UK practitioners' motivations and experiences of farm animal internship programmes

The role of farm animal veterinary surgeons in the UK is a diverse mix of individual animal treatment, herd health planning, preventative medicine and public health. Although historically large animal medicine was the basis for the veterinary profession, the rising urbanisation of the country and increase in companion animals has led to a change in veterinary careers post-graduation, with the 2019 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Survey of the Profession showing only 3.2% of veterinary surgeons working in farm or production animal practice (Robinson et al, 2019).

Recruitment and retention of veterinary surgeons in the farm animal sector is of vital importance to the health and welfare of animals and humans, helping to secure public health through stable food supply chains. Retaining veterinary surgeons involves addressing reasons that veterinary surgeons leave the profession (Adam et al, 2019), as well as supporting newly qualified practitioners to gain the skills and knowledge required for a robust and long-lasting professional career. Farm animal veterinary internships are one way for recent graduates to gain a supported and structured entry into the profession. These internships are offered by both university farm departments and some commercial practices, and they appear to be primarily aimed at new or recently graduated veterinary surgeons. There are no set requirements for farm animal veterinary internships; however, they usually advertise a gradual introduction into clinical practice and more support than is traditional for newly graduated vets. This may take the form of mentorship from a senior clinician in addition to an increase in continuous professional development compared with regular practice allowances. This internship model has been used more commonly in equine and small animal specialities and is normally a step required before specialisation in those fields.