14 Mar 2025
RCVS leaders have urged students to sign up now amid hopes the new system will make training more accessible.
Allister Webb
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Image: © didesign / Adobe Stock
Veterinary students are being urged to sign up now following the opening of a new national booking database for EMS placements.
Hundreds of providers have joined the programme in recent months and RCVS leaders hope the system will make the training more accessible.
College junior vice-president Tim Parkin said feedback had consistently emphasised the value of placements, as well as highlighting a range of potential difficulties.
He said: “The RCVS database was developed as a result of this specific feedback and will mean, for example, that students who may not have access to a car will be able to easily find and arrange placements near public transport hubs, or that students with other work or family commitments will be able to arrange flexible or part-time placements that work around their responsibilities.
“We would urge all UK vet students to get signed up to the platform as soon as possible and we would like to thank the hundreds of placement providers that have already added their details to the database, as well as veterinary organisations and companies that have been encouraging their members to engage with uploading their details.”
Students initially need to create a UK undergraduate with the RCVS, before accessing the database itself.
Association of Veterinary Students president Charlotte Jones said the group was “delighted” at the system’s launch.
She added: “We look forward to seeing how this helps support students in finding and accessing placements that fit their individual learning needs, as well as any preferences around accessibility, facilities available and flexible date options – all of which are important to students.
“The new database will allow students and placement providers to connect more easily and create a more tailored and supportive experience for all.”
The development of the database is part of broader EMS reforms that saw the required length of time spent on placements reduced for students beginning their studies last autumn.
Students and placement providers can also email [email protected] with any questions.
