Veterinary Anatomy Courses

Veterinary Gross Anatomy is a five-credit core course in the veterinary curriculum. It is taught to first-year veterinary students during the first semester. The course consists of nine weeks of simultaneous presentation of Carnivore Gross Anatomy (10 lectures and 25 labs totaling 75 lab hours) and Embryology (8 lectures) followed by six weeks of Ungulate Gross Anatomy (11 lectures and 19 labs totaling 57 lab hours).

Course Administration:
         Instructors
         Class schedule
         Textbooks
         Examinations
         Grading
         Modes of Presentation
               Lecture
               Laboratory
               Independent Study

Instructors:

C.E. Clarkson, DVM, PhD (Office: 335f AS/VM; Phone: (612) 624-2267; e-mail: clarkson@umn.edu)

V.S. Cox, DVM, PhD (Office: 295c AS/VM; Phone: (612) 624-2743; e-mail: coxxx002@umn.edu)

T.F. Fletcher, DVM, PhD (Office: 235c AS/VM; Phone: (612) 624-9765; e-mail: fletc003@umn.edu)

A. Rodriquez, CVT (Office: 235s AS/VM; Phone: (612) 624-6170; e-mail: shaw0111@umn.edu)

Class schedule:
CVM 6100, Veterinary Gross Anatomy, is taught to first-year veterinary students during their first semester. Lectures are presented in room 125 AS/VM; labs are held in room 40 AS/VM. To view the class schedule (as a pdf file) click: CVM 6100 Class Schedule. To view (as a pdf file) course syllabus documentation, click: CVM 6100 Course Syllabus

Textbooks:
The following textbooks are required for the course:

Miller's Guide to the Dissection of the Dog (sixth edition, 2004) by H.E. Evans and A. deLahunta. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia.

Minnesota Ungulate Anatomy Dissection Guide by V.S. Cox; obtained from Minnesota Veterinary Student Supply.

The following textbook is highly recommended:

Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy (third edition, 2002 ) by Dyce, Sack and Wensing. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia.

Examinations:
There will be three anatomy examinations during the first nine weeks of the course and two anatomy exams during the six-week ungulate part of the course. Anatomy exams will consist of a written test and a practical test (questions on cadaver specimens and radiographs), each accounting for 50% of the exam grade. The exam dates and the target distributions of subject matter points for the written exams are listed on the class Schedule/Syllabus (CVM 6100 Class Schedule).

Your final course grade will be based on five exams totaling 360 points. The 360 points are expected to be distributed as follows: carnivore gross anatomy 54%, ungulate gross anatomy 33%, and developmental anatomy 13%.

Grading:
       Letter grades will be assigned on a rounded percentage basis as follows:
             A = 90-100%
             B = 80-89%
             C = 70-79%
             D = 65-69%
             F = below 65%

Modes of Presentation:

Lecture:

You will be tested on the content of the lecture notes as well as lecture presentation content. The lecture notes (which you have purchased) may also be downloaded as PDF files (screen-resolution).
Download: Carnivore Gross Anatomy Lecture Notes
Download: Developmental Anatomy (Embryology) Lecture Notes
You will not be tested, per se, on independent study material (listed below).

Laboratory:

Lab introductions ("Prelabs") will be given in Rm.125 AS/VM at the start of each lab.
Dissection labs will take place in room 40 AS/VM. Your Guide to the Dissection of the Dog will provide carnivore dissection instructions, according to assignments listed in the Class Schedule. We have provided you with a List of Anatomical Terms per Lab [click to download the carnivore Terms List as a pdf file]. You will be tested on your knowledge of the anatomical terms.
During the first nine weeks of carnivore dissection students will be organized into groups of nine persons. Each group will dissect two dogs and one cat. You are responsible for knowing the anatomy of all three specimens. Arrangements for ungulate dissection will be announced later in the course.
Lab demonstration material displayed during each Lab period will provide additional views of anatomical structures. Take time to examine these.

Independent Study:

Small Animal Clinical Practice Problems (in your printed handouts) were prepared by Professor-Emeritus A. F. Weber to present clinical applications of anatomical knowledge. There are twelve problems [click to download Small Animal problems as a pdf file]. Problems are referenced in the CVM 6100 Schedule/Syllabus. Their use is optional on your part.
Computer courseware has been developed for your independent study use. Our carnivore anatomy courseware is web-based and can be accessed from our Veterinary Anatomy Web Site. To immediately view the carnivore courseware options [click here]. Ungulate anatomy coursewre is available on the CD-ROM that you purchased (ungulate details will be discussed later in the course).