EPA 2: Diagnostic planning and test interpretation
Build strong diagnostic skills by developing differential diagnoses, planning investigations, and interpreting results across diverse species and clinical contexts.
EPA 1: Clinical examination and reaching a diagnosis
This page outlines conducting clinical assessments to develop accurate differential diagnoses. Learn the professional standards and competencies required for effective history-taking and examination across diverse clinical contexts, from individual animals to herd management.
Description
This competency builds your foundation for clinical evaluation and patient management. You'll develop expertise in gathering detailed histories and performing systematic examinations that inform diagnostic decision-making.
The approach should be tailored to your clinical situation, whether you're working with individual animals or assessing herd and flock health. You'll combine scientific foundations and practical clinical reasoning to make meaningful differential diagnoses across:
- Different animal species
- Varying clinical presentations
- Acute and chronic conditions
- Cases of different complexity levels
- Situations with varying levels of animal and client cooperation
Success criteria
You'll demonstrate competence by being able to carry out examinations and make diagnoses across the full range of clinical contexts relevant to you, including:
- Different animal species
- Clinical presentations
- Acute or chronic conditions
- Case complexities
- Different degrees of animal and/or client support and co-operation
Required competencies
This EPA aligns with the following RCVS Day One Competences:
- Veterinary capability
- Clinical reasoning
- Individual animal
- Animal population care and management
- Reflective relationships
- Communication
- Professional commitment
- Business and finance