Veterinary Surgeon praises advanced practice development offered by Harper Adams and partners Improve International and ISVPS

Posted 18 August 2021

A Veterinary Surgeon who studied with Harper Adams to develop his advanced practice has praised the university and its partners for making him ‘a well-prepared veterinarian ready to tackle tomorrow's challenges.’

Dr Miltiadis Markou, who lives in Athens, Greece, undertook a series of courses with the University, provided alongside partners Improve International and ISVPS.

He credits these courses – as well as the helpful attitude of Harper Adams lecturers, support staff and more – with boosting his skills, practice and confidence.

His first postgraduate award was the ISVPS’ General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert) in 2016 in Small Animal Diagnostic Imaging,  from which he went on to achieve the PgC with Harper Adams, which he followed with a second GPCert and PgC - this time in Emergency Medicine & Surgery, in 2019. 

Finally, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Practice Sciences, which he was awarded earlier this month.

Dr Markou said: “Harper Adams was an excellent university with a modern and very carefully planned teaching framework that could provide the tools for my career development.

“Besides that, its reputation for great student support both from the tutors and the university staff was quickly confirmed right after I enrolled.

“Harper Adams was also the first university where a veterinary surgeon could study and acquire multiple PG Cert qualifications that were immediately eligible for an RCVS Advanced Practitioner status application without further academic study requirements.”

 Harper Adams University provides the higher education body validation and quality assurance for postgraduate courses run by global veterinary CPD specialist Improve International. The University also validates the assessments from the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS) as part of the PgC route.

ISVPS Director Dr Sheila Wills said: “Developing new skills and knowledge can help veterinary professionals to build a more successful and rewarding career, while the confidence they gain during their training often helps them to enjoy greater satisfaction in their work.  We believe the close partnership between Harper Adams University, Improve International and ISVPS offers our students an exceptional and highly motivating learning experience and we are delighted that Dr Markou has found this to be the case.”

Dr Markou continued: “As I am working in a referral practice, it is obvious that achieving this level of focus in these two very important areas of veterinary medicine, has played a key role on improving my patients’ care and making my work more efficient.

 “This was the reason I decided to proceed with a second PG Cert after I completed the first and saw the difference in my real-life practice abilities - and also what made me continue my studies.”

As those studies progressed, Dr Markou found both his skills and his confidence growing – thanks both to the lecturers who interacted with him directly, and to Harper Adams’ support staff in key areas, such as the University library.

He added: “I consider the years of studying with the University to be some of the best of my life. I felt like I was developing my abilities in each subject of my studies day by day and getting closer to become an advanced practitioner in the areas of my interest.  

“My tutors were excellent, and they supported and guided my efforts with professionalism and great communication during the entire study journey.

“They helped me develop self-confidence and they inspired me to further develop my skills.

“The university staff were very informative and organized the technical aspects of my studies - the library staff were especially helpful.

"Studying in such a modern university, surrounded by excellent tutors was a life changing experience for me.

“I would definitely recommend these courses to anyone who wants to make a difference in his career and become a well-prepared veterinarian who is ready to tackle tomorrow's challenges. “