Equine Residency

The Royal Veterinary College offers several residencies that are world-renowned training programmes for veterinary specialisation.

These residencies are open to qualified veterinary graduates with appropriate experience (typically a one year rotating internship and/or a period of time in first opinion equine practice) who wish to specialise in specific disciplines related to equine practice.  Residencies in equine surgery, equine medicine, equine sports medicine and rehabilitation and large animal diagnostic imaging are three or four year programmes approved by the relevant specialist college from the European or American Board of Veterinary Specialisation. You will also be registered for the degree of Master in Veterinary Medicine (MVetMed), which you will complete during the residency. You will progress through a structured training programme consisting of specialist clinical training based at the RVC’s Equine Referral Hospital, and academic, scholarly and applied clinical research training structured through the MVetMed degree based at the RVC’s Hawkshead Campus.

Two surgery, two medicine, one sports medicine and rehabilitation and two large animal diagnostic imaging residents are completing their training in the hospital at any given time so positions are not available every year. Available positions start during the first week of July each year and can be found under residencies available.

All programmes are three or four year training programmes that are approved by the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Surgery, the European College of Equine Internal Medicine, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animals), the European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. The programmes are designed to enable residents to fulfil the credential requirements of the respective specialist college so that the resident is eligible to sit that colleges' diploma examination at the end of the training period and be recognised as a veterinary specialist.

Residents are supported by a team of ten European/American and RCVS recognised specialists in the Equine Referral Hospital (four surgery specialists, four medicine specialists and two large animal diagnostic imaging specialist). There is also extensive specialist support in related disciplines at the RVC including anaesthesia, ophthalmology, dermatology, cardiology and gross and clinical pathology. Residents rotate through clinical services relevant to their chosen area of study, training rotations in related subjects and through research training blocks. Residents work under supervision throughout and are given increasing responsibility as they gain experience during the programme.

Residents work as an integral part of RVC Equine's clinical teams and are intimately involved with the Hospital’s clinical, teaching and research activities. Career routes of equine residents after completion of the programmes include specialist clinical work in private practice, in university teaching hospitals, in the industry and further research training (PhD) to become a clinical scientist.   

Dates for 2025 Equine Residency applications

What Qualifications Do I need?

You must be eligible for full Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), this includes meeting the RCVS English language requirements. You must organise and pay for this yourself. Applicants must be an MRCVS by the date the Residency starts, and ideally by the date of application and interview.

You will also need to:

  • Hold a veterinary degree which is registrable by the RCVS and provide certificate and transcripts
  • Confirm you have the right to study in the UK. 
  • Students classified as "Overseas" with regards to tuition fees are very welcome to apply for the residency. We are keen to find the best candidates regardless of their nationality and have had occasional Overseas residents. Candidates should note that funding models for this programme are weighted towards "Home" fee candidates, so when candidates are equal, residencies will be offered to applicants eligible for "Home" fees. To help determine whether you would be eligible for "Home" fees please see the UKCISA's 'Who pays 'home' fees for higher education in England?' guide found here.
  • Confirm how you meet the English language requirements, and if applicable submit your English language test results (see below)
  • Provide evidence of:
    • Work you have undertaken in a veterinary practice
    • Any postgraduate qualifications, with certificates
    • Your experience of research
    • Published any papers or conference presentations
    • Previous visits to the RVC
    • Completion of an internship programme (minimum duration 12 months) or similar experience in practice

Some of the Residency disciplines require additional qualifications and experience which you will find in the web pages relevant to that residency.

English Language Requirement

You must be able to communicate clearly in English, both verbally and in writing. If you are not exempt from proving your English language proficiency, you must take an IELTS (Academic) test (or equivalent). 

We require an overall score of 7 in IELTS (Academic) with no component below 6.5. A certified copy of your IELTS test result should be submitted with your application. The test result must have been obtained within 2 years of the start date of the course.  Applications that do not satisfy these criteria will not be considered for shortlisting.

Foreign language applicants are encouraged to practice as a veterinary surgeon in the UK for at least one year prior to application.

Please see a list of English qualifications we will accept as alternatives to IELTS.

What individual attributes do I need?

The programme is designed for highly motivated veterinary professionals who wish to specialise in a specific clinical field whose goals include:

  • To achieve advanced development of their veterinary skills
  • To gain experience and knowledge by working under supervision in a multi-disciplinary referral hospital.

What attributes do you need to demonstrate to join the programme?

  • Willingness to work hard
  • Highly developed organisational and time management skills
  • Ability to cope under pressure
  • A positive attitude at all times
  • Desire to take part in advancing veterinary science
  • Ability to work with a range of people including veterinary students, senior clinicians and nursing and support staff
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate well with other team members, clients, and referring veterinary surgeons
  • Have the patience to teach and guide veterinary undergraduate students

How to Apply

For details see How to Apply.

Admissions Policy & Procedures

Further information on the recruitment procedure can be found here.

The programmes in medicine, surgery and diagnostic imaging run for three years and are designed to meet the requirements of the relevant European and American Specialist Colleges.

Please see the respective websites for further information on specific requirements:

Visiting the RVC ERH

We strongly recommend that applicants visit prior to application and spend a day with the clinical services. Informal meetings with available members of the clinical teams will be arranged during the visit.

To arrange a visit, please contact Bettina Dunkel (bdunkel@rvc.ac.uk) with your preferred date.

If you are a graduated veterinarian living outside the UK who is planning to apply for a Clinical Training Residency and wish to visit please contact  Bettina Dunkel (bdunkel@rvc.ac.uk). If you are unable to visit you are still encouraged to apply to the programme. You will be able to visit the facilities if you are invited for interview.

General

If you would like to know more, the following links may be useful:

RVC Equine        

Postgraduate study options at the RVC 

If you have any specific queries, please contact one of the directors of the Equine Residency, who are:

For General Residency application enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team at admissions@rvc.ac.uk 

Annual Leave

The annual leave entitlement is 25 days inclusive of bank holidays; however, timing needs to be coordinated with the hospital’s needs and fellow residents. Further details can be found in the Code of Practice (see below).

Assessment

Constructive feedback will be provided both informally and formally throughout the programme. Your clinical and academic progress will be assessed on an individual basis. Each resident has a formal appraisal after the first and second year to track progress, and to ensure that all learning objectives are completed and requirements for board certification are met.  Please click here for Assessment and Award Regulations.

Code of Practice

All residents must adhere and abide by the Royal Veterinary College. The Code of Practice can be found under Essential Information in the Graduate School.

Stipend

Current information on stipend can be found under Funding Options.

FAQs

You may also find these FAQs helpful

2025 Residencies

Equine Residencies - internal medicine and diagnostic imaging

These residencies are open to qualified veterinary graduates with appropriate experience (typically a one year rotating internship and/or a period of time in first opinion equine practice) who wish to specialise in specific disciplines related to equine practice.

Equine Residency – Internal Medicine

The residency is open to qualified veterinary graduates with appropriate experience (typically a one year rotating internship and/or a period of time in first opinion equine practice) who wish to specialise in specific disciplines related to equine practice. For 2025, we have one residency in Equine Internal Medicine opening. The programme is approved by the relevant specialist college from the European or American Board of Veterinary Specialisation. You will also be registered for the degree of Master in Veterinary Medicine (MVetMed), which you will complete during the residency. You will progress through a structured training programme consisting of specialist clinical training based at the RVC’s Equine Referral Hospital, and academic, scholarly and applied clinical research training structured through the MVetMed degree based at the RVC’s Hawkshead Campus.

For an informal discussion about this residency please contact Dr Bettina Dunkel, Head of RVC Equine and Professor in Equine Internal Medicine, Emergency and Critical Care (bdunkel@rvc.ac.uk)    

Equine Residency – Large Animal Diagnostic Imaging

The residency is open to qualified veterinary graduates with appropriate experience (typically a one year rotating internship and/or a period of time in first opinion equine practice) who wish to specialise in specific disciplines related to equine practice. For 2025, we have one residency in Large Animal Diagnostic Imaging opening. The programme is approved by the relevant specialist college from the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation. You will also be registered for the degree of Master in Veterinary Medicine (MVetMed), which you will complete during the residency. You will progress through a structured training programme consisting of specialist clinical training based at the RVC’s Equine Referral Hospital, and academic, scholarly and applied clinical research training structured through the MVetMed degree based at the RVC’s Hawkshead Campus.

For an informal discussion about this residency please contact Dr Dagmar Berner, Senior Lecturer in Equine Diagnostic Imaging (dberner@rvc.ac.uk)

Tuition Fees

All Clinical Training Residencies are fully funded.

  • As a resident a scholarship will be awarded for your fees 
  • A stipend will be paid monthly in arrears. Currently the stipend is £24,500 per annum (subject to review)

The tuition fees (which are covered by your department) are as follows:

Year commencing course Home Tuition Fees including Island Fees (Channel Islands & Isle of Man) International Fees
2021/22 £9,000 £27,380
2022/23 £9,000 £28,750

Tuition fee amounts are subject to increase each academic year.

Funding Options

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