DVSU Societies

Dick Vet Pathology Club

The RDSVS ACVP is the student chapter of American Collage of Veterinary Pathologist (ACVP). We host talks, journal and clinical case club, wet labs, practical and social events for students interested in the various career opportunities in veterinary pathology or looking to gain more pathology knowledge.

  • Cost of Premium membership: £7
  • General membership: Free
  • Contact us: rdsvs.pathologyclub@ed.ac.uk
  • Facebook: rdsvs.acvp

 

 

Dick Vet Animal Behaviour Society

DVABS is a society for students at R(D)SVS to collaborate and promote the importance of behaviour in the veterinary field. We host webinars, speakers, and events throughout the year that centre around all different aspects of behaviour. In the past year, we have had a variety of events such as seminars on COVID puppies and kittens and visits to a local falconry and the Easter Bush sheep farm!  If you have a keen interest in animal behaviour, please join us for an exciting year.

Costs- None! Some events have small associated costs, but we aim to subsidise these to encourage participation of all potential members!

please join us for an exciting year.

 

Dick Vet Wildlife Conservation Society

We are aiming to broaden horizons by inspiring and educating young vet students in the field of wildlife conservation, as well as offering placements, allowing them to actively participate in conservation efforts across the world.

Throughout the year, we organise webinars and interactive sessions, along with fundraising for conservation charities, so that students can get involved in many different areas. We normally run talks once or twice a month, and we are looking to put on workshops and practical sessions in the warmer days. We also have many partnership with conservation volunteering projects which allows students to easily find something to become involved with in their area of interest!

Dick Vet Musicians

Do you play the flute, clarinet, piano, violin… (or triangle)? Come along and join us!

We are a non-auditioning orchestra and choir consisting of both vet and non-vet students. We enjoy coming together to share our love of music and performance. We are highly inclusive and welcome all regardless of skill level. Check out any of our social media sites or drop us an email if you’re interested in joining! 🙂

Our rehearsals are on Sundays, with orchestra between 6 and 7, and choir between 7 and 8.

Look forward to seeing you there!

  • Membership – £5/year
  • President: Eleanor
  • Treasurer: Bhadra
  • Secretary: Marco

For more information:

Student American Veterinary Medical Association

SAVMA is the Royal (Dick) Vet chapter for the Student American Veterinary Medicine Association, a national organisation whose parent association is the AVMA, SAVMA was created to foster the growth and education amongst veterinary students through the use of webinars, socials, wet labs, NAVLE prep talks and free food Fridays/SAVMA snack baskets.

As the school currently pays for all student memberships, you can take advantage of all the resources available to SAVMA members for free! These include PLIT student liability insurance, SAVMA awards and scholarships, job opportunities and externship locator, free access/early registration to AVMA events such as the annual convention and/or symposium and access to the JAVMA (Journal pf the AVMA) and The Vet Gazette! Follow out Instagram and Facebook pages for up to date notifications on upcoming events and NAVLE prep!

You can also download the SAVMA app which serves as an easy way to stay up to date with SAVMA news, events, registration dates, scholarships and other opportunities. Search SAVMA on the app store.

Membership is open to all and this year our school has covered the cost for every student!

Association of Veterinary Students

The Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) seeks to represent, support and engage vet students throughout the UK and Ireland. We are a student-run organisation for students; promoting opportunities, well-being and cooperation between vet schools.

We run yearly events such as the AVS Sports Weekend, AVS Congress and numerous smaller talks within the veterinary school. Become a member today to attend these events. We will be at the vet freshers fair to answer any and all questions you may have.

In the meantime feel free to contact us:

Vet MedAID

Vet MedAID is a student-led charity with the purpose of reducing wastage and supporting charity vet clinics around the world where medical supplies are scarce and less accessible.

Vet practices in the UK generate vast amounts of waste for a multitude of reasons. Strict usage policies and stringent expiry dates combined with the constant flow of new equipment and technology leads to perfectly usable kits being disposed. On the other hand, many vet clinics in other less privileged countries do not have the means to access these vital medical supplies. By collecting medical supplies that clinics no longer need in the UK, we then re-direct these supplies to other clinics who need them.

Here at the RDSVS vet branch of MedAID, our committee members work with local vet clinics around Edinburgh alongside student volunteers on EMS placements to collect and distribute medical supplies. Together we can reduce waste and support clinics around the world.

Get in Touch!

To find out how you can help end excess and stop shortage:

 

 

 

Veterinary Christian Fellowship

We are the Dick Vet Chapter of the national VCF. Our parent organisation aims to unite Christians within the veterinary professions through common loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage and support Christian vet students during their studies.

As a group, we meet every week for a bible study with snacks & cake (TBC) at someone’s flat in Edinburgh at 7 or 8pm depending on what suits people’s schedules. This is a free, non-commitment group and we welcome all students with faith and with no faith to come along and find out what it means to be a Christian at vet school. We also have regular social events and there is the opportunity to attend regional VCF meetings a couple of times a year and also the national VCF conference.

Through the national group, we offer a network of Christian vet contacts for mentoring and EMS placements (both here and abroad) and also a potential springboard for veterinary-related mission trips.

Come along and see what the VCF family can offer to you, starting with our Freshers’ breakfast the morning of the last Sunday of Freshers’ Week before heading off to church.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of our senior members or join our Facebook group – VCF Edinburgh for latest updates.

Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society

SVECCS is a society providing regular talks that cover all aspects of emergency and critical care over a range of species. We will be hosting events on both small and large animals emergencies.

We will also be running wet-lab sessions, which will give you the chance to practice emergency techniques that could help you save an animal’s life. This society will have something for everyone and will provide a fun environment to discuss emergency care. Members of the society will also be prioritised to complete invaluable EMS in the Hospital for Small Animals Intensive Care Unit, enabling you to gain and perfect vital clinical skills early on during your time at vet school.

Whether you are keen to learn more about the specifics of emergency and critical care, or just want to practice your CPR to the tune of “staying alive” – SVECCS is definitely for you!

Additionally, please join our Facebook group for up-to-date details about all our upcoming events

Please do not hesitate to get in touch by email to rdsvs.sveccs@gmail.com. We look forward to welcoming you into our new society!

  • president: Rachael

American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

What’s inside? 

Everyone wants to know what’s inside. 

And I always tell them…JOIN ACVIM!

Founded in 2020, our student chapter of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is here to help you gain in-depth knowledge into the depths of internal medicine through workshops, research exposure, and guest speakers. We also aim to provide information about advanced training (internships and residencies) for those interested in the various specialties of ACVIM including: neurology, oncology, large animal internal medicine, and small animal internal medicine.

For more information on the organisation, please visit ACVIM.org

Exmoor Pony Trekking Society

Come trekking with us! The Edinburgh University Exmoor Pony Trekking Society (EUEPTS) is a student-run non-profit with our own herd of fluffy ponies. We run treks in the Pentlands every weekend during term time and cater for every ability – whether you’ve never sat on a horse or whether you have ridden all your life! Experienced students can also take a 1-year course to become a trek leader and get involved with running the section.

For more information, check out our website: http://www.exmoorponytrekking.co.uk/

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

The CVMA is the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, which is the official Veterinary association in Canada. The SCVMA is a base for Canadian and any Dick Vet students with an interest in doing EMS or working as a vet in Canada. We are here to help you make connections and ease the transition of both moving abroad and moving to Canada to after veterinary school through socials, lectures and events! Our membership provides you with CVMA website access for valuable information, discounts and Canadian veterinary related resources, including the annual CVMA Convention!

Follow our Facebook or Instagram page where we share knowledge and advice for EMS and finding a job in Canada, the NAVLE and other fun, Canadian-themed events!

Look out for us on-

Dick Vet Art Society

The Dick Vet Art Society, DVAS, is a new society founded in 2021 aiming to bring together students as well as staff within the vet school who are creatively inclined! It comes as no surprise that there is a lot of talent within the Easter Bush campus, and so this society wants to provide a chance for people to explore their interests outside of their degree, while also providing some relaxation. This society has many art related workshops, talks and social events it plans to hold, including the possibility of an exciting Exhibition to showcase members’ work in the future! Be sure to contact us to be added to our emailing list or join our facebook group to keep up to date on all happenings!

You can contact us…

Through our society email : dickvetartsociety@gmail.com

Via our Facebook group : Dick Vet Art Society

Via our instagram page : dick_vet_art_society

University Officer Training Corp

NOT YOUR AVERAGE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY

The University Officers’ Training Corps (UOTC) is an Army Reserve unit that recruits exclusively from university students. Its aim is to train the future generation of Officers for both the Regulars and Reserves, however there is no commitment to join after university.

WHAT WE DO

University students who join the University Officers’ Training Corps will have the opportunity to undertake Reserve Officer training modules designed to fit around their degrees. This will teach you everything from how to wear a uniform correctly to the ability to lead others in stressful situations. The UOTC provides a standard of experience and training that is well respected within the Army, and highly sought after by numerous civilian employers.

The UOTC also develops leadership through Sport and Adventurous Training. Each unit has teams for most major sports and in Adventurous Training, you can experience everything from kayaking to rock climbing.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN

You will be given internationally recognised leadership training, make life-long friends and earn money.

All training is designed to fit around your academic calendar, your studies will always have priority.

And like any other university society, every unit holds regular social events. These can anything from formal Regimental dinners to fancy dress nights!

As a veterinary student, should you decide to make a commitment to join the Army after University you may also be eligible for a £5,000 per year bursary award in the final 3 years of your studies, as well as a £45,000 lump sum when you complete Professionally Qualified Officer training.

INTERESTED?

More information can be found on the UOTC Page of the British Army Website Here. Alternatively, feel free to contact us directly at RMAS-Gp-OTCEdinburgh-Admissions@mod.gov.uk

Dick Vet Shelter Medicine Club

What is shelter medicine?
Shelter Medicine is all about improving the lives of homeless animals; whether they are living in a state-of-the-art rehoming centre or out on the streets.

What do we do?
Our club targets for helping students know more about shelter medicine and provide opportunities for students interested through talks, fundraising, volunteering, field trips and EMS placements.
Previous events:

  • Talks including pragmatic approach to the pelvis, golden oldies, feral cat chat, cat behavior talk, chicken rescue talk, what is shelter medicine etc
  • Plant sale, bake sale
  • Access to resources including Cat Protection’s behavior conference, EMS placements in different charities and rescue places

We welcome students from all year
join us for free
enjoy upcoming events and learn more about shelter medicine!

Dick Vet Debate Society

We are a chill society built so that vet students can improve their public speaking and become more confident discussing difficult topics. Follow our Instagram and Facebook or join our mailing list to find out what this weeks topic will be. Everyone is welcome here regardless of your experience level. We usually begin with a fun improvised warm up round and then have the main debate where a few speakers from each side talk for 2 minutes and then we open it up into a floor debate involving everyone. Come along and bring your lunch!

 

Debates will be once a week over a Thursday lunch (1-2pm). 

Debates are 2-a-side, each speaker has a few minutes to speak, then there’s a period where anyone can ask a question to either side.

There are no fees. There’s no obligation to speak either, you can have as much or as little involvement as you want.

All4Paws

All4Paws is a student-run, vet-supervised charity clinic providing basic veterinary care and advice to homeless and vulnerably housed people and their animals. At our clinic on Nicholson Street, we provide services not limited to health checks, flea/worming treatments, vaccinations, microchipping, spay & neuter/veterinary advice, and supplies for our 100+ client base.

Our student committee runs every aspect of the clinic. This society is a great environment for practising your consultation and clinical skills. As committee, we appoint a senior committee (fourth years) to train the incoming Junior committee (third years). We hope to restart our student volunteer program this upcoming year.

Want to get involved? Email us at all4pawsedinburgh@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Also, be sure to check out our social media to see more of what we do.

Dick Vet Feline Medicine Club

We are the UK’s first feline medicine society, here to spread cat friendly knowledge and improve the feline veterinary experience. Throughout the year we host a variety of talks and events about our feline friends and aim to create a community for cat lovers. Additionally we offer trips to the feline ward at the small animal hospital to allow vet students to grow their confidence around cats in a clinical setting.

Find us on:

Dick Vet Student Association of Veterinary Surgery

Hello! We are the R(D)SVS Student Association of Veterinary Surgery, also known as SAVS. Through suture labs led by your colleagues to more formal cadaver wet labs we want to support you wherever you are in your surgery journey. Whether you are new to surgery or know you’re going to be board certified in the future we would love to learn with you!

Costs: None! Some wet-labs will have a small fee

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact any of the committee members below or send an email to dickvetsavs@gmail.com

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
    • Gianna (President)
    • Breanne (Vice President)
    • Heather (Secretary)
    • Kristina (Treasurer)
    • Cara and Hing (Wet Lab Coordinator)
    • Rebecca (Fundraising Coordinator)

Dick Vet Aquatic Medicine Society

EAVMS is the first European student chapter of the World Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Association (WAVMA) newly established in 2020. We are open to all students interested in aquatic veterinary medicine whether it be marine mammals, elasmobranchs, aquatic invertebrates, sea turtles, amphibians, or fish in the aquaculture or pet industries. If it swims or lives in water, we’re all about it!

 

What do we do?

 

We aim to provide access to supplementary educational opportunities outside the scope of traditional veterinary medicine through talks, practical sessions, and field trips centered around aquatic animals. This year we will be creating an extensive members-only database of aquatic externships and EMS placements. All interested student members can join by emailing us their name, year of study, preferred email, and mobile number (optional), and must be current members of WAVMA.

 

What is WAVMA?

 

WAVMA is a worldwide network of aquatic veterinarians seeking to offer support, continuing education, and ongoing professional development to anyone interested in aquatic veterinary medicine. WAVMA membership is only 25 USD a year and includes: access to The Aquatic Veterinarian online medical journal released quarterly; exclusive eligibility to apply to an aquatic medicine-based scholarship for placements and research projects; discounts to WAVMA meetings, symposiums, and webinars; access to the listserv; available job listings; and 50% of dues go directly back into our society activities. Additionally, being a part of WAVMA gives access to the WAVMA Certified Aquatic Veterinarian Program (CertAqV), currently the only formal program for aquatic veterinary medicine as there is no official board certification at this time. You can join WAVMA here: https://www.wavma.org/Become-a-member

Who are we?

 

We are a group of like-minded veterinary students excited to bring aquatic veterinary medicine to the Dick Vet! Feel free to contact us at edi.aquaticmed.society@gmail.com or email any of our committee members below with questions:

Contacts

 

  • Isabella (President)
  • Kenna (Treasurer)
  • Heather (Vice President)
  • Cerys (Vice President)
  • Kelly (Social Chair)

 

Find us on:

 

International Veterinary Student Association

Wanting to travel and explore the world? ✈️ Interested in getting global veterinary connections? If this is you IVSA Edinburgh have just the right thing for you… Each year we organize a 1-week global group exchange with an IVSA university. You get to explore a new city/country for as little as just paying for your plane ticket! Moreover, you get to meet international vets students and attend lectures and practicals at their university, great opportunity to broaden your horizon! Email us at ivsaukiedinburghrep@gmail.com or find us on instagram @ivsa_edinburgh

Edinburgh Veterinary Zoological Society

The EVZS is a student group organising exiting talks, socials and incredible trips all over Scotland. We want to share our interest in zoological and exotic veterinary medicines with students with a likeminded passion. We organise talks every month with amazing researchers and veterinarians from across the globe. Our trips our our member’s highlight, from puffin watching to our much loved annual zoo trip we love to get together and see amazing wildlife up close. Socials allow you to network with likeminded people in the university. Join us and follow us on social media to not miss any events!

 

Find us on:

 

Edinburgh Farm animal Veterinary Society

 

EFAVS is the Edinburgh branch of the National Farm Animal Veterinary Society. We are a group of friendly and fun students that host talks, practicals and social events for anyone who is keen to learn more about being a farm vet. Everyone is welcome; you don’t need to come from a farming background to get involved! Some of our past events include stock judging practicals, cattle foot trimming, goat talks and visits from graduates and potential employers. Cost: Free.

Find us on:

Edinburgh One Health Society

One Health is an approach based on the idea that human, animal and environmental health are all interlinked. Popular topics in One Health include zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance and the human-animal bond. This society promotes student engagement across disciplines and collaboration in tackling One Health issues. We hold talks, workshops and other events to promote interdisciplinary collaboration on both real-world and research problems, and student engagement in scientific research.

The society is open to all students – while most obviously relevant to medical, veterinary and biomedical degrees, One Health aims to approach public and global health issues with input from multiple perspectives and professions. That includes social sciences, international relations, economics, and many more! Why not follow us or join our mailing list if you’re curious?

Our online events are open to all students, but membership allows you to come to in person talks and workshops, and to stand and vote in our AGM. It also supports the work of the society!

Recent events have included:

  1. Emerging Zoonotic Diseases in the UK
  2. Model World Health Organisation
  3. Antimicrobial Resistance in Conflict Zones
  4. Medical Detection Dogs
  5. Translating Science into Policy
  6. Climate Change and Vector-Borne Diseases
  7. Human-Animal Bond in Homelessness
  8. Community-Based Disease Control
  9. Global Food Safety
  10. Sustainability in Medical Industries
  11. The Impact of Insects in One Health
  12. One Health Research Experiences

We look forward to meeting you this year!

Committee:

Dicks & Dragons TTRPG Society

Dicks Vet’s one and only TTRPG society! Everyone at Dick Vet — staff, students, and alumni — are allowed and encouraged to join. All TTRPGs and levels of experience are welcome! The goal of our society is to bring TTRPG groups together and provide them a place to play their campaigns, as well as put on One-shot and social events. We also aspire to provide a Gamemasters’ Grant to GMs and provide shared club-owned game materials when funding allows.
 
Membership: £10 /year 
 
Contact us: E.E.Howell-1@sms.ed.ac.uk  
  • President: Emily 
  • Secretary: Michelle 
  • Social media chair: Valerie