FIRST NCAH PRIZES AWARDED AT NOAH ANNUAL DINNER
The highest scoring candidates who gained the NOAH Certificate of Animal Health (NCAH) during 2011 received prizes at the NOAH annual dinner in London last night.
It is the first time these prizes have been given out since the qualification was taken over and revised by NOAH in 2011.
First prize of £100 went to overall winner Jonathan Bell, of Clackmannanshire, Territory Manager for Scotland and the North of England for Alstoe Animal Health.
Jonathan said: “The NCAH course was a useful and informative guide to learning more about the background to the veterinary industry and the issues it faces in the future. Thanks to the lecturers who made the whole course very enjoyable.”
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Second overall winner was Gemma Nimmo, from Tiverton, Devon, who works for Boehringer and the third overall winner was Issy Gray, from Bristol, who works for Pfizer.
There were four sets of NCAH examinations during 2011. Top student in the January exam was Elizabeth Rapkin, from Newport, Companion Animal Territory Manager for Vetoquinol, and in second place was Elizabeth Rawlings, from Shropshire, Marketing Communications Manager for Dechra Veterinary Products
Issy Gray was top student in the April exam, followed up by Annie Wecki, from Berkshire, in second place, while Jonathan Bell and Gemma Nimmo took first and second places in the July exam. Top student in the September exam was Clare Turnbull, from Rutland, Large Animal Veterinary Advisor for Ceva Animal Health, and in second place was Colin Henry, from Bangor, Co Down, Special Representative in the Swine team for Boehringer Ingelheim.
The NOAH Certificate of Animal Health (NCAH) is designed to give candidates a thorough grounding in animal physiology, animal disease and treatment options, as well as giving them a full knowledge of the legal framework in which medicines are regulated, advertised and sold. It is aimed at sales staff in the animal health industry.
The NCAH evolved from the Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAH) certificate administered by AMTRA (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority). It came under NOAH’s remit at the beginning of 2011 to avoid confusion with AMTRA’s Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP) qualification. The qualification continues to be accredited by Harper Adams University College under its jurisdiction as an institution with its own degree awarding powers.
NOAH Chief Executive Phil Sketchley said: “The first year of the NCAH had been a great success and provides us with a solid base to build on in the future. We now have a completely new modular manual, so along with the thorough grounding students receive, they can specialise in the areas most relevant to them. We look forward to the first students being examined on the basis of this manual in May 2012.”
