Internal Medicine for Companion Animals

The Postgraduate Programme in Internal Medicine for Companion Animals at Vasco da Gama University provides graduate professionals with advanced training in the development of specific theoretical and practical skills in the field of Internal Medicine for companion animals.

This Lifelong Continuing Education (FCLV) programme allows for the improvement of clinical practice in Internal Medicine for companion animals and its updates.

This training process benefits from a methodical approach that is directed and complementary to clinical practice.

Date: 01/10/2026
- 30/06/2026
Format: On-site (EUVG, Coimbra)
Language: Portuguese, English, Spanish
Course with Certificate of Completion
Francesca del Baldo
DVM, MRCVS, PhD, Diploma from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Junior assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy. She has a special interest in endocrinology and internal medicine in companion animals. 2022: Diploma from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine; 2018-2021: ECVIM-CA Resident - University Veterinary Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; 2020: PhD; 2016-2019: PhD in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; 2016: Rotating internship in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; 2014: Degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with 110/110 cum laude, University of Bologna, Italy. Member of the Board of the European Society of Veterinary Endocrinology (ESVE) and the Italian Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Federico Fracassi
DVM, PhD, Graduate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Internship and PhD from the University of Bologna, Italy. After completing his PhD, he became a member of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna (Italy), where he is currently Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Internal Medicine Service. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and obtained the European Specialist Diploma in Internal Medicine in 2012 (ECVIM-CA-Internal Medicine). His duties include patient care, teaching students, interns and residents, and research in internal medicine for companion animals, with a special emphasis on endocrinology. He is former president of the European Society of Veterinary Endocrinology (ESVE), former president of the Italian Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SIMIV), and vice-president of the executive committee of the ECVIM-CA congress. He is editor of Veterinaria, a peer-reviewed journal, and associate editor of JSAP. His list of publications includes more than 100 scientific articles, and he is the author of books and book chapters. His main research focus is small animal endocrinology.
Benoît Cuq
DVM, PhD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine After a one-year Clinical Pathology speciality internship in Toulouse, he moved to Canada, initially as a rotating intern at the Université de Montréal, then as a rotating intern at the Ontario Veterinary College. He subsequently completed a Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine (2014-2017) and a PhD in Pathobiology (2016-2021) at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Benoît obtained the American Diploma in Small Animal Veterinary Internal Medicine (Dipl. ACVIM-SAIM) in 2018. Irish Veterinary Council (VCI) and recognised specialist in small animal internal medicine. He has worked as a clinician in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College and the Université de Montréal, as well as in private practices in Ontario, Quebec and England. He was appointed Assistant Professor in September 2019. His areas of interest include haematological and immune-mediated disorders, bone marrow diseases, as well as urology/nephrology and interventional radiology in companion animals.
Hugo Carvalho
DVM Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from UTAD in 2001, he completed his one-year internship at the Porto Veterinary Hospital and practised small animal medicine for three years at the Póvoa Veterinary Clinic (now the Póvoa Veterinary Hospital). This experience gave him an in-depth understanding of the daily challenges faced by clinicians and an insight into their needs and expectations with regard to clinical laboratory pathology. Developing a particular interest in this area, he obtained the CES (Certificat d'Études Supérieures) certificate in Animal Haematology and Clinical Biochemistry at the ENVT (École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse), complementing his training with several external internships, particularly at Nation Wide Laboratories, one of the largest and most renowned veterinary laboratories in the United Kingdom. A founding member of the CEDIVET laboratory in 2006, he has since embraced the roles of clinical pathologist and technical director, accumulating experience and knowledge, always in close contact with clients. He has a particular interest in areas such as haematology, cytology and endocrinology. A contributor to several articles and publications, he is also a speaker at various national lectures and courses.
Carla Marrinhas
DVM, MSc, PhD Student Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from ICBAS, University of Porto, in 2004, having completed a curricular internship at the Ars Veterinary Hospital in Barcelona. Attended modules I, II and III of Dermatology at the European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies in Vienna, Austria, from 2008 to 2010. Since 2012, she has completed internships and training courses in clinical pathology, mainly in Cytology and Haematology (at ICBAS and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Milan). She obtained her Master's degree (Integrated Master's in Veterinary Medicine) from ICBAS in 2015. She is currently a student in the Doctoral Programme in Veterinary Sciences at ICBAS. She has been working in the small animal clinical field since 2004. She has been a collaborator at the Baixo Vouga Veterinary Hospital, Onevetgroup, since 2013, where she has held the position of Deputy Clinical Director since 2018. She is the author of six articles in international journals in the field of Clinical Pathology.
Mónica Augusto
DVM, Graduate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine After several years in small animal general practice, he completed a year of rotating internship at the R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh in 2004, followed by a residency in Companion Animal Internal Medicine at the GUVS, University of Glasgow in 2009. After a short period at the University of Liverpool (Oncology service), she worked at a private referral hospital in Winchester, UK for several years before moving back into academia, first as a Staff Clinician at the RVC, London, and since September 2017 as a Lecturer/Assistant Teacher in Small Animal Medicine at University College Dublin, Ireland. She obtained the European Diploma in Small Animal Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2014. She is a specialist recognised by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS), the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI). She holds a Master's degree in Clinical Oncology from the University of Birmingham, UK, and a postgraduate degree in Higher Education from UCD, Ireland. Her areas of interest include haematology, oncology (particularly haematological and oncological diseases), endocrinology and feline gastroenterology.
Nina Rodrigues
DVM, MSc, Graduate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2023: Diploma from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA internal medicine) April 2022: Internist at the OneVet group, Portugal (ECVIM-CA candidate) October 2018 – October 2021: University of Liège, Belgium Residency in Companion Animal Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA) September 2017 - September 2018: Languedoc Veterinary Hospital, Montpellier, France Specialised internship in Internal Medicine September 2016 - September 2017: Frégis Veterinary Hospital, Paris, France Rotational internship (internal medicine, emergencies, surgery, ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology, dermatology) July 2016: Defence of Master's thesis ‘Subcutaneous ureteral bypass: a new surgical technique in cases of ureteral obstruction’ September 2010 - July 2016: Integrated Master's Degree in Veterinary Medicine, UTAD, Vila Real
Raquel Francês
Head of the Emergency and Intensive Care Department, Aúna Veterinary Specialties – Spain (Valencia) Between 2005 and 2007, she was part of the Emergency and Intensive Care Service at the Hospital Veterinari del Maresme. In 2007 and 2008, she worked as an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, and as Head of the Inpatient and Intensive Care Service at the University Veterinary Clinical Hospital of UAB. In 2008, she participated in the ESAVS Emergency and Intensive Care training programme in Bern. During 2009–2010, she moved to Canada to complete a specialized internship in Emergency and Intensive Care at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. Since 2010, she has been living in Valencia, dedicating her professional life to Intensive Care in private practice alongside university teaching. She was an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, and is currently teaching at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Catholic University of Valencia. She is presently the Head of the Emergency and Intensive Care Department at Aúna Veterinary Specialties, where she has worked since 2015.
Carolina Bento
DVM, PhD, GPcert(US) Integrated Master’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon (FMV-ULisboa) in 2012. Postgraduate training in Medicine and Surgery of Wild and Zoo Exotic Animals at Universidade Lusófona in 2012. Postgraduate Course in Diagnostic Avian and Exotic Animals Pathology at Utrecht University (Netherlands) in 2012. Postgraduate training in Small Animal Ultrasound (Improve International) in 2021. PhD in Veterinary Sciences from FMV-ULisboa in 2023. She has been working in companion animal practice since 2012 and has been part of the clinical team at Vetcondeixa since 2016. Lecturer at Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama since 2021, teaching Medical Semiology and Medical Pathology courses.
Ana Jacinto
DVM, Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from UTAD. After several years of clinical practice in Portugal, Ana completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). In 2012, she completed her residency in Companion Animal Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA) at the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), where she remained as a temporary lecturer. She has taught in the Integrated Master’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Évora, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, and the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto. She has worked in internal medicine services at the Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire Frégis in Paris (France) and at the referral veterinary hospital Davies Veterinary Specialists (United Kingdom). Ana collaborates with Improve International as a trainer in Small Animal Internal Medicine and serves as an internal medicine consultant at IDEXX Laboratories. She holds specialist titles in Internal Medicine from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (DipECVIM-CA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine – Internal Medicine). She currently works as a Specialist Veterinarian in Internal Medicine at IVC-Evidensia, Hospital Veterinário do Bom Jesus, Braga.
Nuno Carolino
PhD in Animal Science and Technology (2006) and Master’s in Animal Production (1999) from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Technical University of Lisbon Researcher at the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, I.P. (INIAV), specializing in animal conservation and genetic improvement. Guest Lecturer in the Integrated Master’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine at Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama – Coimbra, and Guest Lecturer in the Master’s in Agricultural Engineering at Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra – Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra. Member of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Animal Health (CIISA) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon. Chair of the National Coordination and Monitoring Committee for the National Plan for Animal Genetic Resources. National Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Portuguese representative at the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources. Member of the Management and Monitoring Committee of the Portuguese Animal Germplasm Bank (BPGA). Board member of the Portuguese Society for Animal Genetic Resources (SPREGA). Member of the Conbiand Network – Asociación Sobre la Conservación de la Biodiversidad de los Animales Domésticos Locales para el Desarrollo Rural Sostenible. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Actas Iberoamericanas de Conservación Animal (AICA). Lecturer in various national and international courses on animal conservation and genetic improvement, supervising over 90 theses and internships. Coordinator and participant in multiple national and international R&D projects. Speaker at over 140 conferences and symposia, author of 13 books/chapters, and more than 500 scientific, technical, and popular publications.
Chantal Rosa
DVM, Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2007 – Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine from Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama (Coimbra, Portugal); 2008/2009 – Postgraduate training in Small Animal Internal Medicine at Universidade Lusófona, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Lisbon, Portugal); 2010/2011 – Small Animal Rotating Internship at VRCC – Veterinary Referral Centre (Essex, United Kingdom); 2011/2012 – BVSc (Hons) in Small Animal Internal Medicine from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria (South Africa); 2011/2013 – Master’s Degree in Small Animal Internal Medicine (MMedVet) awarded by the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria (South Africa); 2017 – European Specialist Diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA); 2019 – RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, United Kingdom. Guest speaker at various national and international conferences and author of multiple publications in scientific journals in the field of Small Animal Internal Medicine.
Ricardo Cabeças
PhD student in Biomedical Engineering with a Master’s in Experimental Pathology (2012) and an Integrated Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering – Telecommunications branch (2009) Teaching collaborator at the Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (2010–2018), involved in software and hardware development for experimental pathology research. Member of the Editorial Board of the Revista Portuguesa de Terapêutica Integrada (2014) and of the Experimental Pathology and Health Sciences journal (2011–2016). Assistant Professor at Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama (2014–2018 and 2021–present), teaching courses in Biophysics and Biomath at the Integrated Master’s in Veterinary Medicine and in the Bachelor’s in Bioveterinary Sciences, as well as courses in Abiological Experimental Models and Experimental Research Project in the Bachelor’s in Bioveterinary Sciences. PhD student in Biomedical Engineering specializing in Biophotonics. Author of over 50 scientific publications and supervisor of 15 theses or scientific projects.
Helena Ferreira
DVM, FRCPath, DipACVP (Clinical Pathology), MRCVS Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from UTAD in 2001. Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (United Kingdom) since 2012. Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (Clinical Pathology) since 2015. She has been practicing Clinical Pathology in a commercial laboratory since 2012.

This postgraduate programme is organised in the form of intensive modules, in which face-to-face sessions take place at specific times, mainly at weekends. This system makes it possible to combine attendance at this advanced academic training with continuing professional activity. 

Modular training also allows for the optimisation of learning and knowledge management around more specific topics, as well as the integration and sequencing of the knowledge inherent to each of the defined curricular units (UC), with a view to the fluid and guided acquisition of the various proposed skills. 

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Who is this training for?

  • Holders of a Portuguese pre-Bologna degree in Veterinary Medicine; 
  • Holders of a Portuguese Integrated Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine (MIMV); 
  • Holders of a foreign academic degree equivalent to those mentioned above; 
  • Students of the Integrated Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine.  

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