BSAVA Appoints Academic Director
Frances Barr, the BSAVA Academic Director.
Frances is a European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, and a double diplomat of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. She has worked both in practice and as an academic, with 26 years working in Higher Education, and has a rich and long history of working as a BSAVA volunteer, eventually taking on the presidential mantle in 2007.
The BSAVA postgraduate programme provides both Frances and the Association with a huge challenge – one that aims to provide the best possible educational offering to the profession, particularly to those in practice. Grant Petrie, BSAVA President, says: “Producing a postgraduate qualification is a natural progression to BSAVA’s current CPD offering – there is clearly a need for it and we have a strong legacy as a provider of quality CPD. We want to make sure that the profession is served well – with a programme designed by vets for vets. As a charity with education at the core of our remit, BSAVA is best positioned to create something that will keep investing in the knowledge and talent of the profession. However, we always knew that we would need an exceptional individual to oversee the programme, and, in Frances Barr, we know we have that person.”
In describing BSAVA's plans for the qualification, Frances says, “This will fill a really important need. Many practitioners have a real appetite for learning more about their particular area of interest. Of course, they can currently do this with general CPD courses, but this new qualification will provide a structured and focused learning programme which is flexible enough to fit around the busiest lifestyle, yet challenging enough to make the qualification a personal achievement, one that will be well respected by the whole profession. BSAVA has a long and proud record of providing excellent CPD for companion animal vets, and now being able to offer qualifications in partnership with the Open University ensures that the academic standards remain consistent and transparent, offering a qualification that will be universally recognised. The proposed new certificates in small animal medicine and surgery will comprise a combination of traditional taught courses, a wide-range of web-based material that will include interactive sessions, and workplace-based projects. This is the way forward for practitioners and will lead the profession into a more secure future.”
The qualifications will be aimed primarily at the general practitioner, so they are not designed to replace the European Diploma system or aspiring to provide specialised knowledge. Instead they will be created very much for the interested, busy practitioner for whom an accredited residency programme is not an option. “Encouraging small animal practitioners to embark on a clinically useful, challenging yet achievable, highly regarded postgraduate qualification sits very well with the BSAVA’s remit to promote excellence in small animal practice through education and science”, says Grant Petrie. “BSAVA wishes to foster and stimulate lifelong learning.”
The BSAVA postgraduate programme will launch in 2012, with more information about registration available at Congress 2011 and online from April next year. Frances Barr will begin working with the Open University and the BSAVA team in November.
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