BEVA launches coaching for vets returning to work
The coaching sessions will begin in June.
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has launched a new coaching programme to support veterinary surgeons returning to work after taking a break.
The Back in the Saddle programme will offer group coaching to BEVA members who are more than five-years qualified. It will complement the organisation’s Leg Up programme, which offers one-on-one coaching to veterinary surgeons in the first five years after graduation.
Designed in response to feedback from members about having periods of feeling lost or adrift in the career, particularly following a career break, BEVA hopes that the course will help improve recruitment and retention in the industry.
Held online, the sessions will provide a workshop-style environment in which participants can discuss their experiences and learn and share knowledge. The first session of the six-month programme will be on 11 June 2024, with monthly sessions scheduled until November.
The sessions will be led by trained coaches with experience of working in equine practice. Kate Blakeman, a clinical equine veterinary surgeon, is one of the five coaches and a co-founder of the programme.
Dr Blakeman said: “Returning to work from maternity leave was really challenging for me. Everything seemed to have changed despite returning to the same job, the same team and the same clients, and it was a big shock to see how much I struggled to deal with it all. The second time round it was no easier, just different!”
“My daily pattern had altered, and I was working fewer hours which meant I needed to organise myself and manage my expectations differently.
“I undertook a career coaching programme to help me figure things out properly, with impartial assistance, rather than trying to ‘wing it’. The skills I developed during this training helped me greatly and I hope Back in the Saddle will deliver similar benefits for those who need it.”
BEVA members can sign up for the coaching online.
Image © BEVA
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
