In January 2024, the Veterinary Schools Council (VSC) signed an open letter alongside the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Association of Veterinary Students (AVS), in which all four organisations recognised their shared responsibility to ensure veterinary students do not experience harassment, discrimination or any other form of unacceptable behaviour while on extra-mural studies (EMS) placements. The letter contained a number of commitments; the first and most important of these was the review and signposting of the relevant reporting processes within each school. This took place immediately. Second was to establish a study to investigate the scale of the problem and identify potential higher risk environments.
Through the spring, VSC developed the study in consultation with Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Leads and EMS Coordinators across its member institutions. VSC then consulted with other signatories, including the AVS, on the study’s aims and draft surveys, culminating in approval by all four organisations in the summer. Such a study requires ethical approval given the sensitivity of the subject matter and the intent to report findings publicly. The widening of scope, the ethical review and ensuring appropriate timing have led to a delay, causing frustration for all parties. Nonetheless, VSC remains fully committed to a thorough and robust investigation of this problem, and the study is expected to launch in early spring 2025.
The study is only one part of the necessary action VSC is taking to tackle this issue. In September, VSC published a report on advancing EDI in veterinary medical education. In the report, VSC set out its view that EMS, in its current format, represents a significant safeguarding risk and a large financial burden for veterinary students. In the associated action plan, VSC committed to working with the RCVS to seek further reform to EMS that would directly address these issues while retaining and enhancing its educational and professional development benefits.
