Calling all 2012 VetMed entry hopefuls, VERY Early i know!

I've lambed in December and January before - two different farms. Both with pedigree sheep. From my understanding it is something to do with the age of the pedigree sheep come show time etc. But there aren't that many places that lamb then! For good reason, it was flipping cold, and takes *a lot* more effort to try and stop lambs from dying!

They DO exist :biggrin:

haha

Original post by KateMP

Every time I come on here I want to cry about how little work experience I have compared to everyone else. I can't stand the thought of doing a gap year :frown:

Don't worry about it :smile:

First off, you've got until December for most universities - plenty of time! Also, I'm about 17hours from my gap year and I can't wait for it - they are definitely not a bad thing at all! :biggrin:

It's a whole year of polishing up every vetty thing you've heard at work experience, on here etc etc and learning lots more, making money, getting more work experience, learning new things (I'm thinking I'm going to take up trying to learn an instrument or teach myself a course or something) etc etc At first I thought a gap year would make me feel down because my friends were all in 4th year uni and studying towards something but then I realised I'm going to be trying to get into vet school all year and doing all the things I enjoy in my spare time :biggrin:

How can life get any better than that?!

Reply 581

Loosy

I wrote a draft of my PS today and it's too long already! D: I don't know how to cut it down.. lol.

Reply 582

KateMP

12

Original post by totallyme

Don't worry about it :smile:

First off, you've got until December for most universities - plenty of time! Also, I'm about 17hours from my gap year and I can't wait for it - they are definitely not a bad thing at all! :biggrin:

It's a whole year of polishing up every vetty thing you've heard at work experience, on here etc etc and learning lots more, making money, getting more work experience, learning new things (I'm thinking I'm going to take up trying to learn an instrument or teach myself a course or something) etc etc At first I thought a gap year would make me feel down because my friends were all in 4th year uni and studying towards something but then I realised I'm going to be trying to get into vet school all year and doing all the things I enjoy in my spare time :biggrin:

How can life get any better than that?!

I suppose! I just hate the idea of all my friends having fresher's week and I'll be sat at home. :/ Plus my parents aren't exactly easygoing... And I'm so limited with work placements because I have to get public transport everywhere because my parents need the car for work :| and I can't afford to learn to drive or get a car... So I don't even think I'd have enough to fill a year :/ Mehh. Well, we'll see :tongue:

I'd definitely make the best of it if it happened :3

Hope you enjoy your gap year :biggrin:

Reply 583

Ogrice80

I'm so excited about Vet school!

So far I have:
16 weeks at a SA vets (over 2 years)
2 weeks at an equine vets
1 week at a LA vets
1 week lambing
1 week at a Dairy
1 week at Bristol Zoo veterinary department (That was the best!)
4 weeks at stables
and a day at an abattior :smile:

I want to do some more, any ideas of what?
I'm hoping to apply to Edinburgh and RVC as my top two :P

Reply 584

bertiejess

Original post by Ogrice80

I'm so excited about Vet school!

So far I have:
16 weeks at a SA vets (over 2 years)
2 weeks at an equine vets
1 week at a LA vets
1 week lambing
1 week at a Dairy
1 week at Bristol Zoo veterinary department (That was the best!)
4 weeks at stables
and a day at an abattior :smile:

I want to do some more, any ideas of what?
I'm hoping to apply to Edinburgh and RVC as my top two :P

wow are you are a first time app? Thats a lot of work experience! Kennels or cattery are pretty necessary I think, maybe a pig farm, wildlife rescue, and anything else unusual that will make you stand out! Someone else can probably give better advice though :smile:

Reply 585

Ogrice80

wow are you are a first time app? Thats a lot of work experience! Kennels or cattery are pretty necessary I think, maybe a pig farm, wildlife rescue, and anything else unusual that will make you stand out! Someone else can probably give better advice though

Yeah, I'm a first time app :smile:

Thanks for the advice :smile:

Reply 586

Lornaliz

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lorna, I'm 22 and I'm going to apply for 2012 entry to the graduate entry programme at Edinburgh, so excited! I'm really hoping to get a 1st in the Biological sciences degree im doing just now, only one year left! I'm a wee bit stressed about my work experience though, soo here is what I have so far... :s-smilie:

3 weeks small animal vet
5 hours a week for 8 weeks at a rabbit/guinea pig/hamster etc shelter
4 weeks at a wild sanctuary in Namibia (wide range of species farm and wild- sheep, pigs, horses, lions, leopards, cheetahs, baby baboons, meerkats, caracals, wild dogs)
2 weeks in the Amazon (using mist nets to catch birds, tracking monkeys, river dolphins, macaws, caimen)
I was also meant to do lambing for a weekend at my friends farm, but they were all born early because of the lovely weather, so I'm planning to do it next year instead.

What do you all think I shoud try to do? Thanks!

Reply 587

Ogrice80

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lorna, I'm 22 and I'm going to apply for 2012 entry to the graduate entry programme at Edinburgh, so excited! I'm really hoping to get a 1st in the Biological sciences degree im doing just now, only one year left! I'm a wee bit stressed about my work experience though, soo here is what I have so far...

3 weeks small animal vet
5 hours a week for 8 weeks at a rabbit/guinea pig/hamster etc shelter
4 weeks at a wild sanctuary in Namibia (wide range of species farm and wild- sheep, pigs, horses, lions, leopards, cheetahs, baby baboons, meerkats, caracals, wild dogs)
2 weeks in the Amazon (using mist nets to catch birds, tracking monkeys, river dolphins, macaws, caimen)
I was also meant to do lambing for a weekend at my friends farm, but they were all born early because of the lovely weather, so I'm planning to do it next year instead.

What do you all think I shoud try to do? Thanks!

You have no reason to worry! you've got way over the minimum. I'd try and get some more farm work experience as the uni's are really interested in that (so i've heard). But you've got a lot of unusual stuff that should make you stand out! :smile:

Also quite a few universities specify that you have some work experience in large animal and small animal vets so see if you can do that too :smile:

Reply 588

Lornaliz

Ok thanks! It's so hard to find the farm experience where I stay, but I'll keep trying! The vets that I did small animal at are actually a mixed practice, but the time I was going to see a horse with the vet, a dog escaped so we had to chase it around for about 2 hours so I didnt get to go!!

Reply 589

Robpattinsonxxx

11

I just got a week's placement at a zoo :biggrin:

Reply 590

Lornaliz

Well done! Which zoo are you doing that at? :smile:

Reply 591

KateMP

12

I'm gonna be working at a bird of prey centre, coooool :biggrin:

Plus it's part of a tourist farm so I should be able to get some experience with the farm animals too :3 They specialise in mini animals, so they have tiny donkeys. They're adorable :biggrin:

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay~

Reply 592

HeatherJarvo

phew! physics exam done, chem and bio done. *sigh of relief*

oh, wait, there's still another year of A levels to go :-(

Kate - birds of prey sound amazing. We have a few come into our practice (im a VN atm) and they're amazing, but ssooooo valuable (money wise, i mean), you're really lucky to get an opportunity to get a bit more hands on with such beautiful and complex creatures.

Reply 593

Cumulonimbus

How is everyone planning to start their personal statements? That first sentence is so daunting! :smile:

Reply 594

Lornaliz

I have no idea!! That is a very daunting prospect. When does UCAS open for 2012 applicants does anyone know? :s-smilie:

Reply 595

totallyme

Original post by Ogrice80

I want to do some more, any ideas of what?

Hey, looks fantastic! As someone said above, I'd suggest kennels and cattery as it is one of the things they look for. Also, as they said, some more farming stuff might be quite useful - perhaps a more general farming experience like a beef farm?

Original post by Lornaliz

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lorna, I'm 22 and I'm going to apply for 2012 entry to the graduate entry programme at Edinburgh, so excited! I'm really hoping to get a 1st in the Biological sciences degree im doing just now, only one year left! I'm a wee bit stressed about my work experience though, soo here is what I have so far... :s-smilie:

3 weeks small animal vet
5 hours a week for 8 weeks at a rabbit/guinea pig/hamster etc shelter
4 weeks at a wild sanctuary in Namibia (wide range of species farm and wild- sheep, pigs, horses, lions, leopards, cheetahs, baby baboons, meerkats, caracals, wild dogs)
2 weeks in the Amazon (using mist nets to catch birds, tracking monkeys, river dolphins, macaws, caimen)
I was also meant to do lambing for a weekend at my friends farm, but they were all born early because of the lovely weather, so I'm planning to do it next year instead.

What do you all think I shoud try to do? Thanks!

Hi, Lorna, welcome :smile:

I'm not 100% sure about the graduate entry programme requirements for work experience but I have the feeling I have read that they are the same requirements as those for school leavers. If so, although you have amazing experience (particularly jealous of the 2 weeks in the amazon - sounds fantastic!! :biggrin:

), there are a few things you might need. Large animal vet/mixed practice - I see above you just missed out on that, are there any large animal only vets nearby? Also farm work: dairy, lambing, beef, pig, poultry etc (particularly the first two). I saw about the lambing and Edinburgh at least have a bit on their work experience form (I reckon graduates use this too but if not someone please correct me :smile:

) that says something about problems that arose when trying to find work experience - exactly the place they'd take into account the fact that you had it booked but nature took it's course and played havoc with plans :tongue:

As it's such a seasonal placement I'm sure they can't be so strict on it. Also work with cats and dogs (rescue shelter/kennels and cattery) and stables are pretty mandatory too.

Oh, and I think ucas opens early September...possibly the first but I can't find where I read that now, typical :tongue:

Reply 596

Lornaliz

Original post by totallyme

Hey, looks fantastic! As someone said above, I'd suggest kennels and cattery as it is one of the things they look for. Also, as they said, some more farming stuff might be quite useful - perhaps a more general farming experience like a beef farm?

Hi, Lorna, welcome :smile:

I'm not 100% sure about the graduate entry programme requirements for work experience but I have the feeling I have read that they are the same requirements as those for school leavers. If so, although you have amazing experience (particularly jealous of the 2 weeks in the amazon - sounds fantastic!! :biggrin:

), there are a few things you might need. Large animal vet/mixed practice - I see above you just missed out on that, are there any large animal only vets nearby? Also farm work: dairy, lambing, beef, pig, poultry etc (particularly the first two). I saw about the lambing and Edinburgh at least have a bit on their work experience form (I reckon graduates use this too but if not someone please correct me :smile:

) that says something about problems that arose when trying to find work experience - exactly the place they'd take into account the fact that you had it booked but nature took it's course and played havoc with plans :tongue:

As it's such a seasonal placement I'm sure they can't be so strict on it. Also work with cats and dogs (rescue shelter/kennels and cattery) and stables are pretty mandatory too.

Oh, and I think ucas opens early September...possibly the first but I can't find where I read that now, typical :tongue:

Thanks so much, very helpful! Yeah I think the graduate entry programme WE requirements are just the same as the school leavers. Are you a current vet student or applicant? I have lambing planned for next spring, and I've sent emails off to a few stables today as well. I'll look into large animal vets nearby, I'm pretty sure they are all small or mixed though. I don't drive yet either so it is very difficult to get out to the countryside lol.

Reply 597

totallyme

No worries :smile:

Vet re-applicant - though my application last year was a bit of a dry run rather than for real as I'd just dropped out of uni (at Edinburgh funnily enough!). Tell me about it, I know all about the chaos that is the Edinburgh public transport system lol (trams?!? really?!?) So glad I drive, but then again there's nothing like reading on a bus for an hour...even if you've only travelled roughly 3miles :tongue:

From your first post and my epic skills of deduction ( :tongue:

) you are in the same year I was in (though I was studying Maths...), do you by any chance know a Tom Wilson...? I don't recall seeing large animal vets in Edinburgh but broxburn (near scottish national equestrian centre) might have one or loanhead looks to be a very horsey area...Haven't done any work experience in or around Edinburgh so no contacts there, sorry!

Reply 598

sheepzibaa

4

how much impact do you think living on a farm with livestock will have on getting into vet school? cus i have years of lambing and calving experience as well as all the other day to day livestock jobs experience. but im worried about the unis not accepting me, cus anyone can say they have worked on their own farm, but whether or not they actually have is a different matter.
i also have almost a years worth of going to a vets practice every other saturday morning, im also doing my yr 12 work ex week there this summer, they started taking me out on call now too :smile:

i went for 2 days on a pig farm,
am going to a neighboring farm for a few days dairy, cus we have beef cattle and suckler herd
and i have done about 3 extra lambing days at another farm we know, i going back there next yr just for fun.
any other ideas?

Reply 599

KateMP

12

Original post by hannah.daw

how much impact do you think living on a farm with livestock will have on getting into vet school? cus i have years of lambing and calving experience as well as all the other day to day livestock jobs experience. but im worried about the unis not accepting me, cus anyone can say they have worked on their own farm, but whether or not they actually have is a different matter.
i also have almost a years worth of going to a vets practice every other saturday morning, im also doing my yr 12 work ex week there this summer, they started taking me out on call now too :smile:

i went for 2 days on a pig farm,
am going to a neighboring farm for a few days dairy, cus we have beef cattle and suckler herd
and i have done about 3 extra lambing days at another farm we know, i going back there next yr just for fun.
any other ideas?

The vet schools don't count it as work experience if you've lived on a farm - that would be really unfair to us city folk :P (Although I still think it's a massive advantage, because you have neighbouring farms you can go to and stuff, so it's not all bad)

Looking good so far but I'd say kennels/cattery is pretty important, as well as working at some other veterinary practices (including large animal) and working with horses.