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The big and shiny work experience bible

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I think it does the opposite! You get like no holidays in the clinical years - just full time rotation after full time rotation! The easiest years will be the first couple I think.
nina_100
That done whilst you are on the course!


i think it's enough - at the end of the day, the experience that counts is what you get AFTER you qualify. obviously you can never have too much, but why sacrifice all your lesuire time for it? especially before you start uni, you'll be so busy once you're there you need to allow yourself plenty of time for rest and fun before you go. that's my philosophy anyway, but i guess i just like to enjoy my life! not that work exp can't be enjoyable but my time at the equestrian centre was awful - i don't ride so was instantly looked down on by everyone there and pretty much made to cart enormous buckets of water round and sweep the yard the whole time. they eventually let me groom one horse. it was hardly beneficial at all. at least once you're actually a vet student they might start taking you more seriously, which i why i think the work exp during your course is much more valuable. only my opinion though
Reply 82
princesse_lunaire
i think it's enough - at the end of the day, the experience that counts is what you get AFTER you qualify. obviously you can never have too much, but why sacrifice all your lesuire time for it? especially before you start uni, you'll be so busy once you're there you need to allow yourself plenty of time for rest and fun before you go. that's my philosophy anyway, but i guess i just like to enjoy my life! not that work exp can't be enjoyable but my time at the equestrian centre was awful - i don't ride so was instantly looked down on by everyone there and pretty much made to cart enormous buckets of water round and sweep the yard the whole time. they eventually let me groom one horse. it was hardly beneficial at all. at least once you're actually a vet student they might start taking you more seriously, which i why i think the work exp during your course is much more valuable. only my opinion though


Yes I agree- the work exp done whilst on the course is more valuable but that done before taught me a lot- you get out what you put in and its not as if you need to have all the fun you can get before uni- uni is as far from all work no play as you can get if you want it to be! And the practical work experience is irreplacably valuable- I don't think you can ever get plenty, you still leave uni as inexperienced as ever, and the less you do the worse off you are! I think the uni's that focus on work exp and the practical side of it (like Nott and Liv etc) do it well!
Reply 83
Isnt 'focusing on practical' a misnomer? They simply expose the student to the practical bits earlier on in the course, whilst maintaining more academic study at the end of the course. The Courses are simply arranged differently.

Correct me if im wrong :P
Reply 84
Joe87
Isnt 'focusing on practical' a misnomer? They simply expose the student to the practical bits earlier on in the course, whilst maintaining more academic study at the end of the course. The Courses are simply arranged differently.

Correct me if im wrong :P


Can't comment on other unis but Liverpool gets more practical as it goes- infact the practical bits at the start of the course is a misnomer- pfft loads of hands on stuff with animals from the start... yes in your own time, doing PCEMS in summer holidays! Some unis are definitly more practically orrientated than others though, you can see that just from the comments made by vets who've worked with students from each uni!
Reply 85
Yeh and notts is practical focused throughout. Still have to learn the theory but instead of 24/7 lectures they do a lot more work hands on so "learn by doing"
Reply 86
So I'm about send my UCAS off and so far I've done three weeks in different vets and tons of weeks on farms, in kennels, Cpl... but I've got another week sorted (vet surgery) for oct half term. I've read that Liverpool wants four weeks clinical (ie vets) and six weeks non-clinical, but if I'm doing the fourth week after I've sent off my app will Liverpool still count this?? Thanks so much for all your advice btw the Work experience bible is great!! Oh btw when Liverpool say 10 weeks do they mean 50 days or 70??


X X X Nicole X X X
nuttanic
So I'm about send my UCAS off and so far I've done three weeks in different vets and tons of weeks on farms, in kennels, Cpl... but I've got another week sorted (vet surgery) for oct half term. I've read that Liverpool wants four weeks clinical (ie vets) and six weeks non-clinical, but if I'm doing the fourth week after I've sent off my app will Liverpool still count this?? Thanks so much for all your advice btw the Work experience bible is great!! Oh btw when Liverpool say 10 weeks do they mean 50 days or 70??


a week would count as a 5 day working week.
they will still count it as long as it is firm organised, not just somthing you are thinking about, but as you're doing it at october half term it will be before any interviews so thats fine
Reply 88
Annaconda
a week would count as a 5 day working week.
they will still count it as long as it is firm organised, not just somthing you are thinking about, but as you're doing it at october half term it will be before any interviews so thats fine


ok thanks...much appreciated. yh thought it was 50 done about 60 already but yh ive been told can do the wk exp in oct but just gotta make it official!!
Im going to Leahurst tomorrow yay!
;thumbsup; have fun it sounds great
so jealous
Botticello
Im going somewhere in the lake district but they have accommodation as they do family holidays, its a dairy farm.


could i please:erm: have the name of the place because ive been looking for somewhere in the lake district:questionm
;please;
Yes (however they do family holidays and they are very busy so they may not have room)
Town End Farm
Little Salkeld
Penrith
Cumbria
Very well written.
Reply 94
I am going into year 11 this year and have done 2 weeks of work experience at an equine vets and have been helping out from 8am - 5pm every saturday at my local stables for about 4 years and i have sorted out most of my others!!
I am having trouble finding the lambing, dairy, cattle ect ..... I live in the Manchester area does anyone have any good places they reccomend????:confused:
Also I want to go and have a few days in a abattoir but i am finding problems in finding one near home!! once again in the manchester area if anyone can find one!! They don't seem to be the most populated places !!! HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:
Reply 95
Lucy.x
lambing wise you'll definitely be able to find somewhere with accomodation, i stayed with the farmers for my lambing both pre uni and for my placement at uni.

for dairy etc would your parents drive you places? cos if not it will be harder, but my dairy placement was literally five minutes from a train station so i would get a lift in and train back. if not, just tell literally anyone and everyone you know that you need a placement on a farm, seriously the most unlikely people have contacts.

i was moaning to my friend about not having a place to lambing and she was like oh my aunt lives next doo to a sheep farm i'll ask her to put you in contact with them and it was sorted! so seriously just let everyone know you are looking!

also ask people at the stable you help at about a dairy farm, there may well be one nearby that you dont know about, as you dont really spot them unless you know theres one there!

rite thanx!! my parents would drive me around!! How is liverpool uni???? that is where i want to go!! is it hard!!! did u get experience in an abattoir???
If you can do abbotoir go for it but don't beat yourself up over it. I got in without it!
Reply 97
I didnt do the abattoir until after my interview and still got an offer so no worries, its no big deal. One thing I will say is if you're wanting to go to an abattoir, keep pestering them cos like Lucy.x said, its v difficult to get placements before vet school cos unfortunately a lot of people simply cant be bothered so its you that will have to do the chasing!
Reply 98
I have just had a week working on a goat farm confirmed for the October holidays, and i'm waiting on a weeks zoo experience to add to my portfolio of

2 weeks equine vet

3 weeks large animal vet

2 years working with a small animal hospital

6 years of working at a greyhound kennel

a month of weekends at my local livery yard

time with the Rspca, and Cats protection

1 week at an abbattoir

and 2 seasons lambing, time with dairy and beef cattle

and time on a commercial pig unit (grim)

So I dont think I can do much more in terms of work experience.
Reply 99
bumbleboy
I have just had a week working on a goat farm confirmed for the October holidays, and i'm waiting on a weeks zoo experience to add to my portfolio of

2 weeks equine vet

3 weeks large animal vet

2 years working with a small animal hospital

6 years of working at a greyhound kennel

a month of weekends at my local livery yard

time with the Rspca, and Cats protection

1 week at an abbattoir

and 2 seasons lambing, time with dairy and beef cattle

and time on a commercial pig unit (grim)

So I dont think I can do much more in terms of work experience.


... Was that just to put the shiits up everyone else??? :p: Thats pretty impressive, guess you deserve to gloat

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