What do vet schools want

Original post by SilverstarDJ

I would agree with Tarnia and oldgreyvet - getting into a vet school will require sacrifices and if you want to get into vet school it may mean giving up on riding or cutting it down for the time being to fund travelling to placements. Forgoing presents at b'day and xmas for a railcard or bus pass might be another idea.

Aside from that I'd suggest getting a job to fund your own travel that you parents can't afford. This might involve doing a paper round, working on the tills etc. If you can't find employment try to find some casual work with skills you have or can learn. I started earning money aged 15 as a professional web designer (which I taught myself by getting books from the library and internet resources) - it wasn't a regular income but I would earn three figure sums every year from it and I still continue to work freelance for a bit of cash here and there. I had to work during sixth form to cover my own costs so it's possible (hardest part is finding a job but you need to keep looking).

Good luck!

Thanks

I'm aware of the sacrifices to secure a place a vet school. My friends have been making comments about how little I'm doing with them due to lack of money or time. Is this normal? II've thought about having thing like that for gifts already. It sounds like a good idea.
Sadly, all of the newspaper jobs are taken up, but I don't have anywhere to store them. I'd love to be able to do something like that but I'm just not as talented.

Reply 22

SilverstarDJ

Original post by pphilip99

Thanks

I'm aware of the sacrifices to secure a place a vet school. My friends have been making comments about how little I'm doing with them due to lack of money or time. Is this normal? II've thought about having thing like that for gifts already. It sounds like a good idea.
Sadly, all of the newspaper jobs are taken up, but I don't have anywhere to store them. I'd love to be able to do something like that but I'm just not as talented.

I funded the vast majority of my placements myself rather than complaining that my parents didn't pay for everything. Time management is vital to have the time to do placements and this is vital for when you go to uni - we HAD to do placements over Easter despite end of year exams being in May. You need to be creative to find ways of getting money and try very hard to get a job. You don't need to be talented to make money with skills you have but you do need to think outside the box - what about car washing? Dog sitting or child minding for your neighbours? One of my friends would even iron clothes for a family member who would pay her x pence per item. In terms of finding a job, I would drop my CV off to dozens of places before only one replied and I got the job - you just need to keep persevering but if you can find somewhere part time it will make your life easier. :wink:

Reply 23

Original post by SilverstarDJ

I funded the vast majority of my placements myself rather than complaining that my parents didn't pay for everything. Time management is vital to have the time to do placements and this is vital for when you go to uni - we HAD to do placements over Easter despite end of year exams being in May. You need to be creative to find ways of getting money and try very hard to get a job. You don't need to be talented to make money with skills you have but you do need to think outside the box - what about car washing? Dog sitting or child minding for your neighbours? One of my friends would even iron clothes for a family member who would pay her x pence per item. In terms of finding a job, I would drop my CV off to dozens of places before only one replied and I got the job - you just need to keep persevering but if you can find somewhere part time it will make your life easier. :wink:

To be frank, I'm from a single parent family, so there are loads of commitments put upon you.
I'm revising about 2 hours a day, doing chores and going to bed at 9. Not to bragg but I think I'm doing well on Time management.
Sunday's the day I volunteer, so I can get a ride. I then come home and do an hour of revision and have a great bath.
I live in quite a poor area, where nobody goes out or spends money washing cars.
I've not got my NIN until March, but I'm going to hand CVs everywhere

Reply 24

Original post by SilverstarDJ

I funded the vast majority of my placements myself rather than complaining that my parents didn't pay for everything. Time management is vital to have the time to do placements and this is vital for when you go to uni - we HAD to do placements over Easter despite end of year exams being in May. You need to be creative to find ways of getting money and try very hard to get a job. You don't need to be talented to make money with skills you have but you do need to think outside the box - what about car washing? Dog sitting or child minding for your neighbours? One of my friends would even iron clothes for a family member who would pay her x pence per item. In terms of finding a job, I would drop my CV off to dozens of places before only one replied and I got the job - you just need to keep persevering but if you can find somewhere part time it will make your life easier. :wink:

To be frank, I'm from a single parent family, so there are loads of commitments put upon you.
I'm revising about 2 hours a day, doing chores and going to bed at 9. Not to bragg but I think I'm doing well on Time management.
Sunday's the day I volunteer, so I can get a ride. I then come home and do an hour of revision and have a great bath.
I live in quite a poor area, where nobody goes out or spends money washing cars.
I've not got my NIN until March, but I'm going to hand CVs everywhere

Reply 25

SilverstarDJ

Original post by pphilip99

To be frank, I'm from a single parent family, so there are loads of commitments put upon you.
I'm revising about 2 hours a day, doing chores and going to bed at 9. Not to bragg but I think I'm doing well on Time management.
Sunday's the day I volunteer, so I can get a ride. I then come home and do an hour of revision and have a great bath.
I live in quite a poor area, where nobody goes out or spends money washing cars.
I've not got my NIN until March, but I'm going to hand CVs everywhere

I'm from a single parent family myself so I know but I've never really thought about it getting in the way of me going to vet school. That's good that you feel you manage your time well! I didn't meant to sound harsh; I misinterpreted your comment earlier on today.

Good luck with searching for work. I think where there is a will there's a way!

Reply 26

Original post by SilverstarDJ

I'm from a single parent family myself so I know but I've never really thought about it getting in the way of me going to vet school. That's good that you feel you manage your time well! I didn't meant to sound harsh; I misinterpreted your comment earlier on today.

Good luck with searching for work. I think where there is a will there's a way!

Oh, we seem to have a lot in common.
I didn't mean to sound harsh either
I just hope I achieve the grades
Thanks

Reply 27

SilverstarDJ

Original post by pphilip99

Oh, we seem to have a lot in common.
I didn't mean to sound harsh either
I just hope I achieve the grades
Thanks

It's easy to misinterpret written content on forum unfortunately but I know you don't mean to sound harsh :smile:

Do lots and lots of past papers, that's what really helped me and if you are struggling with anything do ask your teacher for help (hopefully they are approachable and doing their job for the right reasons). I've had some nice teachers who would give up their time to help me out one to one during lunch/after school because I cared and had the guts to ask for help. :wink:

I do wish you all the best with your application.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 28

Original post by SilverstarDJ

It's easy to misinterpret written content on forum unfortunately but I know you don't mean to sound harsh :smile:

Do lots and lots of past papers, that's what really helped me and if you are struggling with anything do ask your teacher for help (hopefully they are approachable and doing their job for the right reasons). I've had some nice teachers who would give up their time to help me out one to one during lunch/after school because I cared and had the guts to ask for help. :wink:

I do wish you all the best with your application.

I think I've done that with a couple of yours
Last year (9) I got a B on core science (3 marks off an A :frown:

I didn't do any past papers in my own time and just used my revision book. This year I'm doing the opposite.

Reply 29

HannahHamish

OP

2

Original post by oldgreyvet

Speaking as a vet, actually having worked regularly in a vets doing kennel stuff is going to be really excellent experience, in that it shows that you have real practical commitment to the unglamorous side of the job. I am sure you would be able to count it towards work experience one way or another and even if you can't count it for the formal weeks of experience you absolutely should feature it on your personal statement, especially if you can show what you have learnt from it. I have looked at many personal statements over the years and actual kennel work would stand out from the herd. However you do need to get the variety of other experience too. Have you any relatives in rural areas who could have you to stay while you worked on a farm, perhaps?

Thank you for replying, I have actually learnt so much working there, even though I don't have much communications with the vets I get to see what's going on behind closed doors which is good because I know, sort of, what being a vet is going to be like. The only other work experience I have is a weeks lambing, a week at a stables, 2 weeks at a vets and a week at an RSPCA rescue centre, I do have a week of dairy farming lined up in a couple of weeks but was also thinking of volunteering at a cat and rabbit rescue centre as it is not terribly far from me. I just don't think I have enough experience compared to some of the other candidates :/ My family is not really from that kind of background, none of them have been to uni and i only know one person who owns a farm and they grow cabbages :/

Reply 30

ch0c0h01ic

Original post by HannahHamish

I just don't think I have enough experience compared to some of the other candidates :/ My family is not really from that kind of background, none of them have been to uni and i only know one person who owns a farm and they grow cabbages :/

Original post by pphilip99

To be frank, I'm from a single parent family, so there are loads of commitments put upon you.
...
I live in quite a poor area, where nobody goes out or spends money washing cars.
I've not got my NIN until March, but I'm going to hand CVs everywhere

All vets have had to overcome adversity to get where they are, regardless of what sort of area they grew up in, what school they went to, whether their parents went to university, household income, quality of school, gender, race, etc, etc, etc. And on top of that sometimes unpleasant, unforeseen things happen to good people.

The question you have to ask yourself is what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to act (ie; work even harder/smarter, make more sacrifices, learn from your failures along the way) or are you going to let life pass you by?

If you think your finances, social life and academic performance are being stretched now wait until you get to Vet School. Having 10 applicants per place may be daunting now but wait until you're looking at new grad jobs with over 50 applicants per vacancy.

Drive and attitude significantly influences how much you get out of life.

Reply 31

Original post by ch0c0h01ic

All vets have had to overcome adversity to get where they are, regardless of what sort of area they grew up in, what school they went to, whether their parents went to university, household income, quality of school, gender, race, etc, etc, etc. And on top of that sometimes unpleasant, unforeseen things happen to good people.

The question you have to ask yourself is what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to act (ie; work even harder/smarter, make more sacrifices, learn from your failures along the way) or are you going to let life pass you by?

If you think your finances, social life and academic performance are being stretched now wait until you get to Vet School. Having 10 applicants per place may be daunting now but wait until you're looking at new grad jobs with over 50 applicants per vacancy.

Drive and attitude significantly influences how much you get out of life.

Can I ask, what you mean by being strectched further. This year I had a £5 phone cotract for my birthday and my DofE paid for. I saving every piece of money I have to pay for transport to interviews. Anywhere I can get to on my bike(another present) or walking I do :frown:

I know loads of people overcome issues, but tbh every vet I know has come from a perfect family.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 32

HannahHamish

OP

2

Original post by ch0c0h01ic

All vets have had to overcome adversity to get where they are, regardless of what sort of area they grew up in, what school they went to, whether their parents went to university, household income, quality of school, gender, race, etc, etc, etc. And on top of that sometimes unpleasant, unforeseen things happen to good people.

The question you have to ask yourself is what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to act (ie; work even harder/smarter, make more sacrifices, learn from your failures along the way) or are you going to let life pass you by?

If you think your finances, social life and academic performance are being stretched now wait until you get to Vet School. Having 10 applicants per place may be daunting now but wait until you're looking at new grad jobs with over 50 applicants per vacancy.

Drive and attitude significantly influences how much you get out of life.

I have the drive and the attitude, if I didn't I wouldn't still be trying to be a vet, I don't think I could be any more determined than I am, I won't stop until I get what I want, I was just saying that it is easier for some people than others and your background does make a difference, if I grew up on a farm I would know lots of farmers so would be able to do more work experience on them, but I didn't so you have to look for it.
Thanks for your help

Reply 33

HannahHamish

OP

2

Original post by pphilip99

Can I ask, what you mean by being strectched further. This year I had a £5 phone cotract for my birthday and my DofE paid for. I saving every piece of money I have to pay for transport to interviews. Anywhere I can get to on my bike(another present) or walking I do :frown:

I know loads of people overcome issues, but tbh every vet I know has come from a perfect family.

well said, all the vets i know come from well off backgrounds :/

Reply 34

Tarnia

4

I would say you know a sheltered group of vets then! I am very fortunate in my family and background, but I would not call them 'perfect'.

A classmate of mine lost her mother (her only parent in her life) during vet school, missed a lot of school due to it, didn't pass her exams and was kept back a year. This was a foreign student, so add another 20,000K debt for another year of school. A good friend of mine lost her mother to complications from a stroke in 3rd year undergrad (this is in Canada, so pre-vet), then her father less than a year later. She applied to vet school that year, but it took her 2 more tries to get in. She did so and put herself through it with 2 younger siblings, the youngest being in his teens and with a bit of a 'wild' crowd and she was joint legal guardian with her sister. BTW she wasn't from a wealthy family either, so she had to work and borrow to do it (hello student loans!). Others classmates have encountered illness, learning disabilities, suicide deaths of fellow classmates, lack of emotional and/or financial support in any way from family, etc. etc.

I don't know you, or your personal circumstances. I have no way of knowing if you really do have the worst luck in the world and are struggling against all odds to get to where you are, and deserve a Nobel prize; or whether you are a self-pitying lazy so-and so. Because I don't know you, I try and write my replies (as I am sure ch0c0h01ic and everyone else does) as objectively and honestly as possible. That doesn't mean we are right, or that you need to take our advice. Equally though, I don't think any of us come on here just to beat others up or be mean. And to quote a tv show from my youth..."excuses are like butts...we all have one, and they all stink". Harsh? DEFINITELY. I'm deliberately being harsh to make a point; not to be mean, but because I don't think vet admissions is going to care about all the excuses/reasons you've given us particularly; so if you want this, I think it would be to your advantage to stop making excuses/giving reasons why you aren't doing something, and instead ask for help on how to do it, or keep quiet, or whatever. Equally though, it is going to be a VERY HARD and LONG HAUL! Maybe you decide you don't want it, it isn't for you, or whatever. That is ok too. As ch0c said job rates and job security isn't the best, and salaries aren't great either. You need to really have a passion for it to succeed and have it be worth it, imho.

In answer to your question, though I can't speak for ch0c, I think what they mean is that the job market is not great for vets in the UK right now, and seems to get worse each year. Right now, lets say, for ease of math, there are 5,000 applicants to vet school across the UK and only 500 spots in vet schools across the UK. You have a 1 in 10 odds of getting in to vet school, and if you are lucky you will get government funding/a loan, but you are going to have to spend some of your own money on equipment, cost of living etc.

However, for jobs in the UK, the odds can be EVEN WORSE than the odds of getting in to a school. ch0c was stating 1 in 50; I don't know if that was accurate or not but I'll run with it. So you have 1 in 50 chance of getting a job, average salary around 25-30K right now I think, that's before tax, may or quite possibly MAY NOT include accommodation and/or transport. You are still probably paying your own cost of living. So not great, but if you have a job you can probably get by. However, what if you AREN'T the 1 in 50 getting a job right off? Then you are paying FULL costs of living, licensing fees to allow you to be qualified in the UK so that you can work if you find a job, you're paying CPD to keep your skills updated/improve, you may be WORKING FOR FREE to gain skills/experience to make yourself more marketable, you're paying transport to travel to interviews and send around resumes etc...I'm sure there is some I've missed but you get the gist.

Academics...you might be top of the class now, but most people getting into vet school were near the top of the class/all of high academic standard. Exams are harder, and arguably more competitive. The vet course at most unis seems to largely be exam based...I know at mine it was typically 80-100% all on the final exam. If you think you have a lot of material for A levels, try all of anatomy in 5 weeks (GEP program) or 1-1.5 semesters (5 year stream). Pharmacology, surgical principles, diagnostic imaging, pathology, anesthesia...I'm forgetting one...from Sept through December. Or the entire 5 yr course, for your final year finals.

I realize it is easy for me to say, where I didn't do A levels, but still, it is/can be intense.

As for loads of commitments put on you as a child of a single parent, that is tough. I can maybe start to understand that/understand a tiny bit, through friends in similar situations and because I am the oldest and both parents worked when I was growing up, so I had some responsibility for watching my sibs and getting dinner on and stuff after school. However, I see this a fair bit on here. "My parents don't want me to be a vet" (mine didn't either)...."my mother/parents/dad doesn't (don't) want me to take a gap year....my parents want..."....well you know what? It is YOUR life and YOUR education and YOUR career, not your parents. You are not responsible for your mother's life situation. The life decisions leading to your mother being a single parent and having to support a child are not yours. Should you be asked/expected to pull your own weight as a 15 year old in the family? Yes, I am DEFINITELY not saying otherwise. But if those 'lots of commitments put upon you' are excessive/beyond you contributing fairly to the family, maybe you and your mom need to look at that. After all, what will happen then once you go away to uni? You need to live your own life; not someone else's.

And as for the comment around 'family not coming from that kind of background'...I was born and raised in a city. How many farmers do you think my parents/family knew? Many of my friends were in the same boat, and/or had one or both parents that hadn't been to uni themselves. There is a WHOLE THREAD devoted to work experience and recommended amounts, plus it comes up in other discussions a lot. There are also threads devoted to listing applicants, their 'credentials', and their acceptance status. There is never going to be a guarantee you have 'enough' work experience to get in, b/c criteria fluctuates based on individual applicant pools. Having said that, you can't really have TOO MUCH work experience, and arguably never 'enough' because you are never going to know everything. We all are or were in the same boat about 'not knowing' or worrying it is not enough, and many are in the boat of not coming from vet or farming or animal backgrounds. Even those that are, need to get experience outside of their own farms. All the rest of us have had to work to find placements, work to convince them to take us on, and work to get there. You are not alone, and not at a sole disadvantage, just because of your family not coming from a university/veterinary background. :smile:

And if you don't think you meet the criteria...then work on improving your criteria. Maybe it means taking a gap year. Or giving up holiday time. Or whatever. But make a plan and follow it through. :smile:

Anyways, this is really long so I'll stop here except to wish everyone luck on their applications.

Reply 35

Tarnia
I get what you are meaning.I'm not meaning to create excuses. It's more I'm looking for advice. I know vet school is not going to be easy.

Reply 36

skatealexia

14

Original post by pphilip99

Can I ask, what you mean by being strectched further. This year I had a £5 phone cotract for my birthday and my DofE paid for. I saving every piece of money I have to pay for transport to interviews. Anywhere I can get to on my bike(another present) or walking I do :frown:

I know loads of people overcome issues, but tbh every vet I know has come from a perfect family.

I come from a very working class family background. I got a job at 16 and worked at mcdonalds to pay for my transport. I was very lucky to get EMA and help from aimhigher when it was going. I managed though, and at vet school I manage due to a scholarship I get from the university (again, lucky). I can honestly say though with my background and the work experience costs and exams I would NOT have been able to have afforded the third-fifth years of the course and do okay to the required knowledge in my exams alongside it. It is more expensive than it seems. My car gave out this week, had to get another one, as for example one of my further away placements took me a four hour bus journey home on Friday. All things some vet schools don't consider when some applicants are from poorer backgrounds. In first to third year I did reviewing of coursework on the side to help make some money too, and some other things to help me along, and worked during my first year. Its doable, but I can very understand it can be impossible. Especially as I also know a lot of my friends on the vet course come from much more well advantaged backgrounds than me. My parents help me when they can, but can only do so much for me which makes it hard.

Reply 37

oldgreyvet

Original post by HannahHamish

Thank you for replying, I have actually learnt so much working there, even though I don't have much communications with the vets I get to see what's going on behind closed doors which is good because I know, sort of, what being a vet is going to be like. The only other work experience I have is a weeks lambing, a week at a stables, 2 weeks at a vets and a week at an RSPCA rescue centre, I do have a week of dairy farming lined up in a couple of weeks but was also thinking of volunteering at a cat and rabbit rescue centre as it is not terribly far from me. I just don't think I have enough experience compared to some of the other candidates :/ My family is not really from that kind of background, none of them have been to uni and i only know one person who owns a farm and they grow cabbages :/

The veterinary profession is concerned about being insufficiently diverse and about recruiting more people who are not from middle class backgrounds, so the fact that you have had to work very hard to get work experience etc will actually count in your favour in many ways, because they are positively wanting good candidates from a wider range of backgrounds. You can explain how you have found experience by yourself on your personal statement, and the unis will know that you are the first in your family to go to uni, etc, and these are all things that will count in your favour. You will be eligible for more loans and burseries than a student from a richer family, which will help. However, as the others have said, this does not alter the fact that vet school is going to be tough and finding a job afterwards is going to be tough and doing the job is also going to be tough. I have been a vet for 25 years. I love my job, but I have seen many colleagues leave practice along the way; every vet knows someone who dropped out, had a breakdown or committed suicide because it is a hard job to do. I only work part time, but any day I do evening surgery I don't know if I'll leave work on time or two hours late because someone walks through the door at closing time with an emergency: on a bad day I will put down three or four much loved family pets: on a really bad day one of them will be because the owners couldn't afford treatment or the owner has just died themselves or some other horrible reason that's really hard to deal with. If I have plans for an evening when I've been working there's always a chance I'll have to cancel them - that's just how the job is. Getting into vet school is hard not just because lots of people want to do it but to try to ensure that the people who get in are people who are likely to be able to deal with the job at the end of the day. If you manage to get the work experience etc then you will be looked on favourably because you have put the effort in.
I think I asked you above - whereabouts in the country are you, roughly? It may be that someone can make a suggestion for work experience if we know. Does your cabbage farming contact know someone who has a livestock farm?

Reply 38