Voluntary Service Overseas
Find out about Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the work it does with the British Veterinary Association (BVA)
About VSO
VSO is an international development charity which works through volunteers.
Over the last 10 years VSO has placed around 20 veterinary surgeons in various countries around the world, especially Cambodia, Malawi, Nepal, Uganda and Kiribati.
In the last few years, however opportunities for veterinary placements have dwindled to around one per year, due to a lack of requests for vets from overseas employers.
VSO also now recruits volunteers from Netherlands, Canada, India, Kenya and the Philippines, as well as the UK which means that there is more competition for these occasional placements.
The BVA Overseas Group has now produced a paper for VSO outlining the wide variety of skills that a UK graduate vet has, from clinical medicine and surgery, to animal husbandry, epidemiology and business management in many cases.
The VSO paper is intended to provide VSO with the necessary information to advise prospective overseas employers of the veterinary skills on offer.
Looking for veterinary volunteers
VSO currently receive very few applications from UK and if an applicant is suitably qualified and has 2 years of good post-qualification work experience, VSO are likely to keep his/her details on hold in case a suitable placement comes in.
Experience in teaching or management is useful, but a qualification in these is not generally requested. The most important requirement, apart from a veterinary degree, is for someone with wide experience, particularly with large animals, and training experience would be a bonus.
Applying for VSO
You can apply on the VSO website or you can fill in a paper application form, also found on their website.
Because placements of vets are so few and far between, VSO invite you to send in your CV. When a suitable placement appears they can then request further information and a completed application form.
All applicants are required to attend a VSO Assessment Day before they are finally selected as VSO volunteers.
This is an all-day event comprising interviews, group activities etc. This is designed to assess the candidates' personal, rather than professional, skills. Finally, there are also a few compulsory pre-departure training courses to prepare volunteers for their time overseas.
It therefore normally takes around 6 months from receipt of application until volunteers depart overseas to their placement. Placements are usually for 2 years.
VSO placements for vets or livestock workers