Introduction
MRCVS is the abbreviation for Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgery (RCVS). It is a distinguished title for anyone who wants to be in the profession of veterinary medicine. For you to practice veterinary sciences in United Kingdom you need to be accredited with this institution. Once a veterinary Surgeon has passed all the tests and standards set by the RCVS, they are warranted the authority to write MRCVS after their names. Royal College of Veterinary Surgery is the regulatory body that has the mandate to set standards for veterinary medicine and its practice in United Kingdom.
Step 1
For to you to become a member of Royal College of Veterinary Surgery or MRCVS you need to first acquire your bachelor degree. To be a veterinary surgeon you need to have a degree in either veterinary medicine or veterinary science. In United Kingdom there are many degrees that can be completed within five years of study where only the prestigious Cambridge University offers a six year degree. There are some universities offering degrees that can be completed within four years through their accelerated options. You must know that seats for these degrees are limited and there are only seven universities in the Great Britain that can get you a degree in Veterinary sciences and medicine. These are Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham, Liverpool and the Royal Veterinary College in London.
Step 2
The second step for you to get veterinary surgery certified by the MRCVS is to start practicing, like in the case of human medicine and surgery where you need to have some years of experience. You also need to know how to handle different situations in veterinary practice before you can become a partner or becoming a principal yourself. A partner or a principal has more responsibility as you would now be handling financial and managerial issues as well. It is usually preferred by the RCVS for you to get a masters degree in Veterinary science and medicines. This will make your case strong for getting certified by MRCVS. It is advised that you complete your masters degree along with your practice.
Step 3
The third step for you is to attempt the exam for the Royal college of Veterinary Surgery. This is a statutory membership exam. To do so you need to make the RCVS aware of your intention to attempt the test and register yourself with them. You can get past papers and other essential documents from the RCVS website.
Step 4
The fourth step is to prepare yourself for the members of the Royal College. They are entitled to help the college with registration and other educational matters that are dealt by the College. For you to get certified by MRCVS you need to have all the documents and degrees in order for them to verify and clear.
Step 5
After you have attained the membership of the college and are entitled to use MRCVS after your name, you still need to follow some rules and regulations of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgery. The foremost is the continuing professional Development. The reason for this is that RCVS promotes skill development and continuing the education process of all MRCVS. It recommends all its members to have in three years about 105 hours of continuing professional development.
Tips
For you to have a chance of becoming a MRCVS is to prepare yourself from day one since the standards set by the college for gaining a membership are strict and binding.
