Helping EU Vets Become Part Of The Community - VetAbroad Launches Two New Services

It’s not unusual for practice owners and managers to have concerns about how best to mentor and support non-UK veterinary graduates. Teamwork and a sense of what it means to be part of the UK veterinary community are essential. But cultural differences, professional obligations and coping with regional accents and idioms, all present significant challenges for both the non-UK vet and the practice employing them. On 1st June VetAbroad® launches two new services that offer employers some easy solutions: an e-learning course that trains non-UK vets to work effectively in the UK veterinary community and a support service for practice managers employing non-UK vets. Luis Sainz-Pardo M.R.C.V.S has experienced those challenges from both sides of the fence: first as a vet migrating to the UK from Spain and later as the owner of one of the first practices to achieve BSAVA practice standards. His company, VetAbroad®, this month launches a new e-learning course ‘Working as a foreign vet in the UK’ that trains non-UK vets to practise in the UK and it is suitable both for graduates who have recently started to work here, those preparing for work in the UK and graduates who have been in the UK for longer but would benefit from brushing up on the expectations of UK regulatory bodies, clients and practices. The e-learning course uses the latest techniques and deliberately includes a significant audio element ensuring competence in the understanding of spoken English. A demanding 140 hours with exercises, assignments and videos, the four module course addresses all aspects of life as a vet in the UK. Covering culture, necessary adaptations, the RCVS code of conduct, teamwork & productivity and client & patient care, the course ensures that graduates know what they need to fulfil their obligations of professional conduct, to respond appropriately to UK clients and to fit with the needs of busy UK veterinary practices. The course is both rigorous and extensively tested and researched, as student feedback from the pilot versions has testified, “I do strongly recommend investing in this course to all employers who wish to keep their foreign vets within their team. Even before applying for any other CPDs, the budget you are investing in this course will make up for the expenses of losing your employee. You are more aware than us of how tough is to work as a vet in the UK. After all, our knowledge of veterinary medicine is roughly the same. What makes the difference is the way of dealing with clients, pets, and laws.” “VetAbroad helped me so much!!!! Luis was the cornerstone to my success!!! Now I´m doing an internship with European specialists and I´m learning a lot every day. It´s been (and continues to be) one of the most exciting experiences of my life!!!” Practice owners and managers can also elect to use the VetAbroad® Advisory and Support Service (VASS) – regardless of whether the non-UK vet has graduated from the e-learning course. For a nominal monthly charge a VetAbroad® mentor is available for the practice manager and foreign vet to contact with their issues or concerns. The VASS mentor is able to counsel, provide advice, identify training needs, or liaise between the two parties; taking into account cultural differences, common misconceptions and barriers to communication. The percentage of vets not adapting to the UK system is close to 50% and providing appropriate support is likely to improve employee retention, client satisfaction and productivity. The topic of willingness to work out of hours has been much debated within the profession of late and one UK practice owner has found VetAbroad® qualified vets have already made a difference in his practice, “It is quite common to find people who believe in overnight care or long hours as long as someone else is doing it, these three (VetAbroad® trained vets) wanted to do this themselves to gain experience and provide added value to our practice. In these difficult and changing times it is essential to have adaptable, flexible and dedicated people on board who will share your vision of the practice you are developing, this is the biggest challenge I face on a daily basis. I believe the three vets from VetAbroad® will aid me in my plans to develop our practice. Within a matter of days of being with us as volunteers my team had decided we wanted to find a way to keep them with us and we offered them a full time position.” For further information about the VetAbroad® Advisory and Support Service (VASS) or the VetAbroad® e-learning course, visit www.vetabroad.com

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