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Lambing and Vet Work Experience

I'm looking for work experience to apply for vet med at Uni, but I'm not at school anymore and I don't have any contacts or any idea how to set anything up.

I'd really like to go lambing, just because people tell me it's great fun. How do you go about finding a placement? Can anybody recommend anywhere in the Midlands for it? I know this is really early to be asking about it, but I figured better early than late :smile:

Thanks!

Reply 1

emmers

ask farmers near you/ local farming colleges

Reply 2

kookabura

13

Have you applied this year (2010 entry) or applying next year (2011 entry?)

There is no substitute for just asking people I'm afraid. Ring around farms and ask. I did that earlier this year and got a job offer of paid lambing for 5 months, literally just from several phone calls. And, tbh, it isn't that early to start sorting it out. Lots of people will want work experience lambing (including actual vet students) so don't leave it too late to sort.

Have you done much other work experience? Use contacts that you know. When you have been at a large animal vets get chatting to any farmers you see and try and arrange time with them. When you are at one farm see if they can help you out with other type of farm.

Lambing is great fun, and really hands on and lots of practical experience. But make sure you get other stuff as well. :smile:

Reply 3

steph_v

13

Lambing is great fun, my favourite placement! Seriously, ask around. I got my placement from a friend of my mum's friend at work. Mention how you want to be a vet to everyone, and eventually, someone will know someone with a farm, haha.

Reply 4

Origami Bullets

19

Try:
- putting a notice up in your local agricultural merchants (there is usually one on the outskirts of a city; Countrywide is a fairly common one, although I prefer my local independent)
- going to a city farm. If they don't have significant numbers of sheep, then they may know someone in the country who does.
- contacting your local agricultural college
- if there is a uni with a vet course near you then they will also have some contacts.

Don't forget . . . tupped by Bonfire Night, lambs by April Fool's Day!

Reply 5

haddie...

I found a really nice farmer who insists on paying me for work experience through the NFU

Reply 6

pirate007

Just ring round loads of vets and farmers ect. not being at school is no excuse for not being to organise work experience as some of us had to organise our own work experience anyway. Plus never think your thinking about work experience to early in the year, i booked some on my placements a year in advance due to the demand for them.

Reply 7

emmaaa..

I went through the yellow pages to find farms, but couldnt find lambing in the west midlands but i know there are sheep farms about. in the end i went to stay with my dad in Shropshire after finding a farmer there. Lambing was my fave placement too,,,sent the farmer a card the other day that i'd been meaning to send him for a while now,,,telling him just that.,and thanking him for making it so diverse. obviously experience in practices is where you should start and most are willing to take on work ex students if you write them letters addressed to the head nurse or practice managers. good luck :smile:

.

Reply 8

Rachhyyyy

i was gona say how does being at school help u get work exp?
schools dont help u at all, i got all of mine myself, through friends and family, yellow pages, google searches, letters, phonecalls,emails.. it takes alot of work but hopefully its worth it.

Reply 9

Search_facility

OP

Thanks for your help - I'm applying for 2011, and I have done other work experience, but it was all small animal.

I don't want to ask people I know, because I'd rather as few people as possible know I want to apply. That way when I (inevitably) get rejected it won't be so upsetting, lol.

I'll try ringing around, and I've sent a couple of letters to agricultural colleges and hopefully somebody will get back to me from that. Thank you again for the advice, cheers so much.

Reply 10

Enor

7

If you look at the reappliers 2010 thread, a new grad vet has posted an opportunity on there about lambing/calving-its fairly long term but paid, although it would require travelling.

Lambing is totally awesome!! As people have said above they're all really good suggestions but you could also write a letter/email to your local NFU and see if they'd be willing to put you in contact with anyone.

I know what you mean about not wanting to tell people as you want to avoid the upset, but its not like anyones laughed in my face, yes its upsetting when you don't get in, but people are disappointed with you, not laugh at you, people understand, honestly!! And on the plus side it means i can go lambing again this year and carry on going to the vets and milking and all the other things i love, whilst learning more, furthering my application etc :smile:

Reply 11

Annaconda

17

Enor

If you look at the reappliers 2010 thread, a new grad vet has posted an opportunity on there about lambing/calving-its fairly long term but paid, although it would require travelling.

Lambing is totally awesome!! As people have said above they're all really good suggestions but you could also write a letter/email to your local NFU and see if they'd be willing to put you in contact with anyone.

I know what you mean about not wanting to tell people as you want to avoid the upset, but its not like anyones laughed in my face, yes its upsetting when you don't get in, but people are disappointed with you, not laugh at you, people understand, honestly!! And on the plus side it means i can go lambing again this year and carry on going to the vets and milking and all the other things i love, whilst learning more, furthering my application etc :smile:

i didnt know there even was such a thing!
i know what oue mean though OP. there are no farms in my yellow pages so it was difficult knowing where to start. plus no where round here sells farmers weekly or anything so i couldnt even look at adverts in that or anything.

Reply 12

Enor

7

Haha, my dad works for thw NFU so has bean a part of my life I guess. Its worth a try though, seriously, if you google NFU and then on there you could find your local office and get in contact with them, I know dad's had people contact him who want various placements and he tries to set them up with something suitable and occasionally he other way round where someone has contacted the farmer but the farmer doesn't consider themselves to be suitabl for whatever reason so dad has tried to find somewhere better in a local area. I feel very lucky cos it has helped me enormously cos as a result if his job most of his friends are farmers. :smile:

Lambing and Vet Work Experience

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