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Unit of Study VMED2005 - Systems Pathology, Medicine and Therapy 4 (2026)

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Unit Snapshot

  • 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.

Unit description

This unit aims to equip Year 4 veterinary students with the knowledge, clinical reasoning, and practical skills required to diagnose, manage, and treat diseases affecting the endocrine, nervous, lymphatic, and immune systems across multiple species. By integrating pathology, medicine, and surgery, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the clinico-pathological correlation between health and disease in these complex physiological systems, and understand their overarching role in physiological control of the animal body. By the end of this unit, students are expected to explain the pathophysiology of key endocrine, neurological, lymphatic, and immune-mediated diseases, linking clinical signs to underlying mechanisms in a range of species. They will apply diagnostic techniques, including clinical examination, imaging, laboratory testing, and functional assessments, to distinguish between normal and abnormal findings. Students will analyse clinico-pathological data to evaluate disease progression, therapeutic responses, and species-specific differences in disease manifestation and management. Furthermore, students will develop and justify evidence-based medical and surgical treatment plans, considering species-specific variations in neuroendocrine regulation, immune function, and nervous system disorders. Emphasis will be placed on integrating theoretical knowledge with clinical practice, refining diagnostic reasoning, and enhancing problem-solving skills. By completing this unit, students will be well-prepared for clinical rotations and professional veterinary practice, with a strong foundation in multispecies comparative medicine

Unit content

  1. Neurological diseases
  2. Diseases of the special senses
  3. Endocrine disorders
  4. Immune system dysfunction
  5. Lymphatic system and systemic inflammatory diseases
  6. Neuro-hormonal integration deficits

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:

explain the pathophysiology of common neurological (including special senses), endocrine, and immunological diseases across multiple species, correlating clinical signs with underlying pathological processes

select and apply appropriate diagnostic approaches, including clinical examination, imaging, and laboratory testing, to identify and differentiate between normal and abnormal common neurological, endocrine, and immunological system findings in various species

evaluate clinico-pathological data to evaluate disease severity and progression, assess therapeutic responses, and compare species-specific variations in disease presentation, pathophysiology, and treatment outcomes

infer and create treatment and prevention/control options for the common neurological, endocrine, and immunological diseases based on underlying pathological principles.