Work experience help

Hi, I'm new to the student room :smile:

i have looked at the uni work experience requirements individually and would love any advice on areas anyone thinks i could bump up ? Also what other courses are people applying for that aren't vet med ?
I currently have
-One week at a animal shelter
-Two weeks at a small animal vets
-one week at a reptile centre
-one week at a zoo
-three years volunteering at a city farm every saturday ( including a couple of days of lambing)
-Four years dog walking/pet sitting weekly for neighbours [ not sure this really counted]
-Two years volunteering at a riding school , a evening a week and through the holidays
-Two years working on a private equine yard with a mixture of horses. Have also owned by own horse and did pony club,

I hope to add
-A week at a large animal vets ( if i can find one that will have me )
=A week at another small animal vets/hospital
-A week at a dairy farm
-A couple of days at a abbatoir
-Some kind of vetmed course ? ( if i get in )

Reply 1

modini

Wow, will you even be able to fit all the stuff you have already on a personal statement?

Tbh, I don't know much about vet med so I can't really comment on how much w/e and stuff people do for it.

Reply 2

kalouki10

Liverpool requires 10 weeks work experience but it specifies that 4 weeks must be in at least two different veterinary practices and the other 6 must be in different animal environments eg dairy farm, pig farm, stables etc, as long as you fulfill their requirements it will be more than enough for the other vet schools =), just get as much as you can possibly get and go for variety as the vet schools like to see that you have thought about how the profession has many opportunities for you

hope this helped =)

Reply 3

dizzeedollee

Original post by kalouki10

^

i definitely second this :smile:

i would also recommend getting lambing experience if you possibly can and maybe an equine vet so you have most corners covered.

could i ask what year at school you are in/which year you are applying?

Reply 4

Judas the Prude

You've got some really good work experience already, it looks like you've pinpointed the main areas you're missing out on (dairy and large animal and/or equine vet I would say). As kalouki said you will need at least another 2 weeks vet experience for Liverpool (and they like you to have been to at least two different practices). If you can get a few more days lambing that would be good, and maybe some beef/pig farm if you can?

Also, as far as I know, courses like VetSim/VetLink etc. won't actually give you an advantage in your application (so the space in your personal statement would be better used talking more about work experience instead of mentioning that you've been on one of these courses) but all means sign up for one if you can afford it, I know lots of people enjoy them.

Reply 5

Moo_1495

I will be applying october 12, am doing As's at the moment :]

Reply 6

kalouki10

I have heard that the courses do not actually help with your application, but I have been to one and I really enjoyed it. If you get the chance I think you should go as they give you advice on personal statements and interviews. Another thing about them, I doubt this applies seeing as you already have a lot of work experience, they give an insight onto life at uni on a vet course, so if you were unsure about your course they are really good for giving you a proper university experience. Like I said though, you must be pretty sure by now that you want to be a vet as your experience is already so varied!

Also seeing as we are on the subject of work experience does anyone know what is the best way to ask an abattoir for w/e? And are there any in on near London? I know google should be my best friend for this but its not being helpful. Yellow pages doesn't seem to be of much use either =(

Reply 7

Phoenix_147

Original post by kalouki10

Are you over the age of 18 because if your not you will find it extremely hard to get WE even if you can find an abattoir becuase of health and safety issues.

Reply 8

kalouki10

yeah i turned 18 last year, but i have applied since and have not had any replies =/

Reply 9

Hopingforsunshine

Original post by Moo_1495

Hi, I'm new to the student room :smile:

Well I managed to get work experience at an abattoir aged 17 for a day which is all you need so go for it, try the smaller abattoirs they are more likely to have you, try going to your local butchers and asking where they get their meat from. Also you could try asking local farmers or vets to see if they know of any/send their animals there. If you get the contact details ring them up and say that you were given the information from the butcher/farmer/vet and they may be more receptive to your call. Explain that you only need a day or two and no more because you don't really need any more that that. You are basically just showing that you are aware that vets are involved in abattoirs and you understand what they do. When I was there I spent time with the vets checking the meat etc as well as time spent with the people actively slaughtering. It was eye opening and not actually that gruesome.

If you can't get large animals try and go for a mixed practice and then ask them if you can spend time with the large animal vets, also try and organise it for the winter months because there is more farm work available then so you'll be more likely to go out on calls etc than in the summer. I think it is really important that you add this week into your work experience.

Getting the dairy farm is definitely worth it as you can up your confidence working with cows in tight areas and gain contacts for future EMS.

The dog walking is unlikely to count under work experience but is a useful thing to talk about in personal statement as it shows community work etc and at interview.

I would suggest organising some more lambing, even if it is for next year after you apply as it can still count for a bit as some of the unis ask you to put down organised work experience etc. For example I organised some work experience for February half term and then was able to talk about it (and LDA operation on a cow) that I had seen and because it was so recent was able to go into a lot of detail.

I personally didn't go on one of those courses (except for Vet Quest at Bristol) because I couldn't justify spending the money to be told what I could find out from prospectuses and open days. However, if you have the money and want to spend then do I just don't know how much you will get out of it apart from a laugh!

As you are clearly into horses (I guess you'll be applying to Liverpool) I'd suggest trying to get a week with some equine vets or at an equine hospital. You have the husbandry side of it so you just need to show that you've experience some clinical cases etc.

A very important point is to keep a diary of the places you go to because you may need to know about operations/cases and be able to demonstrate that you've seen cases from start to finish or taken and active role in the placement. Also, some of the unis ask for a list of tasks you did whilst there so its useful to have them written down as you do them than trying to work out/remember what you did a couple of years ago!!!

Hope this helps
Good luck!!
x

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

joshhardwick81

Hey!
You've got some pretty varied work ex there, but from now on I'd concentrate on doing dairy and lambing work in particular- and another 2 weeks in vet practice (preferably large animal). Farm experience is probably the most important work ex you can have :smile:

That'll give you the 4 weeks vet practice that Liverpool require and then plenty of other stuff.

Hope this helps, drop me a PM if you need any more advice.
Josh

Reply 11

joshhardwick81

Oh, and don't bother with vetsim, vetmedlink etc. Cost a fortune and admissions staff don't consider them, based on the fact that a lot of people can't afford to go...