Scotland’s first new dedicated vet school in more than a century has opened its doors in Aberdeen.
Applications for The School of Veterinary Medicine at Scotland’s Rural College are now being accepted, with the school intending to register its first cohort of students on to its Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSci) degree in mid-October to early November..
The UK is currently experiencing a shortage of vets and the new school hopes to alleviate the issue.
Professor Peter Hastie said: “There’s a retention issue in the UK and some vets are deciding to leave and explore other areas of the profession.”
The school’s curriculum aims to keep home grown talent and attract more vets through general practice learning methods.
More than 100 prospective students have already submitted an application.
Professor Hastie added: “in the final year we will have partnerships with vet practices all over the country, where our students will be embedded in doing rotations to really hone and improve their clinical skills, so that hopefully it is an easier transition into the job market.”
Lecturers at the college are filled with excitement.
Elina Donisa, who moved to Aberdeen for the job, said: “It’s a fantastic project, I’m so happy to be a part of it and the initiative is great.
“We are focusing on students that are local, Scottish, and we want to train them here and hopefully keep them here.”
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