About The Vet Grad
The Vet Grad exists because new veterinary graduates are the future of the profession. How they are supported, developed, and encouraged in their early years will shape not only their own careers, but the long term health of veterinary medicine itself.
Our mission is simple. We exist to ensure new graduates learn the non clinical skills they need to thrive. Confidence, decision making, communication, boundaries, self trust, and sustainability are not optional extras in modern veterinary practice. They are core professional skills, yet they are rarely taught in a structured or practical way. The Vet Grad was created to fill that gap through an honest, accessible book and training courses designed specifically for the realities of early career veterinary life.
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The Vet Grad is founded by Dr Dave Nicol, a veterinary surgeon, leadership mentor, and educator who has spent his career working at the intersection of clinical practice, leadership, and professional development. Over the years, Dave has owned and led several veterinary practices and has worked as Chief Veterinary Officer within multi-doctor, multi-site, independently owned groups. In 2012, he launched one of the first GP veterinary internships in the world, helping formalise structured early career support at a time when very little existed.
Dave is a long standing advocate and cheerleader for the next generation of vets. He spent five years as the non clinical skills trainer for Europe’s largest corporate graduate training program, supporting hundreds of new graduates as they navigated their first years in practice. He is the author of three books, including So You’re a Vet… Now What?, widely regarded as an essential read for new graduate vets. He has written hundreds of articles and blogs and recently contributed a chapter on veterinary leadership to Veterinary Clinics of North America.
He was also one of the original voices in veterinary podcasting, hosting Blunt Dissection and The Veterinary Leadership Success Show, which together have been downloaded more than 300,000 times. His work as a speaker and educator has been recognised internationally, including being voted VMX Practice Management Speaker of the Year in 2019 and again in 2024.
At its core, The Vet Grad is about one thing. Helping new vets build the confidence, clarity, and non clinical skills they need to thrive, not just survive, in a profession they care deeply about.
Contact Dr Dave.
You can contact Dr Dave to learn more about his work in the profession on any of the following social media locations.
