Veterinary Medicine Graduate Applicants 2012

i thought it would be nice if we had our own thread again this year to discuss our applications, work experience, graduate related issues, moan about fees etc.

introduce yourselves here (especially anyone who is still lurking!)

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Reply 1

Tali_91

Hello!

Tali, 19, second year Biology student at Warwick applying for 2012 entry yayy :biggrin:

Good idea making this thread :smile:

Reply 2

schizopear

Original post by Tali_91

Hello!

Tali, 19, second year Biology student at Warwick applying for 2012 entry yayy :biggrin:

Good idea making this thread :smile:

hello tali! i'm a pschology graduate so i'm studying a-levels at the moment and will be applying for the five year course. :smile:

hopefully some more graduate applicants will come along soon and introduce themselves - i'm hoping that someone might have a degree that's even more useless than mine... :redface:

Reply 3

Erin01

Hello :] it's nice to meet fellow grads!

I'm Erin, in my 3rd yr of Cellular & Molecular Medicine degree! I've still got another year left so will be applying for 2012 vet med.

In answer to your question on the other thread; yeah, I'll be going to the Notts open day for definite, I haven't booked it yet but I'll probably go on 24th June. I remember going to Notts for a conference when it had just opened up as a vet school! I wonder how much it's changed...

From what other people have said on TSR (I've been doing lots of stalking :colondollar:

) it seems quite a few of them have degrees that aren't in a lfie science, so you're not on your own :]

Because of the ANNOYING fee situation, I can only really apply to RVC, Notts and maybe Cambridge (but they've got huge college fees as on top of everything else), which is pretty limiting - has anybody looked at courses abroad?

Reply 4

schizopear

Original post by Erin01

i'm going to the nottingham open day but on the 25th :smile:

technically i have a life science degree - from the school of life sciences and studied modules with biochemists, molecular medics and human sciences people, just have a stupid degree title :frown:

Reply 5

Erin01

Original post by schizopear

i'm going to the nottingham open day but on the 25th :smile:

technically i have a life science degree - from the school of life sciences and studied modules with biochemists, molecular medics and human sciences people, just have a stupid degree title :frown:

Have you asked about doing the 4-year course? It doesn't matter what title your degree has, if you've covered enough biochemistry etc you might just qualify for the accelerated programme :smile:

Reply 6

Loosy

Hi! I'm Lucy and I'm in my third year of a zoology degree at the moment :biggrin:

I'm probably going to apply for Notts (my current uni!) and RVC. I have had a look at a few places abroad but I think I will attempt to get into one of the ones over here first :smile:

Reply 7

Erin01

Original post by Loosy

Hi! I'm Lucy and I'm in my third year of a zoology degree at the moment :biggrin:

I'm probably going to apply for Notts (my current uni!) and RVC. I have had a look at a few places abroad but I think I will attempt to get into one of the ones over here first :smile:

Hi Lucy! I've had a look at some of the places abroad too; it works out quite nicely in terms of timing because the applications start much later in the rest of Europe than in the UK... we can apply to RVC and Notts and IF they decide we're just too marvellous to attend, we can then apply to the European vet schools the same year :smile:

Reply 8

Tali_91

With the European vet schools would it be more difficult to get a job over here after you graduate? Do you end up with the same qualification at the end of it...? I'm pretty clueless!

Might be worth having a look at though :smile:

Reply 9

schizopear

Original post by Tali_91

have a look at the UVM Kosice thread if you're interested. there's lots of information there and i'm sure people will be happy to answer any other questions you might have :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 10

clair0511

Original post by schizopear

i'm going to the nottingham open day but on the 25th :smile:

technically i have a life science degree - from the school of life sciences and studied modules with biochemists, molecular medics and human sciences people, just have a stupid degree title :frown:

The comment about the stupid degree title made be laugh! I have one too ;-) Technically I have a degree in Animal Science with European Studies (i.e. one extra year learning German and doing an Erasmus semester) from Nottingham but by the time we graduated they had changed the system so we all got the same degree title with just "specialising in" tacked on to the end......so my degree is "European Studies in Agricultural and Food Sciences specialising in Animal Science" (italics is really small and at the bottom of my degree certificate!!). I just love the way they decided that the "European studies" part of my degree (which didn't even count towards my main classification) should come first!!! :s-smilie:

It certainly makes CV writing complicated (or at least explaining my certificates at interview!)

Re. whether European degrees are valid in the UK, generally yes, but you can check here:

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/who-can-register/#eu

I'm in Vienna and know other graduates from here who have got MRCVS registration (and jobs!) with no problem at all (course is in German though). Kosice and Budapest are on the RCVS list and they have courses in English. AFAIK, you have to be an EU citizen aswell though to get to be an MRCVS without additional exams.

Good luck to you all :biggrin:

Reply 11

Tali_91

Original post by schizopear

have a look at the UVM Kosice thread if you're interested. there's lots of information there and i'm sure people will be happy to answer any other questions you might have :smile:

Thankyou!

Reply 12

ElizabethAngela

Hello!

Thought I would get involved here, I am applying to vet school as a graduate this coming autumn, be amazing to talk to some people in the same position as me!
Currently I already possess a degree (but in an unrelated subject) So have trotted back to college, to complete A levels in chemistry and maths (already holding biology......)
I work upon a farm, am soon to be a published author (a paper upon laying hen behaviour has been accepted with a peer reviewed journal) and spend most of my hours gaining as much work experience as possible (I have the benefit of living in a rural area.....)
I start lambing for the season this weekend, itching to get started!
How is everyone feeling about the application process?
I find it somewhat a daunting prospect really....

Reply 13

Erin01

Original post by ElizabethAngela

Hello!

Thought I would get involved here, I am applying to vet school as a graduate this coming autumn

Hi! Wow, it sounds like you'll have some interesting things to talk about on your application! I don't think many of us will have a paper published :tongue:

What made you decide to take the veterinary route after your first degree? (Good decision though, I must say!) Are you planning on going to any open days this year?

I'm quite excited about the whole application process :smile:

I certainly think I have more to offer now than I did 4 years ago! But I agree with you, it's such a daunting process... every year, the applicants seem to be of a higher calibre and the vets chools are asking for more and more. I just don't know what to say that will make me stand out. I want someone to look at my personal statement and say, "Wow! She sounds interesting, I wonder what else she has to say..." haha. Writing a p/s doesn't get any easier over time!

Reply 14

ElizabethAngela

Hello!

Well, I guess I changed my direction for several reasons.. I had always wanted to study vet med when I was younger, but didn't feel I had the academic ability... I then got distracted with the arts, as I always had a creative streak, came to the conclusion that it was best left as a hobby, WISH I hadn't wasted my shot at (almost) affordable education on it though!!!

I spent many years working with competition horses, and stud work (alongside farm work) and always found the most satisfying aspect of the job was the veterinary care, be it preventative or rehabilitative, plus the diversity of the profession is almost second to none.... SO after uni, I plunged straight into a job researching production animal behaviour, and resulting welfare concerns......(hence the forthcoming paper)!!

How about you, where has your passion for the animals stemmed from? I'm
I can't imagine a life without fresh air, professional development, and employment stimulation.. I really hope I can articulate this all though!!
I'm attending the nottingham open day on June the 25th, It is the institution that I most favour I think... where would you like to apply to?
Any advice, or camraderie is welcome!!!

What aspects of veterinary are you passionate about? Farm animals are just so integral to human kind, and with a burgeoning population, welfare concerns and disease knowledge/understanding and prevention are going to become such key, fundamental issues...
Plus. Horses, I can't help it, I always have been, and always will love them, their domesticity and athleticism is an endless fascination.
:smile:

You are absolutely right, a lot of the emphasis is on exceptional academic ability, and while I appreciate this no end, I feel there should be some importance placed upon communication and practical task. combining those key abilities, surely are important within what is both a people and animal industry.......

Just if it's interesting, I am 26, and in oxford!

Reply 15

E-lise

Hi everyone,

I'm a 1st yr vet student at USAMV (Romania).
Since I have a 2 year degree in life sciences, I was wondering if I could apply for the vet grad accelerated in RVC? (after my 2nd year of vet school here)
Thanks!

Reply 16

tigercallie

Original post by E-lise

I dont think two years counts as degree entry? You'd be best to just email them and find out that way because people will just be guessing here. Why do you want to switch? I thought you really liked Romania?

Reply 17

E-lise

Yes I like it, but since RVC is AVMA accredited, it might be good if I want to work in USA.
And it would be easier for my boyfriend to work in GB than here in Romania!
I already emailed them but they juste replied sending me a link of entry requirement on their website, which I already read, that's why I asked here!
I'll try to ask someone else in RVC and let you know!

Reply 18

tigercallie

Original post by E-lise

Ah i see, cool :-) I would just email them back and say youd managed to find that page all by yourself but still had queries. It really annoys me when places just send you to generic pages like you're a complete idiot who hadnt already read it! :angry:

I think the degree has to be three years long to count as a degree for UK things, but fingers crossed :-)

Reply 19

Loosy

Just wondered whether anyone is going to be retaking any A levels this September?
I only have a C in chemistry so far and I was planning to retake it because Notts don't take graduates with lower than a B.
But I've been looking at the cost and it seems to work oout at about £3000, which I'd obviously rather save for the uni fees. Plus it will mean losing money from working etc. I can't decide whether I should just not apply for Notts and put all my hopes on RVC this year, which would be my ideal uni because I would be able to stay at home (saving more pennies).
Would you guys say it would be worth it? Could it increase my chances of getting into RVC as well?