CPD as a new grad

One of the advantages of new graduate programmes is the regular and, on the whole, good quality CPD included as standard.

This can vary between the programmes, with some offering a degree of choice and others a strict programme of compulsory sessions. These often include a variety of non-clinical and clinical topics, delivered in both practical and lecture-based sessions.

However, for those young vets who do not find themselves in a new graduate programme or with any sort of structured CPD, the entire concept can be a bit overwhelming.

Variable support

For new graduates, the Professional Development Phase, once completed, will count towards an entire year’s worth of CPD, but this will take everyone varying lengths of time to finish, depending on individual experiences in practice and, often, extra training – whether in-house or through external CPD providers – for graduates to reach a sufficient level of competence.

Each practice is different, with some giving CPD budgets or a maximum number of days that can be used each year for CPD, and some being more flexible.

Some will offer time in lieu of CPD undertaken in your own time (evenings or at weekends, for example), but others won’t. Some practices will be very proactive in helping staff find appropriate CPD, while some may just scatter leaflets around the staff room.

Going it alone

As a new grad, it can hard to know where to start with CPD, especially if you have no particular guidance.

While the freedom to undertake CPD at your choosing gives you the opportunity to focus on the aspects you want or need to, it can be almost impossible to even know what they are, especially in the first few months after qualifying. During your first years in practice, you are constantly learning new things and how to approach particular cases or ops, so identifying areas of weakness can be difficult.

Even if you have worked out what kind of CPD you’d like to undertake, finding it is the next obstacle – many variations (and price tags) exist and it can seem like a minefield working out when and where to do CPD.

Helpful hints

If you’re flummoxed, here are some tips to help your continue your learning after university:

• Talk to other vets in your practice. What kind of CPD did they find useful in their first years? Is there any local regular CPD they know of?
• Talk to your boss or senior vets in your practice to identify any areas they think you may need to work on.
• Contact your local Young Vet Network. Some regions are more active than others, but most will put on CPD sessions, often in the evening.
• If you’re after local CPD, contact your referral centres, as these will often run evening lectures or maybe even full-day sessions.
• Talk to your university classmates. Has anyone done any useful CPD they would recommend? Even if you’re not on a grad programme, talk to friends who are – often their CPD is actually run by an external provider who will, no doubt, be running the same sessions again.
• Keep an eye on the leaflets that come with the various veterinary publications. It can become habit to just chuck them straight in the recycling. Instead, at least skim over them to see if anything catches your eye.

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  Be aware of the various congresses. These often have heavily discounted rates for new graduates and members of the various veterinary associations, and provide an excellent opportunity to dip in and out of multiple topics if you’re unsure about what you want to focus on.

• Check the Vet Times CPD website for available courses from a variety of providers.
• Make use of webinars. The BSAVA, BEVA and other veterinary associations (although I cannot say I’ve tried any others) have many webinars freely accessible to members on their websites, which can be logged as CPD hours. The Webinar Vet is also a fantastic resource and has a number of free webinars available if you don’t want to sign up for paid memberships.
• Many drug companies will also have webinars on their websites that can also be a useful source of free CPD. If there are particular products or topics a few members of staff are interested in learning about, some companies are happy to come visit practices for “lunch and learn” style sessions.
• Practical CPD is offered by many providers and, while it’s usually quite pricey, it’s well worth it for hands-on learning. Scouring the internet is often the best way to explore and compare options.
• Check the various veterinary association websites for their upcoming CPD sessions, which can include practical and lecture-based courses.
• A number of online providers offer distance-learning style courses (such as VetCPD and CPD Solutions) that can be conducted in your own time at your own pace, which are very handy if you’re short on CPD days. Don’t be fooled into thinking these will be dull – they are often quite interactive, with course tutors instigating active discussion through online forums.
• Don’t forget you can log the articles you read in veterinary publications, too (which is especially easy to do using the Vet Times app, available for Android and iOS devices).