To support veterinary students with their studies and career goals, we offer extra-mural studies (EMS) work experience placements within Official Controls, with the chance to shadow an experienced Official Veterinarian (OV) and learn more about the work we do. Our placements cover all the essential aspects of Official Controls including:
- Ante-mortem
- Process verification
- HACCP controls
- Post-mortem inspection
- Animal welfare
- Animal by-product controls
We can tailor these to meet the requirements of most courses and offer a range of experience within veterinary public health. We can also provide these for students who are still deciding what career path to take, with hands-on experience showing what it’s like to work as an Official Veterinarian.
Students will shadow an experienced OV throughout their placement, working alongside them to learn more about the role and the varied tasks involved within the working day. Safety equipment and clothing are provided and placements are free to all students on an RCVS-accredited course.
Prior to starting their placement, students will be given an itinerary listing the plants they will be attending and the type of work covered. We can offer opportunities to work with a variety of different species and the chance to experience a range of Official Controls.
Here are some quotes from students who’ve previously joined us for placements:
“This placement allowed me to experience a completely different side of the veterinary industry, opening up the career opportunities I could have when I graduate. It also allowed me to meet many people, from OVs to local farmers, enabling me to get a great network set up for if I did want to come back to Somerset as a farm vet in the future.” – Harry Papworth, third-year student at University of Nottingham
“It was good to see the OVs in action, ensuring good animal welfare throughout the process – it was also incredible to see how quickly the process occurs from stunning to storage in the chillers. I really enjoyed my time across the two areas; the staff were very informative and were happy to answer my many questions. I’ve learnt that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes which the majority of consumers are unaware of.” – Jessica Varney, fourth-year student at Harper & Keele Veterinary School
Interested in a work placement with us? Get in touch with our Talent Acquisition Team at recruitment@eandj.co.uk.
