The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) held its inaugural Fellowship Day to welcome dozens of the Fellows to the scheme and to celebrate the new Fellowship initiative launched earlier this year.
The event was held at The Royal Institution in London and saw 29 of the 44 new Fellows attending to receive their certificate of Fellowship from RCVS president Chris Tufnell.
RCVS senior vice-president Bradley Viner opened the event, saying: “The Fellowship should be seen as very much a merger of those already established in the Fellowship and those who have been appointed by the new routes.
“It is great to see so many existing Fellows here today to welcome the new Fellows, find out more about what is planned for the future, and hopefully discover their own role in what I am confident is going to be a vibrant learned society.
“This is the start of something new, something big and something that will have a really significant effect upon the shape of our profession in the future and the role it plays in broader society.”
After his speech Bradley then gave the floor to Professor Nick Bacon, chair of the Fellowship Board and also a recipient of Fellowship by Meritorious Contribution to Clinical Practice.
During his speech Professor Bacon outlined his vision for the new Fellowship, saying: “The FRCVS is the highest grade of membership and it is important that vets from all facets of the profession will be able to become a Fellow during the course of their career. The Fellowship will provide for a dynamic group of professionals and will be a dynamic organisation with a strong group identity.
“It is not an ‘old boys’ club’ –each application is considered on its merits. There is also no formal membership target – instead it has been made to include as many people as meet the standards.”
Following Nick Bacon’s talk, 30 new Fellows were presented with their certificates of Fellowship and formally welcomed to the Fellowship by RCVS president Chris Tufnell.
Of those attending, 14 were made Fellows for Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice, 12 for Meritorious Contributions to Knowledge and three for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession.
Dr Mandy Peffers also attended to receive her Fellowship by Thesis and a posthumous Fellowship was bestowed upon the late Dr Ian Purchase for Meritorious Contribution to Learning.
The Fellowship will be reopening for applications in November 2016 with a deadline in February 2017.
Details of how to apply will be on the College’s website at www.rcvs.org.uk/fellowship.
Those who are interested in applying can also contact Duncan Ash, Senior Education Officer, for further details on d.ash@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0703.
