What we do
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is a world leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical practice.
Teaching
We provide outstanding veterinary education at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, using an award winning curriculum, innovative teaching methods, and an interdisciplinary environment, for both our undergraduate and postgraduate students.
As a School with a truly international outlook, we are accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) and the Australasia Veterinary Boards Council Inc (AVBC), allowing our graduates to practice veterinary medicine throughout the UK, North America, Europe, South Africa, Australasia and beyond.
To practice in North America, in addition to our BVM&S degree, graduates must pass the examination prepared and delivered by the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The School has an excellent record in preparing our students to pass the NAVLE and this makes up one of the factors considered by the AVMA in its consideration of the accreditation status of a school.
You can find out more about the NAVLE and our success rates here: Accreditation and NAVLE
Our last accreditation visit was in 2015 and we expect our next one in 2022.
Find out more about our accrediting bodies:
- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
- The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
- The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)
- The Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC)
- The South African Veterinary Council
The School has the very highest teaching standards and we have been able to maintain these consistently. We have ranked first in the UK for 'Veterinary Science' for three years in the Guardian University Guide and been first for the last five years in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. Additionally, we are also ranked as the 4th best university in the world for Veterinary Sciences (Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019), this makes our school the highest placed UK school in these rankings.
Research
Our research spans all aspects of veterinary medicine, from molecules and genes through to animal and human populations.
We aim to make a real difference through research which is directly relevant to the improvement of health and welfare of domestic animal species and the protection of public health.
In a joint submission to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework exercise, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been ranked number one in the UK for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences by combining Times Higher Education’s ratings for each institution. The judgement, based on the quality and breadth of research, maintains the R(D)SVS and SRUC’s position as the strongest provider in these subject areas. The institutions’ research environment was classified to be 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences research. The Vet School and SRUC submission was also assessed as being 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent in terms of the impact its research work has on wider society.
The REF is an assessment of the quality of the research being undertaken at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the impact it has in society.
Clinical excellence
Our clinical services - small animal, equine and farm animal - are among the most influential centres for clinical care in the UK, providing our students and researchers with the best possible training environment.
Hospital for Small Animals and Dick Vet General Practice
The Hospital for Small Animals and Dick Vet GP provide routine and emergency care for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and exotic animals.
We are one of the most advanced facilities in Scotland, and our staff have won multiple awards for excellence in clinical care.
Encompassing a referral hospital and a general practice, we are home to a fantastic array of specialist services - including specialist cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic, soft tissue surgery , oncology, neurology, dermatology, internal medicine and exotics clinics together with Emergency and Critical care. These admitting disciplines are supported by diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia, interventional radiography and physiotherapy services.
Dick Vet Equine
The Dick Vet Equine Hospital is the most advanced equine hospital in Scotland, with more specialists under one roof than anywhere else in the country. It provides routine and emergency care for all equidae (horses, donkeys and mules) and surgical services for some other species including large exotic species, alpacas and farm animals.
We also operate a first opinion practice serving Edinburgh, the Lothians, parts of the Borders, Lanarkshire and Fife.
Our specialist services include soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, dentistry, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, poor performance, neurology, behaviour, ophthalmology, interventional cardiology, anaesthesia, specialist farriery, acupuncture, and physiotherapy to name but a few.
We are the Scottish training centre for the large animal rescue initiative, training and providing expertise to vets and the emergency services in casualty centred rescue.
Farm Animal Services
The RDSVS operates a first-opinion Farm Animal Practice serving dairy, beef, sheep, pig and camelid farms in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
We also operate referral services where vets in private practice can send in patients for specialist investigations and surgery, such as lame pedigree bulls.
The Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service (DHHPS) has provided specialist farm animal advisory services since 1977, focusing on nutritional monitoring and improvement of herd/flock health.