OIE Sub-Regional Representation for South-East Asiac/o DLD, 69/1 Phaya Thai Road, Ratchathewi 10400, Bangkok, Thailand

• Telephone: +66 2 653 4864 • Fax: +66 2 653 4904• Email: srr.seasia@oie.int

• Website: www.oie.int; www. rr-asia.oie.int

OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core CurriculumCourse Day 1 Competencies Addressed

Specific Advanced

Biomathematics EpidemiologyAnimal Welfare and Ethology Animal WelfareParasitology ZoonosesPharmacology/Toxicology Veterinary ProductsPathology Zoonoses, Transboundary Diseases,

Epidemiology, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases

Transmissible Diseases Zoonoses, Epidemiology, Transboundary Animal Diseases, Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases

Microbiology Transboundary Animal Diseases, Zoonoses, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Food Hygiene, Veterinary Products

Epidemiology Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Veterinary Legislation and Ethics, Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases

Rural Economics, Business Management and Animal Production

Administration and Management

Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Veterinary ProductsNational and International Veterinary Legislation

Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Food Hygiene, Veterinary Products, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Legislation and Ethics, General Certification Procedures

Organisation of Veterinary Services, Inspection and Certification Procedure, Management of Contagious Diseases, Food Hygiene, International trade framework

Herd Health Management and Nutrition

Veterinary Product, Animal Welfare, Epidemiology, Zoonoses, Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Food Hygiene

Management of Contagious Diseases, Inspection and Certification Procedures, Food Hygiene, Application of Risk Analysis

Public Health Zoonoses, Disease Prevention and Control, Food Hygiene, Veterinary Products

Organisation of Veterinary Services, Inspection and Certification Procedures, Management of Contagious Diseases, Food Hygiene

Food Safety/Hygiene Zoonoses, Disease Prevention and Control Programmes, Food Hygiene, Veterinary Products, Veterinary Legislation and Ethics, General Certification Procedures

Inspection and Certification Procedures, Food Hygiene, International Trade Framework

Professional Jurisprudence and Ethics

Veterinary Legislation and Ethics, General Certification Procedures

Communication Communication Skills Administration and Management

OIE Competencies of ‘Day 1 Graduates’

All veterinarians, regardless of their professional area of practice after graduation, are responsible for promoting animal health, animal welfare, veterinary public health, and food safety. As such, veterinary education is a cornerstone to assure that the graduating veterinarian (“Day 1 veterinary graduate”) not only has received a sufficient level of education and training that ensures sound overall competencies, but also has the required knowledge, skills, attitudes and aptitudes to understand and be able to perform entry-level national Veterinary Service tasks that relate to the promotion of animal and public health.

The OIE Recommendations on the Competencies of graduating veterinarians (“Day 1 graduates”) to assure high-quality of National Veterinary Services has been developed to provide the minimum competencies required by graduating veterinarians wishing to pursue a career in the public or private components of National Veterinary Services.

1. Introduction

2.1 Epidemiology Day 1 veterinary graduates: understand the principles of descriptive epidemiology and its application to disease control, epidemiological inquiry and specimen or sample collection, handling, and transport

2.2 Transboundary animal diseases (TADs)Day 1 veterinary graduates: identify clinical signs, clinical course, transmission potential and pathogen associated with TAD, describe the current global distribution of TADs, explain the sample collection and handling and rationale for the use of appropriate diagnostic, and therapeutic tools to prevent and combat TADs and pathogens and understand the related regulatory implications

2.3 Zoonoses (including food borne diseases)Day 1 veterinary graduates: identify the clinical signs, clinical course, transmission potential, and pathogen associated with common zoonotic and food borne diseases, explain the use of current diagnostic and therapeutic tools, understand the implications of common zoonotic and food borne diseases for human health and understand the related regulatory implications

2.8 Animal welfareDay 1 veterinary graduates: explain animal welfare and related responsibilities of veterinarians and others responsible for animal care, identify animal welfare problems and participate in corrective actions, know where to find the source of information on local, national and international animal welfare regulations/standards to describe humane methods for animal production, transport, slaughter for human consumption and disease control purposes

2.9 Veterinary legislation and ethicsDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the fundamentals of national veterinary legislation and specific rules and regulations governing the veterinary profession, understand and apply veterinary medical ethics in carrying out duties and provide leadership to society on ethical considerations involved in the use and care of animals by humans

2.10 General certification proceduresDay 1 veterinary graduates: examine and monitor an animal or a group of animals with a view to certifying freedom from specified diseases or conditions according to established procedures, be able to complete, sign and provide health certificates according to the national rules

2.11 Communication skillsDay 1 veterinary graduates: communicate technical information in a way that the general public can understand, and effectively communicate with fellow health professionals to exchange scientific and technical information and practical experience

programmes, the traceability of animal products, the sanitation of food processing and storage, health and cleanliness of humans involved in the food chain from farm to fork.

3.5 Application of risk analysisDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the risk analysis concepts, how risk analysis can be applied to ensure Veterinary Services adequately protect animal and human health.

3.6 ResearchDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand how translational and interdisciplinary research is essential to advance veterinary knowledge to deliver National Veterinary Services

3.7 International trade frameworkDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organizsation (WTO); the role and responsibilities of the OIE and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) which are recognised by the WTO as reference standard setting organisations for international trade of animals and animal products; the current international regulations governing the safe trade of animals and animal products; the potential implications of transboundary diseases on international trade; the process of health certification of the quality and wholesomeness of commodities for export; the import control mechanisms to protect the health of animals, the public, and the ecosystem in the importing country

3.8 Administration and managementDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand good practices in administration and management, the importance of excellent interpersonal communication skills and the importance of effective communication (public awareness and advocacy)

2.4 Emerging and re-emerging diseasesDay 1 veterinary graduates: define and provide examples of ‘emerging disease’ and ‘re-emerging disease’, detect suspicious signs and report them to the veterinary authority, understand the reasons/ hypotheses to explain the emergence and re-emergence of diseases

2.5 Disease prevention and control programmesDay 1 veterinary graduates: describe established programmes for prevention and control of zoonotic or contagious diseases or emerging/re-emerging diseases, animal identification and traceability and oversight by the veterinary authority, understand and participate in implementation of contingency plans to control transboundary diseases, including the humanely killing of animals, understand and participate in regular or emergency vaccination campaigns, as well as in regular test-and-cull/treat programmes, explain concept of “early detection system”, know which diseases require compulsory notification by the veterinarian to the prescribed national authority to mitigate disease transmission

2.6 Food hygieneDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand and explain on-farm food safety practices, participate in slaughter inspection, explain the integration between animal health controls and veterinary public health

2.7 Veterinary productsDay 1 veterinary graduates: use veterinary products in appropriate manner with record keeping, explain concept of drug withdrawal time, understand mechanisms leading to development of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens, know how to interpret the link between use of antimicrobials in food animals and development of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens of human importance and understandknow the appropriate use of drugs and biologicals to ensure the safety of food chain and environment

3.1 Organisation of Veterinary ServicesDay 1 veterinary graduates: appreciate the delivery of National Veterinary Services as a global public good; the organisation, function and authority of National Veterinary Services and how they interact with Veterinary Services in other countries and international partners; the relationship between private and public sector veterinarians in delivery of their National Veterinary Services; the need to evaluate the quality of Veterinary Services as provided for in the OIE PVS Pathway

3.2 Inspection and certification proceduresDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the processes used to assess animal health status and safety of animal products for purpose of transport/ export; the process of ante and post mortem risk-based inspection of animals, and the inspection of animal products and the drafting of health certificates

3.3 Management of contagious diseaseDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the management of samples and the use of appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic tools, the tracing of the source and spread of a disease, the monitoring and conducting of initial disease surveillance, including the communication of epidemiological information to other public health practitioners and the methods applied for disease prevention and control programmes.

3.4 Food hygieneDay 1 veterinary graduates: understand the risk-based performance of slaughter inspection (ante-and post-mortem, humane slaughter and hygienic dressing), the residue testing

2. Specific Competencies

3. Advanced Competencies

To support the competencies contained in the recommendations, the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum represent a basis on which national needs and circumstances could be added. Consultation of these guidelines are strongly recommended by the OIE as they describe the ways in which curricula can be developed to educate veterinary students to their expected level of competency.

The majority of courses listed in the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum address general Day 1 Competencies1. Certain courses, in addition to these, address one or more specific/advanced Day 1 competencies.

1 Courses on Biochemistry, Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology and Immunology also figure in the OIE’s Model Core Veterinary Curriculum, but address only general Day 1 Competencies.