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2014 Veterinary Medicine Hopefuls!

Reply 580

JHP1996

7

Is anyone going to vet cam on the 25th of march??? xxx

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Reply 581

Annabel_lear

I can't seem to find any work experience in lambing/equine/dairy farms. I doesn't help that I live in London but I don't know what to do! :frown:

Does anyone know any farmers that provide accommodation?

Reply 582

sallyltb

Original post by Annabel_lear

I can't seem to find any work experience in lambing/equine/dairy farms. I doesn't help that I live in London but I don't know what to do! :frown:

Does anyone know any farmers that provide accommodation?

Roughly where in London are you?

Reply 583

Annabel_lear

Original post by sallyltb

Roughly where in London are you?

West London

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Reply 584

Liberty.

10

I completely pooped my Jan results up. I walked out of them thinking I would get A's, and B's at the minimum and ended up with a wopping BCDD.
So now I am completely relying on the gateway programmes, and am still trying to continue gaining work experience (in the summer only now though).

At the moment I've only got:
1 week at Paradise Wildlife Park
2 weeks at a SA practice
2 weeks at a kennels, which I now work at every other saturday (hopefully more soon).
and 3 days worth of lambing at Willows Farm (no lambs were even born!).

I attended the VetMedlink at Nottingham in December, and have booked Vetsim there in the summer also. I've heard they don't actually help your application at all?

The main point was, does anyone happen to know farmers in Hertfordshire? I'm seriously lacking farm experience!

Reply 585

Nessie162

17

I'm having second thoughts about VetMed. It's horrible. :frown:

I wanted to be SA vet all my life, but the idea of having to work with farm animals at vet school, scares me.
I recently realised that I don't like them. Pigs especially. I'm not a big fan of sheeps either, and that's probably why I can't find any lambing experience. Because I'm not trying hard enough.

I really loved my work experience at the vets, so I don't know what to do now.

Reply 586

wallaby

4

Original post by Nessie162

I'm having second thoughts about VetMed. It's horrible. :frown:

I wanted to be SA vet all my life, but the idea of having to work with farm animals at vet school, scares me.
I recently realised that I don't like them. Pigs especially. I'm not a big fan of sheeps either, and that's probably why I can't find any lambing experience. Because I'm not trying hard enough.

I really loved my work experience at the vets, so I don't know what to do now.

How much have you done? I want to be SA and don't really like horses or farm animals but I did really enjoy my work experience with them which surprised me. Lambing is really fun and there's lots of baby lambs to feed and look after which is like small work but outdoors :smile:

and cows are fine to work with for milking, they just stand there and are mostly scared of you! (well that's my experience). I wouldn't give up just because of that. I would rather specialise straight away but unfortunately you can't :P and you may find its not so bad with other vet students too :smile:

Atleast you can do most of you 'free' EMS doing small. I was told Liverpool give you more choice when it comes to EMS during vet school so you could minimise your farm work to what's required and do more small stuff :smile:

I wouldn't be put off , the more you do with them, the better it becomes I think :smile:

also I know plenty if vets who hate horses but still had to work with them in vet school!

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Reply 587

KatiexZoe

3

Original post by Liberty.

I completely pooped my Jan results up. I walked out of them thinking I would get A's, and B's at the minimum and ended up with a wopping BCDD.
So now I am completely relying on the gateway programmes, and am still trying to continue gaining work experience (in the summer only now though).

At the moment I've only got:
1 week at Paradise Wildlife Park
2 weeks at a SA practice
2 weeks at a kennels, which I now work at every other saturday (hopefully more soon).
and 3 days worth of lambing at Willows Farm (no lambs were even born!).

I attended the VetMedlink at Nottingham in December, and have booked Vetsim there in the summer also. I've heard they don't actually help your application at all?

The main point was, does anyone happen to know farmers in Hertfordshire? I'm seriously lacking farm experience!

I didn't do too great in my January exams either, but what about considering a resit? Gateway programmes are good but there's only a few spaces on them :frown:

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Reply 588

Nessie133

Original post by Annabel_lear

I can't seem to find any work experience in lambing/equine/dairy farms. I doesn't help that I live in London but I don't know what to do! :frown:

Does anyone know any farmers that provide accommodation?

Have you tried any if the city farms in London? I know these will not be great for commercial farming experience, but at least a couple of these have sheep herds and some take on orphan lambs from farms so that is always an option if you can't get any lambing (it's what I did and I know lambing is important but you can still have a good application without it, especially as you're from a city!) I'm from South London so I'm not familiar with your area, but you could try searching for dairy farms outside London in slightly more rural areas or there are a few more South of London if you're willing to have quite a long journey. As far as equine vets go, the nearest one I know is Bell Equine but I don't know if that's too far away for you. I know this probably doesn't help you very much at all, but just remember you can get into vet school without lambing!

Reply 589

EmilaKat

Original post by Nessie162

I'm having second thoughts about VetMed. It's horrible. :frown:

I wanted to be SA vet all my life, but the idea of having to work with farm animals at vet school, scares me.
I recently realised that I don't like them. Pigs especially. I'm not a big fan of sheeps either, and that's probably why I can't find any lambing experience. Because I'm not trying hard enough.

I really loved my work experience at the vets, so I don't know what to do now.

I think you just need to weigh up whether you think working with farm animals a bit at vet school is worth it to become a SA vet eventually. Personally I love all the farm animal work but I understand why other people don't.

Reply 590

*Rachel123*

Hi guys,

I'll be reapplying this year to Bristol :smile:

crossing my fingers and upping my work experience after a rejection this time round. Nervous already lol x

Reply 591

jamsie555

11

Original post by EllieCole95

Helloooo

I'm also a 2014 hopeful, getting quite worried about how quickly time's going now though! :O
I'm doing AS levels in Biology, Chemistry Physics and Maths (soo much fun... :wink:

) at CRGS and got 10A* and 2As at GCSE :smile:

My WE is:
2 years various stables
3 weeks at 3 different SA practices, including a referral one
3 weeks wildlife rescue centre
1 week lambing
3 weeks Blue crosss (dog/ cat Rehoming)
1 day owl/ bird of prey sanctuary
2 days sheep/cattle farm plus doing vaccinations etc.
I should also have by the end of summer:
2 weeks LA
1 week dairy
1 week pig farm
1 week lambing
Few more weeks at sheep/cattle farm including helping them show their cows :P
1 day abattoir
1 week lab
Few days with an animal welfare officer
:smile:

I was just wondering if people had booked open days yet and if so, which ones they were going too? :smile:

Also (sorry for the long post :L) would it be ok to do an EPQ on dog psychology or is that not vetty enough? :L
Thaaaanks :smile:

you sound like you have almost everything!

I wouldn't do an extended project, unless you really want to, it won't make much of a difference on whether you are called to interview or not

Reply 592

Leigh303

7

Original post by EllieCole95

Helloooo

I'm also a 2014 hopeful, getting quite worried about how quickly time's going now though! :O
I'm doing AS levels in Biology, Chemistry Physics and Maths (soo much fun... :wink:

) at CRGS and got 10A* and 2As at GCSE :smile:

My WE is:
2 years various stables
3 weeks at 3 different SA practices, including a referral one
3 weeks wildlife rescue centre
1 week lambing
3 weeks Blue crosss (dog/ cat Rehoming)
1 day owl/ bird of prey sanctuary
2 days sheep/cattle farm plus doing vaccinations etc.
I should also have by the end of summer:
2 weeks LA
1 week dairy
1 week pig farm
1 week lambing
Few more weeks at sheep/cattle farm including helping them show their cows :P
1 day abattoir
1 week lab
Few days with an animal welfare officer
:smile:

I was just wondering if people had booked open days yet and if so, which ones they were going too? :smile:

Also (sorry for the long post :L) would it be ok to do an EPQ on dog psychology or is that not vetty enough? :L
Thaaaanks :smile:

Thats a lot of work experience!

I considered doing an EPQ for ages but eventually decided not to in case it affected my A levels/ extracurricular and I still got 4 interviews, so only do it if you really want to and it won't affect your A levels :smile:

Reply 593

SilverstarDJ

18

Original post by Liberty.

I completely pooped my Jan results up. I walked out of them thinking I would get A's, and B's at the minimum and ended up with a wopping BCDD.
So now I am completely relying on the gateway programmes, and am still trying to continue gaining work experience (in the summer only now though).

At the moment I've only got:
1 week at Paradise Wildlife Park
2 weeks at a SA practice
2 weeks at a kennels, which I now work at every other saturday (hopefully more soon).
and 3 days worth of lambing at Willows Farm (no lambs were even born!).

I attended the VetMedlink at Nottingham in December, and have booked Vetsim there in the summer also. I've heard they don't actually help your application at all?

The main point was, does anyone happen to know farmers in Hertfordshire? I'm seriously lacking farm experience!

Well, firstly you need to look at why you got these results - did you not revise enough? did you used the wrong technique? Did your circumstances (e.g. poor health, family issues) really impact on your results (and is this documented)? Gateway programmes are for those who either did not do traditional A levels, or who's circumstances/below average school meant they could not get the right results, relying on these options really does limit you. Perhaps repeating modules in the summer (or repeating a year - I've known people who've done this) might help you if you can identify what went wrong. The A level grade requirements are there because the course is very demanding in terms of the volume of info you need to learn. You have to be very academically able to cope with the vet course. If you are acadmeically able and just didn't do well on exams, fair enough, but if you are struggling to get good grades it might be hard for you to get on the vet course as admissions are looking for those who are academic.

You work experience needs much improving. You need to aim for 10+ weeks of varied work experience before the application deadline. You need to get more farming (at least 1 week lambing, 1 week dairy and 1 week other such as chicken/pig etc). You also would benefit from another SA practice and a LA practise (farm/mixed/equine) too. Stables are good as well.

Neither vet med link or vet sim will boost you application per se, though you might have learned a bit more about the application process and I would not put this in your PS (as an experiences PS helper). It would be unfair to make it an advantage to you as some people can't afford these courses. This isn't to dissapoint you, but just letting you know the truth of these. Work experience and grades are far more important!!

Good luck and let me know if you need any more help :smile:

Reply 594

PinkTabbyKitten

11

Original post by Nessie162

I'm having second thoughts about VetMed. It's horrible. :frown:

I wanted to be SA vet all my life, but the idea of having to work with farm animals at vet school, scares me.
I recently realised that I don't like them. Pigs especially. I'm not a big fan of sheeps either, and that's probably why I can't find any lambing experience. Because I'm not trying hard enough.

I really loved my work experience at the vets, so I don't know what to do now.

Hi, If you really want to be an SA vet, don't lose sight of that goal and keep your mind on that. Large animals are obviously a part of vet school but they actually aren't so bad.

I understand where you are coming from with pigs, they are very large and can initially seem slightly intimidating but most of them are actually quite soft and friendly. Sheep on the other hand are just a bit daft and clumsy (think bull in a china shop).

When I got my current job (I work at an animal welfare charity caring for the field animals - ponies, horses, alpacas, goats, chickens, pigs, sheep and ducks) my only field animal experience was three goats and two ducks at college and I had a weeks work experience at a stables planned for the week after my interview.

All i can say is just get stuck in and you'll find it's not too bad, my fear of pigs vanished and I absolutely love working with goats, sheep and horses!

I'd suggest trying to find somewhere like a petting farm if possible initially as the animals here are usually very tame as they are around young children etc. Here you can develop your skills around the animals and then look for a farm placement once you are comfortable :smile:

Vet school is five years for a fifty year plus career if you want a career in SA you will find a way somehow. Good luck!

Reply 595

SilverstarDJ

18

Original post by Nessie162

I'm having second thoughts about VetMed. It's horrible. :frown:

I wanted to be SA vet all my life, but the idea of having to work with farm animals at vet school, scares me.
I recently realised that I don't like them. Pigs especially. I'm not a big fan of sheeps either, and that's probably why I can't find any lambing experience. Because I'm not trying hard enough.

I really loved my work experience at the vets, so I don't know what to do now.

You really need to be sure this career is for you. If you don't this will be picked up on your interview and you will be rejected. Farm animal medicine is very important and it is likely you might be questioned about any farm experience you do - welfare is a hot topic on farms and the recent meat scandal shows how important vets are at the food chain production level. You must do some farm EMS at vets school and in final years 1/3 of your exams will be farm animal medicine, which you have to pass regardless what you want to do. Without any farm experience pre-vet you won't be able to get an interview so you've got to try.

Farm animals can be daunting to work with at first if you're not used to dealing with these. However, if you pick the right placement who will teach you, you will get a lot out of this. Even if you don't plan to go into this field, it should be enlightening to see where your food comes from! What is it that you don't like about pigs or sheep?? There are also other farms animals: I particularly like cattle ( less skitish, and they are just as inquisitive as dogs are and can be very friendly to people). Chickens are another farm animal which is increasingly becoming popular as pets and come into SA vets who've never had to deal with these animals before (many people who have no idea how to look after them - farm tend to do a better job of this so they can tell you a lot more about chicken nutrition and how to tell a sick one from a health one!).

I personally enjoy farm and equine work because I can learn new things as I am not from this background, whereas walking dogs in a dog kennels which I had to do both before & during vet school is rather boring after a while. My first injections, stomach tubes and other skills were done on farm animals because very few vet practises will let you do this, but farmers usually don't mind you doing this on farm animals and if you're enthusiastic will teach you. All these can be applied to SA medicine too. Also, don't tick off other specialities like equine or farm before you've even learned about these. Plenty of people change their mind. For example, I've known someone who was adamant he wanted to be a farm vet all his life. He got there and got a farm vet job, but after 18months he quit as the job wasn't what he thought it would be. He changed his career completely and now works with mice etc. in an animal laboratory. He hasn't looked back since! A lot of the lecturers have said they hated being in small animal practise too (I assume they were disillusioned as well) - and hence they have gone into teaching and research as they can't see themselves in practice at all! You've got to keep an open mind because although you can't see it now, it may be possible that you will dislike being in SA medicine; don't let your dreams hinder future opportunities so early on, or perhaps you find yourself in a mixed practise who are keen to you to do more than one thing (e.g. a recent grad at my local vets wanted to work with horses but the only job she has found is mostly farm, with a bit of equine work on the side). You won't really know what you want to do until you graduate and get a job!

Reply 596

Nessie162

17

Thank you everyone for answers :smile:

I thought about it and eventually decided to stay with VedMed.
My experience on City farm was quite bad for me. Maybe not bad, but tiring.
1hr on the train. More than 7hrs on the farm (Mainly mucking out) and then 1hr on the train again.
When I got home all I wanted to do is sleep.
It was also a really smelly job.

My main problem with pigs was that they were the most noisy and smelly animals on the farm. And their feaces were the heaviest :tongue:

Eventually I stopped eating pork, as looking at it reminded me of how dirty and annoying the pigs on the farm were.

Well, I need to get over it. Maybe if I'd spend more time working on farms I will change my mind about them. :smile:

Hopefully

Reply 597

chloemily

Hi everyone :smile:

Just struggling a bit with work experience tbh; I'm confident on the academic side of things (got A's for Biology, Chem and Psychology in January) but I feel way, way behind in work experience. What is the minimum you could get away with? (I'm hoping to get into the RVC as my first choice but obviously Liverpool asks for like 10 weeks but if you don't have that will they not even bother with an interview?)

All I have at the moment is 4 weeks total at the same SA practice and they've been really good to me there but obviously I need to branch out a bit now. I'm most worried about farming experience as I know literally nobody with a farm and don't know where to start looking. I'm in Somerset so it's a pretty farmy area so I know it's not going to be impossible but how do you first of all find a farm to contact if they don't have websites and secondly does anybody actually take you on if they have no connection or relation to you whatsoever? Any help would be appreciated :smile:

Reply 598

skatealexia

14

Original post by chloemily

Hi everyone :smile:

Just struggling a bit with work experience tbh; I'm confident on the academic side of things (got A's for Biology, Chem and Psychology in January) but I feel way, way behind in work experience. What is the minimum you could get away with? (I'm hoping to get into the RVC as my first choice but obviously Liverpool asks for like 10 weeks but if you don't have that will they not even bother with an interview?)

All I have at the moment is 4 weeks total at the same SA practice and they've been really good to me there but obviously I need to branch out a bit now. I'm most worried about farming experience as I know literally nobody with a farm and don't know where to start looking. I'm in Somerset so it's a pretty farmy area so I know it's not going to be impossible but how do you first of all find a farm to contact if they don't have websites and secondly does anybody actually take you on if they have no connection or relation to you whatsoever? Any help would be appreciated :smile:

Liverpool will not interview you without 10 weeks at least, they use this as a cut off point, but generically how your application scores defines the cut off point so the cut off point may be 10 weeks one year and as many as 15 weeks the next. I'd aim for 15 weeks minimum. I can get you some contacts, my boyfriend lives next to a dairy farm and pig farm but he is in the BS24 postcode so not sure if thats any help and I'm not sure if they take on work experience. They do take on if they don't know you. Generally just visit farms and knock and ask. its what I ended up doing to get my dairy farm contact and quite a few others. See a farm, go knock on the door or leave a letter :smile:

. You need a mix of farm (pigs, lambing, dairy etc, most places advertise for lambing at spring, I found a database somewhere), stables, and kennels/cattery and other 'vet lab, abattoir.' You also need some large animal vet e.g. horse/farm animal/mixed animals. Hope this helps.

Reply 599

KatiexZoe

3

Original post by chloemily

Hi everyone :smile:

Just struggling a bit with work experience tbh; I'm confident on the academic side of things (got A's for Biology, Chem and Psychology in January) but I feel way, way behind in work experience. What is the minimum you could get away with? (I'm hoping to get into the RVC as my first choice but obviously Liverpool asks for like 10 weeks but if you don't have that will they not even bother with an interview?)

All I have at the moment is 4 weeks total at the same SA practice and they've been really good to me there but obviously I need to branch out a bit now. I'm most worried about farming experience as I know literally nobody with a farm and don't know where to start looking. I'm in Somerset so it's a pretty farmy area so I know it's not going to be impossible but how do you first of all find a farm to contact if they don't have websites and secondly does anybody actually take you on if they have no connection or relation to you whatsoever? Any help would be appreciated :smile:

In order to find farm work, I actually went to my local butcher and asked if he knew of any farmers with cows or sheep or pigs etc, and he gave me contacts through there, so it's worth trying that. :smile:

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