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COURIER COLLEGE

COLLEGE COUNCIL

President

Dr David Tabrett

Chief Examiner

A/Prof Jennifer Carter

Honorary Secretary

Dr Guy Wolfenden

Honorary Treasurer

Dr Carolyn Guy

Councillors

Dr Cathy Beck

Dr Francette Geraghty-Dusan

Dr Wendy Goodwin

Dr Jennifer Sinclair

Award Committee Convenor

Dr Jennifer Sinclair

New Zealand Contact

Dr Carolyn Guy

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

Chief Examiner

A/Prof Jennifer Carter

Assistant Chief Examiner (T&C)

Dr Jana Leshinsky

Assistant Chief Examiner (Exam)

Dr Ruth Sutcliffe

Board of Examiner Members

Dr Nick Bamford

Dr Susan Beths

Dr Claire Cannon

Dr Emma Hoolihan

Dr Yenny Indrawirawan

Dr Rachael-Kate Llewellyn

Dr Jennifer Manyweathers

Dr Rena MacFarlane

Dr Elizabeth Tee

Dr Albert Thomas

ANZCVS COLLEGE OFFICE STAFF

Chief Executive Officer

Mr Stephen Alderman

Examinations Manager

Dr Mary Anne Hiscutt

Examinations Officer

Mrs Jenny Burnett

Assistant Examinations Officers

Mrs Sharyn Logan

Mrs Cassie Roqica

Project Officer

Dr Rachel Tan

Administration Manager

Ms Maureen Thie

Administration Officers

Ms Cheyenne Tuari

Mrs Yi Yang

EDITOR’S NOTE

CEO REPORT

Have a brain tickling MCQ? We are always on the lookout for high-quality, robust exam content.

Contact Rachel at po@anzcvs org au to submit your questions

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Dr David Tabrett

Shining the Spotlight

Is there someone in your Chapter who has selflessly stepped forward year on year, or has done an exceptional job recently that deserves recognition for their contributions "behind the scenes"?

Reach out to the College Office to have them featured in the next edition of the Courier!

David Tabrett

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

COLLEGE COUNCIL

Why Become a College Councillor?

Make a Real Impact

Influence the College’s strategic direction by engaging with key decisions and governance matters.

Actively participate in shaping the future of the College through Council meetings and key decision-making processes.

Champion our College Community

Promote membership and encourage professional fellowship within the veterinary community.

Serve as a vital link between the College and its Chapters, providing guidance, support, and leadership.

Represent the College at events and act as an ambassador for its purpose and values.

Professional Development

Enhance your strategic thinking, decisionmaking, and advocacy skills in a high-level leadership role.

Gain valuable experience in corporate governance and leadership, with training and support provided.

Support and Recognition

Receive full financial support for travel, accommodation, and meals when attending inperson Council meetings and the Annual General Meeting.

Benefit from extensive assistance from dedicated College staff.

Enjoy the personal and professional satisfaction of playing a key role in the leadership of the College.

To nominate for Council, please download and complete the online form available here. Nominations close 1 June 2026

CHIEF EXAMINER’S REPORT

A/Prof Jennifer Carter

Greetings from cool and rainy Melbourne. As always, I want to begin by sincerely thanking our College office staff, Council members, Board of Examiners members, and examiners and observers for their incredible contributions to the College examinations process. We have hit the ground running in 2026 preparing for another large cohort of examinations and examining teams are busily working on their exams As of writing this column, we are currently preparing examinations for 22 different Membership subjects and 12 different Fellowship subjects for over 400 candidates!

The Board of Examiners hosted the annual examiners workshop in Brisbane from 31 January to 1 February with attendees from a breadth of both Membership and Fellowship subject examining teams with examiners from 16 of the 34 different examining groups present. The weekend consisted of some brief presentations alongside high-impact collaborative writing and revision sessions facilitated by BOE members It was a successful weekend for all involved with some teams staying on for a while after the Sunday session ended to

An interesting point to celebrate from the weekend was my reflection that the examiners in attendance were, overall, the most prepared with respect to exam drafting, of any workshop in my memory.

Additionally, we noted an increase in the use of multiple-choice questions in examinations for this cycle – an important step towards sustainability of the exams processes.

In addition to all the examinations business of the weekend, attendees enjoyed a joint dinner together – a lovely social experience for our College community. I would like to personally thank all the attendees at both workshops for their diligent efforts in making the weekend a true success. I would also, of course, be remiss in not thanking the College staff and Board of Examiners members in attendance for their support and contributions

I’d also like to extend my best wishes to all our Membership and Fellowship candidates in your endeavours this year!

MEMBER DISCOUNT

INTENTION TO SIT DEADLINE FOR 2027 FELLOWSHIP CANDIDATES

Are you a Fellowship Candidate ready to sit your Fellowship exam?

The deadline to register your intention to sit

2027 Fellowship Examinations is

30 JUNE 2026

No applications will be accepted after this date.

Fellowship Candidates wishing to sit Fellowship examinations in 2027 should note that it is mandatory to register their intention to sit with the College office before 30 June 2026.

No applications to sit the Fellowship examinations will be accepted after this date.

Candidates who register an intention to sit, but do not comply with current credential guidelines will be able to withdraw their application before 31 October 2026.

Please note that the Credentials date of 31 October remains the same, and by this date, all requirements outlined in the training guidelines must be completed.

NOMINATIONS BOARD OF EXAMINERS

Vet Science Week 24-26 July 2026

Project Officer Report

Fellowship Review Project

This project seeks to review all aspects of Fellowship training across the breadth of disciplines and settings, including entry and eligibility requirements, educational framework, learning environments, assessment

Early Bird closes 25 May 2026

ChapterResourcePortal

Did you know that every chapter can utilise their Chapter Resource Portal to encourage, engage, and enhance current and future member participation?

Chapters can create multiple channels available to specific groups, as well as a whole of Chapter channel which all Chapter members access.

Whether you’re looking to create a mentorship program for group membership candidates; improve member benefits with storage facilities for CE webinars, journal clubs, and articles; an area where members can chat and engage with each other; or streamline the onboarding and offboarding processes for various committees, this portal can be immensely helpful.

If you have valuable content, the Chapter Resource Portal is an ideal place to store and present it to your Membership.

Interested? Reach out to the College Office to explore how it can be customised to fit your Chapter’s goals.

Animal Welfare CHAPTERREPORTS

Dentistry

Hello to our Dentistry members!

Firstly, we want to wish all of the current membership candidates sitting their examinations later this year in Small Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery and Equine Dentistry all the very best for their final push towards the upcoming examinations. Huge thanks also to the examination committees who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare for this It’s a tough time of year for those on both sides of the examination fence, and we appreciate everyone working so hard to improve the level of knowledge in this important area of veterinary practice

Secondly, the Science Week Committee, in particular Dr Bec Tucker and Dr Aaron Forsayeth, have been busy assembling this year’s Science Week program - the preliminary program is now available on the College website and, while there will be a few minor adjustments between now and July, it is shaping up

CHAPTERREPORTS

Emergency and Critical Care

Webinar on Preparing for ECC Membership exams by Dr Katy Craig

We have many more FREE CPD webinars including Antimicrobial stewardship, Heat stroke, Acid Base Analysis and Fluid Therapy on our VECC Events webpage.

Science Week Program Update

3 Core Themes this year - Advanced respiratory support, Snake Envenomation & Tick Paralysis Keynote speakers

Discussion panels on each topic with numerous additional ECC specialists and topic experts from around Australia.

CHAPTERREPORTS

Epidemiology

Feline

Are you brilliant at balancing the books? A trivia trickster? Know your Tags from your Tweets?

CHAPTERREPORTS

Ophthalmology Pig Health and Production

CHAPTERREPORTS

Small Animal Medicine

Small Ruminant

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia

Veterinary Behaviour

CHAPTERREPORTS

Veterinary Practice Small Animal

Wound CPD

On the 24th March 2026, we were proud to bring Dr Lincoln Chau online for CPD to present on Acute Traumatic Wound Management, recording of this webinar is available on the VPSA Chapter’s Events page. Thanks are extended to SASH for their kind sponsorship for this event

Philip Moses Memorial Lecture

The loss of Philip Moses has been felt deeply across the College, and especially within our Veterinary Practice Small Animal chapter Philip was critical to the formation of our Chapter Philip was a man passionate about Continuing Professional Development, and about sharing knowledge, especially between General Practitioners and Specialists Two topics close to his heart were brachycephalics and animal welfare Philip changed the lives of many patients and people. As such, for the second year we are proud to introduce the Philip Moses Memorial Lecture, and invitations are open for consideration

Speakers are invited to submit a one page synopsis of their talk for consideration by a panel. Themes should include brachycephalics and/or animal welfare The talk can be presenting research or a knowledge summary The target audience should be general practitioners. The presentation is ideally to be given in person, although presentation via audiovisual link will be considered to enhance accessibility and opportunity for the speaker

The primary goal is to promote the knowledge base within the professional about the topics A bursary of up to $1500 (inclusive of speaker fee) can be provided to assist the speaker with costs incurred presenting in person, for example, flights and/or accommodation.

Please forward your synopsis and contact details to presidentvetpracsa@anzcvs.org.au with the heading ‘Philip Moses Memorial Lecture’ by 10th April 2026 for consideration.

GOVAs 2026

On 6th March, GapOnly hosted their Veterinary Awards in Sydney. It was clear that the ANZCVS College was held in high regard, with representatives from the Veterinary Practice Small Animal, Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, and Animal Welfare Chapters, among others, represented for glitzy and glamorous night.

Congratulations to all of the worthy recipients

Veterinary Public Health

Vet Science Week 2026

The Chapter is mounting a two and half day joint program with the Epidemiology and Zoo and Wildlife Chapters. Additionally, VPH is supporting a pre-conference workshop with our Epidemiology colleagues While details of both will be available 27 April, the following is a taste of what will be addressed:

Animals in the Machine: AI and Animal Ethics

The use of AI and other technologies to monitor and inspect animals at processing establishments, and in the workshop

Leaving P<0 05 behind - towards more thoughtful interpretation of results from controlled trials and observational studies

The workshop is for those aiming to build their skills in interpreting results from comparative studies, including clinicians, new and experienced researchers, intending Fellowship candidates and their advisers. No prior statistical knowledge is required - all concepts will be sequentially introduced assuming no prior knowledge

Attendance for the Pre-Conference Workshop and main Scientific Conference can be registered for separately

CHAPTERREPORTS

Veterinary Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation

Overview

The VSMR Chapter is gearing up for a strongly collaborative and hands-on program at Science Week 2026, with a mix of practical workshops, cutting-edge lectures, and multidisciplinary discussion designed to advance best practice across companion animal rehabilitation and performance care

CHAPTERREPORTS

Zoo and Wildlife

2026 is shaping up to be a record breaking year for our Chapter!

Our Examination Committee has been working tirelessly to prepare for an unprecedented number of membership candidates across both subject areas: Australasian Wildlife Health Management and Zoo Animal Health Management.

This surge reflects a desire for advancing standards of practice in our disciplines and the Chapter’s growing leadership within the profession. We are grateful to the examiners for their commitment to ensuring a robust and fair process.

Additionally, for the first time our Vet Science Week presentations in 2026 will extend across all 3 days of the Vet Science Week (VSW) program. This demonstrates the breadth of members’ interests and has been made possible thanks to the strength of a number of valuable cross disciplinary collaborations.

Friday: We open with a joint session alongside the Medicine and Management of Laboratory Animals Chapter, focusing on a range of species used in different research settings and the ethical frameworks that underpin this work.

Saturday: We partner with the Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology Chapters to explore themes such as surveillance, emerging threats, and One Health.

Sunday: We host a dedicated Zoo and Wildlife Chapter program featuring diverse talks from clinical case studies in zoo and wildlife rehabilitation practice to updates on novel diseases in free ranging species, delivering actionable insights for practitioners and researchers alike.