IVE UK New Graduate Guide to CPD

NEW
GRADUATE
VET CPD
GUIDE
Everything you need to know
about veterinary CPD

CONTENTS
1. A simple guide to VetGDP
2. Vet CPD Requirements
3. What counts as vet CPD?
4. Vet CPD budgets and time off
5. Finding a great CPD course
6. CPD for a better career
7. Types of CPD at Improve
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6
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10
13
15
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8. Who to contact for CPD help and advice 20

YOUR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Up until now, you’ve been focusing mainly on becoming
a vet. Getting into vet school, passing your exams, and
then graduation. But graduation is only a milestone in
your professional development. What follows is just as
important.
Through the Veterinary Graduate Development Phase
(VetGDP), you’ll show your skills developing and your
confidence and competence growing across your first
12-18 months in practice.
Once completed, you’ll continue your growth with
Continuous Professional Development (CPD). While
CPD can sometimes feel like a tick-box exercise, it’s an
essential part of becoming the best vet you can be.
This New Graduate Guide to CPD is here to answer
everything you need to know about your development,
from graduation through to retirement. You’ll find hints
and tips from vets in practice, as well as information on
regulations, and links to even more information.
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1.
A SIMPLE GUIDE
TO VETGDP
VetGDP – The first phase of your development
In 2021, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) launched
the new Veterinary Graduate Development Programme, or VetGDP.
This helps new graduates learn and progress to becoming confident,
competent vets by providing a framework and access to trained
mentors (called Advisors) within practice. The RCVS considers the
GDP to cover the first 18 months of your Continuing Professional
Development (CPD).
Before you start
→ While on the VetGDP programme, you must be employed by a
RCVS Approved Graduate Development Practice, with a named
VetGDP Advisor. You should confirm this before you start
employment.
Your responsibilities
→ When you join the RCVS register, you must complete the VetGDP
declaration. This involves telling the RCVS who you’re working for
and naming your Advisor.
→ You then need to work to complete your e-portfolio, reflecting
on cases you’ve seen, things you’ve learned, and how you’re
progressing professionally.
→ You’ll need to arrange regular meetings with your Advisor to
go over your development and decide when to submit your
e-portfolio.
→ You must complete your VetGDP portfolio within 18 months of
graduation. It usually takes between 12 and 18 months, but it
depends on your practice and role.
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1. A SIMPLE GUIDE TO VETGDP
“Don’t leave it all until the last
minute! Not only will your cases
and reflections be affected
by recording them retrospectively,
but it will also add unnecessary
stress and time pressure.”
— Recent graduate Amelia Foo MRCVS
It’s not possible to ‘fail’ the VetGDP, but if your submitted portfolio
doesn’t sufficiently cover all the competencies (called ‘EPAs’) that
are relevant to your role, you may be asked to continue working
on it before re-submitting it. Don’t forget to make the most of the
experience. Use your Advisor meetings to learn about things you’re
unsure of and use your EPAs to make achievable goals.
For more information about VetGDP, see this article
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2. VET CPD
REQUIREMENTS
As a practicing vet in the UK, you’ll need to record and reflect on 35
hours of CPD each year, which should be logged in the RCVS 1CPD
platform/app. This sounds like a lot, but lots of things count as CPD.
In fact, anything where you can demonstrate you learned something
new could count towards your CPD requirements. You might want to
record:
→ Your VetGDP, which counts as the first 18 months (52.5 hours)
→ Observing and scrubbing in to learn new surgeries
→ Case discussions with experienced colleagues or referral vets
→ Lunch-and-learns, and other in-house training
→ Watching webinars, listening to podcasts, or reading veterinary
articles
→ Researching the literature for a case, to write an article,
or to give a presentation
→ Formal CPD days, whether classroom or practical/wet-lab
→ Studying towards a certificate or other postgraduate award
→ Going to conferences
The RCVS asks that vets follow a Plan-Do-Record-Reflect cycle,
which helps you to choose CPD that will improve your skills, rather
than seeing it as a tick-box exercise. You can still record things that
come up unexpectedly, such as case discussions, but try to plan
much of your CPD to fill skills gaps.
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2. VET CPD REQUIREMENTS
1. Plan
Identify areas where your skills need development, and plan the
sort of CPD you might want to do. The ‘Plan’ feature on the 1CPD app
helps you to log ‘objectives’, which you can then log CPD against.
2. Do
Undertake the best CPD for you, whether that’s an intensive
two-day wet-lab training course or a series of podcasts
on your planned topics.
3. Record
Record your CPD in the 1CPD app. You can ‘select an objective’
to log the CPD against a planned development, or leave this blank
if it’s not related to a plan. Use the notes section to jot down a few
things you learned and want to remember.
4. Reflect
Reflect on how your CPD changes your understanding of the topic
or your approach to the next patient. Sometimes it doesn’t change
anything – it’s ok to reflect that, too. We’ll give you more hints on
reflection on the next page!
For more help on CPD requirements, click here
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3. REFLECTING ON
YOUR CPD
One of the areas that vets struggle with most is
reflecting on CPD. While it can feel unnecessary,
reflection is really important – it helps you decide
whether the CPD was useful and digest the
information you received. It’s also a requirement –
you’ll have to reflect on all 35 hours of your annual
CPD to be compliant!
35 hours
per year
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3. WHAT COUNTS AS VET CPD?
Here’s some top tips to help you:
→ There’s a section for reflection in the RCVS 1CPD platform/app,
which helps you track your reflections. The guided section has
some prompts to help, but you can also use the free section.
→ You may find it easier to record your reflection as a voice note,
then upload it to the ‘free’ reflection section in the 1CPD app.
→ Alternatively, uploading a photo of handwritten notes can also
be used as part of your reflection.
→ Try to reflect as soon as possible after your CPD, while
the information is fresh in your mind.
→ Aim to answer the question “will you change anything about
the way you practice after taking this CPD?”. It’s ok to say no,
but explain why not.
→ You can also reflect on the type of CPD – did a podcast suit
you? Do you prefer a live webinar, where you have some
accountability? What about online vs practical learning?
You might reflect that your CPD improved your knowledge
but made you realise you need a practical session to practice
your techniques.
→ Don’t forget to refer back to your CPD plan/objectives -
did this CPD fit it? Was it relevant anyway? Do you still
need more in this subject?
We have a whole article dedicated to CPD reflection
that contains more hints and tips. Find it here!
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4. VET CPD BUDGETS
AND TIME OFF
When you start your first job as a vet, you’ll sign an employment
contract, which describes your salary and responsibilities. It’s
common for veterinary practices to support your professional
development by offering a CPD budget and time off for CPD as
part of your role’s benefit package. The amount on offer varies
considerably between practices, but in general practices know that
good CPD can improve a vet’s confidence and earning potential.
“Investing in further qualifications
for our veterinarians and veterinary
technicians ultimately leads to
better patient outcomes, higher
client satisfaction, and a more
dynamic and skilled workforce.”
— Dr. Anna Draschka,
EMSAVM Dentistry
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4. VET CPD BUDGETS AND TIME OFF
How much do I get?
Employers aren’t required to give you any CPD budget, but most give
something. A 2019 poll of vets showed a CPD budget of £1001-1500
was most common, followed by £501-1000. The third most common
response was ‘no limit, within reason’. Some employers might define
what sort of CPD the budget needs to be spent on, but most allow
free choice, although they get final approval before signing off on the
spending.
2019
CPD Budget
£1001-1500
no limit
£501-1000
For days off for CPD, it’s common to get between 1 and 5 days a year
for full-time vets. Many practices offer that if your CPD falls on days
you wouldn’t normally be working, you can claim Time Off In-Lieu
(TOIL).
Don’t forget to check whether your CPD budget
(and time off!) covers travel expenses/time too!
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4. VET CPD BUDGETS AND TIME OFF
Should I ask for more?
Many practices are open to discussion on CPD budget, so if you
feel yours is too low you can ask your practice whether there’s any
wiggle room before you sign the contract. You’ll find this easier if
you have a specific idea of what you want to do or can demonstrate
the benefits to the practice.
In many cases, contributions to larger costs, like postgraduate
qualifications, are negotiable. In return, a practice might ask you
to sign a ‘training contract’, which agrees you’ll pay back a certain
percentage if you leave inside a certain timeframe. This common
practice ensures practices get to benefit from any development
they’ve helped pay for. If you think you’ll want to take a certificate,
it’s worth asking your practice what they’d be willing to contribute
during your interview process.
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5.
FINDING A GREAT
CPD COURSE
Now you know the importance of CPD in helping you become a
confident, competent vet, let’s take a look at how to find a CPD
course that suits you and your professional development goals.
Here are 5 things you need to consider when looking for a CPD
course:
Clinical vs non-clinical
Not all CPD has to be clinical. You may choose to take some
non-clinical CPD in communication skills, business management,
wellbeing, bereavement, or something else. If it helps your role
as a vet, it counts as CPD.
Subject
Your CPD is there to help you patch up gaps in your skills or
knowledge. Try to plan CPD that covers subjects you are less
confident in, or areas you’re particularly passionate about. This can
really narrow down your options. Consider your overall career plan,
if you have one, to help you choose CPD to help you get the career
you want.
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5. FINDING A GREAT CPD COURSE
Practical vs theoretical
Some subjects need practical CPD, others can be covered in
a classroom. Generally, in your first 2 years after graduation it’s
your practical skills that need improving, as your theory should
be pretty well up to date. That said, you might want to take
theoretical CPD in areas less covered by your university course,
like nutrition or behaviour.
Learning style
How do you learn best? Can you take in information by reading,
or do you prefer listening? Or do you have to be physically ‘doing’
in order to retain information? Choosing CPD that suits your
learning style will help you make the most of your opportunities.
Reputability and bias
There’s no point spending time on CPD if you can’t trust what
you learn, so try to find reputable courses run by well-known
speakers. Watch out for bias when it comes to CPD, as many
product companies will offer free or cheap courses with dubious
content – independent companies who hire renowned speakers
are often more reliable.
More information available on our Content Hub,
see here
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6. CPD FOR A
BETTER CAREER
Did you know you can use your CPD
to shape the career you want?
After graduation, most vets will go into general practice, although
some will pursue academia or take internships with the aim of
pursuing specialist status. Sometimes, vets worry that choosing
general practice means they won’t get to work in referral or see
their favourite cases, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
That’s where building a career with CPD comes in.
By focusing your CPD on a subject area, you can become proficient
enough to gain peer recognition. Many vets choose to take a
postgraduate certificate – an intense period of study in a subject
area or ‘discipline’ that can result in a respected qualification.
For example, vets who develop an interest in surgery can take a
certificate and gain respect from their colleagues that leads to
internal referrals and may even open up roles in referral practice.
With the right kind of postgraduate certificates, vets can also gain
RCVS Advanced Practitioner status.
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6. CPD FOR A BETTER CAREER
Postgraduate qualifications take 1-2 years to study alongside your
day job, so they are not something to be taken lightly.
There are independently accredited qualifications such as the
certificates offered by the International School of Veterinary
Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS) and university-accredited
qualifications like the:
→ Improve Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) (validated by Harper
Adams University)
→ BSAVA PgCert (validated by Nottingham Trent University)
→ RCVS CertAVP (modules validated by several universities)
These are all equivalent at ‘Level 7’ and are recognised by the RCVS.
Some people enjoy their experience of taking a certificate so much
they get another one in a different subject, or go on to take further
awards like Advanced Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas,
or a Professional Master’s.
To find out more about certificates and how to leverage
your CPD to build your career, you could read this!
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7. TYPES OF CPD
AT IMPROVE
At Improve, we’ve been providing CPD for over 25 years and have
over 40,000 alumni. As the leaders in modern CPD, we offer a variety
of courses that fit around busy working practice. From practical
sessions in our purpose-built wet lab facility to postgraduate
certificate programmes delivered face-to-face, online, or blended
(a mixture of the two), there’s something for everyone.
Accelerated Programmes
ISVPS Foundation Certificate (FCert)
A convenient and efficient way to improve your skills and expand
your knowledge in a specific area of clinical practice as well as take
your first steps in postgraduate training. With 100% online delivery
and 24/7 access, you can join anytime to fast-track your CPD and
gain the peer-recognised Foundation Certificate (FCert) from ISVPS.
Postgraduate Programmes
ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert)
Harper Adams University Postgraduate Certificate (PgC)
Our popular veterinary postgraduate training programmes are
the perfect fit for vets who want to focus on a particular field, as
they build on skills and confidence to manage more complicated
cases. Expand your expertise and learn in the way that suits
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7. TYPES OF CPD AT IMPROVE
you, whether that’s online, face-to-face, or a mixture of the two.
After the programme, you can sit the assessments to achieve the
peer-recognised ISVPS GPCert and, in most cases, the universityaccredited
PgC, which can lead to RCVS Advanced Practitioner
Status.
Advanced Postgraduate Programmes
ISVPS General Practitioner Advanced Certificate (GPAdvCert)
For experienced professionals seeking to expand their knowledge,
skills, and academic qualifications by studying a particular subject
in-depth. Our advanced postgraduate programmes enable you to
manage increasingly complex cases and procedures, progressing
your career as a respected, accomplished veterinary professional.
Short Practical Courses
6 CPD hours per day
Practice your skills in a safe environment with our short, practical
vet courses. Over one to four days in our wet labs, you’ll focus on
specific topics and techniques like dentistry, surgery, ultrasound, or
emergency procedures. With world-class speakers, purpose-built
facilities, and small cohorts, you’ll have a chance to get hands-on
and become confident in your skills.
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7. TYPES OF CPD AT IMPROVE
Academy Series
12 CPD hours per course
Designed in partnership with the University of Cambridge
Department of Veterinary Medicine, these online CPD courses
offer immersive, lecture-style learning experiences split into five
semesters and accessible 24/7. Each course is specifically designed
to enhance your expertise in a particular subject area that’s common
in clinical practice.
Improve Veterinary Practice
Improve Veterinary Practice (part of the Improve International
Group) is an online knowledge and information hub for vets across
all specialties. Membership grants you access to bite-sized CPD
courses and clinical skills videos. It’s perfect for squeezing CPD
into a busy day. With a free trial and free student/new graduate
membership options to get you started, this is a great resource to
support you throughout your career.
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8.
WHO TO CONTACT FOR
CPD HELP AND ADVICE
We hope our guide has been useful. If you still have questions
about your CPD, the following resources may be helpful:
The Improve Veterinary Education Content Hub
Our Content Hub contains a range of articles to help you
understand your CPD responsibilities, and plan, do, learn from,
and reflect on your CPD.
Go to the Hub
Improve Veterinary Education CPD Advisors
Did you know we have a team of trained CPD Advisors available?
They can answer your questions, conduct a skills gap analysis,
and find the CPD you need – all for free!
Contact the CPD Advisors
The RCVS
If you have questions about your CPD requirements (including
reduced requirements for maternity leave), VetGDP, or other
regulatory issues, the RCVS has all the information you need.
Go to the RCVS website
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8. WHO TO CONTACT FOR CPD HELP AND ADVICE
Your Clinical Director/HR Department
For questions about your VetGDP, and your CPD entitlements,
including training/tie-in contracts, contact your CD or HR
department at your practice. They’ll be able to tell you what
you’re entitled to and discuss tie-in contracts to offer funding
for higher value CPD.
Improve Veterinary Practice Articles
The articles over at Improve Veterinary Practice are also a great
resource when you have questions about CPD or need inspirations
for your career.
Go to Improve Veterinary Practice
Vet Record Careers - My Vet Future
The British Veterinary Association’s Vet Record has a Careers Advice
page filled with articles. They stopped publishing them a couple
of years ago, but it’s still worth a read if you have questions about
CPD and your career.
Go to Vet Record Careers
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