient in English.

Find detailed information about the formal requirements for this course.

The course responsibles of the advanced specialisation course in Companion Animal Internal Medicine are:

• Chief Responsible and Associate Professor Lise Nicolic Nielsen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicin, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen.
• Professor Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen.

Lecturers at the advanced specialisation course are:

• Doctor Jon Wray, Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, Solihull, United Kingdom.
• Professor Karin Allenspach, Iowa State University, USA.
• Associate Professor Lisbeth Rem Jessen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicin, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen.
• Professor Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen
• Associate Professor Lise Nicolic Nielsen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicin, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen.
• Associate Professor Rebecca Langhorn, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.