RCVS publishes guidance for employers of new graduates

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has published new guidance for employers of new graduates who are working through the Professional Development Phase (PDP).

The PDP has been developed to help support new veterinary graduates as they begin their careers in clinical practice. It is compulsory for all those working in clinical practice who graduated since 2007.

The new publication - Guidance on the PDP for Employers - is in three parts. The first section answers frequently-asked questions that employers may have about the PDP, and offers guidance on supporting new graduates while on the system.

The PDP aims to help new graduates turn their Day-One Competencies, the set of skills with which they leave veterinary school, into Year-One Competencies. A list of the latter is to be found in the second section of the booklet.

Finally, section three includes the clinical procedures checklists that new graduates fill out on the PDP.

“Through a combination of media coverage, our website, presentations and literature, we have found that messages have been getting through to new graduates about the need to complete the PDP, but employers still had some questions,” explains RCVS Head of Education Freda Andrews.

“We hope that the new booklet will help to demystify the process and enable employers better to support their new graduates.”

A copy of the 24-page booklet will be given to all new graduates when they enrol on the PDP, so they can pass them to their employers. The booklet is also available to download from the PDP section of RCVSonline or in hard copy from the Education Department at the RCVS.