The last enrolment for the PDP was in June 2021. Those currently enrolled will have until June 2024 to complete the programme. New graduates should enrol for the VetGDP.
The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct requires new and recent graduates to comply with RCVS PDP and CPD requirements. All practising veterinary surgeons are required to continue their professional development and maintain their competence in the area in which they are working. They must keep records of their development and provide these to the RCVS when required. We consider the PDP to be the most appropriate form of continuing professional development for the initial period of clinical practice.
The Code also requires all veterinary surgeons to ensure that clinical governance forms part of their professional activities.
In order to undertake the PDP effectively, the graduate must engage in a process of reflection, analysis and improvement in their professional practice. This is echoed in the guidance on clinical governance that accompanies the Code of Professional Conduct. This goes on to state that:
“Clinical governance may include:
keeping up to date with continuing professional development (CPD) and new developments relevant to the area of work;
reflecting upon performance, preferably in the form of a learning diary, and making appropriate changes to practice;
reflecting upon any unexpected critical events and learning from the outcome and making appropriate changes to practice;
critically analysing the evidence base for procedures used and making appropriate changes to practice;
reflecting upon communication with other members of the work team and making appropriate changes to practice;
reflecting upon communication with clients and making appropriate changes to practice; and,
assessing professional competence in consultation with more experienced or better qualified colleagues and limiting your practice appropriately.”
All new graduate members of the RCVS and those with less than one year’s experience who are working in clinical practice in the UK should therefore take part in and complete their PDP. Those who are not working in clinical practice in the UK (see definition in footnote on page 3), but who are still on the register as UK practising members (eg those undertaking full-time research), are advised to follow a similar approach where appropriate, and to keep records of their professional development instead in the CPD component of the PDR. UK graduates who are working in clinical practice outside the UK may undertake the PDP if they wish, and if their employer is supportive.
Undertaking the PDP does not affect membership status. Graduates undertaking their PDP are legally qualified to practise as veterinary surgeons as they are full members of RCVS. It is, however, an acknowledgement of their relative inexperience and their need for support from more senior colleagues.
Anyone who has graduated since 2007 must complete their PDP if they want to enrol at a later stage on the RCVS Certificate and some other postgraduate certificate programmes. Having undertaken sufficient appropriate CPD has always been a requirement before entering for RCVS examinations, and completing the PDP helps to confirm that a Certificate candidate has had a broad grounding in clinical practice before they embark on a further qualification.