Celebrating Student Volunteering Week!

6 February 2023

Entering its 22nd year, Student Volunteering Week takes place on 6th – 12th February, aiming to celebrate the impact of student volunteers across the UK.

Here at the BSAVA, we have 23 Student Representatives from each veterinary school around the country. The idea of being a Student Rep is that you are a channel for communications between the students at your school and us here at the BSAVA. You’re the point of contact for other students to ask questions about things like student membership, and you also help with distributing BSAVA resources such as the formularies, which student members receive in their penultimate year.

Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do here at BSAVA, and student reps often continue to volunteer for us throughout their career. For Student Volunteering Week, we spoke to a few of our Student Reps about what they do for us here at BSAVA and what they enjoy the most about being a rep.

Meet Annie from the University of Bristol:

    1. What motivated you to become a Student Rep for the BSAVA?

During my third year I undertook a research project funded by PetSavers and then produced a poster of my abstract which I presented at the BSAVA conference in Manchester. During my time at the conference, I learnt more about the BSAVA, what they do and how much they can help students in addition to qualified veterinary professionals.

    1. Can you tell me a bit about what you do as a Student Rep at your University?

I have been raising awareness about the BSAVA and the resources they provide for students including the mobile app. I have tried to encourage younger students to become members in the hope they can take advantage of the resources provided earlier in the course.

    1. What is it that you enjoy about being a Student Rep?

It is really nice to be able to meet students from other universities and liaise with them about projects which could be organised across multiple vet schools.

Meet Tarn from the University of Cambridge:

    1. What motivated you to become a Student Rep for the BSAVA?

I have really benefited from being a member of the BSAVA and wanted to spread the message in my Vet School. I think there is a lot of advertisement to the pre-clinical year groups, so I particularly wanted to expand this.

    1. Can you tell me a bit about what you do as a Student Rep at your University?

I put posters up on the notice boards around the Vet School, speak to and encourage other students to become members by talking to them in lectures, and help to organise the clinical club lecture.

    1. How do you think you have an impact on the work of the BSAVA?

I provide the student perspective when providing feedback to BSAVA and I help to increase the number of members. I also help to raise awareness of the BSAVA and benefits it offers for education and funding research.

    1. What is it that you enjoy about being a Student Rep?

I love meeting the other reps and feeling like a part of the bigger organisation.

    1. What would you say to anyone considering becoming a Student Rep in the future?

Go for it! I have really enjoyed it so far and would definitely recommend it to anyone considering it.

Meet Dan from the University of Edinburgh:

    1. What motivated you to become a Student Rep for the BSAVA

I saw it as a good opportunity to meet students from other universities. Also, to have an opportunity to develop my skills such as learning to plan events, teamwork and multi-tasking.

    1. Can you tell me a bit about what you do as a Student Rep at your University?

To help spread news about student memberships and assist students if they are interested in knowing more about the association. Plan event to help raise awareness of the association and learn veterinary related knowledge from them. Help to send emails on behalf of the BSAVA to students.

    1. How do you think you have an impact on the work of the BSAVA?

To help the BSAVA connect with the students in my university and assist in spreading knowledge about the association to students.

    1. What is it that you enjoy about being a Student Rep?

Given the opportunity to host events, and attend events organised by the BSAVA. Meeting people from other parts of the country and learn interesting and important things about small animal practice.

    1. What would you say to anyone considering becoming a Student Rep in the future?

It is a great experience and opportunity to experience part of what is like being a future vet (attending congress and meeting future vet students). Be proactive and try to use the opportunity to do events, if possible, with your own vet school.

If you’re interested in becoming a Student Rep for the year 2023/2024, or if you have any questions and would like to have an informal chat, please contact Lydia on l.payne@bsava.com.  We’d love to hear from you!