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RCVS to hold Graduate Outcomes student focus groups at AVS Congress

31 January 2019

The RCVS is to hold focus groups for veterinary and veterinary nursing students at the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Congress this year, for its ongoing Graduate Outcomes consultation. 

The Graduate Outcomes consultation is one of the most extensive projects undertaken by the RCVS in the last 20 years and is looking at potential changes to a broad range of areas related to how veterinary students are educated and trained, and how recent graduates are prepared and supported into life in practice.

The main areas of focus are Day One Competences, The Professional Development Phase (PDP), Extra-mural studies (EMS) and Clinical Education for General Practice. The Graduate Outcomes consultation survey closed on 18 January, having received nearly 2,000 responses.

The consultation is now moving on to its second stage, which involves in-depth focus groups and interviews with a broad range of veterinary students and professionals.

The first in this series of focus groups is being held at AVS Congress at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in Hatfield on Saturday 2 February. This will involve two sessions, both taking place in the Social Learning space between 12 and 2pm, lasting one hour each. These groups will be run by Charlotte Flaxman from the Work Psychology Group (WPG), an agency specialising in business psychology.

WPG is conducting the Graduate Outcomes consultation on behalf of the College. Each focus group can hold a maximum of 10 participants and refreshments will be provided throughout. Participating in the focus group also automatically enters attendees into two prize draws for a £50 National Book Token.

Prior to the focus groups, it is advisable to read the Graduate Outcomes consultation document in order to process some of the key issues in question, and start to contemplate some suggested solutions.

After registering, each participant’s details will be shared with WPG who will then forward over a briefing sheet with further details of what can be expected during the session. For those interested in attending the focus groups, please sign up here.

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