Dana Grigore, Lecturer in Clinical Education, talks about the barriers faced by clinically active educators and the innovative adaptations she has implemented to support their development. Vets, nurses and technicians teach and support final year veterinary students while also providing frontline patient care. Finding time to develop teaching skills can be challenging for those who work in a busy veterinary clinic with an unpredictable caseload. The Veterinary Clinical Education (VetClinEd) initiative was created to address that. Complementing existing expertise“The School’s Veterinary Medical Education Division (VMED) already provides a wide range of educational development workshops. However, it was felt that clinically active educators would benefit from more targeted faculty development initiatives.” says Dana.VetClinEd was launched to complement this provision, offering clinically focused support that aligns with VMED’s work while addressing the specific needs of those teaching in busy hospital environments. “VetClinEd sessions are short, focused and deliberately informal,” Dana continues. “Each workshop lasts an hour, with staff free to arrive late or leave early if clinical duties arise. We also hold sessions in clinical teaching spaces within our hospitals, meaning there’s no need to change out of scrubs or travel across campus.” These small design choices make a big difference. By reducing barriers to participation, VetClinEd creates opportunities for learning that fit neatly into the working day.Building a community from pilot to programmeThe initiative began in 2023 with four workshops, co-developed by Dana and Yolanda Martinez-Pereira, Senior Lecturer in Cardiopulmonary Medicine.Demand quickly grew. “VetClinEd now runs up to 12 sessions each year, with attendance reaching as many as 25 participants per workshop. We have also expanded to include external speakers, bringing fresh perspectives from the human medical community and outside institutions,” says Dana.“VetClinEd is not just about building skills, it is about building a community. We highlight teaching as a team effort, mirroring the collaborative approach of multidisciplinary clinical care.”Sessions provide a forum for sharing ideas, discussing educational literature and reflecting on teaching experiences in a supportive environment. Supporting professional development It has always been important to Dana and Yolanda that the initiative supports recognised staff development, so sessions are mapped to the Higher Education Academy’s (HEA) Professional Standards Framework and aligned to school quality assurance processes. “For participants, this means the workshops can contribute directly to applications for HEA fellowship, including senior fellowship. Facilitating or attending sessions offers valuable opportunities for reflection which is a core requirement of fellowship applications.” Dana reflects. During a recent accreditation visit by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), VetClinEd was highlighted, alongside VMED, as evidence of the School’s commitment to teacher training and support.Closer to home, the value of the initiative has been recognised by colleagues, with Dana and Yolanda being shortlisted for the Innovation in Teaching Award at a recent campus staff awards.Open to all clinical educators By meeting educators where they are, both physically and professionally, VetClinEd is helping to embed teaching development into everyday clinical life. “VetClinEd is open to anyone involved in teaching within the clinical environment. For us, that means vets, veterinary nurses, interns, residents, animal care assistants, grooms and technicians,” says Dana. The VetClinEd initiative is a great example of the School’s commitment to promoting partnership and connection through collaboration, culture and community health, which is a key pillar in our strategic mission.Find out more about Dana and Yolanda. This article was published on 2026-04-22
