The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has revealed the winners of the 2024 Clinical Abstracts awards.
These awards celebrate high-quality clinical research conducted in practice, industry, and academia. They were presented at the BSAVA Congress 2024 in Manchester Central.
Each year, veterinary professionals and students are invited to submit their research for consideration. Accepted abstracts are selected for either poster or oral presentations, providing researchers with the opportunity to showcase their work to a wide audience. This event highlights the latest advances in veterinary medicine and offers valuable insights for delegates.
Best Medicine Award: George Smith BSc BVetMed PGDipVCP MRCVS
Research: Predictors of clinically significant bleeding in dogs with severe thrombocytopenia
George Smith, who earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Imperial College London and graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2016, received the Best Medicine Award. After working in first opinion practice and completing internships at the Royal Veterinary College and in Australia, George began an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Glasgow in 2020.
George commented, “Winning the Best Medicine Award at BSAVA Congress 2024 is a tremendous honour. It validates my dedication to veterinary research and clinical excellence. This recognition not only motivates me to continue striving for advancements in veterinary medicine but also provides invaluable support for my ongoing professional development.”
Best Student Award: Michelle Demkova
Research: Lifting the flap on otitis externa in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK – the VetCompass view
Michelle Demkova, a final-year veterinary student at the Royal Veterinary College, won the Best Student Award. She expressed her excitement, saying, “I am absolutely ecstatic! It means being recognised as worthy by a panel of impartial judges that are willing to invest in my future and help me reach my potential. It has given me all the confidence I need to keep working with excellence towards my goals.”
Best Practitioner Award: Kathryn Patel
Research: Reflecting on first opinion clinical improvement project across 39 UK vet practices to support diagnosis and management of OA
Kathryn Patel, who qualified from RVC in 2012, has completed certificates in small animal surgery and veterinary business management. Her clinical interests include joint disease and surgical oncology. Kathryn stated, “Winning the BSAVA practitioner award is a real honour. I am passionate that such projects delivered in a way that is practical for real general practitioners to apply within the confines of their busy schedules makes wide-scale impact possible and I am delighted BSAVA have recognised this. I hope it will inspire other vets to look at where small changes could create a real improvement for their patients and consider setting up something similar in their workplaces.”
Best Surgery Award: Sebastian Wylie BVetMed PGDipVCP MRCVS
Research: Complications and outcomes following surgical management of Achilles Tendon injury
Sebastian Wylie, who graduated from RVC in 2017, has pursued a career in surgery. After working in small animal practice, he completed internships at Langford Small Animal Hospital and The Ralph Veterinary Referral Hospital. Currently, he works at the University of Bristol as a Veterinary Clinical Demonstrator. Sebastian remarked, “This award means a great deal as I have been working on this paper for a long time with lots of help and collaboration from different referral centres. It’s fulfilling to see the hard work paying off and the research appreciated by the wider veterinary community.”
Best Poster Award: Clare Jones RVN ISFMCertFN CertAVN
Research: Confidence with CPR within Veterinary Professionals. Would standardised CPR training help confidence within Veterinary Professionals?
Clare Jones received the Best Poster Award for her research on CPR training. She said, “My goal was to present a clinical abstract at BSAVA Congress to try and share our findings with peers in a creative way. To receive the Best Poster Award was a shock and huge honour to be recognised for not only the research but RVN’s undertaking research.”
Call for Submissions: 2025 Clinical Abstracts
The BSAVA invites veterinary professionals and students to submit their research for the 2025 Clinical Abstracts. Submissions will open on 9th September 2024 and close on 18th October 2024. Chosen abstracts will be presented at the BSAVA Congress 2025, held in Manchester from 20th to 22nd March.
For more information, visit the BSAVA website and prepare to contribute to the ongoing advancement of veterinary medicine.
