One of our alumni, Dr Agata Witkowska MRCVS, has just completed the General Practitioner Certificate in Endoscopy. She is one of a growing number of vets who have completed more than one certificate – here’s why she decided to take a second certificate, and what she loved about her experience at Improve Veterinary Education.
Why I decided to take a veterinary postgraduate certificate
I qualified from the University of Nottingham in 2015 and began my first certificate within two years of graduating. As someone with a very keen exotic animal interest, but who was at the time unable to pursue an internship/residency, I thought this was my best option to advance my career in exotics. In addition, for the first few years I worked in practices filled with colleagues who either already possessed postgraduate qualifications or were actively pursuing them, so there was pressure for me to undertake one as well. I was offered and sought little advice on the subject, and this ultimately led me to starting my first certificate (a CertAVP) very early on in my career and led to quite a few academic failures.
My time at university was plagued with different challenges; as an immigrant coming from a low income, single-parent household I experienced immense financial struggles throughout vet school. I filled all my free time with part-time jobs, which left me with little time to pursue my studies. Ultimately, I was disappointed with my results. Whilst I was very glad to have passed most of my exams on first attempt, I always felt I could have done much better given more time and more financial freedom. This sense of self-failure was a subconscious motivator for pursuing further qualifications post-graduation. Despite the immense achievement that qualifying as a veterinary surgeon is, I always felt like I still had something to prove.
In addition, I have always enjoyed studying and attending lectures and classrooms. In some ways, pursuing a postgraduate qualification felt like a re-do of vet school, but this time I had a stable source of income and more autonomy. Writing this now it sounds quite self-conflicting, but this is what it felt like at the time.
My first postgraduate certificate – A CertAVP
My first certificate was a self-led Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice . I chose this option due to the perceived freedom of flexibility; there were no lectures to attend, and I was confident I could do all the research required myself. Unfortunately, my academic writing skills - which were heavily required for this type of postgraduate qualification - were very poor due to my split attention at university. In particular, my self-reflection left a lot to be desired, and I failed my very first module. This left me quite frustrated and ultimately led to me taking a break from further studies; a silent blessing in disguise which allowed me to gain more day-to-day veterinary and life experience.
When I felt ready to return to the certificate I requested coaching sessions on academic writing, and dedicated a lot of free time to research and practice. I started taking on a lot of requests for advice articles, wrote for hobbyist publications, and was honest about needing more help. I was very lucky to grow a supportive network of colleagues who were keen to offer feedback on my work.
My second postgraduate certificate – a GPCert/PgC in Endoscopy
Over time I found myself developing further interests in practice and became interested in pursuing another qualification; this time in endosurgery. This was quite a niche interest with limited endoscopy CPD available on the market. I had not finished my first certificate at this stage but had spent significant time improving my academic writing skills and was achieving much higher scores in my submissions. I therefore felt confident to tackle an additional challenge simultaneously and decided to take the GPCert/PgC in Endoscopy and Endosurgery.
The advantages of the Improve Veterinary Education postgraduate certificate programme
Due to the CPD limitations on the subject, a taught - rather than self-led - certificate felt like a good fit. I had recognised the immense challenges that come with self-led studying and learned that it was not the best fit for me.
"I had recognised the immense challenges that come with self-led studying and learned that it was not the best fit for me."
This was quite a freeing realisation, as throughout school and university I was offered little advice on learning styles, and it took me a long time to recognise mine. I can now appreciate why I have found certain studies so challenging; I’m a relatively poor listener with a short attention span and the material needs to be quite visual, quick and snappy. I learn more through doing than reading, so the practical sessions delivered in my second certificate were ideal. Sessions were split into short lectures with immediate practical follow-up, and I found this style of teaching a lot more enjoyable. Through a combination of this self-discovery and the experience I had gained through my failures it was no wonder I found these postgraduate exams a lot easier.
My advice for those considering postgraduate qualifications
With all these musings I feel the need to highlight that everyone’s postgraduate journey is different and there’s no way to do it right or wrong. Despite its difficulties, I am glad for mine – I stumbled many times but, in the end, feel satisfied I did my little ‘vet school re-do’ and worked on the skills I didn’t have time for at the time.
"Everyone’s postgraduate journey is different and there’s no way to do it right or wrong."
What is important is identifying your unique learning style and not forcing yourself into environments which are not a good fit; be that an internship or full-time work alongside postgraduate studies. It has been fantastic to see postgraduate qualifications become more accessible to the veterinary profession over the last decade, but it has also created an almost unspoken pressure for everyone to pursue one. It is very important to be honest with yourself about your motivation as it is a big commitment. Questions such as ‘what will this change for me?’ and ‘where do I see myself at the end of the studies?’ can be very helpful in identifying these motivations.
For many, postgraduate certificates can serve as a way of pursuing very structured CPD at something you recognise you’d like to get better at, but do not need to lead to RCVS Advanced Practitioner status. There’s simply no way to do it wrong.
What’s next for me?
As time has progressed, I have developed further interests in practice and am currently pursuing a third certificate in pain management. This has yet again offered a very different style of learning which I have found myself enjoying a lot. Another advantage of taking three certificates is how my own teaching style has changed – my varied experiences on courses have made me much more compassionate and a better teacher in practice. I find it easier to empathise when someone might be struggling and simply ask them how they prefer information to be relayed. In this way, I am able to work collaboratively with people and make learning a lot more enjoyable for all of us. I've booked onto a fourth certificate, too - this time in surgery!
Thank you Agata for your fascinating insight into your thought process when taking a certificate. It’s also so great to hear that you can take a second – or even third and fourth! – certificate, and get just as much out of it.
