Work Experience

I have just applied to uni to do vet med, but everyone on here seems to have loads of work experience and I dont see how i can compare!

Those who talk about their work exp on here will have lots, however, i am presuming that there will also be many people in my situation that dont like to say it! (hopefully!!!)

So lets hear from everyone who perhaps don't have a huge amount of experience.

I have:

3 weeks at vets and am working 1 afternoon a fortnight there
2 weeks milking
1 week lambing
2 hours of horse management lessons
1 year of saturday mornings at a wildlife rescue centre

Reply 1

Shedlife

Does the lack of responses mean that we've all done a fair amount of work experience? :p:

Reply 2

hannah_vet

8

Shedlife

Does the lack of responses mean that we've all done a fair amount of work experience? :p:

evidently so. :wink:

xarcul

I have just applied to uni to do vet med, but everyone on here seems to have loads of work experience and I dont see how i can compare!

Those who talk about their work exp on here will have lots, however, i am presuming that there will also be many people in my situation that dont like to say it! (hopefully!!!)

So lets hear from everyone who perhaps don't have a huge amount of experience.

I have:

3 weeks at vets and am working 1 afternoon a fortnight there
2 weeks milking
1 week lambing
2 hours of horse management lessons
1 year of saturday mornings at a wildlife rescue centre

and xarcul as for your work exp, you've got most of the basics covered but try and get some more small animal husbandry (ie. kennels/cattery) this is where you will improve your animal handling skills which are vital. Also try and get some more farm work for example on a beef farm or a mixed farm or something, again for the animal handling. Liverpool also requires 4 weeks minimum vet experience so you'll need at least 1 more. Also stables as well. other things are labs and abattoirs.
bottom line is you need more animal handling stuff - which proves to unis that you know how to act around certain animals etcc or know what not to do.
good luck

Reply 3

Shedlife

hannah_vet

evidently so. :wink:

and xarcul as for your work exp, you've got most of the basics covered but try and get some more small animal husbandry (ie. kennels/cattery) this is where you will improve your animal handling skills which are vital. Also try and get some more farm work for example on a beef farm or a mixed farm or something, again for the animal handling. Liverpool also requires 4 weeks minimum vet experience so you'll need at least 1 more. Also stables as well. other things are labs and abattoirs.
bottom line is you need more animal handling stuff - which proves to unis that you know how to act around certain animals etcc or know what not to do.
good luck

+1

Reply 4

Beckybob

i'm also guessing this is the case.

Reply 5

kookabura

13

Quite a few of the people on here are reapplicants. So will have lots of work experience as they are on/planning gap years so have time to fit more work exp in. Also unis will expect more work experience from reapplicants...needing to improve on last year etc. So bear that in mind when you are looking at what some people state.

Reply 6

Rachhyyyy

i did have more work last year than you do this year but i am now a reapplicant so i would be expected to have waaay more than first timers.
be careful with liverpool and lacking of work experience, they out ALOT of weight on it.

Reply 7

x_georgina_x

Well when I applied I only had 4 weeks small animal (in 2 different practices) and 2 weeks at a wildlife park and I also had booked a week dairy and a week lambing. However I applied for deferred entry and had booked 14 weeks in South Africa doing a variety of animal work so I'm not sure if they took that into consideration or not.
I got interviews from RVC and Bristol then an offer from RVC. So it can be done with less work experience but try to get as much as you can, it will improve your chances a lot!

Reply 8

VL86

3

Although there will be applicants with more w/e than you, the important thing is what you managed to get out of these placements - that's what they'll ask you about at interview and that's what will show them about you as a person. So really research what you saw and think about the issues involved.

Reply 9

joshygab

Am i the only on who thinks this person has plenty....
probably more than me anyway

Reply 10

Shedlife

I think relative to some vet applicants no, I know somebody who's had 18...yes 18 months work experience and has done EVERYTHING possible :wink:

even been with Manchester police mounted unit.

However relative to every other university course requirements except veterinary that is loads.

Reply 11

kookabura

13

^ was going to say similar. The OP has more work exp than some people who apply for (and get into) vet sci. But less than others, also short of liverpools 10 weeks min, which a lot of people use as a min aim for work experience where ever they apply to. It depends if you are trying to get as much as you can, or are wanting to get away with not much. Personally, I love work experience anyway, so like fitting it all in :smile:

Reply 12

steph_v

13

Shedlife

I think relative to some vet applicants no, I know somebody who's had 18...yes 18 months work experience and has done EVERYTHING possible :wink:

even been with Manchester police mounted unit.

However relative to every other university course requirements except veterinary that is loads.

I don't understand, as in 18 solid months? As in ~78 full weeks? Surely that is completely impossible and they must be a social recluse. That's waaaay excessive.

Reply 13

Shedlife

steph_v

I don't understand, as in 18 solid months? As in ~78 full weeks? Surely that is completely impossible and they must be a social recluse. That's waaaay excessive.

~78 full weeks, he was 24 and A BEAST...he'll have no problem getting in. He's a undergraduate, and got AAAA at A level :o:

Reply 14

Annaconda

17

Shedlife

~78 full weeks, he was 24 and A BEAST...he'll have no problem getting in. He's a undergraduate, and got AAAA at A level :o:

youd think if he was 24 he could have loads more than that though. by christmas i will have over 30 weeks worth, and i could have loads more cos ive never done work exp in the summer holidays.

Reply 15

joshygab

alright everyone...
....its not a competition....

Reply 16

Shedlife

Annaconda

youd think if he was 24 he could have loads more than that though. by christmas i will have over 30 weeks worth, and i could have loads more cos ive never done work exp in the summer holidays.

I've done around 20 weeks in just under a year...not too shabby considering. A fair amount of it does come from my job at a kennel/cattery.

Reply 17

kookabura

13

joshygab

alright everyone...
....its not a competition....

no, it's not. Quality not quantity etc etc. There is no point having weeks and months if you don't learn anything, gain anything, benefit from it. But...having quite a number of weeks surely means you are much more likely to be 100% sure and committed to the degree and know that it is right for you. It will stand you in better stead for starting the degree and knowing what to expect from the degree and the job. As well as, most people are going to give their application their best shot possible, what is the point in not giving your application its best chance by completeing as much work experience as you can?

Reply 18

steph_v

13

Ahh, if he was 24 that makes more sense.

It IS quality rather than quantity, but having as much as you possibly can is never going to hurt.

Reply 19

username218989

1

If it makes you feel better, I'm also a little insecure about having less than most of the TSR Vets.

2.5 weeks small animal vet
2 weeks public farm
1 week cattery
1 week stables
2 weeks zoo
1 day with the Army Vet Corps

We can but try!
And although it sounds like an excuse, and I'm sure others do more but have more work experience, I truly cannot see how I could fit in any more into my life. [Except this week, but I decided to have a free week as its after application, and I need to get lots of things sorted out.]

Work Experience

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