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Welcome to the RCVS at BCVA 2024!

Event 2024

Thank you for visiting our stand! We hope we were able to answer your questions, but please drop by again if we can help you with anything else.

In the meantime, please take a scroll down this page to find out more...

What we're up to at BCVA Congress 2024

Illustration of a practice reception and a vet with an owner and dogOn the stand...

Queries

Want to know more about who we are? What we do? Or something more specific? Ask a member of the RCVS Team on the stand, or submit your query via our 'send us your question' page

Elsewhere... 

The RCVS will be involved with the following session during BCVA Congress:  

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Hereford Room:

  • 11:30am - 1:00pm - Enhancing Clinical Career Pathways for the Veterinary Profession (VCCP)

Workshop Speakers: Dr Linda Prescott-Clements, RCVS Director of Education, Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Post Graduate Education Lead, Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President 

Saturday, 19 October 2024

Holstein Room:

  • 2:00 -3:00pm - Under care ‘who, what, when’ panel discussion

An ask the panel discussion where we discuss the role of the primary vet and how we as a profession can work together so that farmers may benefit from the skills offered by consultants whilst ensuring primary care vets are still involved to ensure continuous care on the farm.

Panel members: Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, Nick Perkins, VDS, Ami Sawran, SPVS Board Member, Ed Simmonds, BCVA Board Member

Holstein Room:

  • 3:00- 4:00pm - Bridging the Gap panel discussion

Panel members: Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, Ami Sawran, SPVS and VP Practice Lead, Sarah Wood, University of Bristol, Isa Robson, Surrey University, Zoe Shepherd, Harper and Keele Veterinary School and BCVA board member, Ed Simmonds BCVA Board member and farm practice business owner, Chiara Domingue Vet Partners new graduate

Discover our latest projects

Click on each of the projects below to find out more.

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the process of maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills. It's a professional responsibility and is compulsory for all vets and vet nurses (RVNs) on the RCVS Register. 

In order to help vets and VNs plan, record and reflect on their CPD, we have developed a bespoke 1CPD app, which all veterinary professionals should use to facilitate their learning and development. 
Find out more about CPD and the 1CPD app on our CPD page

RCVS Academy

The RCVS Academy is a free digital learning platform designed to support vets and nurses in meeting professional standards with relevant, interactive, digital learning materials. 

Developed with expertise from across the College, the Academy provides support for students, veterinary nurses and surgeons on topics such as leadership, coaching, resolving complaints, animal ownership and CPD reflection. 
To explore the RCVS Academy and all it has to offer, visit our RCVS Academy site, and login with your RCVS My Account details. 

Practice Standards Scheme (PSS)

The Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary initiative that aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care by setting standards for practices within the scheme and holding regular assessments to ensure these standards are being met. 

Upon being assessed and joining the scheme, veterinary practices receive ‘RCVS-accredited’ status, which will be at different categories depending on the size and type of practice. Veterinary practices within the scheme can also demonstrate the areas in which they excel by applying for additional PSS awards in fields such as client service and in-patient care. 

Visit our PSS webpage for more information. 

Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP)

Launched in 2021, the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP) provides a period of structured, work-based support for all new veterinary graduates. 

Each graduate will have the support of a VetGDP Adviser who has completed the online training and working in the same workplace to support the graduate, by focusing on the development of their clinical and professional capabilities.The aim is for graduates to become competent, resilient members of the veterinary team. 

For more on VetGDP, including information on how to become a VetGDP Adviser, visit our dedicated VetGDP webpage.  

Mind Matters Initiative

The Mind Matters Initiative (MMI), set up in 2015, is funded and delivered by the RCVS, and supports the mental health of the veterinary community across all settings and career stages, through facilitating accessible, high-quality, and evidence-based mental health projects, research, content and events.

Full details of MMI’s current programme of activities can be found on the Mind Matters Initative website

You can contact the MMI team via email on [email protected]

Thanks to previous Mind Matters Research Grant recipients, Dr Katherine Wakelin and Sarah Corthorne, we are pleased to be able to host their free online compassion course for Veterinary Mental Wellbeing on the Mind Matters website.

Interested in the science behind veterinary mental health? 

Discover cutting edge research from our fourth Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium via the Mind Matters Initiative website, where a report and videos from the day are now available to view.  

VN Futures

VN Futures is a joint initiative led by the RCVS and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) that aims to ensure veterinary nursing is a vibrant, rewarding and sustainable profession. 
 
Over 2024 a series of face-to-face and online forum sessions are being delivered, exploring a vision for veterinary nursing and team-based veterinary healthcare in 2035 and beyond. This is your chance to share your aspirations and shape the future of our profession – so watch out for updates and get involved with VN Vision. 
 
VN Futures have collaborated with the RCVS Academy, to bring nurse-centric courses to the platform, including ‘RVN Starting Out’, Nurse Return, and a Nurse Mentor course due for release later this year. 
 
To find out more, including how you can get involved, visit the VN Futures website.  

Leadership Library

The RCVS Leadership project recognises that leadership skills aren’t just for senior management or business owners, but that the skills and knowledge that make good leaders are applicable for all members of the veterinary team, at any level. 

Visit our Leadership Library page for more. 

Diversity & Inclusion

Published in February 2021, the RCVS Diversity & Inclusion Strategy sets out how we are working to help create veterinary professions where everyone can flourish, whoever they are.  The strategy action plan focuses on improving recruitment and retention, widening access, and engendering culture change to ensure the professions are more diverse and inclusive.

Learn about our most recent project which saw the publication of ground breaking research into Disability and Chronic Illness in Veterinary Work and Education in July 2024.

Access to the Disability and Chronic Illness in Veterinary Work and Education research report page.

Honours & Awards

he RCVS has a suite of Honours & Awards for outstanding achievements amongst veterinary professionals, which recognise and celebrate the breadth of achievement across the veterinary sector. These encompass not only veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, but also students and laypeople contributing to animal health and welfare. 

The nomination period for the RCVS Honours and Awards 2025 is now open, with this year’s awardees being announced in March 2025. 

For more information, visit our Honours and Awards page

Fellowship

The RCVS Fellowship has existed for nearly 150 years and aims to advance veterinary standards by providing a resource of independent knowledge for the benefit of the veterinary professions through its role as a thriving learned society. There are over 500 Fellows, from GPs to specialist researchers, all contributing to veterinary medicine.  

 Visit our Fellowship page for more information, including on how to apply and current activities.  

Environment & Sustainability

The RCVS is a member of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) which coordinates action, provides leadership, and amplifies the voice of health professionals across the UK. The College has participated in two UKHACC policy focus groups on Energy Transition and Food Systems, resulting in two policy reports, allowing RCVS to provide a veterinary perspective towards both projects.

A)     A just energy transition for the good of health report was launched on September 4th. The report puts forward six recommendations for the governments of the UK, outlining the devastating health consequences of the UK’s current dependency on fossil fuels, which are the main driver of climate change and air pollution, and are destructive to the natural environment on which all life depends.

B)     Building a healthy and resilient food system report is almost complete subject to final approvals. The aim of the food systems working group was to produce a policy report and recommendations for the governments of the UK and the NHS to promote and deliver a healthy and sustainable food system with low carbon and environmental impacts.

Postgraduate qualifications

We offer two postgraduate qualifications – one for veterinary surgeons (CertAVP) and one for veterinary nurses (CertAVN) – for the further development of skills and qualifications in specific areas of practice. 

For more information, including a full list of modules and providers, visit our postgraduate qualifications page. 

Advanced Practitioner status

The List of RCVS Advanced Practitioners provides a clear indication to the profession and the public of those veterinary surgeons who have demonstrated knowledge and experience in a particular area of veterinary practice beyond their initial primary veterinary degree.

For further information and how to apply please visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/professional-accreditation/advanced-practitioner-status/

Specialist status

To be included on the List of RCVS Specialists (on our Find a Vet website), an individual must have achieved a postgraduate qualification at least at Diploma level, and must additionally satisfy the RCVS that they make an active contribution to their specialty, have national and international acclaim and publish widely in their field. For further information please see our website. 

Veterinary Clinical Career Pathways (VCCP)

RCVS Council has recently approved an ambitious and exciting project to expand and diversify the career options available to veterinary surgeons working in clinical practice. As part of this work we are holding several focus groups – both in person and online – if you are interested in attending or would like some further information.  please email [email protected]

The RCVS EMS National Booking Database

Extra Mural Studies (EMS) has been identified by new graduates as some of the most valuable experiences within their undergraduate education. All veterinary students in the UK must complete EMS throughout their veterinary degree, and this includes 10 weeks of Animal Husbandry EMS (AHEMS) in the first two years of their programme, where valuable experience is gained in the handling and husbandry of a range of UK species. The time students spend on AHEMS helps prepare them for the rest of their clinical education and is known to have a significant impact on their decisions relating to which area of veterinary practice (e.g. farm, equine, companion animal) they want to work in, following graduation.

In response to feedback from stakeholders on how to improve the accessibility and implementation of EMS, the RCVS has developed a new national booking database to support students, vet schools and placement providers in booking EMS placements, relevant to their experience needs and learning objectives.

EMS providers, both current and new, are invited to showcase their placement and establishment on the database. They will be able to include a range of information, which can be seen by students nationally, highlighting the type of service(s) they can offer. This can include, but is not limited to; placement type, geographical location, species involved, expected case load, facilities and equipment available and more.

The RCVS EMS National Booking Database will also provide students, placement providers and vet schools with a mechanism to communicate with each other in advance of the placement. The addition of the messaging facility will allow an opportunity for asking questions, setting expectations and encourage the sharing of learning objectives.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

RCVS Knowledge

RCVS Knowledge is the charity partner of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. It is an independent charity sitting at the heart of the veterinary professions with a mission to advance the quality of care for the benefit of animals, the public and society. 

To find out more about RCVS Knowledge and how it can support you, visit the RCVS Knowledge website.