There are several types of qualifications that a veterinary surgeon may hold in addition to those which entitle them to work as a vet. If you want to find out more, here is some information about the most common qualifications that you may hear your vet mention or read about on our practice websites.
In order to practice in the UK, vets must have attained a veterinary degree from a university whose degree is recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) or attain a veterinary degree from a non-recognised university and then pass additional examinations administered by the RCVS. This entitles vets to be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and therefore have MRCVS after their name. All vets eligible to practice in the UK will be listed on the RCVS’s “Find a Vet” website.
To maintain the ability to practice, vets must ensure their knowledge and skills remain current by participating in, and reflecting on, continuing professional development (CPD) which is recorded and monitored by the RCVS.
Some veterinary surgeons may have the letters “FRCVS” listed after their names, as apposed to MRCVS. This denotes admission to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a fellow. These veterinary surgeons have distinguished themselves by providing an ongoing commitment to using their experience and knowledge to enhance the profession further, perhaps by publishing a large body or research or enriching the public discourse about the importance of veterinary science to society.
A veterinary surgeon must undertake extra training to be able to perform the duties of an OV, which mainly surround the import and export of animals and animal products. Not every vet can perform these duties, and so it is important to check if your vet holds this qualification if you wish to travel with your pet. There is no public register of OVs, so we recommend calling your clinic to confirm if an OV is available to support with your travel plans.
Some vets have a special interest in a particular field of veterinary medicine and choose to study for a certificate in this field. There are different types of certificates which add various post-nominals to a vet’s name. These letters indicate that they have undergone studies above and beyond their regular degree in this topic. Some of the more common examples include the following but this list is not exhaustive:
These will often have an acronym in brackets after the qualification to denote what topic the vet has studied eg. CertAVP(VC) means that the vet has achieved a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in the field of Veterinary Cardiology.
This is not to be confused with holding a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP). Advanced Practitioner status is an official recognition by the RCVS of a veterinary surgeon's particular knowledge and skills in a designated field of veterinary practice. To attain this, vets must have demonstrated additional skills and experience in a particular field and this be assessed by a panel of RCVS assessors.
To maintain their status, Advanced Practitioners must complete additional hours of CPD above and beyond the usual requirements, and a significant proportion of this must be in their field of special interest.
Specialist status is difficult and arduous to achieve and is the highest level of veterinary qualification. In order to be able to call themselves a specialist, vets must have achieved a post-graduate qualification at least at diploma level, have published in peer-reviewed journals and demonstrate to the RCVS that they make an active contribution to their specialty field.
If a vet is recognised as a specialist by the RCVS, they will be listed as such on the RCVS Find a Vet website.
Some specialists obtain their specialist qualifications and status overseas with professional bodies not recognised by the RCVS. If a practitioner holds such a qualification, they must inform their clients that they are a recognised specialist only in the country of recognition. These practitioners will not be listed as specialists on the RCVS website.
Veterinary nurses who have passed formal qualifications recognised by the RCVS are entitled to call themselves Registered Veterinary Nurses and will have the letters RVN after their name.
Students enrolled on a training course to become RVNs will use the title Student Veterinary Nurse (SVN).
Registered veterinary nurses are also able to attain further qualifications in particular fields of interest similar to their veterinary surgeon colleagues. Those who have done so and passed the associated assessments or examinations are able to use post-nominals indicating the certificate or diploma that they have completed.
There are several other services that are provided to pets by professionals who may not be vets or nurses. Some of these services may include physiotherapy/hydrotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, behaviour/training, homeopathy and breeding services to name just a few. Many of these individuals have undergone significant relevant training to work in their fields through reputable professional bodies and they provide and excellent service which complements the care provided at your veterinary practice. However, as these sectors and services are not regulated, it is also possible for an individual to perform these services without the relevant qualifications and experience. Therefore we would advise asking such professionals to inform you of their qualifications before enlisting their services and urge you to discuss them with your veterinary practice. Your practice would be happy to help you make the best decision for your pet.
