All about the XLVets Farm Graduate Programme

personal development and well-being information, we were tutored in clinical case management and herd health, including reproduction and nutrition. The content was delivered through a varied mix of lectures and practical on-farm experience - this included farm walks too. I gained a lot of new knowledge. It was a great forum for sharing ideas and gleaning valuable tips from very experienced vets, who shared with us the ups and downs of their time in practice. It was real-world stuff, very practical, and also reassuring. Given I’ve been in practice just over two years; it was good to see how others did things. We spent time during the course at three different practices - 3 days at Bishopton Vets in Yorkshire, 3 days at Synergy Farm Health in Devon and Dorset, and 2 days at Scott Mitchell & Associates in Northumberland. The course was led by senior members from the practices. It was wonderful to learn alongside the other grads on the course: we had 11 people in our group and a real mix of backgrounds. There were some grads who had just qualified this summer, others a couple of years out, like me, as well as someone from uni. All the arrangements were taken care of for us, including accommodation – and we had lots of support from the XLVets office – the communication was really good. Have you kept in touch with the others on the programme? Yes. We’ve only recently finished the last module, but we have a Whats App group, and we’re chatting about going to Orkney together possibly, after the busy spring period. Would you recommend the programme to others? Absolutely, yes. I’m really pleased I went on it. It’s so helpful for new and recent grads; you’ll learn how to approach certain scenarios – and you’ll get to practise techniques and use your knowledge with experienced, supportive vets standing right behind you. If you would like more information on the XLVets Graduate Development Programmes, please visit www.vetskills.co.uk/graduates , alternatively if you would like information on XLVets please visi t www.xlvets.co.uk Vicki is also doing a video log at the end of each module of the programme – please keep an eye out for these on Facebook, @XLVetsConnect