Royal Veterinary College opens specialist teaching centre in Dorset

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has opened a new Regional Veterinary Centre in collaboration with Kingston Maurward College in Dorset to provide an important opportunity for students to gain hands-on farm animal experience in the field.

Over the next year 55 students in their final year will visit the centre in groups of 3-4 to develop farm animal clinical decision making skills and population medicine. Students keen on gaining more experience can elect to do up to six extra weeks of farm animal training.

The partnership between the Regional Veterinary Centre (South England) and Kingston Maurward College, a leading land-based agricultural college is ideally situated in the heart of the south west, with well-established links to the livestock industry.

"As well as covering day-one skills, we will aim to cover topics related to modern farm animal practice, in particular population medicine." said Dr Nick Bell - Lecturer in livestock extension services at the Royal Veterinary College - "These students will have a real advantage in easing the transition between final year and the first year in practice."

"Being based in Dorset increases exposure to livestock but also allows us to build partnerships with progressive veterinary practices in the area. Overall, this will help us remain in touch with the needs of the vets and livestock industry on the ground while improving the quality of farm animal teaching. This has to be a good development for all involved." added Dr Bell.

Running in parallel to this is a junior and senior clinical scholarship programme, which will support newly qualified vets looking to develop their post-graduate skills, knowledge and qualification.

Kingston Maurward College Principal, Clare Davison, said: "We are very proud to be working with the RVC and have very positive expectations of what all students will gain from this collaboration."

The partnership was marked by a lunch event at the 17th century Kingston Maurward House, with forty local farmers and vets invited to celebrate the launch.

This is the second regional veterinary centre opened by the RVC, with the first based in South Wales.