Synergy Farm Health is a farm animal only practice - if you are in your ‘preparatory phase’ of EMS ( first 6 weeks) we are happy for you to come and ‘see practice’ with us for a maximum 2 week period. However, if you know that you definitely don't want to do farm work then this may not be the practice for you! In the next 20 week ‘practical phase’ we become the base practice for students who have a particular enthusiasm for farm work.

Our hope is that we will identify exceptional students with an interest in farm animal work who may wish to join us on qualifying.

The EMS co-ordinators in the practice are vet Mark Burnell and Jo Masters. Please contact Jo (jo.masters@synergyfarmhealth.com) with any requests to ‘see practice’. If you have not been to us before please support your application with a letter from a suitable referee outlining

• how they know you and what farm experience you have already had
• whether they think you are enthusiastic about farm animals and could have a future in farm animal practice

If we can fit you in for mutually convenient dates we will ask you to fill in the form on the website outlining at what stage you are in your course, what previous ‘seeing practice’ experience you have and what your objectives are for your time with us. We will also ask you for a ‘mugshot’ so that all the vets can recognise you. We kindly ask all EMS students to work through the ‘EMS Driving Licence’ and present this on arrival. See here for more details on EMS

LOGISTICS

Our practice covers a big area and vets mostly go direct to their first calls from home. Some students have accommodation available with family/friends in the area, otherwise we may be able to try and help you find something suitable. Having your own transport is essential as it may be that you have to meet up with the vet at his first call of the day.

ON ARRIVAL

One of the vets will try to meet you at 8-30 on your first morning at the practice. We will have a brief chat about objectives and plans for your stay and will try to form a (flexible) program to ensure you get exposure to as much of the different aspects of our work as possible (including some time with one of our paraprofessionals).

If you are in the ‘preparatory phase’ of EMS you will be much more of an observer during your stay and it is important that you get to see how all aspects of the practice work from stock control and invoicing to laboratory and clinical work. We will of course try and make sure you get to do some ‘hands on’ stuff as well!

In the ‘practical phase’ of your EMS we will try and help you develop skills learned at university further. You will also be encouraged to carry out a ‘herd investigation’ of some sort which will may some data crunching and/or reading up. If possible we will try and find time for you to present your findings to the client and/or the vets at one of our clinical clubs.

At the end of each week we will have a feedback session (both ways!) to see if you have achieved at least some of your objectives, what we thought of you and how you think we can help you further. Any necessary paperwork can be completed for your tutor at this time in the last week.

FUNDING

We would encourage any students in the ‘practical phase’ of EMS to consider an ‘EMS vacation research scholarship’. These can be up to £1000 and applications for 2011 can be made from October 2010 further details from RCVS Trust 020 7202 0714 or e mail info@ rcvstrust.org.uk We can help you do a small research project (but give us plenty of warning!) and the money may help with accommodation and travel.