More than 400 graduates from IVC Evidensia in the UK and Europe recently came together for the sixth annual Graduate Academy Congress event.
IVC Evidensia’s annual Graduate Academy Congress took place in June, uniting the graduate vets progressing through its UK Academy and many of those on the programme throughout Europe.
The purpose of the event is to provide graduate vets with the opportunity to meet with peers, the IVC Evidensia support team and industry suppliers to help them build a strong network and foundation for their future.
Across the two-day event, which was held in Birmingham, they also had the opportunity to take part in more than 60 hours of scheduled CPD, making the event one of the largest CPD events in the country. Each vet was able to choose from sessions tailored to their area of practice including small animal, equine and farm CPD.
Inspiring speakers
The event was opened by Daniella Dos Santos, Director of Professional Culture, who is responsible for all learning and development at IVC Evidensia via our Academy. She was followed by Duncan Phillips, CEO of the UK and Ireland, and the morning plenary sessions were closed by keynote speaker, Sarah Furness.
Sarah is a former Royal Air Force squadron leader and was the first female helicopter pilot to fly and lead the UK Special Forces. In an inspiring talk she talked about the obstacles she overcame to achieve the dream she’d held since she was a child, how she overcame feelings of imposter syndrome and learning the skill of performance and resilience under pressure.
Learning opportunities
The remainder of the event was focused on learning with graduates participating in panel discussions, lectures and hands-on sessions to develop clinical skills and knowledge relevant to the species they see in practice.
Between sessions, Graduates spent time with industry partners via an exhibition that included Gold partners Purina, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dechra and Royal Canin. They were also able to meet departments from across IVC Evidensia and learn more about support on offer from teams including Welfare, QI, People, Sustainability and more.
Reflecting on the event, Director of Professional Culture, Daniella dos Santos, said: “Events like our Graduate Academy Congress are vital for the growth and development of graduates.
“They provide our graduates with a platform to network and share the latest industry knowledge with peers from across the country, whilst also providing the opportunity to enhance their clinical skills.
“The Congress plays a key role in facilitating the smooth transition from academic learning to professional practice, ensuring that new graduates continue to grow and succeed in their careers at IVC Evidensia.”
For more information about our Graduate Academy visit our dedicated pages
here.