Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Which route to take

I am stuck as to which route to take, any help please?!

I wish to study Vet medicine at university but do not have the required AAB in science A levels and am looking at alternative routes.

First option is to take a BTEC in Animal management. Would this be enough to gain entry on the course or would I need A levels alongside this (I already have 4 A levels and 1 AS in unrelated subjects, but was hospitalised during college and as a result did not gain good grades, only getting BCCDd.)

Another option would be to take an access course in science and then apply, would I be likely to gain a place at university with an access course?

Final option I have been offered is to do a national diploma in Veterinary Nursing and then go on to do Vet medicine after qualifying, would this be a sensible option?

I am 19 years of age, so am not sure if I would qualify to be a mature applicant. I also am not sure whether my previous A levels will count against me. I also have a full set of GCSES, but only a C in mathematics, should I re sit this?

Reply 1

tigercallie

I would re-sit everything you can in order to get the A levels, what are your grades at the moment by the way in what subjects? The normal A level route is by far the easiest, so if at all possible i would really really try to stick to it. Maybe re-sit modules, or take new ones at college? At least you have a reason for not doing so well, and that will help you.

There are a few people on here who chose to do a BTEC, but im afraid i dont know much about that, and the safest option would be to contect each university individually and ask what their stance on the BTEC is.

As for the diploma, is that a degree? or something a stage lower? Because whatever you do i would try to avoid being a Graduate applicant as it seems to be the toughest route by far (and happily the one i took....)

However, at the end of the day (possibly excluding the BTEC route), you still need good A levels. As a graduate, i had a 2.1 in a really sciency degree and AAAAABB at scottish highers, but i hadnt taken physics or maths, and most unis wanted me to go back to college to do them, despite my degree. So my point is, i really think your best option is to stick at it just now and get the A levels and a brilliant amount of work experience and you will be ok!

Reply 2

ch0c0h01ic

madeyoulook

First option is to take a BTEC in Animal management. Would this be enough to gain entry on the course

Unlikely.

Another option would be to take an access course in science and then apply, would I be likely to gain a place at university with an access course?

Again unlikely - typically they're more competitive than your straight veterinary degree, there is no guarantee of a place even if you attend said course and there are often certain conditions you need to meet before they'd consider you (eg; your parents not attending university).

Final option I have been offered is to do a national diploma in Veterinary Nursing and then go on to do Vet medicine after qualifying, would this be a sensible option?

Again unlikely. If you get a degree in veterinary nursing you will be treated as a graduate should you wish to apply to be a vet and this will literally cost your £10,000s more than going the direct route. If you're talking about the college route again, it is going to cost you time and money and frankly I've never heard of anyone pulling it off.

In all honesty you're best running all of the above past the admission tutors at the vet schools you intend to apply to.

I also am not sure whether my previous A levels will count against me.

The quickest, cheapest and most successful route is to go back to school/college and retake the units/exams that you failed or underperformed in to bring your grades up.

You have mitigating circumstances (*this will not get you off of the hook*) and retaking exams at a later date to improve your chances shows dedication and commitment - paint your weaknesses as your strengths.

I also have a full set of GCSES, but only a C in mathematics, should I re sit this?

If you have several good A-level passes behind you the admissions tutors are going to pay little (if any) attention to your GCSE grades.

Reply 3

farm_vet

you can get into vet school with access courses as long as in science or medicine and at full distinctions. Bristol, Notts and RVC will accept as long as Bio and Chem full distinctions and 40% is by examination. Liverpool will accept but you need to check with them that the structure of your specific course is ok. Some not all Cam colleges will accept you need to check individually and they want 100% distinction at the ones who will accept. Edinburgh flat out refuse and no idea about glasgow but I expect it'll be a refusal like edinburgh.

Reply 4

kookabura

Have you seen the replies to the thread you posted a week ago? Several of us answered similar questions in that thread...

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=25975807#post25975807

Reply 5

madeyoulook

Hi everyone.

Kookabura yes I did read that thread, thanks to all who replied. I just wanted to know if anyone else had taken the alternative routes.

My A levels are in humanities subjects, History, English, Film, Sociology etc.
The reason I didnt do science ones was that I was ill at the time and am very good at essay subjects so had a better chance of achieving something with those.

I am now looking into going back to college to do 2 A levels in chem and biology, would I also need physics/maths?

Reply 6

tigercallie

you dont technically need either physics or maths, but i think you need them at GCSE if you dont have them at a higher level. However, it would be good to have one or the other. Look into each uni because some want physics and some wants maths, so it depends where and how many unis you want to apply to. Since you have an arts background, if i were in your position i would just take one of them, probably physics because i think i would hate it less!

Reply 7

schizopear

it might be worth taking maths or physics as well as chemistry and biology so the universities can't discriminate because you've only taken two a-levels (not counting your previous ones!).

i think the unis like to see that you can take all three simultaneously and achieve good grades, and since you didn't get the best grades first time round, you don't want to give them any doubts about whether you can cope with the workload by only taking two.

physics is supposedly the hardest a-level (according to durham university) so i'd choose maths!

Reply 8

nikkit84

I found maths much harder than physics but I guess it depends on the person, but I got A* in both at GCSE and at A level got an A in physics and B in maths, which I was really pleased with as struggled.