In order to practise veterinary medicine in the UK, a veterinary surgeon must hold a current registration with the RCVS. This requires a qualifying degree, usually in
veterinary science or veterinary medicine. From March 2015, veterinary surgeons registered with the RCVS in the UK may optionally use the courtesy title
Dr. This makes it the third clinical degree in the UK, after medicine and dentistry, to allow the use of the title Dr. The origins of veterinary surgeons parallel to human surgery are reflected in human medicine where qualified surgeons also drop their Dr designation and revert to their original title.
Education Veterinary medicine degree courses are usually five years in length, holders of a science degree may take a four-year accelerated course and all intercalated degrees take six years. There are a limited number of places on veterinary courses each year, with only ten UK universities accredited/pending to offer degrees. Two other Veterinary Schools are being developed.
Degree courses •
Aberystwyth, in association with Royal Veterinary College – BVSc commenced 2021 (accreditation due 2026) •
Bristol •
Cambridge •
Edinburgh •
Glasgow •
Harper and Keele Veterinary School – BVetMS, commenced 2020 (accreditation due 2025) •
Liverpool •
Nottingham •
Royal Veterinary College in London •
University of Surrey Degree courses under development •
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) – BVSci, starts September 2023 •
University of Central Lancashire – BVMS, starts September 2023
CPD Continuing professional development (CPD) is a mandatory and key part of career development. The RCVS requires a minimum of 35 hours CPD each calendar year. The RCVS
Professional Development Phase (PDP) that was launched for new graduates in 2007 provides a structured approach to guide the new graduate towards the professional competences they need to develop in either small animal, equine or production animal practice.
Specialism Vets may choose to specialise in various areas of veterinary medicine, through certificate qualifications, modular certificates or diplomas, with each speciality taking around two years to complete. Certificates cover a wide range of areas, including small animal medicine, small animal surgery, large animal medicine, welfare ethics and law, public health,
cardiology,
orthopaedics and advanced veterinary practice (
Cert AVP). There is a large and potentially confusing array of post-nominal titles in the UK veterinary profession. Levels of credibility vary. In particular, Certificate level qualification does not qualify a veterinary surgeon as a specialist. With further training, extensive professional experience and by publishing articles in a particular subject area, it is possible to gain
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
Recognised Specialist Status. In 2012, the ruling council of the RCVS adopted a report from the Calman Committee into specialisation in the UK veterinary profession, accepting that only those veterinary surgeons recognised by the RCVS as specialists and placed on a register held by the RCVS could be truly held up as "Specialist". Vets may undertake the training to become an Official Veterinarian (OV) which authorises them to carry out tasks on behalf of the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, such as testing cattle for
tuberculosis or issuing of documentation for the export of animals and animal products.
Employment Most veterinary surgeons work in private practice, either in a general practice, or specialising in one type of animal (small animal, equine, zoo animal etc.). Newly qualified veterinary surgeons usually work as assistants for some time before being offered the opportunity to become a partner or a principal. Becoming a partner involves increased responsibility, the need for more business and management skills and a financial input into the practice. Some vets are also employed by animal welfare charities who offer treatment to the public, such as
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the
People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and
The Blue Cross. There are also opportunities to work for government services, including APHA (the Animal and Plant Health Agency) who are responsible for the control and eradication of major notifiable diseases, animal welfare, promotion of international trade and certain public health functions related to residues in meat and investigation of food safety incidents, and scanning surveillance, or the
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) who license veterinary medicines. It is also possible to pursue a research and/or teaching career within universities or research bodies. ==Veterinary nurses==