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Gazette
Letters Recruitment
Shortage of experienced vets Following the discussion of the recent survey by the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (VR, October 3, 2015, vol 177, p 325; October 10, 2015, vol 177, p 352) and the correspondence regarding the shortage of experienced vets in clinical practice (for example, VR, October 24, 2015, vol 177, p 423), we feel that some clarification is necessary in the choice of
words that are used to describe the current situation. Several recent letters and reports use the phrase ‘leaving the profession’, when referring to vets leaving (clinical) practice. We feel the need to emphasise that leaving clinical practice, in favour of other veterinary employment, for example, academia, industry or government, is not ‘leaving the profession’. It is unfortunate that there still seems to be a sentiment that ‘the only way is practice’ for a veterinary surgeon. One is still a veterinary surgeon, even if one is not working in a practice, and many non-clinical jobs still require RCVS membership.
It would be interesting to know what percentage of vets leaving practice actually leave the profession completely, and what percentage leave in favour of non-clinical jobs. Certainly, it is much more worrying if vets are choosing to quit the profession altogether than if they find career satisfaction in other areas of veterinary medicine. Pia Gjertsen Prestmo, Ed van Klink, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.h6059 November 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 497
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on October 17, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com
Shortage of experienced vets Pia Gjertsen Prestmo and Ed van Klink Veterinary Record 2015 177: 497
doi: 10.1136/vr.h6059 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/19/497.4
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Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
Gazette
Letters Recruitment
Shortage of experienced vets Following the discussion of the recent survey by the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (VR, October 3, 2015, vol 177, p 325; October 10, 2015, vol 177, p 352) and the correspondence regarding the shortage of experienced vets in clinical practice (for example, VR, October 24, 2015, vol 177, p 423), we feel that some clarification is necessary in the choice of
words that are used to describe the current situation. Several recent letters and reports use the phrase ‘leaving the profession’, when referring to vets leaving (clinical) practice. We feel the need to emphasise that leaving clinical practice, in favour of other veterinary employment, for example, academia, industry or government, is not ‘leaving the profession’. It is unfortunate that there still seems to be a sentiment that ‘the only way is practice’ for a veterinary surgeon. One is still a veterinary surgeon, even if one is not working in a practice, and many non-clinical jobs still require RCVS membership.
It would be interesting to know what percentage of vets leaving practice actually leave the profession completely, and what percentage leave in favour of non-clinical jobs. Certainly, it is much more worrying if vets are choosing to quit the profession altogether than if they find career satisfaction in other areas of veterinary medicine. Pia Gjertsen Prestmo, Ed van Klink, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.h6059 November 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 497
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on October 17, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com
Shortage of experienced vets Pia Gjertsen Prestmo and Ed van Klink Veterinary Record 2015 177: 497
doi: 10.1136/vr.h6059 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/19/497.4
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
