Veterinary Medicine is a professional discipline, which develops and exposes the students to multi-disciplinary dimensions of modern livestock health management, production and public health, in order to produce high level Veterinary manpower in the country. The programme also, prepares students for high level academic and research capabilities. The concepts of veterinary economics and entrepreneurship have been incorporated to expose the students to the ever increasing trend towards private veterinary practice.
OBJECTIVES
The broad base objective of the programme is to produce highly motivated and adaptable Veterinary Surgeon, who is well equipped to embark on a successful career in Veterinary practice, public health and preventive medicine; in biomedical, and livestock industries, and who is to become the academic teachers and researchers of the future.
The programme shall be to promote excellence, achieve and sustain high national and international standing in teaching and learning through provision of broad and balanced foundation courses in Veterinary Medicine with adequate practical exposure; developing in the students’ ability to apply biomedical knowledge and skill to clinical problems, disease control, livestock production, and to environmental problems; developing in the students a range of transferable skills of value in clinical and non-clinical employment; and providing the students with knowledge and skills from which they can pursue further studies in specialized areas of Veterinary Medicine and in multidisciplinary areas.
SCOPE OF THE VETERINARY PROFESSION
Veterinary Medicine is both a science and an art dealing primarily with the health and diseases of animals; their diagnosis, treatment, prevention and eradication. The science embodies special knowledge gained through training, observations, and research. The art involves the personal skill and ability to make practical use of the special knowledge gained.
Veterinary Medicine is vital to our national development because the profession is intimately related to both Agriculture and Human Health. A career in Veterinary Medicine therefore entails the study and practical application of aspects of agricultural and medical sciences.
In relation to Agriculture, the veterinary profession is directly involved in livestock production and management through the protection of animal health, alleviation of animal suffering, improvement of livestock breeds and production methods, and promotion of farm animal industry.
Veterinary profession relates to human health in two ways: Firstly, diseases which affect food producing animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, fish, etc.) and reduce animal productivity have adverse effects on human health by reducing animal protein available to man. By safeguarding food supply derived from animal sources (meat, milk, eggs, etc), the veterinary profession achieves its ultimate goal – the promotion of human health. Secondly, several animal diseases (rabies, tuberculosis, tapeworms, bird flu, etc) are transmitted from animals to man and thereby endanger human health. It is the veterinarian’s responsibility to acquire knowledge and carry out necessary measures to control these diseases in animals and thus reduce human exposures and infections.
The veterinary profession is committed to the advancement of medical knowledge and veterinarians have made significant contributions to studies in human and animal health problems. Human medicine derives much on information gained through experiments in animals carried out by veterinarians and other scientists. New drugs, new vaccines, new techniques in surgery are often tested in animals before being introduced for human use.
John Dunlop, a veterinary surgeon having observed the anatomical structure and function of the hoof of the horse, constructed the first pneumatic rubber tyre. The tyre operates on the same principle as the horse hoof. His invention gave rise to the now famous DUNLOP TYRES.
Although veterinary practice is restricted to animals, the first successful caesarean section on a living woman was performed by Jacob Nuffer, a Swiss veterinary surgeon. Gason Ramon, a French veterinarian developed the first toxoids against the diseases, Diphtheria and Tetanus. Both toxoids make up 2 of the 3 vaccines now used as TRIPPLE VACCINE for immunization of children. The BCG vaccine against tuberculosis was produced through the collaboration of a veterinary scientist (Calmette) and a physician (Guerin).