The Yorkshire Vet: Eyeing up extra studies and qualifications

All practising vets are required to undertake further study during their career. This is a good thing. Otherwise, it would be perfectly possible to meander through professional life without adding to the knowledge imbibed during university. Many new diseases, techniques and drugs have emerged, not least recombinant drugs and monoclonal antibodies. When I was studying, these were only concepts. Now, I inject the monoclonal contents of small glass vials into dogs every day. It’s challenging even to understand fully how they work, let alone explain the method of action.
By Julian Norton
Published 24th Dec 2023, 11:45 BST

This “Continued Professional Development” (CPD) can take many forms. Reading journals, listening to a “lunch and learn” from a drug rep, teaching and mentoring a colleague or discussing a novel case can all count towards the thirty-five-hour annual requirement. Many methods can be relatively simple, though the quality of the education from a rep who is determined to persuade you to use their probiotic powder, for example, rather than that of a competitor cannot be guaranteed. I made the considered decision last week to enrol on a certificate course in ophthalmology. It will take me a year and a half and, as long as I complete each module correctly, sit and pass the exam, I will be able to add extra letters after my name. Not exactly as a specialist, but at least with some extra knowledge as well as letters.

I’ve always had an interest in eyes. They present perennial challenges clinically, with a multitude of potential problems. Every patient has two of them, so we are twice as likely to see an eye illness as a nose illness, for example. And they are fascinating to examine. The retina- the shiny bit at the back of the globe- is the site of the optic disc, the only bit of the neurological system which we can see with our own eyes. Charlotte Brontë was correct when she described the eye as the “interpreter of the soul”, although maybe she didn’t know that, with the right sort of ‘scope, you could get an actual glimpse of part of the brain.

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The other bits of the eye are even more fascinating and the more I delve into the detail, the more I realise that, for some of my ophthalmoscopic examinations I may have been looking through a glass darkly. I’m only on the second module, and my knowledge has already grown exponentially. So has my thirst for knowledge. I’ve just finished a section on the anatomy, physiology and developmental embryology of the eye. Once upon a time, when preparing for my final veterinary exams, I knew most of the minute details. An organ which has a totally transparent route to allow light to travel unimpeded, without hitting blood vessels or other structures, to the retina, and can remain perfectly healthy, lubricated and focused, is nothing short of miraculous.

Julian NortonJulian Norton
Julian Norton

The work load is proving to be more than I’d expected. I enrolled on the course several weeks late, so I’m playing catch up. Normally, it seems we have about four hours of study each week, but having started late, it’s currently twice this. The relationship I have with my laptop (its main roles have previously been for practice work and composing this weekly column) is getting stronger and deeper.

The cost is quite considerable, too. Eye-watering figures sometimes appear in the press about extortionate vet fees. They don’t mention the costs of keeping a veterinary practice going: my certificate course will cost the practice about the same as the annual tuition fees of a university student. While it is hard, I’m sure it will be worth it, both for me, and my patients. When I eventually get to the conclusion of the course, if put to the vote, the “eyes” will surely have it.