UK First Independent Veterinary Graduate Accelerator Program Opens For Enrollment
7 years ago 
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Leading author, veterinary skills coach and mentor, Dr Dave Nicol is now taking enrollments for the first VetX Accelerated Learning and Mentoring Group. Aimed at new and recent graduates, VetX offers monthly “life skills” teaching, online mentoring support, problem-solving and a networking resource where graduates can learn and develop in a supportive online community. The course starts in September 2017.
Dr Nicol, VetX program director and head mentor, created the group to address two problems. Firstly, the chronic lack of support for new graduates in their early years leading to avoidable levels of stress, burnout. And secondly, the knock on side-effect of this poor support is that many graduates turn their back on the profession for good leading to a national skills shortage and recruitment crisis. (64% of practices in a recent online poll reported taking between 5-12 months to fill a vacancy for an experienced vet, with 17% never filling the advertised role.)
Speaking of the course Nicol said, “Veterinary graduates across the UK have been crying out for more support for years and this lack of support is the main reason for career dissatisfaction and burnout.”
Adding, “Through a coordinated program of lectures blended with group mentoring and access to a like-minded peer network beyond University, VetX delivers a level of support that is simply not available through any other current means.”
Nicol is quick to avoid pointing any fingers of blame at practices, however, saying, “In my experience employers start out with good intentions, but then the reality of clinical life sets in and most just run out of time to deliver the support required. VetX solves this problem by taking much of the mentoring workload away from the practice.”
Although the program is open to all and is designed to compliment in-house training, VetX clearly gives smaller, independent practices the chance to compete with larger corporate groups who offer in house mentoring schemes in a very cost effective way. The program is open for enrollment and will take in a maximum of 50 new or recent graduates beginning in September 2017. Early enrollment is advised as places are filling fast.
Practices or vets interested in learning more about VetX and enrolling should visit the following website: http://www.drdavenicol.com/vetxclinics
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