First cohort completes Linnaeus grad programme

One of the UK’s largest veterinary groups is celebrating the success of the first cohort to complete its two-year graduate development programme.

A group of 20 vets who started the Linnaeus graduate development programme in 2018 have all successfully completed the course, which offers one-to-one mentoring, and professional and clinical skills development in primary care practices across the UK.

In-house

Linnaeus, which has more than 3,000 employees in the UK, delivers all clinical training in-house through its network of specialists, referral clinicians, certificate holders and experienced primary care clinicians.

Each graduate has a defined mentor for the duration of the programme, and takes part in 20 core educational days as part of his or her clinical and professional skills training.

Small cohorts

Chloe Roberts, clinical and educational development manager at Linnaeus, said: “The unique aspect of our scheme is the bespoke, one-to-one training we are able to offer with our small cohort sizes.

“This way, you can build relationships with every graduate and really help them with their development. It is about quality, not quantity.”

The Linnaeus programme is a 24-month scheme aligned with the RCVS’ professional development phase. The second cohort is halfway through the programme and Linnaeus is expecting to welcome its third cohort later this year.

‘Good foundation’

Zoe Hood, from Shires Veterinary Practice in Staffordshire, is one of the first cohort to complete the programme.

She said: “The programme has given me a good foundation to start my career in small animal practice.

“The variety of clinical and non-clinical days were good, and the topics covered were both useful and relevant. The mixture of seminar type sessions, along with practical teaching for common ‘problem’ areas such as dentistry, helped me gain confidence.”