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HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK Steps and tips for European Vets to enter the UK

HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK Steps and tips for European Vets to enter the UK market Andreia Dias HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS i Table of contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 About me .............................................................................................................................................. 1 First things first - the language barrier ................................................................................................. 2 The its and bits of English ................................................................................................................ 2 Registration with the RCVS................................................................................................................... 4 What to expect from the registration appointment ........................................................................ 5 The PDP - Professional Development Phase .................................................................................... 5 CPD - Continuing Professional Development ................................................................................... 5 Looking for jobs .................................................................................................................................... 6 Online search ............................................................................................................................... 6 Recruitment agencies ................................................................................................................... 7 Narrowing the options ..................................................................................................................... 7 On-call work and out-of-hours ..................................................................................................... 7 Internships .................................................................................................................................... 8 Get that job! ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Cover letters ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Writing the cover letter ................................................................................................................ 9 Curriculum Vitae ............................................................................................................................ 12 Preparing for a job interview ............................................................................................................. 13 Research, research, research! ........................................................................................................ 13 Learn about the UK market ............................................................................................................ 13 During your interview .................................................................................................................... 13 A tip about culture ......................................................................................................................... 14 Where to move in? ............................................................................................................................. 15 Finding a place! .............................................................................................................................. 15 Opening a bank account ................................................................................................................ 16 Driving license ................................................................................................................................ 16 Getting a National Insurance Number - NIN .................................................................................. 16 Final remarks ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................................... 18 HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS 1 Introduction Are you looking to move abroad to the United Kingdom to work as a veterinary surgeon? You might be looking for better working conditions, gain a specialization in a specific area or just get high quality experiences to return home with more knowledge. Either way, you might be thinking about choosing the United Kingdom to make the move and maybe you’re a bit overwhelmed with what you need to do… Many vets are coming from the southern and eastern European countries where client finances are not great and the market is saturated, but starting to work in the UK can be challenging as clinical standards are very high, as well as client expectations. However, that is precisely one of the main reasons vets want to move to the UK and with Brexit some might be feeling a sense of urgency! What happens after Brexit is a question mark and working in the UK after it is likely to change (same with this guide!), so many vets are looking to do the move before those changes kick in. This guide is based on my experience and research and will hopefully shed some lights on the steps you need to take to become eligible to work in the UK and how to get a job. We’ll be focusing mainly in clinical practice although there are many other options to enter the UK market. About me My name is Andreia and I studied Veterinary Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal. I graduate in 2014 after presenting my Masters and moved to Scotland to start my veterinary career. I got a job in mixed practice in the Spring of 2015 after my first job interview, without any clinical experience and with a pending registration with the RCVS, so you can do it too! It’s all about how you sell yourself and how willing you are to adapt, so I’m here to help with what I can (adaptability is up to you, I fear!). Let’s start the journey! Overview of the steps you need to move to the United Kingdom to work as a Veterinary Surgeon 1. Be proficient in the language 2. Register with the RCVS (otherwise you will not be able to work as a Veterinary Surgeon) 3. Look for appropriate jobs and successfully apply for the vacancy 4. Move in to the United Kingdom • Find a place • Open a bank account • Get a National Insurance Number (you will need one to work) HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS 2 First things first - the language barrier This may seem really obvious but is fundamental. You need to have a good level of English skills. These are not just written, but also - and especially - spoken. You should be able to have basic conversations with native speakers as well as more advanced conversations with other veterinary surgeons and nurses. If you have formal qualifications, such as IELTS or TOEFL test scores, use them (but bear in mind some institutions will require a minimum level). However, for most jobs this is not a requirement - if you TALK and they UNDERSTAND you, you’re probably good to go! My advice - practice practice practice! If you have friends that live in the UK SPEAK to them. If you are travelling, TALK to people. Listen to music in English, watch films with English subtitles. Writing and reading is the easy bit, talking and understanding is the hardest! The more you speak English and hear different accents the easier it gets! Other options - watch online news for the UK on BBC or Sky News (if you fancy challenges head to the Scottish channels). The its and bits of English Not everyone in the United Kingdom speaks the same English! People from London don’t speak the same way people from Glasgow (trust me on this :p ), so you’ll need to learn those terms as you go. Here are some examples of terms that are common in Scotland (possibly other places too, this is my experience). - “My bitch is on the break” - the bitch is in season/heat - “My dog is in for the jags/jabs” - this typically means the client is bringing the patient down for vaccination. Always check though! I once had a dog coming down for “the jag” and turns out it was not a vaccination, instead she was in for an injection of proligeston (which is for chemical control of the female cycle). Needless to say, client wasn’t impressed his bitch walked out with both injections given… - “She is as rescue, I don’t know if she is dressed” - people use to term “dressed” instead of neutered, spayed or castrated Some technical terms - PTS - put to sleep (euthanasia) - OOH - out-of-hours (services provided when the practices are closed/only taking emergencies) - SOAP - stands for “Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan” and is a method of examining patients and recording findings - BAR - stands for “bright, alert and responsive” - QAR - stands for “quiet, alert and responsive” - EOD - every other day - TPR - temperature, pulse, respiration - SA - small animal - LA - large animal - US - ultrasound HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS 3 - INB - if not better (usually written down in clinical records, for instance “will need x-ray tomorrow inb”) - Locum - a locum vet or nurse is not generally employed by one single practice, but instead sells their services to one or more practices (for instance, some locums will visit once a week or cover a maternity leave) HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS 4 Registration with the RCVS The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulator of the veterinary profession in the United Kingdom. If you want to work as a vet in the United Kingdom you will need to be part of the Register and pay the yearly fee. In order to get into the Register, you have to go to an interview in London and provide them with the required documents before your interview. You also need to have appropriate knowledge of English language, which they will assess during your appointment. This screenshot shows you where to find the requirements for your specific country and situation: All accepted qualifications are represented at the bottom of this RCVS page and include European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For other qualifications, you will generally be required to sit an examination, the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership. The fees are paid yearly but the amount you need to pay depends on the time of the year, so you might want to play with that. This fees were retrieved from the RCVS website on November 2016. Registration fees Registration (1 October - 31 March) £150 Registration (1 April - 30 September) £299 Registration: new graduates graduating between 1 Jan 2016 and 30 Sept 2016 who are registering between 1 Apr 2016 and 30 Sept 2016 £150 HOW TO WORK AS A VET IN THE UK ANDREIA DIAS 5 What to expect from the registration appointment You won’t be alone! Generally speaking, there are a handful of people in it for the same! Your paperwork will be checked, you will be given an introduction on the RCVS, what they do and how to get support, and before you leave with your MRCVS title you will declare an oath in exchange for your RCVS membership. You should become familiar with the Code of Professional Conduct, which sets out all the responsibilities of veterinary uploads/Sante/ how-to-work-as-a-vet-in-the-uk-andreia-dias 1 .pdf