Aoife Reid – From Then to Now: Celebrating 15 Years of Cutting Edge

Emergency vet roles often mean being the only vet in the building, but rather than feeling daunting, this can be an incredibly empowering experience, giving vets autonomy, variety and the chance to make a real impact when it matters most! Cutting Edge is designed to prepare vets for this and over the past decade I’ve seen it do exactly that, time and time again. I’ve watched recent graduates flourish into assured, capable clinicians, who are now clinical leaders themselves. I’ve walked alongside hundreds of vets as they navigate a career pivot into emergency practice and each one of them has left an imprint on me. Although the programme has evolved in many ways, its mission is unchanged and it is there to equip vets with the skills, confidence and support they need to thrive in emergency practice.

The programme needs to continually evolve to reflect the changing landscape of veterinary practice and we’ve undertaken several programme overhauls and annual reviews to make sure it stays relevant, progressive and genuinely supportive. The changes have been shaped by feedback participants and the teams who help to support Cutting Edge vets once they are working in our clinics, have shared with us. While many training programmes have moved online, we’ve made a deliberate decision to have 100% of our teaching face to face. We believe in creating protected space for learning, where vets can slow down, ask questions, share experiences and truly embed new knowledge. In-person teaching also allows us to focus on practical skill development, which has aligned perfectly with the opening of the IVC Evidensia Academy training centre in Dunfermline in March 2025, which offers outstanding facilities, including state-of-the-art training equipment such as virtual reality simulators which are now incorporated into Cutting Edge training.

Over time, we’ve developed our clinical content, with a much greater emphasis on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), equipping vets with real-world tools they can use confidently on shift. We’ve also strengthened our focus on providing contextualised care, recognising that emergency and critical care isn’t just about clinical decision-making, but about balancing patient needs, pet-owner expectations and situational pressures. Adjacent to this our communication training plays a key role, helping vets navigate difficult conversations with empathy and clarity, even in emotionally charged situations. We’ve woven leadership and teamworking into the programme, supporting vets to grow, not just as clinicians, but as collaborators within their teams. A core shift underpinning the entire programme has been our emphasis on reflective learning, encouraging participants to pause, evaluate their experiences and identify areas for growth. Ultimately, our aim has been to nurture confident, self-directed learners who feel empowered to own their development long after the programme ends.

Although a lot has changed, the essential ingredients have stayed the same over the years and what truly makes Cutting Edge special is the small group experience. That’s what one of our tutors referred to as ‘the secret sauce’. No matter how different our Edgers are, something magical happens when you put them together: they bond, they support each other, lifelong friendships are formed. I love to receive photo messages from previous Edge groups of weddings, weekends away in Europe and of course, ECC Congress UK meet-ups too!’.
That peer connection is strengthened by the incredible Edge team behind the scenes. People like Malishia, our Edge Programmes Manager with over 10 years service, who understands the worries, nerves and hopes of every cohort and works tirelessly to support them. The in-clinic block deepens those relationships further, as Cutting Edge vets work shoulder-to-shoulder with clinic teams, building connections that last far beyond those shifts. Noone is expected to succeed alone!

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe hundreds of vets moving through the programme, and as a vet myself, I’m wired to recognise patterns, but also to critically analyse them. I’ve seen time and again that it’s those with a true growth mindset who thrive in emergency practice. Individuals who lean into challenge, reflect honestly on their skills, listen and actively seek to improve. They’re the ones who learn to problem-solve in fast-paced, unpredictable emergency environments with lots of competing priorities. Today, Cutting Edge alumni are scattered across the globe, excelling as specialists in ECC, medicine, surgery, pathology and beyond. They are senior clinicians, practice owners, business leaders, academics and innovators across the profession. But most importantly, many remain within Vets Now, in time stepping up as Principal Vets and clinical leaders, often with ECC certificates and other accolades to their names. The springboard Cutting Edge provides is extraordinary, and I’d love to think it played a small part in each of those journeys.

Cutting Edge has always been ahead of the curve and that hasn’t changed. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not standing still. We have a clear vision for the future, and we’re excited about what’s ahead. Watch this space! So, if you find the challenge of emergency cases rewarding and are curious about taking the next step into emergency practice, Cutting Edge could be the perfect fit for you. Whether you’re looking to build confidence, expand your skillset or explore a career in ECC, we’d love to help you find out if the programme is right for you.

To learn more, or to chat through your options, please get in touch with Reah Mitchell in our Talent team.