Final-year veterinary students are able to apply for a place on a summer course offering experiences of on-farm vet work.
The VetPartners Summer Farm Academy was held for the first time in 2023 and is being brought back for this July.
The fully-funded academy was set up to provide soon-to-be vets with experiences that might help them choose a career in livestock practice.
Practical sessions
The course runs from 15-17 July at Calweton Farm Vets in Callington, Cornwall.
A mixture of theoretical and practical sessions will cover a range of subjects, including:
- Practical calving techniques
- Surgical anatomy, covering common procedures
- Fertility intervention and decision making
- Appropriate medicine selection
- Assessing common presentations
- First opinion sheep and camelid vetting
- What to expect in farm practice and how to thrive
The course will also offer the chance for students from different vet schools to mix and enjoy social activities and evening dinners.
Practical skills
Olivia Holmes attended the 2023 event as a University of Nottingham final-year vet student. She said: “I really enjoyed the hands-on teaching.
“It helped develop my practical skills, like practising my suturing on a simulated uterus or assisting with a simulated calving.
“As part of the course, we got to feel a displaced abdominal organ in a cow cadaver. This helped familiarise me with what to look for, which helped me in my next placement.
“Before I went on the course, I thought I may want to go into farm practice, but this has solidified my decision to be a farm vet. I’m excited to continue to learn more during my final year and beyond.”
To apply, students should send an email including a cover letter and CV to farmsupport@vetpartners.co.uk
Credit to: Applications open for summer farm vet student academy (Vet Times)
Vet Times. (2023). Applications open for summer farm vet student academy [online]
Available at: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/applications-open-for-summer-farm-vet-student-academy/
