Postgraduate modular certificates - progress report

The new Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) is moving forward.

The new-style Certificate should make studying more accessible for veterinary surgeons working in practice. It is hoped that the modular form, which means that units can contribute towards a Certificate or be taken as stand-alone continuing professional development, will make studying more flexible.

Invitation to submit for accreditation

Modules within the Certificate are not accredited directly by the RCVS, but by universities (on their own or in partnership with other course providers). The RCVS accredits the universities’ quality assurance procedures.

The new RCVS sub-committee with responsibility for the CertAVP met on 31 October 2006 and is in the process of considering the first set of accreditation submissions.

There is no deadline for universities and other associations interested in accreditation to make submissions, and the RCVS hopes to receive more submissions from universities in the first few months of the New Year.

Find out more information about the accreditation process.

Modules

Following meetings in November and December, a number of RCVS subject boards have now finalised their modules, including Sheep, Veterinary Anaesthesia, Veterinary Pathology and Zoological Medicine.

These are now available to download along with information about rules for combinations of modules appropriate for subject-specific certificates and tables showing the range of assessment methods recommended for each module. More modules will follow in due course.

Candidate enrolment

As soon as the RCVS has accredited submissions from universities, we will be in a position to accept candidate enrolments. We expect to be able to enrol candidates for some subjects from spring 2007, with others following throughout the year.

In addition to enrolling with one or more module providers, candidates will need to enrol with RCVS before completing any module, so that these credits can be counted towards the RCVS Certificate.

The fee to enrol on the scheme with RCVS will be £50 initially, with an annual £25 subscription payable for the remainder of the study period. These fees will go towards the cost of maintaining the bank of modules as well as candidates’ module credit records.

Enrolment fees will be reviewed annually, but we will aim to keep them to a minimum. Enrolment will be valid for up to ten years. More information on the enrolment process will be published shortly. 

Phasing out the old RCVS Certificates

Whilst the new modular system is being introduced, candidates who are enrolled on the ‘old’ RCVS certificates will still have the remainder of their enrolment period in which to attempt the examination. The deadline for last enrolments for the ‘old’ certificates will be 1 November 2007.

If you would like more information about modular certificates, please visit www.rcvs.org.uk/modcerts or contact the Education Department at

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Belgravia House
62-64 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AF 

T 020 7202 0791
F 020 7222 2004
E [email protected]