New Veterinary Graduate Development Programme launched

Our new Veterinary Graduate Development Programme, known as VetGDP, is now underway, with new graduates and VetGDP Advisers invited to register for the programme and begin to decide and prioritise new graduates’ activities and support needs as they start work.

We have designed the VetGDP to further develop graduates’ clinical and professional capabilities and to provide them with support as they transition from vet school to their first role. It will help to ensure they progress into a confident, competent member of the workplace team and set them on the right track for a fulfilling career as a veterinary professional.

I’m delighted that the VetGDP is going to be available for our new graduates this summer, especially after the extremely difficult year they have all faced during the pandemic, in particular, the challenges of remote learning.

Dr Sue Paterson, Chair, Education Committee

Now that the VetGDP is underway, we have emailed all new graduates and their VetGDP Advisers with the steps they need to take to get started, and are reminding practices and workplaces of the arrangements they also need to put in place.

Unfortunately, one element of the VetGDP, the new e-portfolio, is not yet available, meaning we have put in place some interim measures [see 'Getting started with VetGDP'] to enable new graduates and their VetGDP Advisers to start the programme this summer as planned.

Instead of using the e-portfolio for the time being, we will supply all graduates with forms to use to select their Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) in discussion with their VetGDP Adviser, and to record their activities, progress and reflections, as well as feedback and comments from their VetGDP Adviser.

As soon as the e-portfolio is available, we will ask graduates to send the completed forms back to us, so we can transfer the information across for them to avoid any extra work, although they can of course do this themselves if they prefer.

Chair of the RCVS Education Committee, Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS said: “I’m delighted that the VetGDP is going to be available for our new graduates this summer, especially after the extremely difficult year they have all faced during the pandemic, in particular, the challenges of remote learning.

“We have over 1,800 VetGDP Advisers around the UK who are registered and engaging in the online training, ready to help develop their new graduate colleagues and support them at this crucial time as they begin their working lives.

“I’m certainly sorry that our e-portfolio isn’t available just yet and I appreciate this will be disappointing for those who were looking forward to seeing it and getting started, but the good news is that this delay will not affect graduates’ ability to start the VetGDP this summer and progress through the programme, nor does it impact the support they will receive from VetGDP Advisers.”

As more and more veterinary practices become RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Practices, an update to our online Find A Vet service will mean that graduates can search for practices around the country that have a registered VetGDP Adviser available.

We would also encourage these practices (and other workplaces) to make use of our new VetGDP digital assets, through which they will be able to promote their status as RCVS-Approved Graduate Development Practices/Workplaces.

For any queries about the new VetGDP, or the current interim measures, please email [email protected] and we will respond as soon as possible.