RCVS welcomes new overseas-trained members and associates in virtual ceremony

The RCVS formally welcomed eight new overseas graduate veterinary surgeons and six new overseas trained veterinary nurses onto their respective Registers in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday 21 September 2022.

In order to practise in the UK, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who have trained overseas and received a qualification that is not recognised by the RCVS must first pass an examination to allow them to register.

Veterinary surgeons must pass the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination, which consists of both written papers and clinical, practical examinations.

This year’s successful candidates who attended the ceremony were:

• Mariana Ashley, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
• Varsha Balachandra Kumar, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, India
• Nivedita Barve, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, India
• Laia Bonich Aranda, University of Lleida, Spain
• Inam Ul Haq, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan
• Matheus Nerone, Unicesumar, Brazil
• Hameedunisha Tajudeen, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

Veterinary nurses must pass the RCVS VN Pre-registration Examination, consisting of a series of clinical skills practical tests taken from the RCVS Day One Skills for VNs.

This year’s successful candidates attended the ceremony were:

• Catherine Basford, Australia
• Shannon Caruana, Northern Virginia Community College, USA
• Ninky Mkhabela, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Catherine Moon, Platt College, USA
• Shannon Norton, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Danielle Walters, USA

Before welcoming them to the respective Registers, RCVS Chief Executive Lizzie Lockett praised the candidates for their hard work and dedication. She said: “I would like to start by saying that I am in total admiration of our successful candidates here today who studied for, took and passed their exams during a period of continued uncertainty due to Covid and other global factors.

“Today’s new veterinary members all passed an online written examination and then went on to sit the OSCE at Glasgow Vet School in July.

“The new veterinary nurse members had to demonstrate that they had a qualification similar to that completed by veterinary nurses in the UK before sitting their OSCE at MYF Training Aldershot or Hartpury University Gloucester.

“All this during a time when we were never quite sure what the latest situation with Covid might be, or even if there would be any trains running in the UK.

“Despite all these challenges, the new members we have here today passed the Statutory Membership Examination, and the new associates have passed the Pre-registration Examination, and I’m very pleased to be able to welcome you as new members and associates of the College.”

RCVS President Melissa Donald (pictured), after taking each of them through their professional declarations, then gave an address formally welcoming them to the UK veterinary profession. Within this address, she said: “You have overcome many obstacles to get to this place and no one can take that away from you. You should be so proud. As a small profession, the friendships and connections you will make during your professional careers will last a lifetime, treasure these relationships and take every opportunity to develop them everywhere you go.

“We have representatives from the six permanently populated continents of the world here today and I am in awe of your dedication to animal health and welfare which brings you to this point in time.

“There will be times that you feel you’re about to get swamped, that you cannot cope, that you’re swimming against the current, but we have all been there. You already have a strategy with your learning being exposed to the pandemic. You are already a step ahead.

“The veterinary world now is totally different from when I graduated. It is continually evolving as evidence and science progress. The changes you will see are unimaginable but at the heart of all must be our safeguarding of animal health and welfare.

“With every animal comes some form of human contact. Communication is critical, as critical as double ligating an ovarian artery. Clinical skills are important, but never underestimate the non-technical ones. So as your careers progress, use all your skills to make a better world for the animals under your care in whichever field you go into.

“Finally, my advice to you is to be brave! Not reckless, but brave. Say yes to opportunities, give things a go. They won’t all succeed, but they will take you to places you would never have thought possible. And all the way through, be kind and support one another.”

More information about the Statutory Membership Exam can be found on its dedicated webpage. Further information about the VN Pre-registration Examination can be found on its webpage.