Consultation launched on RCVS Fellowship
The college aims to expand the Fellowship to 5 per cent of the practising profession.
The RCVS is seeking the views of the veterinary profession on possible changes to the RCVS Fellowship. The college says it is aiming to give a wider range of vets a "realistic chance" of becoming a Fellow.
Professor Gary England developed the proposals alongside current Fellows. He said: "By widening the routes to Fellowship we want to enable a greater range of veterinary surgeons representing all facets of the profession, including those involved in clinical practice, to have a realistic chance of becoming a Fellow if their contribution to practice and the profession warrants it."
Currently, just 1 per cent of the practising profession are Fellows. Professor England says the aim is to increase this to 5 per cent, making the Fellowship more "dynamic".
He said this will "enable the college to make far more of the collective knowledge and experience than it currently does, to help advance veterinary science, possibly through the structure of the college’s charitable arm, RCVS Knowledge."
The two current routes of entry to the Fellowship are Fellowship by Thesis and Meritorious Contributions to Learning.
The Fellowship Working Party, formed in 2013, proposes to change this to: Meritorious Contribution to the Veterinary Profession, Meritorious Contribution to Knowledge and Meritorious Contribution to Clinical Practice.
Proposed changes will not affect the status of current Fellows. While the proposals suggest the award of Honorary Fellowship should be discontinued, the college says all existing Honorary Fellows will keep their titles.
Under the proposals, the RCVS says the Fellowship could develop into a learned society.
The consultation document can be downloaded from the RCVS website, or hard copies are available upon request.
Those who wish to respond can complete an online survey or fill in the questionnaire included in the consultation document. Responses must be received by Friday, July 4, 2014.
For further information or to request hard copies of the consultation document, call the RCVS Education Department on 0207 202 0791 or email education@rcvs.org.uk
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
