Support needs of veterinary surgeons during the first few years of practice: perceptions of recent graduates and senior partners

Abstract

Postal surveys or personal interviews of 76 recent veterinary graduates and their 49 employers were undertaken to establish their perceptions of good practice when integrating a new graduate into a business and their preferred methods of assessment and development. Practice type and location were the main influences on graduates looking for their first job. Interviews were mostly informal. Employers expected basic veterinary competence and candidates expected good quality support. Most graduates (93 per cent) had their own consultations on the first day. During early consultations 2 per cent of senior vets accompanied the new graduate, 95 per cent of practices provided senior back-up either in person or by telephone but in 3 per cent no back-up was available. Most new graduates (90 per cent) were satisfied with their workload. Three-fifths were on-call within the first week, and 95 per cent within a month. Graduates received calls directly in 45 per cent of practices, in 9 per cent seniors screened the calls, and the remainder used a third party. Assistance from experienced lay staff varied greatly. Discussion of problems was mainly informal. There was little spontaneous feedback and problems resulted from inadequate communication. One in three new graduates left their first job within two years, and one in six identified lack of support, heavy workload, stress or clashes with staff as a primary reason. This high turnover was a problem for employers. From the new graduates' perspectives, initial problems included: being on call (59 per cent), financial aspects (47 per cent) and surgery (43 per cent). Communicating with clients and learning to prioritise jobs were also difficult. New graduates took longer over procedures (79 per cent of employers commented) and required extra back-up (91 per cent) both of which reduced income (59 per cent). Nearly all the seniors felt that their current new graduates had coped 'quite well', although it was claimed that new graduates lacked the ability to talk to clients at the appropriate level, wanted to bring all their scientific knowledge to bear on every case, and often failed to consider the obvious or to appreciate clients' needs. Only 18 per cent of practices had formal and regular review procedures but all monitored the response of clients and watched the new graduate perform. Feedback to their new colleague was considered 'adequate' by 85 per cent of seniors, although 45 per cent of graduates felt they had not received enough. Eighty-three per cent of new graduates felt 'moderately prepared' by their undergraduate course, and 76 per cent of senior vets were 'generally satisfied' Both wanted improvements in extramural studies and increased exposure to routine cases. Senior partners sought greater commitment in the undergraduate curriculum to financial/legal issues and communication skills. Over a third of employers (38 per cent) had a 'great influence' on the choice of continuing professional development courses for their recent graduates. New graduates chose courses to de...

Which professional (non-technical) competencies are most important to the success of graduate veterinarians? A Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) systematic review: BEME Guide No. 38

“…Several surveys of UK graduates (Riggs et al 2001;Routly et al 2002;) provided consistent though lower-quality evidence that dealing with financial aspects of practice, client communication, and managing time and volume of work (prioritising) are significant problems for new graduates in the transition to work.…”

New graduates’ conceptions of and approaches to veterinary professional practice, and relationships to achievement during an undergraduate internship programme

“…These programmes are designed to develop the attributes required for graduates to make a rapid transition to independent practice after graduation. Surveys reveal that new graduates experience a varying period of adjustment before practicing effectively as entry level professionals (Heath 1997;Heath and Mills 1999;Riggs et al 2001;Routly et al 2002). This suggests that the quality of graduates' transition to entry level professional autonomy may differ from that intended by veterinary educators.…”

“…Although some graduates demonstrate a rapid transition to professional autonomy, others require significant and prolonged support to meet the requirements of their role (Heath and Mills 1999;Riggs et al 2001;Routly et al 2002).…”

The Evidence Base for Developing a Veterinary Business Management Curriculum

“…It is mostly discussed in papers published in the early 2000s but the need to improve client communications remains a key non-technical competency addressed by the literature. In a survey of recent graduates and senior partners Routly et al (2002) found that, in addition to more practical experience, many senior veterinarians listed a greater commitment in undergraduate training to financial/legal skills and communication skills. This sentiment was echoed by the recent graduates surveyed.…”