More support offered to refugee veterinary professionals

The RCVS has expanded its support package for veterinary professionals with refugee status to include access to training resources including continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, and free membership to a range of veterinary associations.

In 2020, the RCVS created a scheme in partnership with The Refugee Council to provide financial support for UK-based vets with refugee status to enable them to take the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership for free.

It has now created a ‘welcome pack’ for refugee veterinary professionals, which, on top of the Statutory Examination for Membership financial support, also includes free access to the RCVS Knowledge library resources and financial support for travel and accommodation to help them attend examinations.

Mandisa Greene (below), RCVS Senior Vice-President, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to provide this package of support for veterinary surgeons with refugee status. Although we put in place financial support for the Statutory Examination for Membership last year, we felt there was much more that we wanted to and could offer. It’s particularly heart-warming to have put this package of support together in partnership with the wider veterinary community, and we want to thank each membership organisation who has offered free membership.

“We know that making connections with other veterinary professionals can be crucial for establishing a support network and finding a job, so having the opportunity to join a range of membership organisations for free is a really important part of this package. We hope that the ‘welcome pack’ we’ve put together will help veterinarians who have resettled in the UK to pass their exams, find a job they enjoy and allow them to continue to contribute to animal health and welfare in their new home.”

As part of the package, the RCVS has collaborated with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and Veterinary Management Group (VMG) who have all agreed to provide free membership to veterinary professionals with refugee status.

The memberships come with a variety of benefits including training resources, mentoring and access to the latest research and sector news, which will help vets learn about the UK veterinary profession and prepare for their exams.

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