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Too many vets

Dear All,

I just thought I would share a little bit of arithmetic with you all....

In 2004 the total number of veterinary jobs in practice were 9462, the total number of graduates was about right.
In 2011 when Nottinghams first intake graduates along with the now massive amounts of vets they are training at London and other places, DEFRA (not me) estimates that only 74% of the new graduates will find work within 6 months. If you don't believe me: www.defra.gov.uk. This figure is slightly lower than the figure for philosophy graduates.

Thanks

Reply 1

kol

eructation :)

It will be easier to get a job if your a guy, especially for large animal practice. And surely no one will want to employ a nottingham graduate in 2011 coz its their first year of graduates and their not even accredited with the MRCVS. So nottingham grads will have to take the MRCVS exam which has a pass rate of 22% or sumthin like that and you can only take it twice!

Reply 2

your.angel

It sounds now like Notts grads will be accredited like everyone else - read their last newsletter if you get it.

I have talked to a practice owner, and he doesn't believe it will be harder for Notts grads to find work - it is a well respected uni, and has some well known people involved with it - the dean for example, who used to be someone important at the RVC. The vet himself said he would not have any problem with hiring someone from Nottingham.

Reply 3

Toby T

your.angel

Good point your.angel!

On my first day of seeing practice in a small animal clinic, one of the partners tried (rather unsuccessfully) to put me off studying vet med, because he said, the amount of qualified people looking for jobs was so high, compared to when he graduated. I thought ok, he has got a good point. However, the important thing to bear in mind is that compared to other graduates (even with the increased number in 2011) vets will have a much better time than say, newly qualified architects, layers etc.

So it's not quite as bleak an outlook as one may think. :smile:

It's just that we've had it so easy in the past!

Toby

Reply 4

Hawk

Im just glad ill be graduating in 2010, fingers crossed, before the first batch of Nottingham graduates come through :smile:

Reply 5

outrageous121

well to be honest doesn't that mean that the best people get the best jobs....as it should be? No practice will have to make do with a not-so-great vet any more, because more people will be applying~!

Reply 6

nina_100

outrageous121

Yep... just hope I don't end up being a not-so-great one!

Reply 7

eructation :)

The point I was making was not related to Nottinghams qualities as a Vet School. Itwas based on the obvious overstocking of our Vet Schools by Universities wishing to draw more and more money from the government. I believe we need no more than 400 vets qualifiying every year.
Anyone agree?

Reply 8

chairbear

Not every graduate will be a clinical vet or even working in the UK

Reply 9

eructation :)

Yes that has been taken account of ! You cannot increase Vet student numbers continually (and nearly exponentially!!) and not start to see mass unemployment.

We need a real debate on the forum with regard the actual availability of jobs for vets, we haven't even taken into account the fact we may soon see retirment not being available until the age of 67. This will compound the situation further. You cannot keep on producing more and more vets without seeing the surplus overflowing onto the dole.

Reply 10

eructation :)

Yes but an actor invariably doesn't spend 5 years racking up great debts at university. The point I am trying to make is that if you are one of the people now struggling to get a place at vet school then stop, and think. If you struggle to get in and struggle to get a degree then you will struggle to get a job. Not only this but wages will begin to fall. We want to be vets because of the glamorous jobs. It could well be that a lot of you graduating post 2011 will actually have to work in vaccination clinics or actually be forced into teaching etc.

I am not writing this to put off potential applicants,just making the point that it is worth thinking about these things rather than jumping head first into the decison before actually applying based on the 'guaranteed job' factor. As I mentioned in my previous post, DEFRA estimate the number of people with vet degrees being able to get jobs is going to be lower than people with philosophy degrees, think about it.

Reply 11

eructation :)

Yes that is correct, I am not a cynic but I see many good people naievly choosing Veterinary because it purports to offer a stable job and imagine walking into a job the day after graduating. It doesn't actually work like that.

Reply 12

eructation :)

Sorry, what are you on about? Do you actually know my name?

Reply 13

eructation :)

No I am a BVSc student. Don't come the high and mighty with me. Biovet is extremely insulting and you should think before you make slanderous remarks. I suggest you stop playing Miss Marple and simply engaged with me on the question of the excess of Vet students the UK is producing.

Reply 14

*Arwen*

lessthanthree

I suggest you stop lying (:

Busted - Go <3!!! :p:

Biovet is extremely insulting

Im assuming biovet is the same/v.similar to vetsci, the 3 yr course which Im doing at the rvc, and Just because its not vetmed, does not mean its rubbish and meaningless!! :mad:

It just means people like me! will (hopefully) have 2 degrees after 6/7 years at vet school! I just want to be a vet and if by doing a degree in vetsci first is the only way, thats how it'll be!! :biggrin:

I would have loved to be able to do vetmed straight away, but it was not an option for me!!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr................... :aetsch:

Reply 15

your.angel

If we are producing enough vet grads, why are so many jobs filled by foreign vets?

Reply 16

eructation :)

I am not prepared to take that abuse less than 3. I am intrigued to know what you actually think my name is!!! I am not BioVet and I detest the very suggestion that it is in any way equal to VetMed.