veterinary public health program

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N12 Australian Veterinary Journal Volume 84, No 4, April 2006

The University of Sydney Veterinary Public HealthManagement (VPHMgt) course was launched in 2003 inresponse to an acknowledged need for veterinarians and

animal scientists with skills combining veterinary epidemiology,data analysis, zoonoses, animal health economics and policydevelopment. Development of skills in leadership,communication, teamwork and project management is pivotal tothe course. Eighty-four participants have undertaken study todate. While the largest proportion of students has come fromrural and regional Australia, participants from overseas (Fiji,Swaziland, Thailand, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, USA,China, New Zealand and the UK) have added to the breadth ofknowledge and experience in the course.

This course aimed at animal health professionals who maylive in remote locations, so needs to be accessible. Therefore, theFaculty of Veterinary Science offers the program by distancewith interactive online classrooms facilitated by experts in eachsubject area, as well as two 3 to 5 day residential sessions peryear; progress through the course is flexible. Students completeweekly learning activities in their units of study, engage invibrant and facilitated discussions in an online discussion boardand complete individual and group assignments. Assessment inthe course has been designed to be authentic, involving tasksthat have real-world relevance. Each unit of study also requiresstudents to work in a group, by distance, to improve theirabilities to function in multidisciplinary teams, and with peoplewho may not be at the same geographic location.

Students in the course have included employees oforganisations such as state and federal agriculture departments,rural lands protection boards, biosecurity and quarantineservices, pharmaceutical and health research organisations, meatinspection, live export veterinarians and international agenciessuch as FAO. Others have been veterinarians in private practicewishing to move into a veterinary public health or consultancyrole.

Feedback from students has been consistently positive on allaspects - course materials, quality of teaching, the value of thelearning community, the relevance of each unit of study to thecourse and their career, their experience at residential sessionsand the quality of student support. The 2005 Student CourseExperience Questionnaire (SCEQ) results for VPHMgt were byfar the highest in the University and included a 96% overallsatisfaction rate and 100% satisfaction with Facultyadministration. These results confirm the value of the course,which has been articulated by student comments. RolandDlamini from Swaziland, for instance, said: “Whatever new skillI learn I can put into practice immediately and share myexperiences with my fellow students and lecturers – what apleasant arrangement!”

Annual dinnerThe annual dinner of the postgraduate program in VeterinaryPublic Health Management was hosted by Professor RichardWhittington, Chair of Farm Animal Health and Professor LeoJeffcott, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

It was held on Thursday 23rd of February at the DarlingtonCentre at the University of Sydney, during the residential session

for students starting the course in 2006. Awards were given to student Jim Kerr, from the Hunter

RLPB, for Outstanding Academic Performance in the VPHMgtprogram in 2005; jointly to Jonathan Webber and David Jordanfor excellence in online teaching in VPHMgt in 2005; and toSarah Graham and Karen Black for providing outstandingsupport of students’ use of the University library by distance.

Guest speaker for the dinner was Professor Ian McConnell,Professor of Veterinary Science and Director of Research,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge.

Professor McConnell addressed students, faculty staff andguests on veterinary public health issues such as BSE and Avianinfluenza, and the role of vets in identifying and controllingthese emerging diseases. He highlighted the value of theVPHMgt course in preparing students for the range ofveterinary public health issues they may face. He acknowledgedthe multiple – often non-scientific – skills involved in workingin veterinary public health: “Sure, it is about technology butwhen you’re dealing with emerging diseases it is also about howyou explain that, how you communicate it,” said ProfessorMcConnell.

Dr Ian Jenson from Meat and Livestock Australia also spokeabout the significance of veterinary public health for protectingAustralia’s livestock industries. Meat and Livestock Australia issponsoring a new Chair in Veterinary Public Health and FoodSafety at The University of Sydney. This new chair will enhancethe capacity for high quality research and training in veterinarypublic health and food safety for postgraduate andundergraduate veterinarians and animal scientists.

For more information on the Veterinary Public Health Management course, visitwww.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/publichealth_management

Hannah Forsyth, Sub Dean,Postgraduate Coursework,

Faculty of Veterinary Science The University of Sydney

Veterinary Public Health Program

Professor Ian McConnell, on the left, and Professor Leo Jeffcott.