The university course leading to a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery is by necessity a hard-working, information-packed five years. The focus has traditionally been on accumulating facts, with the presumption that other aspects of being a vet can be learned later, when life in practice has commenced. As a result, there has sometimes been a perception (which may or may not be true) that new graduates can be over-academic, with a tendency to be impractical.
An innovative response to this criticism has been established at many vet schools, with a concept known as the “Practitioner-in-Residence” .
An experienced veterinary surgeon leaves their own practice for a period of ten weeks, to spend time at the Veterinary College, teaching students about “real life”. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to fill this role at my own local vet college.
My teaching duties had various aspects. Every morning, I consulted as a normal vet, seeing “real life” cases with on-looking students. However the pace was different to my usual busy lifestyle in private practice. Instead of examining fifteen patients in a morning, I might see only one or two, with every aspect of the case scrutinised in fastidious detail. Students were involved as much as possible, asking questions and taking part in discussions.
In the afternoons, I took part in tutorials with small groups of students. We discussed the cases seen each morning, and we debated the pros and cons of various investigations and treatments. A member of the university staff provides the viewpoint of the academic vet, and I was then asked about what I would do in practice. Sometimes there was no difference in approach, but at other times my approach would differ. “Real life” clients do not always want the standard academic route. Some tests may give information that is of interest to the vet, but that may not make a significant difference to the treatment of the animal. Such tests can be expensive, and pet owners often have a limited budget. My input to these tutorials aimed to help students understand more about how they would be expected to treat animals in the world of private veterinary practice when they qualified.
The tutorials also focussed on other aspects of life in veterinary practice. What should students look for in their first job? What sort of facilities and equipment should they expect to find? How do you tell the difference between boss who is a friendly, helpful mentor, and one who might be a hot-tempered intolerant slave driver? What sort of stresses will the young vet be under? How can they minimise them? Vets have one of the highest rates of suicide in modern society, and young vets need to be told about this. It can be difficult to live a balanced life, with focus on both work and leisure, but it’s important.
My life as a “practitioner-in-residence” was very different to my normal routine. I spent lunchtimes in the university library reading the latest veterinary journals. I attended early-morning seminars held by visiting experts. I took part in departmental meetings with the academic team. It was like having a taste of an entirely alternative life, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
But I did miss aspects of my normal life. I missed the social chat with my clients. I missed those animals that I have learned to know as individual characters over the years and who have become my friends.
If there was one single message that I wanted to give to those students, it was this: “Veterinary practice is an enjoyable, sociable, stimulating, exciting job – get qualified, get out there, and enjoy it!”
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