How to apply for Fellowship

If you're considering applying for an RCVS Fellowship, please read the guidance below carefully before applying.

Applications for 2025 are now open. The deadline to submit applications is 14 March at 4pm.

Please note, applications will not be assessed until the application fee of £109 has been made. Application forms can be found at the bottom of this page. You will be contacted by the Fellowship secretary upon submission of your application to proceed to payment for the application before the assessing can commence.

Overall Fellowship criteria

The Fellowship panel judges applications on whether one or more of the criteria listed below have been met to a standard appropriate for the award of the Fellowship. Your application will be considered alongside those of previously successful applicants in the same route on whether the standard of excellence necessary for the award of the Fellowship has been achieved.

Please note, Fellowship applicants must be members of the RCVS (MRCVS).

Original innovative discovery or application of knowledge or development of the veterinary
profession in a ground-breaking way
Sustained contribution to scholarship
Producing a body of creative work that will have been disseminated, for example,
- in a body of publications
- in teaching materials
- in educational documents
- in political documents
Indisputable advancement of your subject
Providing leadership to the veterinary profession
Advancement of the public understanding of the veterinary profession

The Fellowship Board meets each year to consider an overall list of those proposed by the Credentials Panel as meeting the required criteria, and check that comparable standards had been applied to the consideration process across three sub-panel areas.

Specific requirements for each route

Specific requirements for each route are detailed below.

Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice (MCCP)

Purpose of the Fellowship

The award of Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to advancing the veterinary profession. These contributions may include, but are not limited to, ground-breaking discoveries or applications, significant public engagement, sustained leadership, and the dissemination of knowledge within the field and sustained excellence in veterinary clinical practice.

This document details comprehensive guidance for veterinary professionals aspiring to achieve Fellowship through Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice (MCCP).

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Hold Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
Provide compelling evidence of significant contributions to veterinary knowledge and professional practice, as detailed herein.

Completing the Application Form

Please read the application form before completing to avoid duplication of information. The application form is structured into six distinct sections:

1. Part A – Administrative Details

Confirm MRCVS status and provide your RCVS number.
Include contact information and specify any previous applications.
Any changes post-submission should be promptly communicated to the RCVS Fellowship team.

2. Part B – Professional Achievements

The panel will be assessing your clinical scholarship, leadership roles and discipline-specific expertise and caseload. Examples could include detailing how you have made a substantial contribution to applied research and the development of innovations, introduction of new techniques with adoption in specialist or general practice; influential leadership in veterinary profession/education/politics such as chairing professional committees, leadership roles in under/post graduate training, leading specialist interest groups, membership of governmental advisory groups and explaining the impact of the leadership role; advancing public understanding of the veterinary profession such as regional/national/international efforts and outcomes, effective use of media with impact; indicating the discipline and offering comprehensive details about the caseload, such as providing clinical referrals/advice nationally and globally, receiving tertiary referrals for areas of special interest, advice sought by public interest groups, development of new area of practice aligned to clinical expertise).

Provide a summary of up to 2,000 words emphasising your most notable achievements
Explain level of involvement, stakeholders and outputs as well as impacts of research

3. Part C – Significant Bodies of Work

The panel will be looking for evidence of significant bodies of work (examples could include textbooks relevant to general practice, PhD directly relevant to general practice, teaching materials for under/postgraduates, guidance documents pertinent to clinical practice used broadly within the profession or public, especially those recognised to be of national importance).

Submit your ORCID ID.
Provide complete citations for peer-reviewed articles (Authors, year, title, journal/volume/page numbers)
Detail presentations at national or international conferences, specifying Event name, presentation title, date, sponsoring organisation.
List any scientific, clinical or professional prizes received, as well as research grants.
Detail any contributions to CPD such as e-learning and distance learning materials.

4. Part D – Professional Interests

The panel will look for contributions to advancing the broader subject, with demonstrable impact on the field. Examples could include participation/membership of editorial boards for scientific journals or review committees, contributions to data sets made publicly available, the development of Artificial Intelligence tools/software available to the profession. Impact on the profession and public could include contributions to the field in terms of media presence and general public awareness, keynote speaking and public engagements.

Outline memberships and describe your initiatives to advance the veterinary field.
Document other significant professional activities not covered elsewhere.

5. Part E- Personal Statement

Provide a 500-word narrative articulating your motivations for applying and your prospective contributions to the Fellowship.

6. Part F- References

Choice of referees should reflect the breadth of your experience and ideally one of the selected referees should work in an area of practice, department, or field outside of your own. Not all selected referees need to be RCVS members although at least one should be. A referee must be a professionally qualified person and should be able to make an informed assessment of your standing and expertise. The College reserves the right to approach any of your referees directly.

Include two references who can confirm the accuracy and integrity of your application.
At least one referee should be an RCVS member.
Referees should ideally represent diverse areas of expertise outside your immediate field.

Exclusions:

Members of the Fellowship Board or Credentials Panels cannot act as referees.
Direct colleagues from the same department or institution are not permitted.
No more than one academic colleague at the same institute should provide a reference.
It is normally accepted that a referee should not be a relative or partner (business or social) of the applicant.
Referees must not have financial, social, or professional conflicts of interest with you.
Applicants for the Fellowship may not act as referees for other Fellowship applicants within the same application round.

Submitting Your Application

Ensure all sections of the application are completed accurately and submit by the designated deadline. Incomplete submissions may result in delays.

You will be contacted by the Fellowship secretary upon submission of your application to proceed to payment for the application before the assessing can commence.

Meritorious Contributions to Knowledge (MCK)

Purpose of the Fellowship

This document details comprehensive guidance for veterinary professionals aspiring to achieve Fellowship through Meritorious Contributions to Knowledge (MCK).

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Hold Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
Provide compelling evidence of significant contributions to veterinary knowledge and professional practice, as detailed herein.

Completing the Application Form

Please read the application form before completing to avoid duplication of information. The application form is structured into six distinct sections:

1. Part A: Administrative Details

Confirm MRCVS status and provide your RCVS number.
Include contact information and specify any previous applications.
Any changes post-submission should be promptly communicated to the RCVS Fellowship team.

2. Part B: Professional Achievements

The panel will be assessing on doctoral-level achievements (or equivalent) and the contributions to the veterinary field. Contributions to the profession in leadership and/or mentoring roles (for example national committees, training post-doctoral scientists as a primary/secondary supervisor) and independent thought and research will also be assessed.

Present a 500-word summary emphasising your most notable accomplishments.
Highlight up to ten key publications, elaborating on your original contributions to veterinary science.

3. Part C: Publications, Prizes and Presentations

The panel will look for the level of contribution to a paper and will be assessing the impact of the publications, the significance of the contributions to their field. The panel will also be looking at the significance and impact of the scientific prizes, research grant funding and awards over a sustained period of time.

Submit your ORCID ID.
List your top 10 publications, specifying your individual role in collaborative works.
Include a complete publication history and detail contributions to books or scientific conferences.
List any scientific, clinical or professional prizes received, as well as research grants.
Detail any contributions to CPD.

4. Part D: Professional Interests

Outline memberships and describe your initiatives to advance the veterinary field.
Document other significant professional activities not covered elsewhere.

5. Part E: Personal Statement

Provide a 500-word narrative articulating your motivations for applying and your prospective contributions to the Fellowship.

6. Part F: References

Include two references who can confirm the accuracy and integrity of your application.
At least one referee should be an RCVS member.
Referees should ideally represent diverse areas of expertise outside your immediate field.

Exclusions:

Members of the Fellowship Board or Credentials Panels cannot act as referees.
Direct colleagues from the same department or institution are not permitted.
No more than one academic colleague at the same institute should provide a reference.
It is normally accepted that a referee should not be a relative or partner (business or social) of the applicant.
Referees must not have financial, social, or professional conflicts of interest with you.
Applicants for the Fellowship may not act as referees for other Fellowship applicants within the same application round.

Submitting Your Application

Ensure all sections of the application are completed accurately and submit by the designated deadline. Incomplete submissions may result in delays.

You will be contacted by the Fellowship secretary upon submission of your application to proceed to payment for the application before the assessing can commence.

Meritorious Contributions to the Profession (MCP)

Purpose of the Fellowship

This document details comprehensive guidance for veterinary professionals aspiring to achieve Fellowship through Meritorious Contributions to the Profession (MCP).

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Hold Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
Provide compelling evidence of significant contributions to veterinary knowledge and professional practice, as detailed herein.

Completing the Application Form

It is advisable to include all achievements to show the entirety of your notable achievements to date rather than to focus the application on one achievement. The application form is structured into six distinct sections:

1. Part A: Administrative Details

Confirm MRCVS status and provide your RCVS number.
Include contact information and specify any previous applications.
Any changes post-submission should be promptly communicated to the RCVS Fellowship team.

2. Part B: Professional Achievements

The panel will be assessing the contributions made to the profession, so please use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate the impact of your contributions. Explain how your original contributions or innovations have impacted the veterinary health profession (examples could include pharmaceutical research, peer-reviewed publications, investigative and/or surgical techniques). The panel will look for a sustained contribution to the scholarship (examples could include training technicians and scientists as well as veterinary surgeons, providing expertise to companies, publications on a specific topic, a sustained contribution to the dissemination of knowledge).

The panel will also be assessing leadership within the profession, which can include education and politics with examples of the impact of leadership roles (for example, chairing professional/governmental committees, leading specialist groups, as well as advancing public understanding through local or national outcomes and the use of media with notable impact, demonstrable sustained excellence in leadership).

Present a summary of up to 2,000 words detailing your most notable achievements.
Articulate the significance of your contributions at local, national, or international levels.

3. Part C: Professional Contributions

The panel will be looking for examples which evidence how your significant work has been shared and its impact on the field. The panel will be looking for evidence of written or visual work that has been disseminated thorough various channels such as publications, teaching materials, educational and political documents. (examples could include training at National, European or International workshops and congresses, training of veterinary teams, police and social workers over a period of time, conference talks, effective application of technology, contributions to confidential reports in the laboratory and legal sectors, contributions to the advancement of novel veterinary medicine).

The panel will be looking for examples of how you have communicated ideas effectively to a diverse audience (examples could include presentations, CPD provision for a range of professionals such as veterinary nurses, general practitioners, paraprofessionals, specialists etc).

Include your ORCID ID and ensure the accuracy and relevance of listed publications.
Prizes and Awards: List any accolades recognising your contributions.
Additional CPD Contributions: Include training materials, distance learning resources, or other educational outputs.

4. Part D: Professional Interests

The panel will be assessing the impact of contributions to advance the profession made through affiliations with professional organisations, societies and panels. This is the section where you are able to include any professional activities or achievements not captured elsewhere

5. Part E: Personal Statement

Provide a concise personal statement (maximum 500 words) explaining your motivations for applying and the significance of receiving the Fellowship. Use this section to articulate your passion for the profession and alignment with the Fellowship’s mission. Include what you hope to contribute to the Fellowship and how you may do this.

6. Part F: References

Include two references who can confirm the accuracy and integrity of your application.
At least one referee should be an RCVS member.
Referees should ideally represent diverse areas of expertise outside your immediate field.

Exclusions:

Members of the Fellowship Board or Credentials Panels cannot act as referees.
Direct colleagues from the same department or institution are not permitted.
No more than one academic colleague at the same institute should provide a reference.
It is normally accepted that a referee should not be a relative or partner (business or social) of the applicant.
Referees must not have financial, social, or professional conflicts of interest with you.
Applicants for the Fellowship may not act as referees for other Fellowship applicants within the same application round.

Submitting Your Application

Ensure all sections of the application are completed accurately and submit by the designated deadline. Incomplete submissions may result in delays.

You will be contacted by the Fellowship secretary upon submission of your application to proceed to payment for the application before the assessing can commence.

Additional application guidance

The following details regarding publications apply to all 3 routes:

Publications

Published articles form a significant part of the assessed output for some routes to Fellowship. Articles that are subject to peer-review carry more weight than those which are not subject to peer-review.

In order to balance the size and activity of different fields of publication, it is useful to use bibliometric analysis tools that are the same as those used by other organisations to assess quality of publications. One criterion is to determine the quartile in which a journal lies in its field. Quartile 1 journals are recognised as publishing higher quality articles than those in quartiles 2, 3 or 4. These quartiles are for defined fields so that they do not disadvantage those publishing in smaller fields.

Other assessments are to examine the number of times an article is cited by others. This is an important factor since citations of work suggest that the article in question has influenced the understanding and actions of the citing author. Naturally it takes time for citing articles to appear after publication, but if an article is several years old and is cited little or not at all, that suggests it has had less impact than one which is cited more.

The H-index is a statistic which combines several parameters, and gives an indication of the lifetime impact of the author’s work. Hindices are produced by different organisations, and some are more generous than others. University assessment of staff uses “Scopus” to compare H-index and we have also adopted that as a standard rather than the more or less generous alternatives.

It is important to say that these metrics are only part of the information that is used to assess published output, and all other parts of the application are considered.

Identification of your publications

It is important that the panel can identify your published articles accurately. In many cases author names and initials do not provide a unique identifier, so you will need to register for an ORCID ID. ORCID provides a unique digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other author and, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that all your work is recognised.

Registration for ORCID

To register for an ORCID identifier, go to https://orcid.org/register and complete the boxes in the registration page. You will then be transferred to a page where you can add publications. On the “Works” menu click “add some now” and then use one of the database services (for example Europe PubMed Central) to identify your papers. Click to agree to link the PubMed record to ORCID. If the name you use for your publications is different from the default entered by the system, edit it in the search box. If you publish under different names/initials, you can add those publications all to your ORCID record. The search will come up with your papers and you can select those that are yours to add to your record. Follow on through the continue boxes to link the selected papers to your ORCID profile.

When you publish new papers, you may be able to add your ORCID identifier to your profile as author, in which case the article will link to your profile automatically. If not, then you can search and add it as for past papers. You will need to ensure that your ORCID profile is kept up to date and contains all papers you wish to be considered in support of your application.

Additional information

Once applications are received, they will be considered by at least four members of the credentials panel for that route. These assessments are passed to the Chair of that panel who makes an overall assessment of the application and puts forward a recommendation to the Fellowship Board. The Board will then make the final decision on the recommendation and outcome of the application. A full list of the members of the Fellowship Board is provided on the RCVS website. Please note that, as mentioned above, members of the Board and Credentials Panels may not act as referees. Members of the panels are asked to declare any conflict of interest that would prevent them from making an objective assessment of an application for Fellowship. If any applicant feels that a panel member in their chosen route, or a member of the Fellowship Board, would have a significant conflict of interest that would affect their assessment, they are asked to point this out when submitting their application.
Applicants will note that there is a certain degree of overlap between the requirements for each of the three routes. You would be encouraged to choose the route that you feel is most appropriate for your application. If you would like to speak with a current Fellow to help you decide which route would be best, please contact us at [email protected]. A list of those Fellows that applied successfully through each route is also available on the RCVS website to help guide the candidate.
Once the application has been assessed by the chosen Credentials Panel, if the panel feels that the application might be more suited to a different route, we will contact you to ask if you wish your application to be referred to an alternative panel. If you choose to go ahead, you will be given the opportunity to add additional information to your application, although this may be required within a short timescale if you wish the application to go forward within the same application round. You will also have the option of confirming that you would like your application to go forward under the route for which you originally applied. However, if the Board agrees that it is more beneficial for your application to be referred, they may award the Fellowship in a different category to that which you applied for, in any case.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will be offered feedback by the Chair of the relevant Credentials Panel. The RCVS will arrange initial email contact with the Chair, and the form that the feedback takes from there is a matter for discussion between the Chair and the applicant. Applicants should understand that this feedback is intended to be helpful and to inform and guide a future application. Panel Chairs will not enter into lengthy debates on points of detail, nor are they empowered to re-consider the decision of the Board.
There is currently no limit to the number of times that an application may be made. However applicants would be advised to take account of any feedback they receive before re-applying.
There is an appeals process in place, however appeals cannot be made against the decision of the Board, but appeals against the process may be considered. The appeals rules can be provided by the Advancement of the Professions Department upon request.
Applicants who are successful in achieving the Fellowship will be required to pay an annual fee. Please see our Fees page.

Fellowship

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How to apply for Fellowship

Overall Fellowship criteria

Specific requirements for each route

Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice (MCCP)

Meritorious Contributions to Knowledge (MCK)

Meritorious Contributions to the Profession (MCP)

Additional application guidance

Publications

Identification of your publications

Registration for ORCID

Additional information

Related documents

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