Rob Kelly, CVS Head of Clinical Veterinary Education
Rob Kelly Joins CVS As Head Of Clinical Veterinary Education
11 months ago 
481 views
He will develop a flexible curriculum with a core focus on enabling veterinary professionals to tailor their development for a lifelong career in general first opinion practice
Dr Rob Kelly BVSc PgCert MSc PhD SFHEA MRCVS has joined CVS Group as its new Head of Clinical Veterinary Education.
Here he will work to develop clinical education across the group’s broad and diverse veterinary team - from students on placements, new graduates entering the profession, to colleagues in general practice and those wishing to pursuing a niche veterinary interest.
After graduating from the University of Liverpool with an MSc in Veterinary Parasitology, Rob worked in first opinion small animal and livestock practices across dairy, beef and sheep systems. This included working in general practice in the North of England and Scotland, along with clinical livestock development projects in Latin America and Africa.
Rob then spent 13 years at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh (RDSVS) progressing to Senior Lecturer in Livestock Health and Livelihoods. He worked throughout as a livestock clinician in first opinion and referral practice, attaining RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Production Animal Practice status.
As a researcher, Rob was partly based in sub-Saharan Africa, coordinating clinical epidemiology projects investigating parasitic and zoonotic diseases of cattle. After completing a PhD, he has continued to research the impact of livestock infectious diseases and their control in low resource settings (UK and internationally).
As an educator, Rob has experience in leading, teaching and undertaking course development in undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary studies, focusing on livestock and population medicine. He has been involved in educational research projects focusing on the efficacy of blended and experiential learning approaches on clinical competency development. This experience was initially recognised through Rob attaining Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, then progressing to Senior Fellowship in 2021 and working with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO & EuFMD) to develop a postgraduate curriculum for veterinary paraprofessionals across sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking about his new appointment, Rob Kelly said: “I want to support clinical skills development, to advance animal health and to improve associated livelihoods, through accessible and evidence-led veterinary education.
“With more than eighty per cent of UK veterinary professionals working in general practice, my aim is to develop a range of accessible courses to develop the veterinary professional - to benefit their career and animals under their care.
“I hope to use a supported structured approach, to improve personal confidence and clinical competence using blended learning approaches. This is so individuals can reflect on their own abilities to inform their educational choices.
“Moving forward I envision developing a flexible curriculum with a core focus on enabling veterinary professionals to tailor their development for a lifelong career in general first opinion practice.”
CVS offers the best learning, education and development in the profession. It has an in-house team of 35 people - including vets and veterinary nurses - who develop its educational content. Over 60% of CVS’ courses are delivered internally. Clinical development is the core aspect of its training. CVS offers its clinicians industry-leading Continued Professional Development and provides a culture of recommending the best possible treatment.
CVS Group operates across small animal, farm animal, equine, laboratories and crematoria, with over 500 veterinary practices and referral centres in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands. In the last five years the company has invested nearly £80 million in its sites, facilities and equipment, in addition to industry leading training and support, to give the best possible care to animals.
More from CVS UK Ltd
- CVS to hold live session on supporting autism in the workplace
- CVS’ Maison Dieu Vets to move to new larger practice in Dover
- Veterinary Specialist Fran Silveira joins East of England Vet Specialists enhancing their excellence in Orthopaedics
- New Dermatology Consultant joins leading South West veterinary referral hospital
- CVS’ new graduate teams help offset over ¼ million car miles
1 day ago