Graduate Outcomes Consultation

This consultation has now closed.

How to respond to the consultation

Vets and vet nurses

If you are an RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, please check your inbox for an email from Work Psychology Group - the independent research consultancy who is running the #GradOutcomes consultation for us.

This email will contain a personalised link for you to access the consultation and save your progress as you work through it.

Vet students

If you're a veterinary student, please take our #GradOutcomes Challenge to be in with a chance to win a free ticket to BSAVA Congress 2019!

Vet organisations

If you are another member of the veterinary team, or a representative of a veterinary organisation, you can access the #GradOutcomes consultation here.

The deadline for responses is Friday, 18 January 2019.

What is the #GradOutcomes consultation?

The #GradOutcomes consultation asks for the views of all veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, veterinary students and other stakeholders in a broad range of areas related to how veterinary students are educated and trained, and how recent graduates are prepared and supported into life in practice.

It has grown out of the joint RCVS and BVA Vet Futures research project, which found that there was often a mismatch between the expectations of veterinary graduates and the reality of veterinary practice. This, in turn, can lead to problems around recruitment and retention and stress and mental health.

The consultation will encompass four core areas identified by our Graduate Outcomes Working Group. These are:

• Day One Competences – the skills and attributes required by veterinary graduates to work safely and independently upon entering practice. The consultation will be seeking feedback on a new overarching model for the Day One Competences, and some specific competences, encompassing a greater focus on those critically important ‘professional skills’ such as communication, collaboration, self-reflection and clinical reasoning.

• The Professional Developement Phase (PDP) – a period of structured learning and development for recent graduates that acts as a structured bridge between life as a veterinary student and clinical practice. The consultation builds on research conducted last year with the profession, which identified a need for a more structured PDP programme, and the consultation is now asking for feedback on what this could look like.

• Extra-mural studies (EMS) – the consultation will be asking questions about how EMS placements should best be implemented, to achieve a more consistent quality and value for veterinary students. The consultation will also explore whether EMS could be revised to fall towards the end of the veterinary degree and act as a bridge between the degree and the Professional Development Phase.
• Clinical education for General Practice – this element of the consultation will be looking at how the veterinary degree can ensure there is an appropriate balance of general practice and specialist experience so that students are prepared for as wide an array of clinical experiences as possible.

Blogs

Graduate Outcomes Consultation: taking time to consider #TheBigPicture - Professor Susan Dawson FRCVS

Graduates fit for the 21st Century - Professor Stephen May FRCVS

Why is it important to respond?

With the education and training of the next generation of veterinary surgeons under review, we think it is crucial that we receive as many responses to the consultation as possible

Watch this video to hear the views of just some of the vets, vet nurses and vet students who have helped us to put the consultation together…about the importance of responding and being part of #TheBigPicture!

Win £100 book voucher every week!

We appreciate that you will need to set some time aside to read the background information to the consultation and submit your responses.

By way of small thank you for taking the time to respond to this consultation, you can enter your name into a weekly prize draw to win £100 of book vouchers throughout the consultation period.

Therefore, the sooner you’re able to respond, the more chances you’ll have to win the vouchers.

Congratulations to our winners so far...

1. Alkiviadis Polychroniadis MRCVS
2. Laura Playforth MRCVS
3. Manuel Melero Rando MRCVS 
4. Neil Coode MRCVS
5. Helen Dirrig MRCVS
6. Louise Rayment-Dyble MRCVS
7. Louisa Clarke RVN 
8. To be announced
9. To be announced

Help others be part of #TheBigPicture!

We launched the consultation at the London Vet Show on 15 November 2018 with our campaign to encourage vets and vet nurses to be part of #TheBigPicture.

Watch how #TheBigPicture took shape...

Share on social media

Please help us to spread the word about the #GradOutcomes consultation and #TheBigPicture campaign by sharing our hashtags on your social media channels, and even adding a Twibbon to your profile pictures!