SCAM13029U Companion Animal Ophthalmology - Basic Companion Animal Ophthalmology

Volume 2024/2025
Education

This course is a specialization course at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science. The Master is a post graduate education targeted small animal veterinarians seeking Continual Professional Development (CPD).

Content

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with theoretical and practical skills to understand the underlying causes for ocular diseases, and to perform diagnostic work-up, establish prognosis and develop therapeutic strategies for the management of:
 

1) dogs and cats with congenital ocular diseases

2) dogs and cats with hereditary ocular diseases

3) dogs and cats with ocular manifestation of systemic diseases.

4) dogs and cats with neoplastic ocular diseases
 

To provide the student with hands on knowledge in how to use a handheld slit-lamp for biomicroscopy examination.
 

To provide the student with hands on knowledge in the field of direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy.
 

To provide the student with hands on knowledge in the field of advanced diagnostic testing for ophthalmic diseases; including cytology, pathology, and electroretinography. To demonstrate the use of advanced CT and MRI in veterinary ophthalmology.
 

By theory and practical exercises to extend the student’s knowledge, practical skills and competences within the clinical decision making and diagnostic procedures with regards to companion animal ophthalmic diseases.

Learning Outcome

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 congenital ocular diseases.
  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with symptoms of hereditary ocular diseases.
  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with symptoms of ocular manifestation of systemic diseases.
  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with symptoms of neoplastic ocular diseases.
  • Know ocular pharmacological drugs that can be used in veterinary ophthalmology.
  • Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for ocular diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
  • To define, identify and evaluate veterinary methodology and the use of general and advanced veterinary diagnostic methods for veterinary ophthalmology patients.
     

Skills

  • Apply evidence based approaches to dogs and cats with complex ophthalmic symptoms.
  • 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 ophthalmic symptoms.
  • Use and adjust slit lamp biomicroscopy.
  • Use and adjust headset for indicted ophthalmoscopy.
  • Perform gonioscopy examination at a basic level.
  • Perform an electroretinogram (ERG) at a basic level.
  • Perform ocular ultrasonographic examination at a basic level.
  • Interpret, assess, and reflect on collected patient data in order to identify/localize the cause of ocular 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 ocular diseases.
  • Independently obtain, evaluate and elaborate on evidence based new knowledge at a specialty level within complex ocular diseases.
Literature

Updated literature list will be posted 4 weeks prior to course start. The participant should have theoretical knowledge updated prior to participation

Inclusion criteria for Master's Programme in Companion Animal Clinical Science:

-Degree in veterinary medicine and at least two years of relevant work experience.
-SCAM13001U, SCAM13002U, SCAM13003U, SCAM13004U or one of the following certifications in Companion Animal Diseases:


-DVA in Small Animal Diseases, in Danish known as “certificeret fagdyrlæge i sygdomme hos hunde og katte”


-Swedish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Swedish known as Steg 1


-Norwegian specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Norwegian known as Specialisering i veterinærmedisin, spesialitet smådyr

-Finnish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Finnish known as Pieneläinsairauksien erikoiseläinlääkäri
A mixture of lectures, e-learning, theoretical and practical exercises. Case-study work.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 82
  • Exercises
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 40
  • Total
  • 162
Oral
Individual
Collective
Credit
6 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Type of assessment details
The portfolio exam consists of two parts.
1) The course certificate, which supports, underpins, and focuses on the learning process (learning portfolio). All required components of the course certificate must be approved and include a) a minimum of 80% active participation and b) preparation and oral presentation of one or more problem oriented clinical cases.
2) A graded evaluation, which focuses on the intended learning outcomes (evaluation portfolio). The graded evaluation includes a) a written assignment: a critical mini-review, weighted 40% of the final grade and b) and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), weighted 60% of the final grade.
Exam registration requirements

Both, approved course certificate and a passed examination are required to pass the course. Students may attend examination without approval of course certificate.

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Exam dates will be published on the programme  homepage.

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:

Knowledge

  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of ocular anatomy, embryology, histology, neuro-ophthalmology, physiology, pathophysiology, and cytology.
  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of basic ocular imaging as electroretinogram (ERG), ultrasound and CT scan.
  • Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of how to perform an ophthalmic examination.

 

Skills

  • Perform a complete ophthalmic examination including basic diagnostic tests (schirmer tear test, tonometry, and fluorescein stain), and an examination of adnexa, anterior segment, and posterior segment with transilluminator, slit lamp biomicroscopy, and indirect ophthalmoscopy.
  • Use and adjust ultrasonographic equipment.
  • Perform electroretinogram (ERG) at a basic level.
  • Perform gonioscopy at a basic level

 

Competences

  • Collaborate and communicate within and between specialist and non-specialist peers and lay persons involved ocular anatomy, embryology, histopathology, and how these topics can relate to companion animal ocular diseases.
  • Independently obtain, evaluate and elaborate on evidence based new knowledge at a specialty level within complex ocular anatomy, embryology, histopathology, and how these topics can relate to companion animal ocular diseases.