Veterinary Medicine 2013 hopefuls! (again, early...)

Who else is thinking of applying for 2013? (current year 13s, or gap year students. And graduates/mature students!)

Make yourselves known, we've got a while ahead of us of vet-application-focused life :biggrin:

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(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

Lizziewizz

Hey everybody, I'm Lizzy :smile:

Anyone else already feeling that their life is very vet focused?

Reply 2

Leigh303

Original post by Lizziewizz

Hey everybody, I'm Lizzy :smile:

Anyone else already feeling that their life is very vet focused?

yes!! have you got much work experience yet? (preparing myself to be shocked at how little I have in comparison haha)

Reply 3

Lizziewizz

Original post by Leigh303

yes!! have you got much work experience yet? (preparing myself to be shocked at how little I have in comparison haha)

I'd just got in from work experience when I posted yesterday :smile:

So far ive got:
6 months saturday volunteer at a mixed vets (ongoing)
9 months sunday job at a cattery
2 weeks small animal vets
2 and a bit years at one stables
6 weeks saturday job at another stables
12 weeks saturday job at a chicken farm
8 months saturday job free range farm
2 days dairy farm
Few hours watching post mortem at a slaughter house

Ive also booked 2 weeks at a kennels, 2 weeks at a dairy when theyre calving( :biggrin:

) and 1 week at a large animal vets.

Have you got much work experience yet and are there any you're struggling to get?

Reply 4

VeggieGirl

Wow thats a lot compared to what I have! Kind of worrying :s-smilie:

I'm finding it hard to find large animal vet practices - all that are in my area are small companion animals and i'm also finding it hard to find farms - such as dairy. Its really hard to find places where they'll take you!
So far I have:
- a year helping out at a stables
- 1 week lambing
- 3 days at one small vet practice
- 1 week at another practice
- 1 week at a cattery (booked)
- 1 week at another vets (booked)
Trying to get a couple of days with the dog warden, a week at the local donkey sanctuary and a week somewhere else - hopefully a equine vets, then thats this summer all booked up! :rolleyes:

I've just finished year 11 - do you think im doing ok on the work experience front so far!? :confused:

Thanks

Reply 5

Leigh303

Original post by VeggieGirl

Wow thats a lot compared to what I have! Kind of worrying :s-smilie:

I've just finished year 11 - do you think im doing ok on the work experience front so far!? :confused:

Thanks

i think thats probably enough to be getting on with! haha i have done 1 week small animal vet, 1 week sheep (inc. 2 days lambing) and 1 week horses.

for the summer I have booked: 1 week each at 2 small animal surgeries, 1 week horses, probably 1 week dairy at one farm and possibly 1 more week at another. I'll be going to the sheep farm a lot as well as hoping to accumulate more time up there.

I've also done kennels - 3 days a week from the ages of 12-14 in the holidays, then pretty much every day of the holidays from 15 onwards.

so to get, i just have large animal/equine vet (got quite a few places to try) and as much farm stuff as possible. then i can think about abattoirs, zoos etc!

Reply 6

Leigh303

Original post by Lizziewizz

I'd just got in from work experience when I posted yesterday :smile:

) and 1 week at a large animal vets.

Have you got much work experience yet and are there any you're struggling to get?

they may as well offer you a place already! haha I'm so, so behind compared to you! only one long term placement :s-smilie:

Reply 7

RoryH

I'm a medicine hopeful but count yourselves lucky that you can get some work experience.

You don't have to worry about CRB checks or patient confidentiality :frown:

Reply 8

Leigh303

Original post by fletchdd02

I'm a medicine hopeful but count yourselves lucky that you can get some work experience.

You don't have to worry about CRB checks or patient confidentiality :frown:

good point, that must be really difficult! that said i suppose there are more doctors than large animal vets/zoos/abbatoirs etc, and most of them refuse to take us anyway :/

i have no idea, how much work experience is "recommended" for medicine?

Reply 9

Stripes23

Hey guys! I'm feeling rather worried now, seeing the amount of work experience you guys have. So far, I only have my Sunday job at a riding school, which I've been doing since I turned 13. I have a week booked at a small animal practice as well and am intending to contact all the farms in my area to get work experience there (thank God I live in a rural area, makes things so much easier). I'm struggling with placements though as I have a part time job which I really need and can't take too much time off without upsetting my boss.

Reply 10

RoryH

Original post by Leigh303

It's an absolute nightmare for anyone I think :frown:

I know quite a few vet's that I could get into only because I have so many bloody animals of varying kinds. They do have their perks, where do you live?

Erm there is no set amount or recommended amount, you need to be able to demonstrate an understanding of clinical practice and talk about every aspect of medicine. So, this means getting work experience in different places to be able to experience those different areas.

Reply 11

Leigh303

Original post by Stripes23

hiya! I wouldn't worry yet, we've got 2 summers ahead of us after all, and at least you've got a long term placement which should look good. Time to start cramming the vetty stuff, as I am doing - getting lots of small animal done so I can concentrate on large animal next year. I'm focusing on getting a little bit of all the basics (dairy, lambing, horses, vets etc) first then getting more/unusual placements later :biggrin:

Reply 12

Stripes23

Original post by Leigh303

Yeah, I know. I've not got anything booked for this summer though, because like I said I need to be working to pay for textbooks and stuff when I get to college and I'm already taking a week off for cadet camp. I think maybe I need to find a job where I can just work weekends and then do work experience during the week. Or maybe I'll just have to take every other holiday off and then quit next summer.

Reply 13

Leigh303

Original post by fletchdd02

It's an absolute nightmare for anyone I think :frown:

I know, large animal vets in particular are quite tricky I've found - often because of the danger/insurance factors I suppose!

wilts/somerset border.

Ah I see, how much will you be aiming to get? I've got to get at least 10 weeks (so far 3 done (not inc. long term placement), 4 definitely booked and 2 possibly) but that is absolute bare minimum and tbh I will need much more!

Reply 14

Lizziewizz

Original post by Stripes23

Hey guys! I'm feeling rather worried now, seeing the amount of work experience you guys have. .

We've got plenty of school holidays between now and applying so I dont think you need to worry about your work experience yet :smile:

Sorry didnt update my screen before posting

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 15

RoryH

Original post by Leigh303

Yeah from the vet's perspective it is a business at the end of the day and they can't be arsed with the reams of paperwork involved with health and safety!

Erm, i've had a 2 week hospital placement, i'm planning on a long term placement over 18 months at a care home and also shadowing Gps and consultants in hospital!
All come with unimaginable paperwork and CRB checks and occupational health checks blah blah blah :frown:

Do vets have to do the UKCAT to get into vetmed?

Reply 16

Leigh303

Original post by fletchdd02

Do vets have to do the UKCAT to get into vetmed?

exactly! ouch, fun :/

UKCAT - not as far as i know, but we need to do the BMAT for cambridge or RVC.

Reply 17

Moonlight*

Hi, you all sound really keen and its good to get work experience early, saves a lot of panicing in the summer before you apply! Dont worry though if you dont have loads atm, like other people have said you have lots of time before you apply! I only decided I wanted to be a vet in year 11 so didnt really start getting much work experience until after then and I didnt have any long term placements but still got 3 interviews. Although saying that long term placements are good as it shows commitment so definately go for it if you have the opportunity. Also remember that variety is really important and 1 week at lots of different places is better than 8 weeks at the same place.
Good luck! :smile:

Reply 18

SilverstarDJ

Original post by Leigh303

they may as well offer you a place already! haha I'm so, so behind compared to you! only one long term placement :s-smilie:

I only had one term placement, but had lots of variety in other sectors to make up for it and still got 4 interviews, so if you can't get another long term one, then don't worry too much.

Original post by fletchdd02

I'm a medicine hopeful but count yourselves lucky that you can get some work experience.

You don't have to worry about CRB checks or patient confidentiality :frown:

We still have to respect patient confidentiality, as any medical profession. I believe you don't need as much work experience though as some of the vet schools which require 15+ to get an interview but hope you find some work experience soon. :wink:

Reply 19

BeHappy

I'm hoping to apply in 2013 :biggrin:

Although my current work experience status is pretty dismal compared to some of yours...
2 weeks at different small animal practice
3 months of Saturday afternoons spent at Cats Protection
1 week at VLA [seriously recommend it, got to see post mortems and everything, was amazing!]
1 day lambing [yes, 1 day, but hopefully I can go back for longer next year :smile:

]
2 weeks hopefully at different large animal vets, organising now.
And hopefully will be spending many Saturdays at my riding stables soon.

I need to find some friendly dairy farmers that will have me for a couple of weeks. Thing is, I can't actually understand what half of them here say! Must brush up on my farmer speak!

Any of you have any ideas as to what you want to apply for as your 5th choice, other than veterinary? I'm thinking pharmacy or bioveterinary, but thinking I may have to get some pharmacy work experience if I'm to apply and get an offer? Anyone know? Thank you!