Vet Times

Tag: RCVS

  • Recruitment and retention

    Recruitment and retention

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    The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) recently commissioned a study to counter the arguments against new vet schools opening to show that the employment situation in the profession is still good. I have no argument with what it found: that most, if not all vets looking for jobs are employed very quickly. At the…

  • OOH provision

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    The recent decision by the RCVS disciplinary committee to strike a vet off over out-of-hours (OOH) provision means the debate raises its head again. If you offer OOH and have inpatients what do you decide if a client requests a home visit if you are the only vet on? Do you know RCVS guidelines? What are…

  • Too many graduates, not enough jobs?

    Too many graduates, not enough jobs?

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    No doubt spurred on by a survey carried out by the Institute of Employment Studies (on behalf of the RCVS), this last week has seen an interesting focus on the availability of jobs within the veterinary profession. Curiously enough, the survey seems to show that the increasing number of graduates over the past few years…

  • David and Goliath

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    Like many of us I take an interest in the happenings of the RCVS and its disciplinary committees. This is becoming an even deeper interest as I work through a Masters degree in law; I am seeing how other professions regulate themselves and are regulated too. Having said that, I am still at the level…

  • The fanatical pursuit of canine appearance

    The fanatical pursuit of canine appearance

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    Crufts was on telly recently. My wife made me watch it (or so I’ll assert to my dying day). Personally, I find it all a little repugnant, in a similar but not identical way I find beauty pageants for children repugnant. The fanatical pursuit of canine appearance goes against a lot of why I became a…

  • What the future holds

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    Two years on from the Royal College reporting a huge drop in voting figures, we at Vetsonline were pleased to hear that this year’s RCVS council and VN council elections have seen the biggest turnout for 10 years. Results showed 4,661 vets (18.8% of the profession) casting their vote – not to mention the fantastic 1,329 veterinary…

  • The subtle art of appropriate charging

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    Pricing of our services is an odd issue and one I have unresolved and conflicting feelings about. I did work experience in the eighties with a vet who these days would be considered old-school. He inspired me to become a vet because I saw what he did and thought: “that is very cool – I…

  • It pays to be nice

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    When I was at vet school in the nineties I reached fourth year, the last year of teaching at Glasgow, and realised I would graduate and not know anything about non-domestic animals. There was to be a day of lectures, optional attendance, given by a well-respected RCVS specialist imported for that day. This was a…

  • Suicide: a compound problem

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    The perennial topic of comparative suicide rates in different professions came up this weekend at my course. I am in a group of nurses, lawyers, doctors, dentists, and midwives. Over lunch one of the doctors brought up the comparative suicide rates for the professions represented at my course and, as is well known, vets top…

  • Get voting

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    Nominations for VN council have been announced, but VN turnout for voting is traditionally low – under 10%. Statistically you are more likely to have voted for a reality TV show that for your RCVS reps. Please can we change that this year? According to the RCVS: “Candidate information and manifestos will be circulated to veterinary surgeons…