Commission for Foreign Animal Healthcare Graduates
If you wish to work as a veterinarian in the Netherlands with a foreign diploma, this is only possible if your knowledge and skills are of an equivalent level to veterinarians with a diploma obtained in the Netherlands. To determine this, your diploma must be recognized. In particular, if you obtained a diploma outside the EEA and Switzerland, your application for recognition will be submitted to the Commission for Foreign Animal Healthcare Graduates (Commissie Buitenlands Gediplomeerde Diergeneeskundigen; CBGD). This independent committee of experts assesses your professional qualifications and advises the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety (LNV) on this. The CBGD was established on 1 January 2022 to optimize the assessment process.
In which situations does the Commission for Foreign Animal Healthcare Graduates advise?
According to the Animals Act, veterinarians and para-veterinarians must register in the Register of Veterinary Professions (Diergeneeskunderegister) if they want to work as a veterinarian. The CBGD advises on individual applications from veterinary doctors with a foreign diploma who want to work in the Netherlands. This concerns the procedure ‘Certificate of professional competence’ (certificates of veterinarians obtained outside the EEA and Switzerland and diplomas of para-veterinary veterinary assistant, animal physiotherapy and embryo transplanter/winner obtained outside the Netherlands).
The committee assesses the professional qualifications of the applicants on the basis of their education and any work experience and additional training. The committee examines whether a candidate meets the minimum requirements for professional qualifications and registration ór whether this candidate can qualify for this after an adaptation period.
Who is on the committee?
The committee consists of expert members who have knowledge of veterinary education or have extensive work experience in the veterinary field. This enables the committee members to provide careful advice on the professional qualifications of individual applicants. In addition to education, further training and work experience are also taken into account.
The committee meets on the first Thursday of the month to review incoming registration requests.
The overview below lists the persons who have been appointed as chairman and (deputy) expert members of the Commission for Foreign Animal Healthcare Graduates (CBGD). All 21 members work in practice and/or at a training institution and are nominated by the relevant professional association or educational institution. However, they function independently and without burden and consultation. The members are appointed for a period of 4 years.
Chairman CBGD
Prof. dr. Jan Willem Hesselink
Professional group of veterinarians (dierenartsen)
Prof. dr. Wim Kremer, expert member and substitute expert member;
Dr. Claudia Wolschrijn, expert member;
Drs. Arjan den Hertog, expert member;
Prof. dr. Marianne Baronesse Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, expert member;
Drs. Hugo de Groot, substitute expert member;
Drs. Paul Nabuurs, substitute expert member;
Dr. Rebecca Nordquist, substitute expert member.
Professional group of paraveterinary veterinary assistants (paraveterinair dierenartsassistenten)
Drs. Alida Moene, expert member;
Pascale Fuchs, expert member;
Annemarieke de Man, substitute expert member;
Marleen Langen, substitute expert member;
Professional group of animal physiotherapists (dierenfysiotherapeuten)
Michiel Moens, expert member;
Elma Bakker, expert member;
Guy Blom, substitute expert member;
Emma Blijdenstein, substitute expert member.
Professional group of reproduction technicians (embryo transfer) (embryotransplanteurs/winners)
Dr. Peter Vos, expert member;
Drs. Jakomien Noordman, expert member;
Dr. Hilde Aardema, substitute expert member;
Drs. Ianthe Brussen-Moens, substitute expert member.