Getting into vet school

Cruiseonamiro

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Hiya, i'm 16 and have wanted to be an equine vet for years! It's just that now i'm discovering how competitive it is... one university we rang said they had 1800 applicants for 200 places! They require a minimum of two weeks work experience but actually they want about a month, including they say, abbattoir, calving, lambing, horses, and small animals. Oh and something "different" as well, like a seal rescue centre. I've done stud stuff, racehorses and small animals but what with running my horse and taking my gcses im sturggling for time! Oh, and they want AAA in chemistry, biology and either physics or maths! What a nightmare! Anyone got any tips?
 
having been there and done that, then decided better of it and becoming an osteopath i know how much of a mountain it is to climb. I had to resit my a levels to get a place and take a year out, in the few years before applying i tried to do as much work experience as possible, what the schools really want you to show is total commitment to becoming a vet. its no good going in and saying i only want to work with horses, they need you to be committed to all animal care, to show that you need to go and work with lots of different centres, find local farmers that you can do the odd weekends with including pigs, sheep, cows and things like llamas/alpacas, ostrich etc will all earn you brownie points- try to go when they are doing interesting things like lambing etc. keep a diary of what you do with them and then note anything interesting you saw/did whilst working there, that gives you much better ammo when applying and at interview.
going to vet school isn;t just about getting in its about being 150% commited to the job when you've finished and they need that, like i say i went and did several years before deciding it was too much for me, the job is v demanding so make sure you know exactly what you;re getting into before going through all the stress involved. if you;re still really keen then go for it, show you're committed and blow their socks off! good luck!
 
Thank you very much! Would never have thought about the llama thing before... I'm just going to do the work experience and see how my grades go, and if I don't get in then i'll still have Biology, chemistry and physics A levels, so there are plenty of other options. What was it for you that was stressful, if you don't mind me asking? Sorry if that's a little rude, just trying to get an idea of what i'm letting myself in for!
 
The Vet Uni's dont just look for students with straight A's they also look for charisma, character & hobbies. My husband is a Vet and has lots of work experience students come and see practice with us. We have a friend whom too is a Vet, he has a son who is bordering on Genius, he got 11 A* in GCSE's & 5 A's in A-level (all top subjects not just the Ologies!!!!) both Cambridge & London turned him down and told him to go away and enjoy life for a year or so then come back! He was determined to only go to Cambridge like his Father & My husband so he took a yr out travelling made a port folio of where he had travelled and what he had experienced, went back to Cambridge & London for an interview and got offered a place with both Uni's - he took Cambridge!! Its not just about A's its also about life. Good luck
 
I would say you need much more than a months work experience, at least 2.
We all struggle to fit it in but if you are commited you will find a way, the odd week here or there will get you sorted.
Which vet school did you talk to as not sure which ones still ask for AAA?
 
Im currently studying at Bristol Vet School, and I would say getting in is the easy part! You would not believe how much the workload is, but saying that, I wouldn't give it up for the world. About getting in, they definitely want to see commitment to the career, so lots of work experience will help. I had work on a stud farm, worked in a boarding cattery for around two years, and had work experience at a couple of different vet practices. One vets I just did one day a week throughout the summer, it soon adds up to a couple of weeks that way.
But as well as the animal stuff, they do like to see that you have other interests, so any other extracurricular activities are great. For example, anything musical, or being in a sports team, part time job. I know I got asked a lot of questions about these things in my interview.
Also before your interview, get prepared on current topics in the veterinary world, they may ask questions on it, try going on the bva, bsava or beva websites for current news.
Hope that helps, and good luck!
 
Daughter is just finishing 2nd year at vet school. As well as good grades you need your application to stand out! Loads of work experience obviously, but other things like team sports, helping within the local community are also good. She did her Duke of Edinburgh gold award too which seems to be looked on favourably. Ask your local vets if you can borrow Veterinary Records to read, it will help you know whats going on in the vet world. Its not easy but there is no reason why you should be one of those who are accepted.
 
Try to work with as many species as you can, and if you are rurally based it's really worth trying to do some lambing (even a couple of days, like I did) and milking on a dairy. Lots of people aren't bothering with the farm experience so much it seems, so it would make you stand out. Are there any wildlife parks or similar near you, that you could maybe go to for a weekend? Extra curricular is important, keeping up to date with current veterinary issues (DEFRA website is good for this) and make sure you can really talk about the aspects of veterinary life that make you want to do it. As MurphysMinder says, it is hard and a lot of people don't make it, but there is no reason why you shouldn't be one who does!
 
Hello CharlieAbbey - I qualified from Bristol *coughs and splutters* 15 years ago - I expect things have changed a lot since I was there!
As far as the original question. I worked through all my school holidays to gain experience - my routine was - I got up in the morning and cycled into the village and milked a small goat herd. Once that was finished I then cycled to the local pig farm and essentially shovelled sh1t for the morning. I then peddled to the yard and rode my own horse and then back onto the bike to the local dairy farm for milking and then home. I don't know where I got the energy from but I guess all that cycling got me fit! I got all the people I worked for to write me referances and sent them along with my application form when I applied to Uni. I applied to all the Uni's and got interviews at Bristol, London and Edinburgh. I was given a AAA offer from Edinburgh and AAB offer from Bristol. I actually got AACC and still got accepted by Bristol so I think the experience and the referances probably swung it for me.
Good Luck.
 
Jeez, thanks guys!
Notts said AAB but it would actually be more realistic that they only accept AAA.. or at least the person on the phone did!
I play county hockey in an age group above my own, also do athletics, netball and rounders so sport wise I think im pretty covered, and have completed silver D of E this year, although am sacrificing gold to go skiing with my friends!
You're all saying a lot of work experience is involved, I know i've done enough horse and small animal wise it's just the lambing and calving, so i'll get that sorted.
Interview tips?
It's a bit early but it's good to be prepared!
 
i qualified from the RVC 2yrs ago so my memory of applying is starting to fade, but I know I had milking/calving, lambing, horses and small animal vet experience when i applied. i couldn't find a horse/farm vet i could get to as 16 so no transport of my own, living in the middle of a town with no-one who could take me to a vet early enough to go out with a large animal vet/no vet who would actually take me at that age. other stuff i did was work at a riding school as a groom/instructor then head girl at wkends which is tonnes better than just having a horse because of the communication skills involved and the commitment. did mean i had little time for anything else though and my lack of work experience definitely made things harder for me. i applied to all 6 vet schools (Notts didn't exist then). Was predicted 4A's at A-Level in Bio, Chem, Physics and Maths and all A's/A*'s at GCSE but only got interviews at Liverpool and Cambridge, both turned me down. Got my 4 A's and rang round them all again - got offered interview by London who then offered me a guaranteed deferred place so I had a lovely gap year knowing I had a place sorted, bought my first horse and got a full time job to earn money. Other stuff I did in my spare time at school was mostly musical instruments and county youth orchestras, but also played hockey for the school. Had my own dogs as well.

I did go to vet school determined to be an equine vet, but over the 5yrs gradually realised that I didn't want to do it anymore. If you want to get an equine job, you really need to go and be an intern - I didn't fancy slave labour with crap pay and no time for my horse. I also didn't fancy being your average on the road vet because you only see a handful of clients a day and half of those are vaccinations or teeth. if they're lame and you dont work from a hospital base you often have to refer them for rads and scans so lose the chance to work up the case. also didn't fancy all the on-call. developed a love for surgery which you dont get to do as an equine vet unless you're a top one. decided i fancied a life where I could work up my own cases, do plenty of surgery and chill out in the evenings and not worry about being on call and enjoy my horses and that's what I do. The job is high-pressure and stressful, but I cant imagine doing anything else. Vet school was hard work, even for someone with 4 A's who hardly had to put in any work to get them - suddenly I wasn't top of the class, but more in the middle and some of the guys there was bloody geniuses! Still, I didn't find it that taxing and really enjoyed most of it, apart from working 90hrs a week on rotations in the final year - that was proper stressful!

TBH, I just love a challenge and when everyone told me I'd never get into vet school, I was bloody determined that I would!
 
If I had my own choice... I would do my A levels and take the grey horse to hartpury, before getting a job as a working pupil and eventing!
So yeah, two impossible careers in mind!
 
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