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2020/2021

Public Health Care Rotation

Code: 102681 ECTS Credits: 3
Degree Type Year Semester
2502445 Veterinary Medicine OB 5 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Francesc Accensi Alemany
Email:
Francesc.Accensi@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Joaquim Segalés Coma
Natàlia Majó Masferrer

External teachers

Dolors Canals
Vanesa Esteva

Prerequisites

The present subject, Public Health Rotation (RSP, from Catalan Rotatori de Salut Pública) is included in the 5th year of the Veterinary studies, present integrative characteristics from an academic point of view.

IMPORTANT: It is compulsory that the students had done 230 ECTS prior to be matriculated in the present subject and, moreover, to have also passed all the subjects from the three first years of the degree. Is such conditions are not fullfilled, it is not allowed to join the RSP

Objectives and Contextualisation

The present subject, has as leitmotiv the idea of giving a professional status to the student. According to that it is designed and organized to allow the undergraduate students to have access in the Public Health context of the Veterinary Profession

Formative Objectives:

  1. To know the main tasks of the Veterinary profession related with Public Health and Animal Health in general
  2. To understand and learn the importance of the inspection and control duties of the Veterinary profession in the production of food from animal origin with all the sanitary warranties
  3. To understand the importance of Animal Health and the tasks of Veterinary supervision and inspection in the prevention of zoonosis
  4. To acquire conscience of Animal Welfare as an intrinsic element in the evaluation of modern animal health and husbandry
  5. To know the importance of the production fo food from animal origin in the social and economic context in our country
  6. To develop analytical abilities to evaluate both food and ranching industries

Competences

  • Assess and undertake epidemiological studies and therapeutic and preventive programs in accordance with the standards of animal welfare, animal health and public health.
  • Comunicar la informació obtinguda durant l'exercici professional de manera fluïda, oralment i per escrit, amb altres col·legues, autoritats i la societat en general.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the rights and duties of the veterinarian, with a special focus on ethical principles
  • Have basic knowledge of the profession, and in particular of the organisation and functions of professional practice.
  • Identify, control and eradicate animal diseases, with special emphasis on zoonoses and notifiable disease
  • Perform ante mortem and post mortem inspection of livestock and properly identify the problems that affect the quality and safety of products of animal origin destined for human consumption.
  • Perform risk analyses, including those of environmental and biosafety, and evaluate and manage them.
  • Perform sanitary control of different types of catering and food companies and establishments, and implant and supervise quality management systems.
  • Work effectively in single or multidisciplinary teams and show respect, appreciation and sensitivity for the work of others.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply ethical values that govern the behavior of veterinarians in clinical practice in relations with other veterinarians.
  2. Apply measures to monitor environmental risks related to the food industry.
  3. Apply suitable inspection protocols for each food establishment.
  4. Apply the methodology recommended by the OIE for risk analysis in animals and products of animal origin.
  5. Apply the procedures for investigating food-poisoning outbreaks, and tracking and surveillance systems for food risk.
  6. Communicate information obtained during professional exercise in a fluid manner, orally and in writing, with other colleagues, authorities and society in general.
  7. Design an intervention strategy to deal with an outbreak of an animal disease.
  8. Determine the efficiency of a self-supervision process and know what corrective measures to apply in case of error.
  9. Explain in detail the functioning of a slaughterhouse and the food-safety monitoring mechanisms in place, identifying the advantages and the practical limitations of the technical bases for slaughterhouse controls.
  10. Have basic knowledge of the profession, and in particular of the organisation and functions of professional practice.
  11. Identify in practice the most common food-safety risks in slaughterhouses and know the modus operandi to be adopted in order to avoid these.
  12. Identify the advantages and the practical limitations of disease control techniques in field situations.
  13. Identify the functions and tasks of the public bodies and departments involved in the control of animal health and the veterinary aspects public health.
  14. Identify the possibilities and limitations of a zoonosis control program, considering the global view of food safety.
  15. Implant and supervise the principles of good hygiene practices, danger analysis and critical checkpoints and other quality and safety management systems.
  16. Work effectively in single or multidisciplinary teams and show respect, appreciation and sensitivity for the work of others.

Content

The contents of this subject are distributed in 7 teaching modules, consisting of 5-8 hours each. Some of them are carried out during both morning and afternoon shifts. Globally, it corresponds to 50-55 hours of on-site class. Moreover, there is an introductory session of 1 hour of duration.

The subject presents the following structure:

  1. Assessment of the organigram, functions and main responsibilities of the Veterinary profession in the field of Livestock, Food Safety, Animal Welfare (Site of Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació, downtown Barcelona -DARP).
  2. Visit to Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA): exposition of the functions of a research center in the field of epidemic surveillance and introduction of biosafety and biocontainment concepts. (CReSA, in UAB campus, close to Veterinary Faculty)
  3. Visit to the Fih Market in Mercabarna site (Zona Franca, Barcelona). ASPCAT
  4. Visit to the CESAC (Poultry Health Center of Catalonia and Aragon), a laboratory designated by the DARP, to carry out the official analyzes of the diseases included in the official bird programs in Catalonia (Reus, Tarragona). Includes one visit of the routine of ante mortem inspection in avian farms with veterinarians from the CESAC. Location is variable.
  5. Two visits to “comarcal” office of Public Health area. Localization will be variable, and it takes the whole day (morning and afternoon). CAUTION: these visits are yet to be confirmed by ASPCAT).
  6. Visit to a “comarcal” office of the Livestock area, from DARP. Localization will be variable, and it takes the whole day (morning and afternoon)
  7. Alimentary industry activity CAUTION: this activity is yet to be confirmed

Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents

Methodology

The sessions programmed in the RSP consist -by the most part- in external visits to institutions, both public and private linked to activities of both Public or animal Health

Most of activities are, mostly, supervised activities by “external” tutors (Activities 1-7). Teaching supervision is carried out by professional veterinarians directly or indirectly linked to the administrations involved in Public Health

With few exceptions (Grup Alimentari Guissona) the trip and the transport are responsibility of the student

The size of the student’s groups in each module will vary depending on the necessities or capacity of each activity

Attendance is compulsory. Attendance control is left to the external tutors in place, linked to UAB. Particular exceptions to this rule will be considered personally by the responsible of the subject

The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Autonomous 15 0.6 3, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 14, 15
Introduction 1 0.04
Tutorial 2 0.08
Type: Supervised      
Nine external visits 55 2.2 3, 4, 8, 7, 13, 12, 14, 15

Assessment

Evaluation consist on:

  1. Attendance (compulsory) to the different activities (50% of the final qualification)
  2. Tests, dealing with some general and basic questions about the different activities (25% of the final qualification)
  3. Quality, clarity and knowledge showed in the reports from the visits to territorial services (DARP and -if possible- ASPCAT) (25% of the final qualification)

To pass the RSP, the student should, at least:

  • Pass the different tests
  • Absence of serious incidences (absenteeism, bad behavior…)
  • Lack of attendance without justification will be penalized with a reduction of a 20% of the qualification of the attendance control (this 50% of the final qualification). Please note that this penalty is applied to all the modules and may imply to fail the subject

Remedial exam: for those that where not able to pass the RSP according with the aforementioned statements, a remedial exam will be held two weeks after -as a maximum-  the first date of summons.

Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance to the activities 50% 0 0 3, 4, 8, 7, 9, 13, 12, 14
Quality of the presented reports 25% 1 0.04 5, 3, 1, 4, 2, 6, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 10, 16
Tests 25% 1 0.04 6, 15, 10, 16

Bibliography

There is no specific bibliography, but is hghly recommended to consult the web sites of the institutions, industries and research centers involved