About this course

By learning necropsy techniques and how to describe and interpret findings during a necropsy, students will acquire pathological diagnostic skills by connecting the findings to mechanisms, causes, and specific diseases (the most common diseases, as well as serious infectious diseases) in production animals, horses, and companion animals in Norway.

Students participate in necropsy training in the morning (in groups), attend pathology demonstrations after lunch (whole class), write reports on the day’s necropsies, and engage in independent activities (partially supervised by instructors) such as quizzes, case studies, and self-study in the afternoon (in groups).

The course is taught annually, and the necropsy rotations consist of two weeks in the 9th semester and one week in the 10th semester, followed by one reading week in the 10th semester.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Develop a deeper understanding (spiral learning from levels 1 and 2) of:

  • The connections between clinical conditions, disease progression, disease mechanisms, and pathological manifestations of disease (both macroscopic and microscopic).
  • How lesions may change over time during the course of a disease (e.g., acute vs. chronic).
  • The interplay between diseases in individual organ systems and their effects on other organ systems and the entire animal by integrating previous knowledge and insights from rotations in clinical subjects and pathology.
  • The sequence of pathological diagnostics, from description (macro and micro) to classification (= morphological diagnosis) of changes, based on the underlying pathological process.
  • The ability to propose possible differential diagnoses based on morphological diagnosis (drawing from level 2) and plan further diagnostics regarding etiology.
  • Considerations related to public veterinary medicine, such as reportable infectious diseases and suspected animal abuse.

Skills

Practical diagnostics:

  • Perform independent autopsies and describe autopsy findings in animals, as well as communicate findings in a report to the requesting veterinarian. This includes recognizing organ and tissue changes in production animals relevant to veterinary public health (meat inspection).
  • Establish morphological (pathoanatomical) diagnoses based on macroscopic findings and microscopic changes in a selection of diseases.
  • Interpret and integrate information from clinical examinations and pathological findings to suggest possible etiology and appropriate sampling for further diagnostics.
  • Collect samples for histological, bacteriological, parasitological, and molecular (PCR) examinations, understand their handling and transportation requirements, and know when to consult a diagnostic laboratory before sending samples.

Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE):

  • Maintain proper hygiene when performing necropsies on potentially infectious material and work safely with sharp instruments (e.g. knives, scalpels).

General Competence

  • Recognize personal limitations and know when to seek specialized expertise, such as consulting diagnostic laboratories or regulatory authorities.

EAEVE D1C:

1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.10, 1.11, 1.13, 1.16, 1.22, 1.23, 1.24, 1.25, 1.26, 1.29, 1.30, 1.33, 1.34, 1.35, 1.37

  • Learning activities

    Each student has mandatory group teaching in necropsy for a total of 15 days (spread over 3 weeks) in the 9th and 10th semesters, plus a study week after the last rotation week in pathology in the 10th semester.

    The rotation weeks consist of autopsies before lunch, with instruction in autopsy techniques, evaluation, and diagnosis of findings.Each day, a demonstration of the day's findings is presented to the entire class. At certain times of the year, slaughterhouse specimens from meat inspections will also be demonstrated once a week.

    After lunch, students work on reports that must be submitted for each necropsy case. Additionally, they engage with curated materials designed to enable them to describe macroscopic changes, interpret them, and establish morphological and etiological diagnoses, as well as determine disease names. This includes digital macro quizzes, fixed macro specimens in the necropsy room, case assignments, access to an online image archive (Noah’s Arkive), and digitized slides for a limited number of cases. There will also be some afternoon sessions with full-cohort lectures on key topics.

  • Syllabus

    Available in Canvas

  • Assessment method

    It is a requirement to pass the pathology rotations according to the criteria specified in the semester plan.

    The oral pathology exam is held in the 11th or 12th semester. To be eligible for this exam, you must have sufficient attendance, meet the study requirements, and have passed the rotation according to the criteria.

    No aids are allowed during the exam.

  • About use of AI

    Assignments/Reports: K2 - Specified use of AI. For assignments and reports, AI may be used for brainstorming and language editing. The use of AI must be documented with a brief explanation of which programs were used and how they were applied in the text. The student(s) remain responsible for the final content of the text after language editing.

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Mandatory activity

    The pathology rotation is mandatory (3 weeks). Detailed information about attendance requirements can be found in the semester plan on Canvas.

    Academic requirements:

    • Completion of the logbook
    • Necropsy reports
    • Participation in case-exercises, exercise reviews, and discussions
    • Canvas tests

    Details about the academic requirements are further described in the course room VET369 on Canvas.

  • Notes

    Required Equipment

    • Laptop for student activities after lunch

    Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE)

    There are designated contamination control zones at the entrance to the necropsy room. In the locker room, students must change into necropsy clothing, and boots, coats, aprons, and gloves must be worn during autopsy work.

    HSE training in the necropsy room is divided into two parts:

    1. Written Information: Students must read an information document, supplemented with images, outlining HSE regulations. They are required to sign a statement confirming they have read and understood the rules. Additionally, there is a quiz on Canvas that students must pass to participate in mandatory necropsy sessions.
    2. Practical Training: Students receive on-site instruction on how to implement infection control measures in practice.