Accreditation
The Melbourne Veterinary School is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC). Accreditation is also obtained via the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). This section provides information on the accreditation process.
Accreditation Status
Full accreditation first achieved in 2006 - renewed in 2013. Following the recent virtual re-accreditation visit by AVBC/AVMA/RCVS in May 2021 we reverted to probationary status (AVMA/AVBC), and accredited for a shorter period (RCVS). These are not adverse decisions and do not affect the degree status of current students and graduates. The School is required to rectify some identified deficiencies within 2 years, which are largely due to the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic.
Last Site Visit: 2021 (Virtual)
Next Site Visit: 2022 AVBC/AVMA(Verification); 2023 RCVS (Full)
Additional information can be found at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) website and the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council website.
-
Why is the DVM accreditation under probation?
The Melbourne Veterinary School is registered with the three major accreditation bodies, the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) and the AVBC (Australasian Veterinary Boards Council). Following a joint review of Melbourne Veterinary School's accreditation conducted in mid-2021, some deficiencies were identified, and as a result, the School's accreditation status is currently probationary.
Being asked to remediate a small number of deficiencies is common when accreditation reviews of this sort are conducted, and the University is actively working to address these prior to the next review in 2023.
-
What is being done to ensure DVM accreditation is maintained?
The Melbourne Veterinary School has reviewed the DVM program to align with the three major accreditation bodies, the AVMA, the RCVS and the AVBC.
We have introduced an action plan to ensure all accreditation requirements are satisfied and will be working towards this for the next 12 months with a team of staff dedicated to defining and facilitating clinical skills teaching across each species and across the curriculum. This team provides regular progress updates based on clear outcomes-based evidence to the accreditation teams.
As an example, work is underway to address the curriculum for production animal teaching. This related to the need for the School to provide increased clinical teaching in beef cattle medicine and production animal herd health, in addition to the current satisfactory provision for individual production animal medicine and dairy cattle herd health. To ensure the best outcomes for our students and accreditation we are working in partnership with industry and government agencies to provide real world clinical opportunities for final year veterinary students in population health management of Australia’s major production animal species.
-
When will we know the outcome of the accreditation process?
The School is providing regular progress updates to the accreditation organisations, and the final review of the Melbourne Veterinary School’s probationary status is expected in 2023.
-
If accreditation is not confirmed how does this impact commencing and current students?
Melbourne Veterinary School takes its accreditation status very seriously, and the school is actively working to remediate the identified deficiencies to ensure this doesn’t eventuate.
In the unlikely event that accreditation is not confirmed in 2023, the School will continue to work with the accreditation agencies to remediate any outstanding deficiencies.
If you have further questions about our accreditation, please contact us.
American Veterinary Medical Association
Accreditation from the AVMA means that the University of Melbourne Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree is recognised in the United States and Canada, making our graduates eligible to sit the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination – a prerequisite for all veterinarians who seek to practise in North America.
Australasian Veterinary Boards Council
The Melbourne Veterinary School is recognised by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council through the Veterinary Schools Accreditation Advisory Committee (VSAAC), making Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduates eligible for registration with the Veterinary Surgeons' Board in each state and territory in Australia, and in New Zealand.
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK)
The University of Melbourne Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree is recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for the purposes of registration to practise veterinary medicine in the UK, and countries in Asia that accept degrees recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The latter include Singapore and Hong Kong.
North American Veterinary Licensing Examination Results
Provided to the College by the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
| Year | Students taking exam(s) | Students passing exam(s) | Percent passing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2015 | 19 | 14 | 74% |
| 2015-2016 | 26 | 21 | 81% |
| 2016-2017 | 42 | 38 | 90% |
| 2017-2018 | 32 | 28 | 88% |
| 2018-2019 | 43 | 43 | 100% |
| 2019-2020 | 29 | 26 | 90% |
Australasian academic year (Jan-Dec; cumulative April and November scores):
| Year | Students taking exam(s) | Students passing exam(s) | Percent passing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 23 | 23 | 100% |
| 2016 | 46 | 40 | 87% |
| 2017 | 31 | 27 | 87.5% |
| 2018 | 40 | 39 | 97.5% |
| 2019 | 30 | 27 | 90% |
| 2020 | 18 | 18 | 100% |
Establishment of the Melbourne Veterinary School
Since the creation of the new Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, the faculty was restructured to create two new schools, The Melbourne Veterinary School and the School of Agriculture and Food. This organisation will better support academic excellence in teaching, research and engagement.
The Melbourne Veterinary School’s DVM program is nationally and internationally accredited by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). As required under Standard 1 (Organisation) of AVMA accreditation, the Head of the Melbourne Veterinary School, Professor Josh Slater, is a registered veterinarian who is responsible for teaching, research, the budget, the hospital, staff appointments and development.