Exam candidates get their heads down

Over 150 veterinary surgeons travelled to London in July to sit written examinations for RCVS certificates and diplomas across 25 different subject areas.

Out of 199 original entrants, 146 certificate candidates sat exams across 18 subjects this year, compared to 135 (from 188) candidates in 2006.

There was a drop in the number of diploma candidates, however, with just 11 candidates taking exams across seven subjects – around 50% fewer than last year. This may be due to more diploma candidates now choosing the European diploma rather than the RCVS equivalent, some of which having been phased out.

This November will mark the beginning of the end of the current certificate system, as the new modular certificate system gathers pace. The deadline for enrolling for a five year period on an existing certificate is 1 November 2007, thereafter, candidates will be able to enrol for the modular certificates only.

There has been a positive response from the profession to the new modular system, which has been designed to be more accessible to veterinary surgeons in practice.

An online enrolment system has also been developed to guide candidates through the new modular structure, and this should be available on RCVSonline in the next couple of weeks.

Middlesex University has already been accredited as an assessor within the new modular certificate, and other universities have expressed an interest in assessing modules across a wide range of subject areas.