What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Iain Richards — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 22:28:35 GMT

What am I looking for?

Someone who holds dear the concept of a self governing profession.

Someone who knows what being a professional is without defining it

Someone who will speak honestly and know that their role is to maintain that level of professionalism and maintain the public's confidence in our profession

Someone who preferred the old RCVS strapline (preferably one who doesn't feel straplines are any use)

Someone who can keep the common touch, even if elected to the exec

Someone who doesn't fold on a discussion forum partway through a discussion

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 20:30:30 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]If they did a small animal consultation recently, does that count as an alternative to cow-petting?[/quote]

No. The pet vets can vote for them

The only problem I can foresee with my bovine touching voting strategy is that cows are made of raw meaty bones, and I won't vote for him.............

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Rob Loxley — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 18:41:27 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]This is why I'm going to ask them when they last touched a cow, although I got a double 1 star for the post asking the question, thus far![/quote]

If they did a small animal consultation recently, does that count as an alternative to cow-petting?

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:50:31 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]In a professional capacity, or just in our own time?[/quote]

I don't actually mind. It sometimes feels like large animal work is seemingly the poorer (in so many ways) relative of the small animal vet. We do fun stuff too.

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:57:13 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Quite. This is why I'm going to ask them when they last touched a cow, although I got a double 1 star for the post asking the question, thus far![/quote]

In a professional capacity, or just in our own time?

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:14:48 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]- Even though I'm an out of touch academic I still understand first opinion practice [/quote]

Quite. This is why I'm going to ask them when they last touched a cow, although I got a double 1 star for the post asking the question, thus far!

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

grumpyoldman — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 10:03:23 GMT

likeable and effective is a contradiction anyway because being effective means treading on toes and upsetting comfort zones.

Single issue people are nice but tend to get lost in "the rest of it" , and are also pigeon holed by the mechanics.

As far as motivation goes your guess is as good as mine.

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:48:38 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]What a circus. [/quote]

You old cynic.

I kinda wonder whether you'd rather candidates who said: 'I won't stay in touch, I've never worked in general practice, vets are all a bunch of shits, I don't want to do anything, we don't need to change anything, not only am I out of touch, but advanced Alzheimers too. And I'm a shit. What is a shit anyway? Who are you? Come to think of it, who am I?"

Joking aside, I understand the cynicism, but I suppose the first problem is that nobody in their right mind would stay in touch if you don't treat them with a modicum of respect. As to their motives, I am not naive enough to think everyone is as pure as the driven snow, but certainly the candidates I have met in the past have always seemed genuinely well-meaning.

The point of these discussions is to try and get beyond the manifestos and get a better sense of the person behind them.

And I really do think the objective here should be to try and identify those candidates who fit the description above, rather than getting too hung up on whether they say they have been in general practice for x years, want to change things, or think vets are great or not. That's not the point.

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:25:27 GMT

[quote user="J G Wray"]I think you mean likeable and effective.[/quote]

Well, I thought I'd covered the 'effective' bit in the para about being able to frame an argument and communicate it!

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

David Mills — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:25:11 GMT

Can we have a game of RCVS Council Election Bingo?

- I will stay in touch with vetsurgeon

- I spent x number of years in general practice

- I think vets are great

- I want to do y and z (neither of which are remotely achievable)

- We need to CHANGE something / anything

- Even though I'm an out of touch academic I still understand first opinion practice

- Even though I'm part of a corporate behemoth with ahem questionable business ethics I'm still a really nice person

- I definitely haven't been put up to this by my corporate behemoth to make sure their interests are represented.

Feel free to add.

What a circus.

RE: What should you be looking for in an RCVS candidate?

J G Wray — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:12:31 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]a) are not afraid to stick their head up and ask questions[/quote]

That takes courage

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]b) are able to frame an argument for or against a course of action persuasively and are good communicators[/quote]

That requires skills

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]c) felt similarly about issues facing the profession which the College is involved with, such as education, ADR, professional wellbeing, use of retention fees, etc.[/quote]

That can be learned

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]d) are likeable (after all, few people respond well to an argument delivered by a bulldozer).[/quote]

I think you mean likeable and effective. Being clubbable is all very well, but there needs to be some net effect for others and communicate it if the candidate has the chutzpah to solicit votes from them.