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Veterinary student funding to increase
EMS is an essential and mandatory part of the veterinary degree, but it can be expensive and time-consuming.

EMS now formally recognised as working time

Veterinary courses in England can now be considered ‘long course’ degrees’, the Student Loans Company has confirmed. As such, the amount of loan available to students will increase.

The announcement follows extensive lobbying by the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) together with the Veterinary School Council (VSC) to formally recognise the expensive and time-consuming demand of EMS (extra-mural studies) placements.

Because EMS is an essential and mandatory part of the veterinary degree, the AVS has fought extensively for student maintenance loans to reflect these are working weeks and not holiday time.

The decision to reclassify the veterinary degree as a ‘long course’ followed discussions between the University of Liverpool and the Students Loans Company.

The AVS are now urging other veterinary schools in England to register their degree as a long course and include the average number of weeks of EMS.

‘The VSC is communicating with the English vet schools and details should be fed down to students soon,’ the AVS said in a statement. ‘The VSC is also in discussions with the relevant bodies in Scotland to extend this action to help students studying at Glasgow and Royal Dick (Edinburgh).’

Governed by the RCVS, EMS requirements are currently set at 12 weeks of pre-clinical EMS and 26 weeks of clinical EMS. But issues about the quality, availability and cost of EMS have sparked much debate.

The AVS states that how much better off students would be per week is difficult to calculate. However, it’s not an insignificant amount and will depend on household income. 

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.