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An artist's impression of the entry to the Vet School's clinical teaching hospital, which will be finished in 2010. Full Image (446.38K)

Thursday, 26 March 2009

The University of Adelaide and the State Government will turn the first sod tomorrow at the site of South Australia's inaugural Veterinary Science School at Roseworthy Campus.

The $37 million Vet School, to be completed in 2010, will address the serious shortage of vets in South Australia and provide local students with some of the best teaching resources anywhere in the world.

The University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha and the new Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, the Hon. Michael O'Brien will turn the first sod at 3pm.

The project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth ($15m) and State ($5m) Government and the University ($17m).

It involves construction of a new 5000 square metre building that will house teaching laboratories, a clinical skills laboratory, an e-learning centre, a pathology teaching and diagnostic suite and a veterinary teaching hospital at the University's Roseworthy Campus. The project also includes the refurbishment of existing lecture theatres, laboratories and offices.

"Adding veterinary science facilities to the Roseworthy Campus helps cement its place as a leader in science, research and innovation for the State's animal health and agricultural industries," Professor McWha says.

"This building project is a significant part of the University's development program, which will see more than $400 million being invested in state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities on the North Terrace, Waite and Roseworthy campuses by 2010."

The new Vet School had its first intake of 47 students in 2008 for its three-year Pre-Veterinary undergraduate Science degree and received about 400 applications for places in the 2009 intake. To complete their training, graduates of this degree program will then study for a three-year postgraduate veterinary science degree. There will be 70 places a year for the postgraduate veterinary science degree starting in 2011.

Head of the School of Veterinary Science Professor Gail Anderson says veterinary students at the University of Adelaide will have a broad exposure to all aspects of veterinary science, including livestock production, equine health, aquaculture and biosecurity, companion and exotic species.

"South Australia offers alternative opportunities for veterinarians, including involvement in the vital and expanding aquaculture industry," Professor Anderson says. "In particular, we hope this School will address the serious shortage of vets in South Australia.

"The new facilities will enable students to utilise teaching resources that are among the best of their kind anywhere in the world.

"Connection to the SABRENet network will facilitate video link learning with various regional partners, while world-class audio visual facilities in our labs and surgery suites will enable remote teaching throughout the facility for students and continuing education vets.

"Our curriculum is integrated to allow early introduction of clinical material to the students so they see the relevance of their basic science training from early on in the course."