The School of Veterinary Medicine ran a highly successful widening participation summer school at the end of June. This was aimed at S5 school pupils participating in the University of Glasgow’s Reach programme and feedback from those who attended has been extremely positive.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme was run fully online with lots of innovative, interactive activities for the pupils to engage with. Vet students that have come through the University’s Reach programme provided invaluable information for the potential students.

There were recorded messages from the head of school, president of the RCVS and practising vets. The pupils had a live demonstration of how to perform a clinical examination on a dog and followed along a live bandaging and suturing session with materials that they were sent beforehand. The pupils have sent in photos of their stuffed toys that they bandaged, and they did a marvellous job.bandaged teddies 650

There were mock interviews and communication skills scenarios that the S5 pupils eagerly participated in. They were excited by the Freaky Friday sessions with quizzes, games and a virtual tour of the Vet School.

We concluded in the afternoon with two highly interactive Q&A sessions discussing pathology cases. The SVM Reach team is led by Karen MacEachern and supported by enthusiastic contributions from Pamela Johnston, Dawn Dunbar & Gemma Masterton.


First published: 16 July 2020