Vet students get heads for business
Students learn about commercial realities
The new extra mural business placement is being pioneered by the School for Veterinary Medicine and Science. As part of their final year students are being offered two weeks of hands on experience in the commercial world of clinical practice.
The placement takes a student through the process of finding an appropriate site and property to set up a new practice, utilising demographic software to determine the target client profile, assessing the competition and understanding the commercial considerations of running a successful business. The students then get the chance to look at how to equip the practice, get it ready to trade and put together their very own five year business plan.
The students also learn about the staff recruitment and development process, marketing initiatives as well as interpreting operational information, and management key performance indicators. Finally they will learn how to improve the performance of the business and get it ready for sale.
Professor Gary England, Foundation Dean of the School for Veterinary Medicine and Science, said: “We hope that many students will see the advantages of gaining a commercial perspective alongside their academic studies. We want our course to prepare students for when they qualify, rather than purely teach the science, this initiative expands the opportunities for our students and we will continue to look at ways we can challenge and support our students in their studies and beyond.”
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. 
