Along with their clinical roles, vets may engage in research and teaching activities. This research may take place in government, industry, or private laboratories, and a great deal of research is conducted in the academic setting. A clinical academic veterinary career offers many benefits, including exciting challenges, direct engagement with the latest breakthroughs in your field. This can mean life-long intellectual stimulation for those who are interested in driving advances in clinical practice.
The impact of veterinary research is broad. For example, food security is a significant area in which veterinary research takes place. Veterinary research plays a vital role in ensuring that food production meets demand while remaining safe to humans and ensuring the proper treatment of food animals.
Another key field of veterinary research is in the study and prevention of disease in humans. A disease which transfers between animals and humans is called a ‘zoonotic’ disease, and around 75% of all new diseases discovered in humans in the last twenty years are known to be zoonoses, or to have transferred from animals, most notably COVID-19. This puts veterinary researchers at the forefront of crucial work in virology, bacteriology, epidemiology, and population health.
A few of the many areas in which veterinary researchers work are:
- Reproductive biology – The study of reproduction in animals, including understanding environmental and nutritional influences.
- Neurosciences – The study of animal brain functions, encompassing the disciplines of neurology and neurosurgery.
- Genetics – The study of genetic structure in animals and how this affects heredity and variation. Involves many different disciplines in veterinary research.
- Microbiology, virology, pathology and immunity – The study of disease and infection in humans and animals.
- Bioinformatics – The use of computer technology to collect and analyse biological information. This area has seen significant growth in recent years.
- Comparative medicine – The study of both animal and human biology in order to determine parallels and translational approaches.
Essential Qualifications
The first step to becoming a clinical academic vet is to gain a veterinary degree. There are different types of undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine, more information about these can be found on the Veterinary Schools Council website.
The British Veterinary Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons provide advice on how to apply to Vet School to qualify as a Vet. Ideally this would lead to becoming a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
Historically, academic vets were expected to hold a specialist qualification allowing them to work and teach in a referral hospital. This is however changing, with a greater emphasis on clinical skills and primary care practice with vets being employed with the standard veterinary degree but with a particular interest in teaching.
Further Qualifications and experience
There are several additional qualifications that would benefit aspiring clinical academics. For example, an intercalated BSc includes one additional year of study, allowing the student to develop their interest in areas such as research. This could then be followed up with a postgraduate qualification such as an MSc or MRes in an area such as Veterinary Science. Although these additional qualifications provide great experience for those interested in clinical academia, they are not a prerequisite, and many successful clinical academics find a different path into research careers.
You would Ideally be expected to pursue a PhD or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (VetMD) qualification to become a clinical academic. There are many courses at schools across the UK, and it is important to research which programme is right for you.
Training and Development
When pursuing a clinical academic career, gaining appropriate experience is as important as gaining qualifications. Typically, progression is through internship and residency programmes. These also exist for vets wishing to specialise in private practice. As a vet interested in being a clinical academic it is important to take on these training schemes within a university where there is direct involvement with students and research. Such schemes would help if you wish to apply for Specialist status with the SRVC.
There is also the opportunity to apply for RCVS Fellowship for further experience and development.
Vets in research are also eligible to apply for the Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard, which is aimed at early career researchers who have limited funding, and the Sustain scheme supporting women in research.
Funding Opportunities
Research is expensive, and clinical academics will usually need to apply for sources of funding to support their work. The RCVS offers research funding, with details available on their website. They also provide a comprehensive list of external funding providers. Other funding is available through organisations such as the Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), or from industry grants, such as with the CVS Group. Research funding is generally very specific, so you will need to ensure you adequately research what options suit your interests.
Resources
The following links provide more information about clinical academic careers and training for vets.
- Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track
- European Board of Veterinary Specialisation
- The Academy of Medical Sciences – Starter grants
- The Royal Veterinary college (RVS)
- The University of Bristol
- The University of Cambridge
- The University of Glasgow
- The University of Liverpool
- The University of Nottingham
- The University of Surrey
- UKRI – Clinician Scientist Fellowships
- Vet Record Careers