Episode Transcript
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Julie South (00:06):
Happy New Year,
happy 2025,.
Wherever this finds you, I hopethat 2025 is your best year
ever.
What does it take to be aveterinarian in New Zealand?
This is a question I get askedoften.
This is a question I get askedoften, sometimes daily.
(00:26):
A couple of years ago, I hadIan McLaughlin, the Registrar of
the Veterinary Council of NewZealand, on this podcast.
Ian explained then why not allvet degrees are recognized here.
I'll put links to his episodes,because he was on three times
(00:46):
on the show notes of this onefor you to listen to if you want
to know why not all veterinarydegrees are recognized in New
Zealand.
If you are affected by that InNew Zealand, affected by that In
(01:08):
New Zealand, the termregistered veterinarian is
actually a legal registered term.
It means that only in caps,underscored, bolded exclamation
marks only registeredveterinarians can call
themselves veterinarians in NewZealand, and because of that,
there are a whole bunch ofthings that some overseas
(01:28):
qualified vets need to do beforethey can also call themselves
registered veterinarians here inNew Zealand.
Welcome to Veterinary Voices.
This is episode 219, 219, andI'm your show host, julie South.
(01:48):
Veterinary Voices celebratesall that's great about working
in New Zealand's veterinaryindustry.
I'd love to hear from which ofthe 1,400 cities Veterinary
Voices is listened to around theworld that you're tuning into.
So please feel free to let meknow at.
Veterinaryvoices is listened toaround the world that you're
tuning into, so please feel freeto let me know at
veterinaryvoicesnz.
(02:08):
And it's also atveterinaryvoicesnz where you can
find back copies as well.
For example, ian McLaughlin'sepisode episodes plural
Veterinary Voices is brought toyou by Vet Clinic Jobs.
Plural Veterinary Voices isbrought to you by Vet Clinic
(02:29):
Jobs.
That's the job board that helpsvet clinics do more than just
post a job vacancy.
Vet Clinic Jobs is all abouthelping employers find their
dream team members norecruitment agency involved by
letting job seekers find outmore about a job vacancy than
your regular boring old jobadvert.
(02:50):
You can check it out atvetclinicjobscom.
To practice or use the titleveterinarian in New Zealand, as
I said at the beginning of theshow, you must be registered
with the Veterinary Council ofNew Zealand and hold a current
(03:13):
APC, an annual practicingcertificate.
The best place to find outabout this information is on the
Vet Council's website, which isvetcouncilorgnz.
Start.
On the support and theregistration page.
There are basically two typesof registration.
These are for generalpractitioners, not specialists.
(03:36):
Specialists have a wholedifferent criteria to work with.
So two types of registrationgeneral registration and limited
registration.
Regardless of which registrationpath you go down, all
applicants must meet some strictrequirements that are set by
(03:56):
the Vet Council of New Zealand.
One of those is English Englishproficiency.
You must be able to communicatein and understand English at a
level that's suitable forpracticing as a veterinarian in
New Zealand.
So that might mean that yourconversational English is okay,
(04:17):
but your clinical English isn't.
So if English isn't your firstlanguage, you'll need to provide
proof of English competency bypassing one of the approved
English tests.
The most preferred for this isIELTS I-E-L-T-S, the
(04:37):
International English LanguageTesting System.
If English isn't your firstlanguage and you're in the early
stages of applying for NewZealand registration, I highly
recommend that you speak English, conversational English, as
often as possible, especially athome, with your family, your
(04:59):
flatmates, your housemates,because, as we all know, english
isn't the easiest language tolearn and a high standard of
proficiency is required.
Yes, I know, it's a pain in theproverbial.
My husband is an airline pilot.
He is a born and bred Kiwi.
(05:20):
He has university entrancelevel English.
He had to sit and pass anEnglish language test to have
his airline registration as well.
So it's not just overseasveterinarians, it applies to
many types of professionsregistered here in New Zealand.
(05:40):
Another thing that you'll haveto prove is that you are fit and
proper, you are fit to practiceand that you're that you have
recency of practice.
So you'll need a letter of goodstanding from your own
country's vet council provingthat you are current, that you
(06:01):
are recent and you are fit topractice veterinary medicine.
If you've been out of clinicalpractice for a couple of years,
a few years, then you might needto do a refresher course.
In New Zealand, the VetAssociation, the New Zealand
Veterinary Association, has arefresher program that you can
enroll in.
Here in New Zealand, thecouncil accepts veterinary
(06:24):
degrees and passes in specificand very specific examinations
and assessment programs forregistration without having to
re-sit again.
This means that, provided yourprimary veterinary science
degree is listed on theVeterinary Council's list of
(06:47):
recognized institutions 2015,and that's the document.
It's actually a legallygazetted document.
It's the list of recognizedinstitutions 2015.
I'll put links to that documentin the show notes for you at
veterinaryvoicesnz.
So either your primaryveterinary degree is on the list
(07:13):
of recognized institutions oryou have passed one of the
council's accepted exams, whichhappen to be on page three, you
may be eligible for registrationhere in New Zealand without
additional testing, and that'sprovided that you meet the
minimum standards for practice.
Like you are recent, you've gota letter of good standing and
(07:37):
you've apply for supervisedregistration and that's provided
that you've passed for example,here I'm talking about the
(07:58):
Australasian Veterinary Board'sexam, the AVE provided you've
passed the first half of the AVE, which is the multi-choice
question.
When you've passed that, youmay be eligible to work here as
a super, as a vet undersupervision.
However, you need to know thatjust because you've passed your
(08:20):
mcq, the multi-choice questions,it doesn't mean that you're
necessarily going to be able tofind a job at a clinic here in
new zealand easily either.
Yes, we have a shortage ofveterinarians in New Zealand,
around the world in fact, andit's because of the shortage.
It means that the majority ofclinics here in New Zealand
(08:41):
don't always have the capacityto have vets working in a
supervisory role.
So just keep that in mind.
I will put links to theAustralasian Veterinary Exam
Board website again on the shownotes for you.
So limited registration it'savailable if you don't qualify
(09:04):
for general registration andthis type of registration allows
you to be registered in alimited scope of practice.
Currently, the applications arebeing accepted under these
scopes of practice Biosecurity,postgraduate training, academic
(09:25):
industry, and that's laboratoryand diagnostic, particular
skills for a restricted period,a restricted purpose scope and a
time-limited scope for NewZealand-based national
veterinary examinationcandidates.
I'll get to that a bit in aminute.
(09:46):
If you've got questions aboutyour specific situation, about
your overseas qualification, youwill need to speak with one of
the registrars at the VeterinaryCouncil in New Zealand.
Even if you have, say, a PhDfrom one of the recognised
(10:07):
universities in this 2015 list,in this 2015 list, but your
primary DVM or your Bachelor ofVeterinary Science is not from
one of those recognizedinstitutions, recognized
universities you will have tore-sit somehow, because it
(10:30):
doesn't matter about your PhD.
What the veterinary council inNew Zealand and Australia are
interested in is where you gotyour primary veterinary science
degree.
Now, registration by examination.
That means that you have to sitanother exam and pass it.
As I said just now, if yourprimary degree isn't on the list
(10:53):
of recognised institutions, youwill need to sit and pass an
exam of some kind to work in NewZealand and or Australia.
Now think back to how hard yourexams were when you first sat
your veterinary sciencebachelor's degree.
Think back also to how much youstudied for that exam, because
(11:19):
that is what you'll need to doif you need to sit one of the
prescribed exams.
To be registered here, you'llneed to budget a few years and
maybe about 20,000 New Zealanddollars or so, and that's as at
the beginning of 25, those rates.
You can't buy an exam in NewZealand or Australia.
(11:42):
You actually have to sit andpass it.
Gosh, I reckon I would be thatI wouldn't have to work anymore
if I were able to print off exampasses.
With the number of times I'vebeen asked how do you buy an
exam pass?
You can't, I'm sorry.
You have to sit it and it'shard and it costs dollars and it
(12:05):
takes a lot of time and ittakes a lot of time.
Another pathway, less commonthan sitting the Australasian
Veterinary Exam Board or theNAVLE, the North American one is
to go the route of MasseyUniversity Supervised Year of
Clinical Training.
That's the last year of theMassey Veterinary Science degree
(12:28):
here in New Zealand.
Tauwharaora, the veterinaryschool at Massey University in
Palmerston North here in NewZealand, aims to offer a limited
number of places each year forthe clinical training component
under specific programs.
The availability of theseplaces depends on the predicted
(12:49):
class size and the clinicaltraining year typically starts
in late November and you mustcomplete it within 12 months.
Preference is given tointernationally qualified vets
with New Zealand residencyalready or citizenship, although
(13:09):
international students may alsobe considered.
So even if you're not hereright now and you think this is
the way you want to go, theninquire, please inquire.
I will let you know that it'salso another expensive pathway,
but it's just one year long and,provided you pass, it's
probably a faster route thangoing down the AVE or the NAVLE,
(13:34):
the North American Pathway.
I'll put links to MasseyUniversity's website at
veterinaryvoicesnz for you ifyou are thinking that that is
the way that you might like togo.
If this is your pathway, again,there are strict requirements
and applicants must meet all ofthem, including, as I said just
(13:58):
before at the beginning, a veryhigh standard of English.
When places are available,because Massey doesn't guarantee
a set number each year, theselection process ensures that
applicants possess the necessarycommunication and
problem-solving skills for theveterinary teaching hospital.
(14:19):
Massey University is a teachinghospital.
Standards are high and, just soyou know, part of the selection
process includes participatingin a multiple mini interview,
sometimes known as the MMImultiple mini interview, and
that's done online.
There's also as at recordingthis at the beginning of 2025,
(14:44):
there's also a non-refundablefee for the selection process,
and that's approximately 400 NewZealand dollars.
It has to be paid in advance.
If this sounds like yourpreferred pathway and you'd like
to be considered for clinicaltraining in one of the specified
programs and you've met all ofMassey's requirements, then
(15:05):
you'll need to apply before the1st of July each year to be
considered for a start in lateNovember of the same year.
Thank you for listening and forsupporting Veterinary Voices
over the last 200 plus episodes.
(15:27):
This will actually be the lastpodcast in this format, so
what's going to take its place,julie?
Thank you for asking.
Veterinary Voices caters to twospecific and very distinct
audiences.
I've been asked for just amotivation and mindset podcast
(15:48):
and I've been asked for just arecruitment specific podcast as
well.
Now, doing one podcast is hardenough.
Doing two would just do my headin.
So here's what is going tohappen going forward, because
clinics are interested inlearning how to grow their
brands as great employers, whichmost job seekers really don't
(16:11):
give a proverbial about.
Sure, job seekers want to knowthat the clinics they're going
to are good places to work whenthey're looking to make their
next move, but they're notinterested in knowing about the
nuts and the bolts how of whatthat looks like or how it's done
.
Similarly, or likewise, not allclinic managers or principals
(16:37):
or HR managers are interested inknowing how to get their head
screwed on straight.
It's been a really tight lineto walk along, a tight path to
walk along, and it's because ofthat that I've decided that this
will be the last podcastepisode in this format.
Instead, what we're going to dois move to an educational
(16:59):
newsletter that you can sign upfor.
Weekly soundbites, five-minutesoundbites.
So if your role at your clinicis learning how to get the most
out of your job advertisementsyou might be a practice manager,
an HR manager or a principalthen you can do that via a
weekly newsletter that'll takeyou about five minutes to read
(17:22):
and each week you will getsomething new to think about, to
do to action Just somethingteeny, tiny, insy, winsy, dinky
that will make a huge differenceto you attracting your dream
team to your clinic.
Likewise, if you want to knowhow to keep or get your head
(17:43):
screwed on straight withcoaching, mentoring, mindset
type life hacks, then you canget that too, again in a five
minute read newsletter.
All you have to do is register.
To register is visitveterinaryvoicesnz and fill out
the email signup form that's onthat website.
From there, we'll send you anemail asking which newsletter
(18:06):
you'd like to receive theemployer branded focus one or
the life hack one and you canopt in to receive both.
We do have some great interviewsscheduled and they will still
be available as a podcast format, and I will let you know via
these emails so that you canlisten or read about them.
(18:30):
So you can choose to listen tothe audio, like you have been,
or you can opt for the proceedof the conversation.
You'll be able to choose yourpreferred medium audio or text.
Easy peasy, five minute reads.
That's all it'll be, whereveryou are.
Oh, by the way, if you havealready opted in to receive
(18:53):
veterinary voices updates, lookout for an email from us and
we'll be asking you which oneyou actually want to, which
newsletter you want to startreceiving.
Again, thank you for your ears.
Wherever you are in the world.
Happy new year.
Whatever you're up to, staysafe on the roads, in the skies,
(19:14):
on the water.
And here's to wishing you theabsolute bestest 2025.
Your best year ever.
Ka kite anō.
This is Julie South signing off.