When Should You Start a Postgraduate Certificate? Signs You’re Ready for Veterinary Postgraduate Training
Life as a general practitioner (GP) can be tough, and many vets are choosing to ‘semi-specialise’ by taking veterinary postgraduate training instead of remaining as a true GP. While you can’t become an RCVS Specialist with a certificate, you can become an Advanced Practitioner, work in a referral centre, or take internal referrals so that you can see more of the cases you enjoy (and less of the ones you don’t!).
But how do you know if you’re ready for postgraduate training? What sort of eligibility requirements are there for veterinary postgraduate certificates? And how do you know if you have enough time to study?
Do you actually need further qualifications?
The first thing to consider is whether you actually need postgraduate qualifications. Sometimes, studying for a certificate seems like the next logical step, but that doesn’t make it right for everyone, and it’s perfectly acceptable to remain as a GP vet forever – or at least for a bit longer. A certificate is a big undertaking, and you’ll need to dedicate a lot of time and effort. Before you embark on veterinary postgraduate training, consider what it’ll mean for your career, your job prospects, and your quality-of-life. If you need help planning your veterinary career development, consider talking to our CPD advisors, who can do a skills gap analysis and advise you on the best routes to take.
5 signs you’re ready for veterinary postgraduate training
1. You feel confident in your job now, and want to stretch yourself further
The first few months after graduating are hard. The learning curve in clinical practice is insane, and new graduate vets are constantly struggling to keep up and learning new things. But, you do eventually reach a point where you’re confident with your day-to-day routine as a vet. You know what’s what with most work-ups, but you still pass on those more tricky cases. If that’s the case, you might be ready to take on a certificate to help you progress your skills so you can take on new challenges.
2. You’re bored of seeing vaccinations, and want to shift the balance towards more interesting cases
A totally different, but related, motivation for getting a postgraduate certificate is if you’re bored of the bread and butter. If you find yourself dreading the same old consults day after day, you might be ready to take veterinary postgraduate training and work towards a certificate. With a certificate, your colleagues will pass more interesting cases on to you, and you’ll have less time for the day-to-day consults you dread.
3. You’re thinking of getting a new job
One of the funny things about vets is that we have worked so hard to get where we are, following a defined path of exams, that when we’re left to our own devices we get a bit lost. If you like your job and your colleagues but you’re still thinking about getting a new job, could it be because you’re looking for the next challenge? It’s quite common for vets to feel like they want to move practice after a couple of years, when actually it comes back to the first and second points – you’re getting bored, and you need the adrenaline rush of the next exam cycle. Sound familiar? You’re ready for veterinary postgraduate training.
4. You’re suffering with imposter syndrome and feel a qualification would help
Imposter syndrome is so common in our profession, but it’s also under-recognised. If you feel yourself constantly surprised that clients trust you, or feel like you’re ‘making things up as you go along’, or feel like every case would surely be better with another vet, or that you got here by accident – that’s imposter syndrome. You’re far more capable than you know, but sometimes it’s easier to quieten that little voice in the back of your head with a postgraduate qualification. If the qualification itself doesn’t do it, the increased respect from your colleagues and the amazing feeling of achievement can certainly help!
5. You’ve got the time to dedicate to it
Taking a postgraduate certificate is no easy task, and you’ll need to dedicate time to both the actual teaching and self-study. Therefore, one consideration as to whether you’re ready for veterinary postgraduate training is whether you’ve got the time. How much time you need varies between certificates, whether you need to factor in transport, and depending how much revision you normally need to help things stick. You should plan to study for several hours a week, and to keep this up for 12-18 months, or sometimes more. If you think you’re ready to commit that time, you’re probably ready to tackle a veterinary postgraduate qualification. This is even more true if your ‘five-year plan’ involves kids – sometimes it’s easier to get your certificate first!
Conclusion
Veterinary postgraduate training isn’t for everyone, but a huge proportion of vets do decide to take further qualifications – even sometimes multiple certificates. If you feel ready, why not browse our veterinary postgraduate certificates to see if there’s something you’d like to tackle? Alternatively, you could schedule a free call with our trained CPD advisors for advice on your professional development and more help deciding if you’re ready to take on further qualifications.
