Extramural Practical Work Requirements - Placements
When to Commence Practical Work
Extramural Practical Work Placements commence after successful completion of the Year 1 units of study Animal Husbandry 1A and 1B, Professional Practice 1 and the Camden Animal Handling Week. All placements are undertaken in vacation periods. A Group Rotation Schedule has been developed to assist students with planning their animal husbandry placements. While the Faculty endeavour to place all students that submit preferences with a Partner Site, this is generally not possible due to a lack of
available placements. For this reason you may have to do some placements outside of the rostered times in your Schedule and with Non Partner Sites.
Placements are undertaken in the long summer and shorter winter vacation periods.
Students will not be placed for extramural work experience during semester times or during the mid-semester breaks.
Deferring students wishing to undertake placements are required to email the Sub Dean for Animal Husbandry, Dr Peter White
( ) for approval.
Note: Only enrolled students may attend extramural placements.
Preclinical (Animal Husbandry) Requirements
All compulsory core placements (Horse Stud, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry) must be undertaken in Australia. Elective placements may be taken at approved commercial properties and/or industry and wildlife establishments.
The purpose of all your placements is to gain animal handling skills, an appreciation of weekly routines on a commercial property, an understanding of the role of a veterinarian on a farm, to develop communication skills with a broad range of people and gain an understanding of life in a rural community.
Students are also encouraged to undertake placements to gain experience in areas that may be of future interest during their career as a Veterinarian. It is necessary if you wish to undertake specific electives during 5th Year that you have adequate experience in the field of your choice.
When arranging placements it is not permissible to count the same days twice for two different species. For example, 5 days on a beef cattle and sheep property can only be submitted as either a total of 5 days of beef cattle work or a total of 5 days of sheep work. . Placements may be arranged sequentially. For example, a two week placement on one beef cattle and sheep station may be counted as 5 days of beef cattle + 5 days of sheep.
Preclinical (Animal Husbandry) Requirements - Students in 1st Year 2010 and 2009
Students in 1st Year 2010 and 2009 must complete the following species requirements to fulfil the unit of study:
Horse Stud - 5 Days
Dairy Cattle - 5 Days
Beef Cattle - 5 Days
Sheep - 5 Days
Pigs - 5 Days
Poultry - 5 Days
Total - 30 Days
The compulsory core Horse Stud Experience placement must be completed on a horse stud, not a riding school or performance horse property.
Students commencing 1st Year in 2009 & 2010 are able to undertake 28 days of discretionary/elective work.
Preclinical (Animal Husbandry) Requirements - Students enrolling in 1st Year after 2011
Students enrolling in 1st Year in 2011 must complete the following species requirements to fulfil the unit of study:
Horse Experience - 5 Days
Dairy Cattle Experience - 5 Days
Beef Cattle Experience - 5 Days
Sheep Experience - 5 Days
Pigs Experience - 5 Days
Poultry Experience - 5 Days
Week 1 Elective Experience - 5 Days
Week 2 Elective Experience - 5 Days
Total - 40 Days
Students commencing 1st Year from 2011 are required to undertake two weeks of Elective Experience at approved commercial properties and/or industry and wildlife parks/zoos etc for work with native fauna, zoo animals, marine animals, or other exotic species. Students may use their elective placements to gain further additional experience with the core compulsory species requirements or to work with native fauna, zoo animals, marine animals, or other exotic species.
Organisation of Placements
Students are given assistance to arrange placements at Partner sites through the Faculty’s Animal Husbandry database. Placements are organised through the Faculty’s website Virtual Veterinary Campus.
Placements are arranged through a preference and ballot system. Students are advised on how to do this in second semester of 2nd Year. Further information, dates and deadlines for coming placement periods are published on the Placements and the Non Partner Site Placements pages.
Students are permitted to make their own arrangements for practical work on commercial properties or stables which are not currently on the Faculty database as part of their discretionary/elective placements see the Non Partner Site Placements page.
Transport, accommodation and living costs
All costs associated with transport, accommodation and general living costs (e.g. food) relating to the EMS Program are the responsibility of individual students. Some farm placements may provide accommodation (often at a small cost) however, you may be required to organise your own living arrangements in some cases.
You are encouraged to consider these costs and your transport requirements well in advance of your placement.