FAQs

To work as a vet in the UK, you must be registered with the RCVS. To discover if your veterinary degree is recognised by the RCVS, please see the registration application page for veterinary surgeons.

If the university that awarded your primary veterinary degree is not listed, then you will need to pass the Statutory Membership Examination before you can register.

When prescribing under the Cascade, veterinary surgeons should ensure they obtain written consent* for use of that medicine from the client. A consent form template is available from the VDS (which has been reproduced in the RCVS PSS Small Animal module).

It should be noted it is generally unacceptable for veterinary surgeons to use an all embracing “general” lifelong consent for any and all products provided under the Cascade that might be given to any animal.  Practically, this means specific consent needs to be obtained from a client for each unauthorised medicine used. 

However, it is acceptable for a lifelong consent form to be used for a specific ongoing condition requiring unauthorised medicine for that particular medicine in that particular animal.  It is also acceptable to use lifetime consent in the case of exotics where there are no licensed products available.

*Subject to Covid-19 restrictions

Unless your course is mandatory as part of your role, most of our courses offer bite-sized learning that you can complete as much or as little as you wish. Some of our courses are divided into modules which are structured to make it easier to navigate large courses and help you to choose the most relevant content.

No, universities and other CPD providers will offer courses covering the module content, but all modules will be available via an assessment-only route for candidates who wish to study in their own time.

• Yes, as veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses you are required to record your CPD using the 1CPD digital recording platform. You will find a link to 1CPD in the navigation menu. The navigation menu can be opened by selecting the arrow on the right-hand side. The 1CPD link is available at the end of each course and module to help you directly record and reflect on your learning.
• The course durations listed for each course or module are just estimates to help guide your planning, as we recognise that everyone learns at their own pace. When recording your CPD on 1CPD, you should log the actual time it took you to complete the learning. And don’t forget to include your reflection as part of the process.

One practice may supply to another practice to relieve a temporary supply shortage, without a Wholesale Dealers Authorisation. This exemption from the VMR is intended to prevent shortages of available medicines causing animal welfare problems and should not be a regular occurrence.

We only grant exemption from English language testing if a candidate’s primary veterinary degree was taught and assessed entirely in English. Pease refer to the guidance for how to apply for an exemption and what supporting evidence we accept.

First, you will need to submit a declaration of intention to sit. You can submit this at any point during the year and it is valid until the end of September. Please refer to the examination guidance for detailed information on what supporting evidence you need to provide at this stage.

Only once you have submitted a declaration of intention to sit, along with all the necessary documentation, can you apply to sit the examination.

You will need to enrol with the RCVS and also with the module provider. To enrol with the RCVS please complete the form in My Account.

Candidates will have the option to enrol for individual or multiple modules, or for the full certificate.

You can contact the Education Department at the RCVS on 020 7202 0791 or email [email protected].