We have created this information sheet to ensure that your time doing EMS with us is as beneficial as possible and to minimise any uncertainties you may have about what is expected of you.
- You are expected to arrive before 11:30 am on Saturday (as we close at 12:30 pm). If you don’t drive, you can take a train or bus from Edinburgh to Dundee, then a bus from Dundee Bus Station, which is approximately a 15-minute walk from the train station. The Stagecoach bus 20 runs roughly every hour and stops just across from the practice in Kirriemuir.
- Single tickets are £6.40 or you can buy a DayRider pass from £8.50 or other multi ride tickets. Please see the Stagecoach website for further information.
- 8:30 am – 7:00 pm Monday to Friday and 9:00 am – 12:30 pm on Saturdays. Sundays and nights are reserved solely for emergencies.
- We expect you to come downstairs around 8:15 am to assist the nurses with inpatient care, including walking dogs, helping to clean the kennels, and managing the laundry.
- You may go upstairs for lunch, which is generally between 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, unless you are out on calls.
- Please liaise with the nurses between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm for the evening handover of inpatients, as the nurses are typically on shift until 6:00 pm.
- You are expected to assist with inpatients and emergencies outside of regular hours, so at least one student should always be contactable.
As you are aware, we will not be charging for accommodation. In return, we expect your assistance with inpatient care during nights and weekends. While we are open to discussing the following terms, we would like to establish the following expectations:
Student responsibilities
- Supervision: Students must remain responsible to the nurses and the duty vet at all times.
- Daytime tasks: Before performing any tasks (e.g., inserting IVs, monitoring anaesthesia, or carrying out clinical/procedural activities), please consult the nurses.
- Critical care patients: If there are critical care patients hospitalised overnight or on weekends, at least one student should be present on the premises most of the time, or as deemed appropriate by the duty vet.
- Animal care: Students will be responsible for walking dogs regularly to relieve themselves, cleaning litter trays, and ensuring general animal welfare.
Out of hours duties
- Toilet breaks: You will need to take dogs outside for toilet breaks throughout the day and evening. Poo bags are available in the kennels—please always use them.
- Leash and walking: Patients should always be taken out with a slip lead (not their kennel lead) and walked within the surgery grounds.
- Medication and monitoring: You may be asked to administer medications, set up fluids, or simply feed and monitor patients.
- Documentation: Please ensure that hospital sheets are updated whenever you perform any tasks.
- Free time: If there are no inpatients, you are free to explore the surrounding areas. However, at least one student should remain close by and be available to assist the duty vet in case of an emergency. There may be no patients at lunchtime on Saturday, but by Sunday night, there could be several!
- Nighttime emergencies: Emergencies can occur at any time, even in the middle of the night. If there is more than one student staying, please coordinate with others to take turns being “on-call” during the night.
- The flat must be cleaned and tidied before you leave. An inspection will take place on the Friday before your departure. If any items are damaged, you must report them to Nicola or Ashley.
- The flat above the practice is very spacious, and you will have your own room with either a single or double bed. We are happy to provide bedding and cleaning products, but you will need to bring your own towels.
- Wi-Fi reception is not the best, but it seems to work best in the staff room upstairs.
- 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.
- There is a TV, though it may not always work properly.
- 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 other staff members as well.
- You will receive a back-door key to the surgery – 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 5:30 pm and stay until about 9:30 pm. 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.
There is a large Co-op store in Kirriemuir, about a 10-minute walk from the practice. There is also a smaller Co-op store on the way to the larger one. Additionally, Tesco and Asda are located in Forfar, approximately a 5-minute drive away.
- When you leave the flat at the end of your stay, please ensure it is thoroughly cleaned. This includes cleaning the worktops, cupboards, cooker, and floors. Cleaning materials, including a mop and bucket for the floors, should be available in the flat. All bed linen must be removed and washed, and then placed in the cupboard once dry. A vacuum cleaner can be borrowed from downstairs; just ask the nurses or cleaners.
- There may be an inspection of the flat before you leave. If it is not cleaned properly, you will be charged for the cleaners’ time. There have been issues in the past with students leaving the flat untidy.
Often, when students arrive on their first morning, they may feel slightly lost due to the busy atmosphere, and it’s common that there isn’t enough time to show them around fully. This is why you arrive on a Saturday—so you can familiarise yourself with everything beforehand. The Personnel Manager, Nicola, will conduct a more in-depth induction.
- If you are particularly interested in small animal practice, feel free to ask any of the vets if you can observe consultations or operations, which generally start at 8:30 am. If the consultation has already begun, please do not enter without permission. Thank you.
- For large animal or equine visits, these are displayed on the Thrums day book (on the big screen in the vets’ office area) and are also available on most computers in the practice. Small animal operations and consultations can be found on Robovet, available on every computer within the practice. You will need to log in to access the various screens (refer to the “Top Tips” sheet for guidance).
- Even if you are primarily here to observe small or large animal practice, remember that there may be occasional quiet periods in each area (though this is rare!). It’s important to take advantage of any opportunity to see a broad range of practice. At this stage, students should maximise their exposure to various types of practice, regardless of whether they have already completed the minimum requirements.
- Currently, consultations are held throughout the morning and afternoon. We also have consultations at our Forfar branch, which one of the vets will attend in the afternoon. Occasionally, they may also handle morning consultations if the regular vet is off. On Mondays, there are often visits to the Guide Dog Centre in Forfar. If you’re interested in joining the vet for this visit, please ask them, and they will inform you of the departure time.
- Lastly, we’ve unfortunately had a small number of students book time to see practice and fail to show up, which prevents others from having that opportunity. While plans may occasionally need to change, we kindly ask that you provide as much notice as possible if this happens.
If you have any doubts or queries, you can always contact the duty vet at 01575 572643.
- 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 staff member—they’re happy to help.
- 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.
- You’re welcome to use anything you find in the flat.
- There is another shower and kitchen to the left when you come up the stairs (please note that the fire alarm is sensitive in this area). Please leave these spaces clean and tidy if you use them.
- 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 Wi-Fi password is thrumsmagic2012.
- 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 5 pm regarding inpatients.
8:00 am: Nurses arrive and begin organising the patients. Please assist if there are a lot of patients, as they will need to be walked out in the morning.
8:30 am: If it hasn’t already been decided, the vets will assign someone to go on the large animal call. Admits for small animal operations and procedures will also take place.
9:00 am: Operations start (sometimes later!). Large animal visits typically begin as the vet sets off.
Throughout the morning, consultations will take place.
Afternoon
Consultations will continue throughout the afternoon. There are also consultations at the Forfar branch, and you can ask the vet attending if you can accompany them.
On Tuesdays, there are often visits to the Guide Dog Centre in Forfar. If you’d like to join, let the rotating vet know. They usually leave around 1:00 pm.
Kirriemuir Student Flat
Kirriemuir Student Flat