Clinical Rotation | Welcome

We’re delighted you’ve chosen to complete your Clinical Rotation with us.

This page has everything you need to help you get started, from how to find us and our opening hours to what to expect during your time with the team. We want your placement to be a valuable and enjoyable experience, giving you the opportunity to build confidence, develop practical skills and see a wide range of cases across our practices.

If you have any questions before your placement begins, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’re here to help and make sure you feel prepared from day one.

We look forward to welcoming you to the team. 🐾

Getting here

You are expected to arrive before 11:30 am on Saturday (as we close at 12:30 pm). Later arrivals (3 pm) can be accommodated if organised more than 2 weeks prior to start date.

Before your placement

If for any reason you are unable to attend, please let us know by email and call the surgery on 01575 572643.

Arrival and first day

Please arrive at the surgery on Saturday between 9:30am and 11:30am. If you have arranged a later arrival, you may arrive at 3:00pm by prior agreement at least two weeks before your placement.

If you arrive before 11:30am, come into Reception and a member of the team will introduce you to the nursing team. If you are arriving at 3:00pm, please call the mobile number provided in your email.

All placements begin on a Saturday to give you time to settle in and support the on-call vet with any inpatients over the weekend.

Accommodation

You will be staying in the flat above the practice. Bex’s video tour further down the page gives you a proper look at the practice and the flat.

Your room

The flat above the practice is very spacious, and you will have your own room with a double bed. We are happy to provide bedding and cleaning products, but you will need to bring your own towels.
You’re welcome to use anything you find in the flat.

Kitchen and bathroom

A microwave is available in the small kitchen.
The bathroom in the flat has a bath with a shower head. However, there is also a shower and a second toilet next to the staff room. Please keep these facilities clean and tidy, as they are used by the rest of the team as well.
Please note that the fire alarm is sensitive in the area at the top of the stairs.

Laundry

There is a washing machine in the flat. The machines downstairs are typically used for dog beds and dirty parlour tops, so the flat’s washing machine should be cleaner for your clothes. You are welcome to use the tumble dryer downstairs.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi password is thrumsmagic2012.
Wi-Fi reception is not the best, but it seems to work best in the staff room upstairs.
If the Wi-Fi extender in the flat is not working (indicated by a red light on the left), try plugging it into a different socket. It usually starts working properly again after a few days.

Other bits

There is a TV, though it may not always work properly.
You will receive a back-door key to the practice. Please do not lose it, as there are no spare keys.

Alarm system

The building has an alarm system, with the control panel located at the bottom of the stairs just inside the back door. Normally, the alarm is not set while students are staying in the flat. The cleaners usually come in around 5.30pm and stay until about 9.30pm. The cleaners and the duty vets will generally lock the external doors at night. If you hear noises downstairs, it is most likely the duty vet entering to attend to an emergency. You may also hear the beep of the back door. Drug deliveries may arrive in the early hours, but they will only have access to the large animal pharmacy area.

Before you leave

The flat must be cleaned and tidied before you leave so it is ready for the next student. An inspection will take place on the Friday before your departure. If you notice any damage or issues during your stay, please report this to Abbie on 07718278724.

Daily schedule

Each day, one student can be assigned to large animal work and the other to small animal. You can decide this between yourselves or take turns each day.

8:00 am: Nurses arrive and begin organising the patients. Please help if there are a lot of patients, as they will need to be taken out for walks in the morning.

8:25–8:30am:

The small animal student should meet the team in the prep room at the ops board to organise the morning and coordinate with the day’s procedures.
Admits begin.
If not arranged the day before, vets can organise for you to join large animal calls – please meet in the vets’ office.

9:00 am: Operations begin, sometimes a little later. Large animal visits usually start as the vet sets off. Consultations take place throughout the morning.

Afternoon

Consultations and large animal calls continue throughout the afternoon. There are also consultations at the Forfar branch – you can ask the attending vet if you would like to accompany them.

4:45pm: Liaise with the vets and nurses regarding any inpatient care for the night. You do not need to stay for the 5:00pm–6:45pm consultations, but you are very welcome to if you wish.

Out of hours and duties

During your placement, you will assist with out-of-hours care alongside our on-call vet.
We ask all EMS students to take part in out-of-hours duties as part of the experience.
This is a great opportunity to become more comfortable with inpatient care ready for post-grad life, ask questions, think about the care plans made and let us know if there is anything you are unsure about.

Be prepared for varied days and a mix of cases
Ask questions and get involved as much as possible – we’ll support you, but make sure you take opportunities and get stuck in
Make the most of the out-of-hours experience
Always have your waterproofs ready, day and night
Have lunch prepared if you may be out on calls the next day
Dress for the weather and practical work

Good to know

Please avoid getting locked in the walk-in kennels. If this happens, there is a hook (an old coat hanger) that can be used to open the door.
The employee code for Robovet is student. To open attachments, double-click on them. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask any of the team. They’re happy to help.
Poo bags should be disposed of in the black bins located to the left past the kennels outside.
The nurses would greatly appreciate it if you could help with the laundry buildup by putting washing into the machines. Parlour tops and waterproofs should be washed in the machine located in the large animal outdoor store.
Large animal calls can be found on the Thrums Day Book, which is available on most computers in the practice. There is also a large screen in the vets’ back office displaying it in a larger format.
If you would like to accompany a vet on a particular visit, please let the appropriate vet know.
The vet on call can be reached at 01575 574404. Many of the vets also leave their personal numbers on the whiteboard when they are on call.
Please leave your phone numbers on the whiteboard in the prep room so that the vets can contact you if necessary.
Always check with the nurses before 5pm regarding inpatients.