Vets Now, the UK’s leading provider of emergency and critical care, has launched a new fast-track induction programme for vets keen to embark on a career in ECC.
Called AdvantEdge, the four-week programme is aimed at clinicians who already have a solid foundation of small animal or mixed practice experience.
Vets Now’s clinical director and EVECC president Amanda Boag designed the programme, and all of the lectures and practical classes are led by ECC diplomates or other experts in their fields.
Amanda, who is also president of the RCVS, said AdvantEgde would appeal to more experienced vets who want to take an accelerated route into ECC.
She added: “We know there are a large number of vets who want to work in emergency practice but feel they may not have all the skills, or indeed the confidence, to jump straight into a sole-charge role.
“This new Edge programme will complement and enhance our existing Edge portfolio by providing vets who already have a solid foundation of experience with a much quicker route into ECC.
“Essentially, it will help smooth the transition for those vets.”
Those who start their career at Vets Now by joining AdvantEdge will receive two weeks’ intensive residential training where they’ll learn from diplomates in ECC, internal medicine and surgery. After that, they’ll move to one of Vets Now’s 55 out-of-hours clinics or three emergency and specialty hospitals where they’ll work alongside experienced emergency clinicians for two weeks.
The first intake of AdvantEdge vets is due to begin in May. In their first year, our AdvantEdge vets will work in close collaboration with their senior vet”, Amanda added.
“They’ll also quickly learn about our open supportive clinical culture and discover there are structures in place to ensure they can always access advice and never feel alone.
“For those looking to continue to develop their ECC skills we also actively support our vets to undertake their certificate and achieve advanced practitioner status.
“There will also be lots of other CPD opportunities, including a free 12-week online course called the emergency patient which all new staff can sign up to.”
AdvantEdge is the latest induction programme in the Vets Now Edge portfolio. The flagship programme, Cutting Edge, is aimed at vets with less experience and runs over 10 weeks incorporating lectures, interactive seminars, practical training and surgery, all supported by mentored work in our clinics.
It’s Vets Now’s equivalent of a graduate trainee scheme.
There is also a distance learning scheme, Refresh Your Edge, which is for more experienced vets who want to build their confidence before working sole-charge, and who would rather do that via distance learning rather than an intensive on-site programme, and Nursing Edge, which is for veterinary nurses keen to work in ECC.
To find out how to apply for AdvantEdge visit www.vets-now.com/advantedge