BSAVA and RCVS come to agreement
Representatives of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Small Animals Veterinary Association (BSAVA) have negotiated an agreement which concludes a long-running dispute on the academic equivalence of the respective organisations' post-graduate qualifications. A joint statement has confirmed the academic equivalence of the BSAVA Postgraduate Certificates (PGCertSAM and PGCertSAS) and the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP), and has clarified the status of many other qualifications.
Commenting, BSAVA's Director of Education Dr Frances Barr said "There has been a natural interest in how the BSAVA PGCertSAM and PGCertSAS compare with the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP). Detailed discussions over the last few months between BSAVA and the RCVS have resulted in agreement that the two qualifications are academically equivalent, as outlined in a formal position statement. Individuals can therefore choose to study for the qualification which suits them best."
Certificate-level veterinary post-graduate qualifications have been available for many years in the UK, but were awarded exclusively by the RCVS up until relatively recently. The transition away from this state of affairs and towards more vigorous competition in the post-graduate qualification sector has been welcomed by industry observers, who have also expressed the hope that the agreement also signifies a change in the attitude of the RCVS towards members of the profession.
More information on the agreement and the relative status of various qualifications is available from the BSAVA website.
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
