Vet Students

Are you looking for pig placement as part of your university veterinary degree?

If you are studying in the UK and are required to complete AHEMS pig placement as part of your studies, and need help in finding a placement, please first check if your university is registered for the RCVS’s EMA National Booking Database. You can find out more about the scheme here.

If your university is not yet subscribed please complete the request form. Once you submit the form to us, we will then be in contact with you to explain the process and what documentation is required, and how to gain a placement.

Please include the following in your initial email:

Your availability
The location you are looking at doing a placement.
Contact details
Bio about yourself
Any experience on farm you have

Please be aware that many producers are unable to offer accommodation to students so please do bear this in mind when thinking about the location of your placement.

Top tips for veterinary students for pig farm EMS placements

Be open-minded, especially if you have never been on a pig farm before. There are many different set ups and systems for pig farms, each with their own benefits.
Ask questions about what you are seeing and why things are done the way they are. Producers hosting you on their farm will be happy to explain.
Pig farms maintain very high standards of biosecurity. You will be required to wear wellies provided by the farm, and to dip them or change them between different buildings. You will also be provided with overalls. On some farms, you will be required to shower when entering the unit and again upon exit. If you are unsure of how this works, you can ask your host in advance to ensure you have what you need.
Also for reasons of biosecurity, don’t visit other pig units or abattoirs for 48 hours before you arrive at the farm, or during your stay on the farm. Ask your host what their “pig free” requirements are just to make sure.
On an indoor pig unit, it can be very warm inside the sheds and cold outside, so dress accordingly.
Be sure to let your host know if you have any medical issues which are relevant.
If you would like to take pictures or videos, ask your host first whether it is allowed and whether they are happy with you sharing them on social media. Some units have a no phones policy.
Staff on pig farms often start work early in the morning and work for a couple of hours before stopping to have breakfast. Be sure to ask what the working patterns are so that you are prepared.
Ask what will be expected of you and what types of tasks you will be required to deliver, to ensure you’re prepared and can extract as much value from the experience as possible.

Top Tips for producers hosting veterinary students

Provide an induction for the students. Time taken to talk them through on-farm protocols and introduce them to the farm and the staff will be invaluable later on. Every farm hosting AHEMS students should invest time into drafting protocols and farm policies such as H&S, behaviour, social media, etc. While many of these policies will already exist on most pig units, it is worth clarifying what pictures and footage may be taken by the student, and whether you will allow them to be shared wider and/or posted on social media. You may choose to allow photos to be taken for the student’s own learning, without permission for onward sharing.
Ensure any health and safety risks, especially related to handling of animals or the operation of the equipment and machinery, has been explained, and highlight relevant protocols.
Be sure that you can provide footwear, overalls and any other protective clothing or equipment. Ensure students understand the importance of biosecurity as this concept may be new to them.
You may have students from a non-farming background, so take time to explain what is happening on the farm, how the things are done and why. Students should also be encouraged to ask questions. Ask what prior knowledge or experience of pigs they have but do not assume they have any and take time to explain to them how your unit and pig production work. This will help them to do the job expected of them as well as improving their knowledge of the pig sector.
If possible, consider taking two students at a time. Students will have company of another student and someone to talk about experience and you will have an extra pair of hands. It will also allow you to give students days off during longer placements while ensuring there is still someone else present to support your staff.
The placement usually lasts a week or two weeks. It depends on the arrangements with the university, but placements can be longer or shorter, and cover part of a day rather than a whole day.
While it is not mandatory to provide accommodation, lunch, or even “pocket money”, it may make a placement on your unit more attractive to students, as well as making them more accessible if the student has to travel far to work on your farm.
Provide clean toilet and break facilities!
Speak to the students. Even if the university sends the students a welcome pack with dos and don’ts, it is always worth talking to the student/students about their expectations and to get to know them a little bit. You can also explain what is expected of them during the placement as only you will be able to provide this information for them.
The head of the EMS programme at the university is the primary contact for the farmer and the students. Any issues should be raised through that person.