Is it worth thinking about veterinary medicine after finishing yr 13

I did 2 gap years, the first I just worked the entire year and the second I worked alongside doing a college course.
I will be going to uni to study vet med in September at Bristol uni. I never planned to have one gap year but honestly these couple of years out have been amazing, just being able to spend time away from constant exams and school work to enjoy myself has been the break I needed.
It’s also allowed me to work and earn a significant amount of savings which will really help me financially at uni.
In regard to vet med itself, I do not recommend applying until you’ve done some clinical experience regardless of university requirements. The job is very different to what most think it is and you can only get a snippet of that from experience. The MOOC is okay but in reality is not comparable to working alongside a vet for a few weeks.
Veterinary is a 5 year degree and basically guarantees you a job at the end of it, my pov was what’s another year to mature and develop as a person before knuckling down with my life and having to do adulting?
I’ll say what I say to everyone, if there’s any doubt in your mind between veterinary and another subject- do the other subject!

I wouldn't apply without having done some veterinary work.
It is a really stressful and underpaid profession and unfortunately we have a terrible retention rate which means people are undergoing all the training to become vets and then deciding the career isn't for them. Additionally, the veterinary profession is one of the top careers in terms of suicide rate. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to properly research this profession before you try to get into it, therefore you absolutely should do some work experience in a vet practice. Yes it is hard to get, but every other applicant to the course has done it.

Veterinary surgeons do like animals. But if you want to be a vet because you like animals, this probably isn't enough to keep you happy during the career. Pets don't bring themselves in, and you will need to work with their owners (who often do not trust you) to try to provide the best outcome for the animal that you can. Owners can often be aggressive, upset and overall make your job difficult when all you want to do is the best for their animal.

You do need to really want it in order to succeed. Vet school is highly competitive, with 11+ applicants per place for some courses. It doesn't yet sound like you are sure you want to be a vet, so it is probably best you figure this out so that you are better able to convince the admissions team that you should be chosen for vet school. The interview process is intensive and difficult and you need to be so clear that you know all about veterinary medicine and why you are a good fit for the profession. If you are still deciding between different degrees, then you probably don't yet have the determination to succeed during this process... yet!

The MOOC was released during covid, so while it is still accepted, you would not be a very competitive applicant without having done real work experience.
Also, what you refer to are not just 'STEM' degrees, but university courses which lead you straight into a career. In this case, pharmacist and veterinary surgeon. These aren't really courses you study because you're interested, but you should study because you actually want to be a pharmacist or a vet. They are vastly different careers so I recommend you figure out which one you'd actually like to be.


Additionally, why is two gap years not an option? I did two gap years while I did my veterinary work experience, and it worked out fine and I'm really happy with the route I took.

My advice: do some work experience in a vet clinic (you will have to have this in order to apply anyway). If you like it, then you can see about applying to vet school later this year.

Us here at TSR will all be happy to help you construct letters to clinics, writing personal statements etc. But I do really think you need to decide if you want to commit to veterinary first.

Good luck on your journey.

P.S. Don't rush into applying for uni. Even doing just one gap year you will graduate later than your peers anyway. There is no rush! Just make sure you choose the right course for you!

I have only recently started volunteering at a farm and the feeling of being around animals has kind of spurred me into thinking about being a vet.
There are many other options to work with animals with becoming a vet - a vet is the hardest to qualify for,probably need A Level chemistry and biology for starters, 5 or 6 years at uni with massive debts at the end of it - at least £120,000 in loans approx. For all those who apply only about 3 in 10 actually get a university place to go on a vet med course.

I suggest you look at all the other options before picking vet med, animal handling courses, farming courses, nurse courses all of which are much easier and cheaper than vet med. Since its only a recent thought of yours just dont be thinking a vet is the only way of working with animals, zoo work is great as well.

You will also earn more working in a pharmacy than as a vet - starting salary around £33,000 for vet.

Vets really are underpaid
It does seem like the future of pharmacy is brighter these days.

Yeah I wouldn't apply if I didn't get clinical experience either. It's good to know you found having 2 years beneficial. Did you apply 3 times for vet med then or did you decide on it for your last gap year? A vet did email me back saying next year they'd have spaces for work experience since they are full now (I've definitely thought about it too late) and I think I may as well ask again when it comes to that to see if I'd enjoy it but that would definitely mean no application for this year.

Can I ask what college course this is that it would only last 1 year?


I'm still trying to find the career I would love/good at (I don't care for salary/prestige). My biggest concern is ending up in a degree I can't find a job with and hate- building up debt. So I suppose I can't help but consider financial side of things which is why im leaning on degree apprenticeships.

Thank you for such a comprehensive answer!

Yes, I completely agree with you on your points in researching the veterinary profession properly before making a decision. Personally, salary is not a deal breaker, I simply want to be not miserable in a job. I'd definitely need to see in person to decide on that.

You are correct in saying I am not ready for this course at this point. I have always been indecisive but it's because I want to so badly find the right course that will be something I want to work for.

A lot of my conflict with whether I'd want to pursue this is also to do with your point about just liking animals. I feel like maintaing that as a hobby rather than a job may be something more preferable for me?
Though I'd say I've always had an affinity to wanting to care for animals, like the practical aspect of surgery and do enjoy studying biology.

It's great to see that 2 people who have answered have taken 2 gap years and have managed fine. My concern is of course the usual FOMO. But also because at that point I may just be as happy taking an apprenticeship programme which does not build up debt and is an express into working. By the end of a gap year, I'd say thats enough time to have found a suitable role I enjoy.

I'll definitely try phoning more vets (aren't many nearby) but yes, if the only option is to wait next year for clinical work experience, I shall find out then whether 2 gap years will be worth it.

Hi, I’ve officially managed to get work experience ( 2 weeks each at 2 different vets)! Do you have any advice after having done yours and realised/wish you had done? Also what to wear? I’m slightly nervous about my lack of knowledge on being a vet. I’m hoping to speed run the rest of the MOOC to at least get a feel tmrw….

Also, am going to start volunteering at another farm. Do you think 4 weeks clinical experience + around 1 week of farm experience is going to suffice for an application this year?

Well done for managing to get some! I do believe that is sufficient to apply this year, obviously check the individual uni websites to double check the requirements but I think it should meet most if not all the requirements. If you can get another week of non-clinical that would probably be good, but if not (I know October isn’t that far away now) then it’s not the end of the world - I’d suggest maybe a riding school, kennels, shelter or dog groomers etc just for some more variety. Make sure to keep a diary of what you did and what you learned (especially things you can link to characteristics of being a good vet/vet student) and also collect references in the right format (I’d look up Surrey’s guides) at the end.


To wear, if you have any polos or other smart ish tops, smart trousers and maybe a pair of plain trainers or the type of shoes you’d wear to school, as long as they cover most of your foot. I’d stick with colours like black or navy, although for the top maybe dark green or burgundy could also be alright. If you have time you could always call up or email the clinics to be 100% as they may have their own policies. I think asking lots of questions and getting stuck in is the best way to learn - don’t turn your nose up if they ask you to help with cleaning (likely to happen as a student), always ask politely before shadowing the staff, and choose your moments to ask questions - I wouldn’t do it in front of owners, but in between consults/during procedures is ok as long as the person isn’t trying to concentrate on reading/writing notes or something! I’d focus less on any technical things, like no vet school expects or wants you to know loads of info on how to do procedures or about meds etc as that is what they’ll teach you, but I’d ask more about the lifestyle of a vet, how they handle difficulties like clients that aren’t easiest, how they use a structure for their consults etc. I do think linking your experiences + things you see during work exp to traits helps in your application, as those are things vet schools can’t really teach you to already have, e.g. empathy, organisation, communication skills, observation skills. Absolutely use it as an opportunity to get a feel for the job with asking how they find it personally etc. And don’t ignore the nurses either! They can also give you good insight and show you some interesting things. Sometimes in a vet clinic it’s easy to forget about students being there, so you may have to ask to shadow or do things yourself. I think going through the few MOOCs available shouldn’t take too long and may be a good insight before. Best of luck and just enjoy it!

Hi, I’ve officially managed to get work experience ( 2 weeks each at 2 different vets)! Do you have any advice after having done yours and realised/wish you had done? Also what to wear? I’m slightly nervous about my lack of knowledge on being a vet. I’m hoping to speed run the rest of the MOOC to at least get a feel tmrw….

Also, am going to start volunteering at another farm. Do you think 4 weeks clinical experience + around 1 week of farm experience is going to suffice for an application this year?

I think vet med may well be for you.Keep trying for experience.Dog and cat grooming might also be a route if no vets available before October.Interviews are several months later which gives you more time to get into an actual vets.I also know 2 pharmacists who have left and a vet who is still going.

I have! I'm starting work experience tomorrow at one vets for 2 weeks and and a week later I'll start another but at a different one. I'll look into dog grooming places near me for sure now I just didn't consider it. Do people generally ask for a set week for wex? Or is it more like a 2 day thing?

I've managed to speak to a pharmacist and ask questions. They didn't really seem to enjoy their job - it was simply a way to earn money and survive. They would've otherwise chose medicine but it was too expensive as an international student. I think generally in all careers you will get a mix of people with different levels of passion but with pharmacy, it is prone to receiving students who failed to get into med/ seen as a direct route from uni to work.

Thanks for the reply! I've looked at my closest shelters and they have no places for new volunteers unfortunately. I actually have done some work experience in yr 9 at a stable. I did this at a time when I had less confidence in speaking to others so I didn't really enjoy it/ make the most out of it. This would be considered out of date for the unis. I'm aware of a level 1 handling course which I can hopefully do and also an aquarium who do placements so I'm going to apply in my gap year. But once again, I don't know if any of this can be done before October. The other farm I've applied to is a city farm open to visitors and have a mix of LA/SA - just waiting for my DBS check before I can start.