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Vet Med courses that DON'T require abattoir placements?!

I want to study vet science but I am a vegan and 100% against doing an abattoir placement - i know vets are necessary and have the animals interests in mind but I know I couldn't handle a placement in one. Are there any universities that have these as optional placements?

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Reply 1
I don't think that many universities make visiting an abattoir placement compulsory. Most recommend it but it won't be a deciding factor fro whether you get in or not. However, I would be very surprised if you went through a vet science course without a visit to an abattoir.
Unis make you do work experience during your uni holidays and it is likely that you will be told to go to one then or you will do a placement in one during your course. If you definitely can't handle it you may want to reconsider doing vetsci :/
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by polkadotti
I want to study vet science but I am a vegan and 100% against doing an abattoir placement - i know vets are necessary and have the animals interests in mind but I know I couldn't handle a placement in one. Are there any universities that have these as optional placements?

Don't quote me but I think it's optional, you don't have to do one to get in but you might once you're there. i hope you don't mind me asking but why are you so against it? I had a friend in a similair situation, she did a one day abattoir placement and actually stopped being a veggie for a while because it was nowhere near as bad as she expected and now she's in her first year at Surrey :smile:
If you are squeamish about dead animals then surely you are going to find any Vet course a bit difficult? And since a vast amount of what present day vets are required to do concerns food production (ie, meat) and consequences for public health, maybe you might need to rethink this as a career?

Maybe Zoology or Animal Science might be a better idea for you - have a look at this course at Salford ( http://www.salford.ac.uk/ug-courses/wildlife-conservation-with-zoo-biology) or this at Nottingham (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ugstudy/courses/biosciences/animal-science.aspx).
Original post by Louiseee_
Don't quote me but I think it's optional, you don't have to do one to get in but you might once you're there. i hope you don't mind me asking but why are you so against it? I had a friend in a similair situation, she did a one day abattoir placement and actually stopped being a veggie for a while because it was nowhere near as bad as she expected and now she's in her first year at Surrey :smile:


Also forgot to mention, even though you might not have to do an abattoir "placement" sometimes universities will organise things for you so you might end up going to an abattoir placement for a day. I met a new grad from rvc and she'd had to do a day in an abattoir.
Reply 5
I'm against it more than anything at the idea of having nightmares and being scarred for life from the memories to be honest! I think it's great for any meat eating students to go and understand where their food comes from, but I will never be interested in eating meat or having anything to do with working in the food production side of vet science. And as for seeing dead animals as a vet - I can handle that, if I have to put down animals for their best interests etc. And I would really like to try and find a university that ethically uses animals for dissection, ones that had to be put down for other reasons and donated. I know sometimes I may have to put a perfectly healthy animal down because the owner opts for that, and that would be very hard for me, but there is no other choice in those situations. Whilst I know that people aren't going to stop eating meat anytime soon and we need vets there, I could not handle being in an abattoir environment I'm terrified of what the experience would do to me!
Original post by polkadotti
I'm against it more than anything at the idea of having nightmares and being scarred for life from the memories to be honest! I think it's great for any meat eating students to go and understand where their food comes from, but I will never be interested in eating meat or having anything to do with working in the food production side of vet science. And as for seeing dead animals as a vet - I can handle that, if I have to put down animals for their best interests etc. And I would really like to try and find a university that ethically uses animals for dissection, ones that had to be put down for other reasons and donated. I know sometimes I may have to put a perfectly healthy animal down because the owner opts for that, and that would be very hard for me, but there is no other choice in those situations. Whilst I know that people aren't going to stop eating meat anytime soon and we need vets there, I could not handle being in an abattoir environment I'm terrified of what the experience would do to me!


Hmmmmm I do see what you mean and Im not going to start saying that you're not cut out to be a vet; we all have our own reasons for going into vetmed and imo there is no wrong reason (except to please your parents maybe but then we'd all probably be doctors instead :tongue:).
I think your best bet would be going to as many vet school open days as possible and talking to students and teachers there, or maybe post this in one of the current vet med applicant feeds just because actual vet students might be able to help you (I don't actually start until September if I get the grades).
Also even if you really really don't want to work in the food production side as a career, you'll still have to work with production animals and work on farms. Farms are great but even then you might see practices you don't agree with (even on organic farms).
Hope this helps :smile:
Original post by polkadotti
I think it's great for any meat eating students to go and understand where their food comes from, but I will never be interested in eating meat or having anything to do with working in the food production side of vet science.


The issue is that you will have to do this as part of the course in order to qualify as a professional vet. You can't pick and choose the stuff you don't fancy because you are a vegan. This includes stuff like tail-docking lambs, post-mortems on farm animals and performing euthanasia in all sorts of settings. Given your emotional reaction to anything involved animals as meat I really do think you need to reconsider vet as a career.
Reply 8
I understand your concerns and don't think it is compulsory to visit before applying, but you may find it is a requirement to visit some as part of your course; there are several vegan students on my course who have done these visits who treat is as an experience to gain a balanced view from another perspective.
I don't eat red meat either, maybe this will help you distance yourself from the situation and treat it purely as an educational experience.

It's not about understanding where people food comes from but the role vets play in food safety from production to consumption - you will learn about welfare, pathology, parasitology etc.
Animal production systems are a large part of the veterinary course, you will be required to do Lambing, Dairy, Pig and Poultry EMS.

I'm not sure about ethical dissections, we've dissected still-warm animals as we learn 'healthy' anatomy and physiology, then sick animals which are PTS will be used in later years for pathological anatomy and physiology dissections.
Original post by polkadotti
I want to study vet science but I am a vegan and 100% against doing an abattoir placement - i know vets are necessary and have the animals interests in mind but I know I couldn't handle a placement in one. Are there any universities that have these as optional placements?


Problem is the rcvs requires you to carry out EMS during your 4/5/6 years of vet school and one of the placements is in public health so an abbatoir, so you unfortunately will have to do it at some point if you become a vet student.
It's nothing to do with whether you are going to go into that when you qualify or not. You have to do it for other reasons like welfare etc, you have to have an understanding of appropriate slaughter methods and welfare during slaughter.
Also if you can't handle a placement like that consider how are you going to cope when doing dissections? You have to do them at vet school to learn! Animals are donated from dog homes/owners. You don't get a choice with what animal you get, you get what you're given, so you can't be fussy about that.

If you're having these issues I would suggest thinking about whether this is what you really want to do. It's a long hard course and you have to do stuff which you probably don't like doing. You just have to man up and get on with it (said in the nicest way possible)


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(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by polkadotti
I'm against it more than anything at the idea of having nightmares and being scarred for life from the memories to be honest! I think it's great for any meat eating students to go and understand where their food comes from, but I will never be interested in eating meat or having anything to do with working in the food production side of vet science. And as for seeing dead animals as a vet - I can handle that, if I have to put down animals for their best interests etc. And I would really like to try and find a university that ethically uses animals for dissection, ones that had to be put down for other reasons and donated. I know sometimes I may have to put a perfectly healthy animal down because the owner opts for that, and that would be very hard for me, but there is no other choice in those situations. Whilst I know that people aren't going to stop eating meat anytime soon and we need vets there, I could not handle being in an abattoir environment I'm terrified of what the experience would do to me!


Well you don't need to do a placement in an abatoir before you're in vet school, but like others have said you will need to visit one once you're in. I've visited two abattoirs as part of the course on rotation and honestly, it's not that big a deal, unless of course you play it up in your mind and make it a problem. Certainly for my year, if you didn't got the abattoir rotation and pass it then you weren't eligable to graduate.

I'd question whether vet school is right for you though, without wanting to be patronising, it's not all just cuddling dogs and looking after fluffy animals. You're going to be working out on farms- you won't have a choice in that. For the most part it's fun, but at times they can be unpleasant and you're going to see things you probably won't like. Chances are you'll be asked to do things you're uncomfortable with and will just be expected by farmers to get on with it- I know of a couple of people who've had to redo placements as farmers have refused to sign off on their paperwork based on their attitude and willingness (well, lack of) to participate. Also bear in mind that it's not just in abatoirs where you'll see animals slaughtered or euthanased by less than pleasant methods.

Like others have said, you will just have to get on with stuff without a fuss whether you like it or not, otherwise you'll likely be in for a miserable time.
I would criticise those who are accusing OP of not being 'ready' for veterinary science due to their views about animals. There is a massive difference between the unnecessary slaughter of animals for food production, and euthanasia for the animal's benefit. If the euthanasia contravenes ethical guidelines then you can refuse, because we have to have the welfare of the animal at best interests. I'm sure OP knows that the veterinary profession is not about 'cuddling puppies', and that is incredibly patronising to say just because they do not believe animals should be exploited for food.

Anyway... I am the same as OP. I am opposed to the meat and animal food industries, and I am a future veterinarian as well. I too am dreading the abattoir visit (which is essential) however you have to have to right mindset about it.

For instance, if you are educating meat-eaters about where their food comes from and how cruel the process can be, your argument bears more weight if you can say "I've been to an abattoir and seen it happen" than "I watched a video online/read information about it". Therefore, you can use this experience to help craft your arguments/debates. Use it to teach people and hopefully deter more people from contributing to the awful animal food industries! :smile:

I agree that the experience will be horrible, I am going to have to do it as well, unfortunately, and will hate it... but the best thing to do seems to be to choose a SMALL abattoir. The large-scale industrial ones will kill the animals using machines and be more cruel than small abattoirs where fewer animals are killed per day, and it is done by hand. A vet I spoke to did her abattoir placement at a tiny slaughterhouse where only 1 animal was slaughtered each day, so it doesn't have to be terrible.

@polkadotti I wish you luck. As a fellow vegan vet, I understand how difficult the journey will be, especially as many of the other posters in the thread are already doubting you. Some of the animals you dissect will be euthanised shelter animals, which I initially struggled to come to terms with it, but if you think about it... these animals will be killed anyway, there is NOTHING we can do. So we might as well make their lives mean something by educating us future vets, which in turn will help us learn how to treat and save more animals in the future!

About the farm placements... if I were to witness abhorrent treatment of animals on a farm that I was completing a placement on, I would leave. And find somewhere else. And possibly report the farmer for cruelty. It IS possible to find 'kind' farms, I have done placements with a very sweet sheep farmer who treats his animals with great respect. I know that if a farmer tried to make me do something I REALLY did not agree with, I would simply go. You can find other places where the animals are treated well, and I am not going to sacrifice my beliefs for a week of work experience.

So OP... unfortunately the abattoir is mandatory, however you are not alone in your beliefs. Myself and other vegetarian/vegan vets-to-be are here. I understand your fears, I am also scared that the slaughterhouse experience will haunt me forever, but I think in the long-term, that is only a small portion of your life (some unis only demand you spend 1 day there, which isn't a lot at all) if you think about the benefits for the future. You can spend the rest of your life following your passion and helping animals.

Sorry, this got kinda long. :smile:
Original post by Direhusky
I would criticise those who are accusing OP of not being 'ready' for veterinary science due to their views about animals. There is a massive difference between the unnecessary slaughter of animals for food production, and euthanasia for the animal's benefit. If the euthanasia contravenes ethical guidelines then you can refuse, because we have to have the welfare of the animal at best interests. I'm sure OP knows that the veterinary profession is not about 'cuddling puppies', and that is incredibly patronising to say just because they do not believe animals should be exploited for food.

Anyway... I am the same as OP. I am opposed to the meat and animal food industries, and I am a future veterinarian as well. I too am dreading the abattoir visit (which is essential) however you have to have to right mindset about it.

For instance, if you are educating meat-eaters about where their food comes from and how cruel the process can be, your argument bears more weight if you can say "I've been to an abattoir and seen it happen" than "I watched a video online/read information about it". Therefore, you can use this experience to help craft your arguments/debates. Use it to teach people and hopefully deter more people from contributing to the awful animal food industries! :smile:

I agree that the experience will be horrible, I am going to have to do it as well, unfortunately, and will hate it... but the best thing to do seems to be to choose a SMALL abattoir. The large-scale industrial ones will kill the animals using machines and be more cruel than small abattoirs where fewer animals are killed per day, and it is done by hand. A vet I spoke to did her abattoir placement at a tiny slaughterhouse where only 1 animal was slaughtered each day, so it doesn't have to be terrible.

@polkadotti I wish you luck. As a fellow vegan vet, I understand how difficult the journey will be, especially as many of the other posters in the thread are already doubting you. Some of the animals you dissect will be euthanised shelter animals, which I initially struggled to come to terms with it, but if you think about it... these animals will be killed anyway, there is NOTHING we can do. So we might as well make their lives mean something by educating us future vets, which in turn will help us learn how to treat and save more animals in the future!

So OP... unfortunately the abattoir is mandatory, however you are not alone in your beliefs. Myself and other vegetarian/vegan vets-to-be are here. I understand your fears, I am also scared that the slaughterhouse experience will haunt me forever, but I think in the long-term, that is only a small portion of your life (some unis only demand you spend 1 day there, which isn't a lot at all) if you think about the benefits for the future. You can spend the rest of your life following your passion and helping animals.

Sorry, this got kinda long. :smile:


You say you have never been in an abattoir, yet your only view is that is it cruel etc. I think you should further educate yourself on abattoir slaughter guidelines before airing your views, just a tip for the future. If you're vegan/vegetarian then that's fine, but with the view that animals do not need to be slaughtered for human consumption, you are going to struggle on farm placements, as to a farmer, his livestock are his income.

Just bear this in mind.


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(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Lizziefickling
You say you have never been in an abattoir, yet your only view is that is it cruel etc. I think you should further educate yourself on abattoir slaughter guidelines before airing your views, just a tip for the future. If you're vegan/vegetarian then that's fine, but with the view that animals do not need to be slaughtered for human consumption, you are going to struggle on farm placements, as to a farmer, his livestock are his income.

Just bear this in mind.


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Why did you come to the assumption that my only argument is that 'it's cruel'? The topic of discussion was, in fact, how veterinarians have to visit an abattoir and work with farmers as part of the training, which may conflict with vegan and vegetarian views.
I was discussing the ways in which you can be both a vegan or vegetarian and maintain your morals and beliefs during the veterinary medicine course. So... we weren't even discussing whether or not people SHOULD be vegan or vegetarian. We were actually discussing OPs issue with the abattoir visit, as well as the topic of unethical farms etc.

But, actually, no. The cruelty factor is a big part of why I do not eat meat, but not the only factor. Please do not jump to conclusions. You tell me I need to 'educate myself' without even knowing how much I know about the meat/dairy/egg industries. I have many arguments and there is literally no reason to eat meat.

Cruelty to animals:
you may believe that the standards of slaughter are great and humane or whatever. Okay, fine. But what for how the animals are raised?
The average chicken, by Red Tractor 'humane' standards, is allocated a space the size of an A4 piece of paper to live. And this is the 'humane' meat. What for unregulated, cheap meat, which most people still eat? The conditions are even worse, The majority of people do not just buy 'organic, Freedom Food' meat.
As long as people demand cheap meat, the meat will be produced in the cheapest way, which involves inevitable cruelty.
The average chicken is killed at only 40 days old, the average pig at 6 months. This is just a fraction of their natural lifespan.
Animal Aid secretly filmed 10 British slaughterhouses, and found instances of cruelty and lawbreaking in 9/10 of them. You can read more about their findings online.

Environment:
51% of greenhouse gas emissions are the result of livestock/animal food production.
80% of the soy being harvested across the world goes towards feeding livestock. And about 14lbs of plant matter is used to make 1lb of meat. Rainforests and endangered species are being killed just so people can enjoy a burger.
80% of all antibiotics in America are given to livestock. You are probably already aware of the danger of overuse of antibiotics, it is extremely dangerous.
660 gallons (the equivalent of 2 months worth of showers) worth of water is wasted in making one burger. Want to use less water? Cut out meat.
70% of deforestation in the Amazon is for meat production.
The UN actually urged a global move to a meat-free, plant-based diet. The current demands for meat and dairy are unsustainable, and cutting out animal products is vital to reduce carbon emissions and save out planet.

Health:
Not eating meat decreases your risk of heart disease by 12%.
There is serious debate over the subject that humans are omnivores. If you compare our anatomy to a chimp or a bonobo, there are only slight differences. Their diet is frugivorous, consisting of mostly fruit and greens. Many experts argue that this is also the healthiest diet for humans, and we do not need meat to survive like some people seem to believe.

You don't have to agree with me, but do not assume I need to educate myself. I am educated, which is why I abstain from animal products.
You do not need to try and educate me on all that. I have learnt it already because I am a vet student.

My point was, there are 2 sides. Don't assume that all meat eaters need lecturing on it. The fact is, you have to do a placement at an abattoir, regardless of what your beliefs etc are. And one of the reasons why you have to do this is because it's a vets responsibility in some areas of the veterinary career to make sure that things are done correctly. You can't go into placements and decide that it's not right etc just because of your own views. Which is what people are trying to explain to this person on this post.

If someone is that against going/animals being slaughtered for human consumption, the point being made was then maybe it's not the most appropriate career choice, because a major part of EMS is farm placements and an abattoir is compulsory. Not every farmer you come across is going to accept your strong views.


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If you're going to use statistics at least quote the sources, 51% is by far the largest estimation I've heard for animal production as a contribution to greenhouse gas emission, in fact it's much larger than any estimations I've heard for the agricultural sector in general which includes activities such as rice production. I'd be interested to see where that has come from.

Just from my point of view, I was a vegan for a little over 2 years up until October, not really for any welfare reasons- actually the reported environmental impacts swayed me along with the fact that two of my flatmates were and are so it was pretty convinient. I'm not anymore, I'm mostly dairy free (unless a farmer offers me a cup of tea) mainly as I don't really like dairy products, and eat meat a couple of times a week.

On balance I'm comfortable and happy in doing so. I find it slightly conflicting at times as unfortunately the supposedly more environmentally sustainable forms of meat are generally those which tend to suffer more welfare issues, but on the whole I'm at ease with my conscience. Next week I start work which will involve me being out doing vetty stuff on farms along with taking students to abatoirs where as part of my role I'll be involved in teaching them about exactly what goes on there in terms of welfare, the processes and regulations involved etc. I'm rather looking forward to starting.

My comments regarding the OP not being suitable for vet school were largely as a result of a fear of nightmares etc. which to put it bluntly, sounds pathetic. Vet school is a tough place to be, I've known people take a year or two out of the coures because they couldn't hack it. Unfortunately I've also known people take their own lives too which in such a small population of students is rather alarming. While someone taking their own life is rather an extreme act it really does represent the tip of a fairly massive iceberg. If the OP is potentially going to get that concerned and worked up about an abatoir placement then I think they seriously need to consider whether this is the right career for them.

Many routine parts of the animal production industry are intrinsically unpleasant and are contentious in terms of welfare but form a necessary part of the systems. When going out on placement as a vet student there are expectations that a) you will get involved and learn about the systems and b) that you will behave in a professional manner. If you're really not comfortable with doing something then sure, you can just politely decline and watch but only really up to a point. Like I mentioned previously, I know at least two people from my yeargroup who were forced to redo placements as they were unwilling to participate and from the farmers' points of view displayed a poor attitude.

Anyway, the livestock industry from start to finish forms an integral part of any veterinary course and an incredibly important part of the profession. If someone has strong feelings about such activities though to the point that it genuinely upsets them or leads to them having a miserable time of it as a result then really, I'd reconsider if the course is for them- it's tough enough as it is.
Original post by ouchthathurts
If you're going to use statistics at least quote the sources, 51% is by far the largest estimation I've heard for animal production as a contribution to greenhouse gas emission, in fact it's much larger than any estimations I've heard for the agricultural sector in general which includes activities such as rice production. I'd be interested to see where that has come from.

Just from my point of view, I was a vegan for a little over 2 years up until October, not really for any welfare reasons- actually the reported environmental impacts swayed me along with the fact that two of my flatmates were and are so it was pretty convinient. I'm not anymore, I'm mostly dairy free (unless a farmer offers me a cup of tea) mainly as I don't really like dairy products, and eat meat a couple of times a week.

On balance I'm comfortable and happy in doing so. I find it slightly conflicting at times as unfortunately the supposedly more environmentally sustainable forms of meat are generally those which tend to suffer more welfare issues, but on the whole I'm at ease with my conscience. Next week I start work which will involve me being out doing vetty stuff on farms along with taking students to abatoirs where as part of my role I'll be involved in teaching them about exactly what goes on there in terms of welfare, the processes and regulations involved etc. I'm rather looking forward to starting.

My comments regarding the OP not being suitable for vet school were largely as a result of a fear of nightmares etc. which to put it bluntly, sounds pathetic. Vet school is a tough place to be, I've known people take a year or two out of the coures because they couldn't hack it. Unfortunately I've also known people take their own lives too which in such a small population of students is rather alarming. While someone taking their own life is rather an extreme act it really does represent the tip of a fairly massive iceberg. If the OP is potentially going to get that concerned and worked up about an abatoir placement then I think they seriously need to consider whether this is the right career for them.

Many routine parts of the animal production industry are intrinsically unpleasant and are contentious in terms of welfare but form a necessary part of the systems. When going out on placement as a vet student there are expectations that a) you will get involved and learn about the systems and b) that you will behave in a professional manner. If you're really not comfortable with doing something then sure, you can just politely decline and watch but only really up to a point. Like I mentioned previously, I know at least two people from my yeargroup who were forced to redo placements as they were unwilling to participate and from the farmers' points of view displayed a poor attitude.

Anyway, the livestock industry from start to finish forms an integral part of any veterinary course and an incredibly important part of the profession. If someone has strong feelings about such activities though to the point that it genuinely upsets them or leads to them having a miserable time of it as a result then really, I'd reconsider if the course is for them- it's tough enough as it is.


You put it in better words than me! Haha. This was the point I was attempting (and failing) to get across


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Original post by Direhusky
Anyway... I am the same as OP. I am opposed to the meat and animal food industries, and I am a future veterinarian as well. I too am dreading the abattoir visit (which is essential) however you have to have to right mindset about it.

I agree that the experience will be horrible, I am going to have to do it as well, unfortunately, and will hate it... but the best thing to do seems to be to choose a SMALL abattoir. The large-scale industrial ones will kill the animals using machines and be more cruel than small abattoirs where fewer animals are killed per day, and it is done by hand. A vet I spoke to did her abattoir placement at a tiny slaughterhouse where only 1 animal was slaughtered each day, so it doesn't have to be terrible.

The average chicken, by Red Tractor 'humane' standards, is allocated a space the size of an A4 piece of paper to live. And this is the 'humane' meat. What for unregulated, cheap meat, which most people still eat? The conditions are even worse, The majority of people do not just buy 'organic, Freedom Food' meat


I just wanted to add that you say you need to have the right mindset about going to an abattoir and then say 'the experience will be horrible, I will hate it, it's cruel.' How do you know this until you have been? This is not having the right mindset. One of the primary roles of the vet in an abattoir is ensuring that high standards of welfare are maintained to make the experience as less stressful as possible. Obviously there is bound to be some stress but slaughter of animals is going to happen whether you think it is necessary or not (bear in mind that not all animals are slaughtered for food). Therefore when you go to an abattoir look at the welfare standards and think what are they doing to ensure good welfare and how can this be improved. Ask questions so that you understand the process and why it is necessary.

I know you quote the figures from Animalaid but just beware that they will be extremely biased, there are over 350 abattoirs in the UK and the majority will be very good and ensure high welfare standards are maintained. I agree though that there are some that don't and this is something that needs to be stopped.

At Bristol we have an onsite abattoir and we get a lot of teaching on the process and welfare standards. They also run courses for official vets and do a lot of research to try and improve the process so please don't think that people working in abattoirs don't care about the animals because this is really not the case.

You say that going to small abattoir is better than a large one but once the animal has been stunned it makes absolutely no difference whether it is then killed by a machine or a human. The number of animals killed and method makes no difference to the 'level of cruelty,' as there are strict regulations in place for each that are followed to ensure good welfare is maintained. What was the name of the place that only slaughters one animal a day? I can't understand how this would be commercially viable?

Also the 'fact' you quote about the red tractor scheme is incorrect. If you go to their website you can download the standards for each type animal which clearly states what is expected.

If you have anymore questions about the role of vets in abattoirs or the experience of working in one just ask or send me a PM. :smile:
Reply 18
I had to spend a week long placement in an abbatoir during my clinical years and in addition, we were taken on several abbatoir visits during the public health part of the course. I could think of more pleasant ways to have spent my days, however they were all very professional establishments which exceeded my expectations. I don't seem to recall there being an 'opt-out' option.
Original post by polkadotti
I want to study vet science but I am a vegan and 100% against doing an abattoir placement - i know vets are necessary and have the animals interests in mind but I know I couldn't handle a placement in one. Are there any universities that have these as optional placements?


You might be able to do something like a day at a crematorium instead, as it would still show that you can deal with the "gory" side of vet med. You'd also be able to see how people handle talking with owners etc. in an emotional situation which I'd imagine would be a useful skill to see. Having said that, it is likely that at uni you would have to do some time in an abattoir (as other people have said) - just somethig to bear in mind.

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