The Pets’n’Vets Family launches enhanced graduate vet programme

The Pets’n’Vets Family network of veterinary practices with surgeries around Glasgow and surrounding areas has launched an enhanced graduate recruitment programme designed to attract the best and brightest new graduates to its practices. The new.graduatevet programme (or ‘Dot’ programme) provides an innovative approach to new graduate training in Scotland with hands-on surgical training and friendly seminars from Advanced Veterinary Practitioners at the Pets'n'Vets Family’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Accredited Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Glasgow and a digital edge provided by a website accessible to all new and recent graduates; www.new.graduatevet.co.uk. The Dot programme has now been enhanced further by the addition of new CPD elements and the provision of additional monthly benchmarking and seminars. Oliver Jackson, a partner in The Pets‘n’Vets Family, said: “This is the best well-rounded, supported and unique new graduate training programme available in Scotland. "Support is delivered through an integrated mentor system, peer-to-peer learning opportunities and regular case reviews, with the programme designed to integrate with, and augment, the PDP requirements, all in a clinically-driven setting free from tie-ins or financial targets.” The Dot programme sees new graduates undertake advanced training and extra practice on surgery, consultations and general practice to accelerate their skills and confidence as well as a digest of bespoke seminars aimed specifically at life in practice and optimising clinical outcomes and confidence. The programme also includes regular periods of shadowing certificate-holding vets in a diverse range of areas, including ECC, orthopaedics, cardiology and advanced medical work-ups. “We are proud to develop the programme which we believe will provide a platform for new graduates to apply the skills they’ve learned at university throughout the previous five years, and allow them to excel in their careers,” said Jackson. “This programme will form the first step in an ongoing personal development process and a bright future in our vet practices when they have completed their new graduate training.” The dot programme Ruby Shorrock, who was recognised recently with a special award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at the House of Lords for her work to help homeless people and their dogs, is a full-time veterinary surgeon with the Pets'n'Vets Family and most of the way through last year’s inaugural Dot programme. “I would heartily recommend the Dot programme to new veterinary graduates,” she said. “The training programme enabled me to become an independent vet with all the support I need and it’s fantastic to be in a locally-owned small veterinary practice where graduates like myself get individual attention in an accredited hospital with the capacity to nurture our skills and personal development and where the gold standard I learned at university is in use every day.” Supporting personal development The Pets‘n’Vets Family has an ethos of supporting further personal and career development, and currently has eight vets and three nurses enrolled in a variety of veterinary certificates, two vets at Advanced Practitioner status and another in the process. The website www.new.graduatevet.co.uk runs alongside the new.graduatevet programme as an online mentor with the aim of providing a community and learning space for all new and recent graduate vets; a much-needed resource for the next generation of vet graduates. Its range of blogs, news and advice on a range of relevant topics are available to all. New veterinary graduates can apply for a place on the Dot programme by logging onto www.new.graduatevet.co.uk and emailing hr@petsnvets.org.