AVN Diploma Practical exams!

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

katebob — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:00:12 GMT

Hi Ginny,

Hope you had good time at BSAVA!

I tried looking on the old site after your last reply and couldn't find anything - I'll have another look

I have to travel up to Preston for the exam, they are being held at Myerscough college

Thanks very much again for you reply - again you have been a star!!

Kate

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

ginny — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:11:02 GMT

Hello Kate. sorry for not answering your question but been to BSAVA

I wore my green uniform and the other candidates were in uniform too. There were just 3 of us that day and we were all as nervous as each other!!

The examiners did their best to put us at ease especially the anaesthesia one. I had a couple of vets at work kindly organise some mocks with me in the days before (because one of them said i needed to breathe and not waffle ) and the old site here has lots of info from others who have done the exam.

Just talk your way through your thinking/answer and its surprising what you can pull out of your mind! There didnt seem very much to do practically - it was mostly answering questions etc. I did the old style VN exams (years ago - when you had a practical in both years) and it was a little like these.

Where are you going for it?

Anyway very best of luck - i'm sure you will be fine

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

katebob — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:56:13 GMT

Thanks Guys for all your help and support!

I am sitting the old style BVNA/RCVS diploma exams, not much info or support around that I can find! The new style diploma sounds much better with better support systems in place.

Good luck with the casebooks Nick, they are lots of work but worth it when they are successful - stick at it!

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

Nick Shackleton — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:04:19 GMT

Kate is talking about the old style diploma run by the BVNA/RCVS. I should be sitting my practicals too but casebooks failed, so better luck next year for me. Good luck Kate

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

sazzle — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:47:51 GMT

are you at myerscough on 2nd yr then?

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

Sparky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:37:20 GMT

I've not done my practicals yet....but good luck!!!

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

Saskia Quinn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:33:47 GMT

http://retired.vetnurse.co.uk

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

katebob — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:16:54 GMT

Thanks Ginny,

That is really helpful, albeit rather unnerving too!! I don't know that I could do any of what you had to do!!

Did you where your uniform or go in civvies, the letter says you don't have to wear a uniform but kind of implied that they would like you too - so much to think (and stress) about!!

Thanks again for your reply - I think I might try and look at the old site too.

Re: AVN Diploma Practical exams!

ginny — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:06:36 GMT

I can't help with the surgical bit as i did medical but the exam was a bit like the old practical exam pre NVQ. You get asked anything on the syllabus. For the anaesthesia they had lots of equipment set out and drugs etc. They asked me to check an anaesthetic machine with cylinders attached, health and safety etc. Then we went round the equipment - types of circuit, capnography, types of anaesthetic drug (desflurane which i didnt know very much about) other drugs and uses.Some were quite uncommon and i only knew a little about. There were some bits of equipment and i was asked what they were and what used for - i got a laryngeal mask to identify! How to work out flow rates etc. Then oncotic pressure and types of fluid. The examiner was very nice and really tried to put you at ease.

Radiography was cdcr stifle to position, centring, collimation etc. An elbow radiograph to point out anatomical landmarks (all knowledge of anatomy went completely!), identify and discuss a rotating anode, types of film and cassette, mammography film (single emulsion etc). I kind of talked my way through it if you see what i mean.

The viva wasnt fun - mostly due to the medical examiner being a bit funny and also because i got questions from all three examiners and that upset me because i had heard from other students that if you get questions from all three then you havent done very well!! They have your case books there so they can ask you about them but i didnt get any about mine. The anaesthetic questions were about nerve blocks and monitoring of these patients. The radiography ones were on horses feet ( i couldnt remember all the feet views despite being in mixed practice and having gone through it the day before!) and the differences between xray badges and TLD's. The radiography examiner was really nice as well. Despite it being an unsettling few hours i did pass!

I hope this helps. On the old site people who have the surgical diploma have listed in better detail what they got asked but i dont know how to access it!

Good luck!