The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is a world leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical practice.

We provide outstanding veterinary education at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, using an award winning curriculum, innovative teaching methods, and an interdisciplinary environment, for both our undergraduate and postgraduate students. Our undergraduate courses are accredited by:

* The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
* The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCV

S)
* The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies has Full Accreditation from AVMA. The last evaluation was in 2015, the next evaluation is scheduled for 2022. Our research spans all aspects of veterinary medicine, from molecules and genes through to animal and human populations. We aim to make a real difference through research which is directly relevant to the improvement of health and welfare of domestic animal species and the protection of public health. Our clinical services - Hospital for Small Animals, Small Animal Practice, Equine and Large Animal Practice - are among the most influential centres for clinical care in the UK, providing our students and researchers with the best possible training environment. You can also follow us on

Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/TheDickVet
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thedickvet
Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedickvet
Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/DickVetSchool

Are you considering a career as a veterinarian? Spaces remain on our Vet Medicine sessions during the afternoon of the 2...
01/06/2026

Are you considering a career as a veterinarian?

Spaces remain on our Vet Medicine sessions during the afternoon of the 22 June Open Day.

Book now to tour our campus, explore the facilities and chat with the admissions team: https://vet.ed.ac.uk/education/undergraduate/visits-events/open-days

We recommend you do not arrange other details of your trip until your booking is confirmed.

May is Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month, a time to champion the profession and highlight the knowledge, skills, and dedi...
29/05/2026

May is Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month, a time to champion the profession and highlight the knowledge, skills, and dedication of veterinary nurses everywhere.

We are incredibly proud of the veterinary nursing team at our small animal, equine and large animal hospitals and general practices.

These highly trained clinical professionals are compassionate caregivers and patient advocates and, alongside our clinicians, radiographers, physiotherapists, animal care assistants and other support staff, provide the highest standard of care for our patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our nurses also play a significant role training and supporting our undergraduate veterinary students.
Thank you to our vet nurses for everything that they do.



BVNA (The British Veterinary Nursing Association)
Dick Vet Equine
Dick Vet General Practice
Dick Vet Hospital for Small Animals
Dick Vet Rabbit and Exotic Practice
Dick Vet Farm Animal Practice

Vets and nurses from our Hospital for Small Animals have helped to organise a major veterinary conference in Edinburgh n...
27/05/2026

Vets and nurses from our Hospital for Small Animals have helped to organise a major veterinary conference in Edinburgh next month.

The European Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (EVECC) Congress, on 4-6 June, will bring together over 1,300 delegates and experts to share knowledge about the latest developments in this field.

As part of the local organising committee, six volunteers from the Hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care team have played a key part in logistics and planning.

Four staff members from our hospital will also speak on the main confernce programme and deliver a total of 10 lectures and panel sessions on their chosen fields. Pictured top row l-r, Dr Lynda Rutherford, joint head of the Hospital’s Surgery Service and Dr Ben Blacklock, Head of the Ophthalmology Service, bottom row l-r, Dr Joao Miguel de Frias from the Neurology Service, and Fiona Wilson, a VTS accredited emergency and critical care veterinary nurse.

Our campus will host several half-day practical events, including one by Dr Rutherford on abdominal and thoracic surgery.

See the programme for further details: https://www.evecc-congress.org/

Bobby, a playful young border terrier, is living his best life after a narrowed valve in his heart was widened by cardio...
21/05/2026

Bobby, a playful young border terrier, is living his best life after a narrowed valve in his heart was widened by cardiologists at our Hospital for Small Animals.

Bobby was referred to the Specialist-led Cardiology Service at eight months old, because he was collapsing daily after exercise.

Echocardiography (heart scan) confirmed that Bobby had severe pulmonic stenosis, a condition where the pulmonary valve in the heart is stenotic (narrowed), significantly restricting blood flow through the heart and lungs.

The team recommended that Bobby undergo balloon valvuloplasty. This specialised procedure mirrors a procedure performed in human medicine.

A small balloon-tipped catheter was guided via Bobby’s jugular vein into his heart under general anaesthetic. The balloon was then gently inflated to widen his faulty valve and improve blood flow from his heart, before being removed.

The procedure was a success, and Bobby was discharged the following day. Bobby has not suffered a collapse since his procedure and after a month of restricted exercise, is very active, his owner reports.

She said, “Bobby’s collapsing episodes started when he was just four months old; he was unable to run without collapsing. The cardiology procedure has made such a difference to his quality of life. He will need to remain on lifelong medication, but is now able to run and play with other dogs, and his zoomies are no longer a huge worry for me.”

She added, “The cardiology team has been fantastic. The care they have provided for Bobby has been second to none and he loves his visits to the hospital. They have made such a difference to Bobby's overall wellbeing.”

Pets with pulmonic stenosis usually have it from birth. If not corrected, it can lead to congestive heart failure and even sudden death. The Cardiology Service at the Hospital for Small Animals is one of only a few that can offer balloon valvuloplasty to dogs such as Bobby.

As Scotland’s largest veterinary cardiology service, the team offer an exceptional level of care and expertise that gives referring vets and pet owners confidence and peace of mind.

Empathy and compassion in One Health: Perspectives across disciplines, species and ecosystemsDovecot Studios, 28-29 Sept...
20/05/2026

Empathy and compassion in One Health: Perspectives across disciplines, species and ecosystems

Dovecot Studios, 28-29 Sept 2026
£175

This conference will host international leaders and experts from the Global Empathy in Healthcare Network, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh’s Global Compassion and Empathy Initiative. This is the inaugural event of the Edinburgh Empathy Place, an initiative of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and forms part of the Edinburgh Medical School 300 celebrations.

For more information and to book a place, visit our website: https://edin.ac/3Oahj3B

We have a strong line-up of veterinary surgeons and nurses speaking at the Vet Trust Conference on 2-3 June. The highly ...
20/05/2026

We have a strong line-up of veterinary surgeons and nurses speaking at the Vet Trust Conference on 2-3 June. The highly skilled group will be sharing their knowledge and expertise across the equine, practice and nurse streams at the two-day event in Stirling.

Pictured left to right, starting from top row
• Dr Claudia Hartley will deliver two talks on ocular changes in horses
• Dr John Keen will present ‘Equine cardiology – when do I worry?’
• Dr Rob Kelly will speak about how practices can support the development of new graduates
• Fiona McDowall RVN will deliver a talk called ‘Neurodiversity awareness and the workplace’
• Jennifer Marshall RVN will present ‘Using capnography to make sustainable decisions'
• Lindsey Ashburner RVN will give a presentation on ‘RECOVER-guided basic life support'.

See the programme for further details: https://vettrust.co.uk/2026-conference/

🐕‍🦺 Faces of the Dick Vet 🐕‍🦺 In the next of the series introducing people from the School, we caught up with Alexis, a ...
18/05/2026

🐕‍🦺 Faces of the Dick Vet 🐕‍🦺

In the next of the series introducing people from the School, we caught up with Alexis, a fourth-year undergraduate student, to share some reflections on their time at the Dick Vet.

🌍️ From: I’m from Kansas, United States of America, and completed my first degree in my hometown at Kansas State University.

🐮 Hobbies/clubs/societies while at vet school: I have many - RDVC Ladies Rugby Club, Dick Vet Volleyball, International Vet Student Association, Edinburgh Farm Animal Society, SAVMA and I am the Veterinary Information Network representative at the School!

📖 Favourite subject: The Dog and Cat course in year three takes the cake. It was the course that started tying everything together and made me feel like a baby vet.

🏉 Most memorable experience as a Dick Vet student so far: The ladies' rugby team beating Glasgow vet school on Dick Day with a crowd of our classmates!

🌟 Favourite thing about studying in Edinburgh: Everywhere I turn there is a beautiful building and hundreds of years of history; it’s so easy to become lost in the moment.

🧑‍🎓 Plans after graduation: I can't choose one type of medicine, so I will be joining one of Western Veterinary Partners' mixed animal practices in Oregon.

💎 Top tip for new veterinary students: Join an interest club and maybe a sports club too! It's the best way to meet people outside of your year.

Find out about undergraduate vet study at https://edin.ac/4cfXpNJ

There's still time to sign up for the Postgraduate Online Learning Open Days on 19-21 May.Discover how our online study ...
13/05/2026

There's still time to sign up for the Postgraduate Online Learning Open Days on 19-21 May.

Discover how our online study packages can be tailored to your interests and fit around busy lives.

The School offers subjects from advanced clinical practice to wildlife forensics. Browse the schedule by choosing "veterinary medicine" to see all the subjects we offer.

Sign up: https://edin.ac/4tn1vcK

A practical online short course has been designed to help sustainably manage haemonchosis using the FAMACHA scoring met...
12/05/2026

A practical online short course has been designed to help sustainably manage haemonchosis using the FAMACHA scoring method.

The course, Sustainable control of haemonchosis in UK livestock grazing systems, lets participants gain valuable knowledge to integrate control strategies and support animal health and effective gut worm control across UK flocks and herds.

Benefits of this online short course:

- Access modules anytime, at your own pace

- Inclusive course fee of £60

- Supports sustainable parasite health planning for sheep, goats and camelids

- Training manual and video case studies

- Two FAMACHA cards.

This course is designed for vets, farmers, livestock keepers and animal health professionals, including suitably qualified persons (SQPs) authorised to sell anti-parasitic treatments.

Vets can sign up now, with the course opening to others in late June.

If you're involved in livestock health and want to strengthen your parasite control strategies, this course offers a valuable addition to your skills.

Find out more: https://edin.ac/4uyNjh9

Born to farm, trained to practice. Morayshire farmer-vet Hugh Thomson shares his journey, from his family farm to studyi...
08/05/2026

Born to farm, trained to practice.

Morayshire farmer-vet Hugh Thomson shares his journey, from his family farm to studying at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and beyond. Inspired by the vital role of local vets, Hugh set out to build a career that could support his own farm and the wider farming community.

From his time at the University of Edinburgh to his work in farm practice across the UK, Hugh highlights the breadth of opportunities within rural veterinary medicine.

With farm vets in strong demand and a range of career pathways available, rural practice offers a rewarding way to stay connected to farming while continuing to learn and develop.

To read more about Hugh’s career, visit https://edin.ac/3OR23ZX

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Easter Bush Campus
Edinburgh
EH259RG

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