This new award scheme provides an effective collaboration between key academic and research institutions, specialists working in practice, specialist divisions of the BVA and the RCVS Trust, which administers the Millenium Residencies.
The College and the trust recognise that the increasing problems facing British veterinary schools resulting from chronic under-funding have been especially severe in production animal medicine. Staff shortages and difficulties in finding sufficient case material are common to all six schools.
At the same time there are many specialist farm animal practices that have considerable expertise and abundant case material which potentially can make a profound contribution to the advancement of production animal medicine.
The Millenium Residencies have therefore been established, to harness these strengths and to foster partnerships between specialist practices and leading academic and research institutions, where there is a strong research base.
Millenium Residency positions are especially suitable for someone holding an RCVS Certificate in an appropriate field and wishing to study for a Diploma. Residency candidates from specialist practices will have arranged to work with a veterinary school or research laboratory - and similarly those from a veterinary school will have established collaboration with one or more specialist practitioners/practices. Residents follow a structured clinical and/or research programme.
The first 2 Millenium Residencies in Production Animal Medicine (1998-2000) have been awarded to: