Clinical teaching and research at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital

• pursuance of hospital activities required for veterinary research and teaching as well as provision of chargeable services
• Monitoring of developments in the field as well as implementation and promotion of international and national cooperation
• Provision of information, instructions, statements and specialist assistance in matters related to the field

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital carries out its duties by making its patients available for veterinary research and teaching. In practice, students of veterinary medicine participate in the treatment of all patients admitted to the hospital. This also means that animal owners may not be permitted to attend all treatment procedures. The veterinarians in charge of patients will decide on whether owners can attend a procedure.

Research

All blood, urine, tissue and other similar samples and test results collected by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital are available for veterinary research. According to the same principle, written, photographic and other similar material accumulated in connection with clinical treatment is available for research use. All research-related matters are the responsibility of the veterinarians conducting the research. Owner details will not be published without their consent. 

Further information on patient research can be obtained from 

• Marja Raekallio - Head of the De­part­ment of Equine and Small An­imal Medicine
• Päivi Rajala-Schultz - Head od the De­part­ment of Pro­duc­tion An­imal Medicine

All patients of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital that unexpectedly die during treatment will be submitted to a pathologist for the determination of the cause of death. Autopsies will primarily be conducted at the diagnostic services unit of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. On the initiative of the animal owners, the veterinarians in charge of patients or the unit directors, autopsies can also be conducted by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Helsinki is the only place in Finland that offers studies in the field

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is serving as the teaching hospital for students of veterinary medicine during their fifth year of studies. The hospital also serves as a postgraduate professional education institute for specialising veterinarians and as a training institute for nurses training as veterinary nurses. 

The fields of specialization for a licensed veterinarian are: small animal medicine, equine medicine, production animal medicine, environmental health and food control, food production hygiene, and infectious animal diseases. In addition to national specialist degrees, veterinarians can complete a European specialist diploma (Diplomate).