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Exploring the future of veterinary postgraduate education: Inside the first International PGVE Symposium
The first international Postgraduate Veterinary Education (PGVE) Symposium, hosted in London by the RCVS on 18 - 19 November 2025, brought together a global community of educators, regulators, and clinical and veterinary leaders to explore the future of postgraduate veterinary training.
The event marked an important step in strengthening global collaboration and shared thinking around veterinary education and workforce development.
Download the full symposium report (PDF)
On this page
Why the symposium matters
The PGVE symposium was established to address a growing need for international dialogue on postgraduate veterinary education and training pathways.
Delegates explored four overarching themes, each corresponding to a key stage in a veterinary professional’s career where education and training play a crucial role.
The themes were:
- Graduate transition into the profession
- Advanced education and training (for example, postgraduate qualifications, internships, and professional development)
- Continuing education and professional development
- Licensure and revalidation
Symposium overview
Held over two days, the symposium brought together more than 140 delegates and speakers, including educators, practitioners, and employers from across the veterinary, medical, and wider professional sectors.
Speakers travelled from across Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Hong Kong to share expertise, exchange perspectives, and contribute to a truly international programme focused on the future of postgraduate veterinary education.
The symposium featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions designed to encourage open exchange and collaboration, and the sharing of ideas and best practice across organisations and countries.
The RCVS also organised a pre-symposium workshop, which gave delegates the opportunity to explore key educational frameworks, emerging challenges, and opportunities in postgraduate education in greater depth.
The symposium was hosted by Dr Linda Prescott-Clements, RCVS Director of Education, and co-chaired by Julie Dugmore RVN, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing.
Key speakers and perspectives
The symposium featured contributions from a range of international experts who brought insight from education, regulation, veterinary, and clinical practice.
Keynotes and panel discussions offered perspectives on a huge range of topics, including:
- The future direction of veterinary education systems
- The importance of alignment across global training frameworks
- The role of innovation in assessment and learning design
- How to support wellbeing in veterinary postrgraduate training
The symposium in pictures
Highlights from a landmark event in veterinary postgraduate education.
Rob Kelly, Clinical Lecturer and RCVS Advanced Practitioner, Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Rob Kelly, Clinical Lecturer and RCVS Advanced Practitioner, Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Suzanne Chamberlain, Head of Assessment and Liaison, General Medical Council (GMC)
Suzanne Chamberlain, Head of Assessment and Liaison, General Medical Council (GMC)
Professor Jane Sykes, Director for the Center of Continuing Professional Education, University of California-Davis
Professor Jane Sykes, Director for the Center of Continuing Professional Education, University of California-Davis
Wendy Preston, Head of Nursing Workforce, Royal College of Nursing
Wendy Preston, Head of Nursing Workforce, Royal College of Nursing
Professor Olle ten Cate, Emeritus Professor of Medical Education, Utrecht University
Professor Olle ten Cate, Emeritus Professor of Medical Education, Utrecht University
Petra Agthe, Diagnostic Imager, Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists
Petra Agthe, Diagnostic Imager, Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists
Neerja Muncaster, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Practice, University of Surrey Veterinary School
Neerja Muncaster, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Practice, University of Surrey Veterinary School
Perdita Welsh (centre), Director of Veterinary Nursing at the Royal Veterinary College
Perdita Welsh (centre), Director of Veterinary Nursing at the Royal Veterinary College
Dr Charlotte French, International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies academic
Dr Charlotte French, International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies academic
Lindsay Sproule, Director, Regulatory Programs Performance, College of Veterinarians of Ontario
Lindsay Sproule, Director, Regulatory Programs Performance, College of Veterinarians of Ontario
Dr Paul Wood, Veterinary Reader, Scotland's Rural College School of Veterinary Medicine
Dr Paul Wood, Veterinary Reader, Scotland's Rural College School of Veterinary Medicine
Alexander Corbishley, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Education, University of Edinburgh
Alexander Corbishley, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Education, University of Edinburgh
Reflections from the symposium
Here’s just a small snapshot of the feedback we received.
There is so much that can be done in building up the research and evidence in this area to support postgraduate education moving forwards in a meaningful and evidence-based way.
There is a real community to be grown surrounding PGVE and it's off to a great start.
A lot of the postgraduate education discussions made me think quite hard about how we can deliver undergraduate education to align with postgraduate training - producing vets who are really ready for that lifelong learning.
We were so happy to be a part of this symposium. I really enjoyed the sessions and took away so many learnings. You and your team did such an amazing job on putting this together.
I found it so inspiring. I'd be really interested in being involved in the community of practice.
I am so glad I took the time to visit. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to participate. I’d love to be involved in future meetings.
Thank you for arranging [last week’s] conference. It stimulated some really productive discussion and was a great opportunity for the community to come together. I heard lots of positive feedback at the end.
Thank you to our community
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who was involved in this landmark event - from the organisers and speakers to the many attendees. We greatly appreciate your contributions and enthusiasm, and we hope you will continue to support this initiative as we work together to strengthen and advance postgraduate veterinary education in the future.
Join the global PGVE network
The symposium - and future events like it - aim to build and strengthen an international community of practice dedicated to driving progress in postgraduate veterinary education.
Through collaboration, we hope to deepen our shared understanding of best practices in education and training, spanning the transition from graduation through to postgraduate programmes and continuing professional development. By doing so, we can help improve the postgraduation experience for veterinary surgeons and nurses, while also supporting greater satisfaction, engagement and wellbeing across the veterinary profession worldwide.
Stay connected
To find out more about future events and developments in postgraduate veterinary education, please email [email protected] to register your interest.
Report and videos
We are pleased to share the PGVE Symposium report and links to videos of some of the presentations below. More video links will be added to this page shortly.
Download the full symposium report (PDF)
Explore the presentation recordings (YouTube)
Building on the momentum: PGVE 2027
Planning is already underway for the next PGVE symposium, which will take place in the UK in spring 2027.
Building on the energy and success of last year’s event, we look forward to welcoming both returning and new delegates for what promises to be another inspiring gathering.
Following the UK event, Canada will host the symposium in summer 2028 as the international PGVE community continues to grow.
Resources
- Symposium programme - for the full symposium programme and presentation summaries, download the PGVE Symposium 2025 abstract booklet (PDF)
Postgraduate veterinary education evidence paper - the need to strengthen postgraduate veterinary education has never been greater. Unlike the health professions, veterinary education beyond graduation remains surprisingly underexplored, with little published evidence to inform best practices.
This challenge was rigorously examined in a paper published in the 'Journal of Veterinary Medical Education', entitled ‘The Veterinary Education and Training Landscape Beyond Graduation: Where is the Evidence?’. If you would like a copy, please email Dr Linda Prescott-Clements at [email protected].
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