16 Jul 2025
Tim Parkin urged members to act as mentors and recognise the need for sectoral change during his first speech in the post.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
The new RCVS president has urged veterinary professionals to seek out mentorship opportunities and maintain respectful dialogue during his first speech in the post.
Tim Parkin outlined his two pleas to the sector after formally succeeding Linda Belton at the annual Royal College Day in Westminster.
Reflecting on his own “circuitous” path to becoming a vet, Prof Parkin hailed the “transformative” teaching he received as a student and called on others to similarly inspire future generations.
He said: “Find a route to mentorship – pass on ‘your good’ to those who aspire to follow.
“We can all play our part in doing that – whether that be through chatting to school kids about the myriad of options available in our professions or more formally through work with veterinary schools or via VetGDP [the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme].
“Please reflect on how each of us can inspire and influence those who will do better than us in the future.”
Prof Parkin, who is also head of the University of Bristol vet school, spent nine years as an undergraduate in Bristol having first studied zoology, before being inspired to become an epidemiologist during his PhD at Liverpool.
He added: “The impact of early influence on career choice from key mentors can never be underestimated.”
Prof Parkin said he would not be adopting a presidential theme, citing the amount of “business as usual” that needed to be addressed.
But he pledged to work hard for all college members and to enable its work to be as effective as possible as he called for constructive dialogue on the major issues facing the sector.
He said: “There will be many discussions to be had over the next few years – in particular related to legislative reform and much of our direction of travel will be taking us away from the modus operandi of the last 50 years – but we all have to recognise the need for change and that none of us will get everything we want.
“Please do not shy away from engaging – but please do so in a manner that is respectful of those working on your behalf.”
