The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the UK’s regulatory body for veterinary professionals, is calling upon farmers to register as student placement providers on the new RCVS Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) National Booking Database, to help shape the future of the veterinary profession.

All veterinary students in the UK must complete work experience in the form of extra-mural studies (EMS) throughout their veterinary degree. This includes 10 weeks of Animal Husbandry EMS (AHEMS) in the first two years of their programme, where valuable experience is gained in the handling and husbandry of a range of species.

The time students spend on AHEMS helps prepare them for the rest of their clinical education and significantly impacts which area of veterinary practice they decide to work in following graduation. Hosting EMS students has multiple benefits for providers by providing them with access to up-to-date veterinary knowledge, additional support in animal care, and fostering a new generation of skilled vets familiar with real-world farm practices.

The database, which is free to join, will launch in early 2025. It has been designed by the RCVS to help streamline the process of securing EMS placements for veterinary students and EMS providers alike, as well as improve placement accessibility, and support both parties to align expectations.

RCVS Director of Education, Dr Linda Prescott-Clements, said: “We have received feedback from students that EMS is a hugely valuable part of their undergraduate training, but that finding EMS placements which match both their needs, and the needs of the providers, can be challenging. This is why we have been working hard to create this new database, which is designed to simplify and streamline the process for everyone involved.

“On the platform, current and prospective providers will be able to feature their placements and showcase key details such as placement type, location, expected caseload, and transport links. Students will then be able to search and filter for placements based on their specific requirements, making it much easier to find a suitably matched provider. The platform will also allow students to communicate directly with providers to ask any questions they may have.”

If you are an existing placement provider and would like to join the database or are keen to learn more about the database and becoming an EMS provider, please get in touch with us atems@rcvs.org.uk. More information is also available on the RCVS website.

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