Ophthalmology

In order to enrol onto any Improve Veterinary Education Veterinary Certificate Programme, delegates must be qualified veterinary surgeons. If you intend to take the assessments to achieve the ISVPS GPCert, UK-based applicants must also be on the RCVS Home Practicing Register. Please note there are additional requirements if you intend to continue from GPCert to the PgC – see PgC FAQs below if your certificate programme is eligible for the PgC.

The ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert) is a peer-recognised veterinary postgraduate award. The Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) is a university Level 7 postgraduate certificate awarded by Harper Adams University. While all our postgraduate programmes provide the teaching for the GPCert qualification, not all are eligible for the PgC. Where the subject is eligible for both, candidates have the option of continuing to the PgC by taking a further ISVPS assessments and in some disciplines an additional module and assessment with HAU. The awards you can achieve after the teaching programme are listed in the course details.

Yes you can. In the UK, CPD requirements for vets and nurses are set by the RCVS. Currently, there are no limitations to what you can use towards CPD, but the RCVS recommend planning your CPD to best support your professional development. Taking a General Practitioner Certificate is an excellent way to do this, and details about CPD hours provided is available on the specific programme details. You will receive a certificate at the end of each module to help you evidence your CPD with the RCVS using the 1CPD platform/app. Don’t forget you’ll also need to reflect on your CPD. More tips on planning and completing your CPD can be found in our Content Hub.

GPCert programmes vary in length depending on the discipline, but most certificates take 8-24 months to study. Start and end dates can be found in the table on the right of the course details page, and more information about the planned timings for each session in the veterinary certificate programme can be found in the ‘modules’ tab. Module dates will be confirmed in your MyImprove area once you’ve started the course.

No. We understand that you are busy professionals, and we aim to be as flexible as possible. First, check to see whether an online or blended programme is available before you enrol in the course – you may be able to study these more flexibly, or remotely while you are away.

If you still need to miss a compulsory module, we’ll need advance notice. We will make every effort to find you an alternative venue and date, or stream/record the session. If the alternative dates don’t suit, you can request to transfer attend the missed module when the programme runs the following edition/year. Module transfer will need to be made in writing The only restriction is that you need to attend all of the taught modules before you can sit the relevant ISVPS examination, and you’ll need to complete the certificate (including assessments) within 7 years of your course start date (see below for more details).

The certificate must be achieved within 7 years of starting your course, or 4 years of the course completion (whichever is sooner). We recommend completing the modules and taking the examination at the earliest opportunity to ensure that your learning is still fresh and current.

It’s a big undertaking to study a veterinary certificate programme, but we provide plenty of resources to help you succeed. The Improve Online Learning Platform provides access to a course notes library, delegate discussion forum, and other study resources including webinars.

A dedicated team of Programme Coordinators and Customer Success Advisors will be on hand to support every individual during their postgraduate certificate programme, assessments and examinations to ensure a rewarding and successful learning journey. You may also find your Module Tutor a good source of support.

Delegates on specific certificate courses may also receive further resources in the form of one of our “Improve International Manual of” books if relevant to their course. The full list of manuals we have available can be found here.

You’ll retain access to our online learning platform for a year after your veterinary postgraduate certificate course ends (which includes the first exam opportunity). This means you can re-watch videos or check things in your notes easily when faced with new cases in practice. We also recommend downloading your course notes or making your own while on the programme to help you look up techniques in future.

At the beginning of the certificate programme, you will receive a syllabus and specific learning objectives for all of the taught modules. During the programme, you should document your current knowledge and skills prior to each module and undertake an informal short multiple-choice exercise. After the module, you can then undertake a further multiple-choice exercise, allowing you to demonstrate and reflect on the knowledge gained and implement a strategy to address any outstanding knowledge and skills gaps via independent study. 

While the exact assessments vary depending on the veterinary postgraduate certificate you’re studying, they usually include:

• A 90-minute online Case-Based Scenario (CBS) examination, focusing on the management of in-depth clinical cases, to assess case-based decision making, for which the pass mark is 60%
• A 90-minute Online Applied Knowledge Examination (OAKE) with a variety of questions, which assesses a candidate’s application of clinical knowledge, for which the pass mark is 60%

You will receive the exact details of exam dates and requirements once you start your certificate programme, but you can also contact ISVPS for more information. Please note that there are additional assessments to receive the PgC, which are covered in detail below if your course is eligible for a PgC.

If for some reason you are not able to sit the assessments for the GPCert with your cohort, you would be entered for the next opportunity, as long as you are within the time frame for completion. Since your course access runs for one year from the end of your course, you may need to pay an additional fee to continue accessing the course for later exam opportunities.

The GPCert programme fee includes:

• Learning materials
• Access to the online learning platform
• Registration with ISVPS and exam fee (first attempt only)
• Access to a programme coordinator and customer success team
• Refreshments and lunch (during face-to-face and practical sessions only – not included in online-only programmes)

Some course fees also include a veterinary textbook to help you study.

Those progressing to the PgC also have included additional benefits – see PgC FAQs below if this course is eligible.

The programme fee does not include:

• Travel and accommodation costs if needed for your course
• Assessment fees or exam fees after the first attempt
• Missed module fees if you haven’t notified us in writing more than 14 days before the module date
• Access to further textbooks, libraries, and journals of your choice.

If you intend to continue to the PgC, please also see the PgC FAQs below for more information.

We have offices in several countries, allowing delegates to take courses all over the world. In addition, our online certificates can be studied completely remotely, allowing increased access from those in other countries.

UK face-to-face courses are held in UK venues – delegates should ensure they are able to attend these sessions prior to booking. Delegates attending from outside of Europe may require Visas in order to participate. Please note that the Student Tier 4 Visa is not applicable to Improve Veterinary Education delegates as a result of us being a private education provider. Further guidance on your entry requirements should be checked with your local embassy.

Improve Veterinary Education does not provide support in obtaining Visas but can provide supporting documentation to support your application if requested.

The PgC is a university qualification that provides 60 academic credits. The qualification is positioned at Masters Level 7 within the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) framework for higher and further education. The 60 credits can be used towards achieving a Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) or Masters (MRes), which represent 120 credits and 180 credits respectively. The PgC is a recognised academic qualification that will demonstrate that you have achieved a certain standard in that subject. In order to progress to the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) you will need to have been in practice for at least a year prior to starting the GPCert programme. 

Please check individual programme details with respect to those which are eligible for PGC status. 

Our Medicine and Surgery programmes are held at various locations in the UK;

Small Animal Surgery- Swindon, Hatfield and Sheffield *
*consolidated programmes only available at Sheffield venue

Small Animal Medicine – Swindon

Our Clinical Postgraduate Programmes are held at our Swindon and Sheffield training centres, see the individual programmes for venue information.

We have excellent wet-lab facilities in Swindon and Sheffield, with state-of-the-art practical training equipment and technology.

To find out more about our venues, click here: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/venue/

You are able to “upgrade” from a GPCert to a PgC within 5 years of the GPCert exam date. Please contact ISVPS for further information – ISVPS.

Yes. Each PgC is a recognised higher education qualification as validated by Harper Adams University. The qualification represents Level 7 (Masters) within the QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It provides 60 transferable academic credits at this level. The qualifications are therefore, by definition, academically equivalent.

If you need to pause your studies, we have a dedicated team that will support and discuss the options that best suit you.

No. We understand that you are busy professionals and aim to be as flexible as possible.

Whilst we need advance notice if you are going to be unable to attend a particular module, we will make every effort to find you an alternative venue and date. If the alternative dates don’t suit, you can attend the missed module when the programme runs the following year. The only restriction is that you need to attend all of the taught modules before you can sit the relevant ISVPS examination.

After you have successfully obtained your Postgraduate Certificate you can apply for the RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status. This is subject to meeting all of the other entry requirements set out by the RCVS in the Applicant Guidance Notes.

The following programmes are recognised PgCs enabling you to apply for the RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status:

Small Animal Medicine, Small Animal Surgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Feline Practice, Exotic Animal Practice, Cardiology, Dentistry & Oral Surgery, Diagnostic Imaging and Emergency Medicine & Surgery.

* Currently the RCVS does not list Endoscopy & Endosurgery as a designated Advanced Practitioner subject so it is not possible to apply for the Advanced Practitioner Status. 

For Small Animal Medicine and Small Animal Surgery, there is an additional requirement for evidence of Professional Key Skills CPD, access to this will be provided at the end of your programme. There will be an additional fee to complete this with Harper Adams University, please contact us for more information.

For further information please see RCVS website.

All delegates will receive a subscription to Harper Adam’s online e-library providing access to 1,000s of scientific articles and abstracts.

Medicine delegates will be provided with Improve Veterinary Education’s Manual of Small Animal Medicine Vol 1 and 2 and Surgery delegates with Improve Veterinary Education’s Manual of Small Animal Surgery Vol 1 and 2.

The Improve Online Learning Platform provides access to a notes library, discussion forum and other study resources including webinars.

A dedicated Programme Coordinator will support every individual during their PgC programme to ensure a rewarding and successful learning journey.

ISVPS will provide support with assignments.

Improve’s modular training programmes have been developed over a period of 20 years and are taught by world-renowned experts in their field.  They successfully blend theoretical lectures with hands-on practical sessions where appropriate and delegates also have access to valuable online learning components.