I was just wondering how much work experience people have.
When I went on the vet-med link course in December 2008, during the edge session I looked at a girls mock UCAS statement and she seemed to have done weeks and weeks.
I've done about 5 weeks, and will be getting some more over the next year.
But is it really necessary to get loads of weeks work experience? If I have a a few more days here and there would would that be enough?
And is there any types of work experience that are better than others, as I really would like to have enough work experience so that i might get an offer.
If you post in the forum for vetinary medicine, there are a lot of threads like this. Different unis want you to have done different things, so it would be a good idea to contact the ones you are interested in to find out what their requirements are.
I was just wondering how much work experience people have.
When I went on the vet-med link course in December 2008, during the edge session I looked at a girls mock UCAS statement and she seemed to have done weeks and weeks.
I've done about 5 weeks, and will be getting some more over the next year.
But is it really necessary to get loads of weeks work experience? If I have a a few more days here and there would would that be enough?
And is there any types of work experience that are better than others, as I really would like to have enough work experience so that i might get an offer.
well what work exp do you already have.
look on the uni websites. most want at least 6 weeks, liv want 10, and they all have reccommendations about what you need etc
If you type 'work exp' into the search function on the vet forum you will get hundreds of threads on this. 5 weeks is pretty slim Im afraid. like Annaconda said, most unis want a minimum of 6 weeks and Liverpool require 10. But they are both still minimum amounts and the majority of applicants will have far above and beyond and everyone will apply with the minimum so you need a way of standing out. The only uni that wouldnt mind about less work exp is Cambridge as they focus more on academics. Try adding a couple of weeks to what you already have in a couple of different areas and you'll be fine!
in you aim for liverpool 10 weeks (4 weeks vet, 6 weeks other (preferbaly incl farm and small animal)) then you should be ok, but the majority of people apply with excess of the min. You need to stand out.
as everyone else has said, use the search function and look at the uni websites and prospectuses.
I was just wondering how much work experience people have.
When I went on the vet-med link course in December 2008, during the edge session I looked at a girls mock UCAS statement and she seemed to have done weeks and weeks.
I've done about 5 weeks, and will be getting some more over the next year.
But is it really necessary to get loads of weeks work experience? If I have a a few more days here and there would would that be enough?
And is there any types of work experience that are better than others, as I really would like to have enough work experience so that i might get an offer.
- Aim for Liverpool's minimum, as a checkpoint.
- Variety is better than large amounts at a small variety. (Ie 1-2 weeks doing dairy, lambing, pigs, kennels, stables, whatever is better than just loads of years at 1 particular stables)
- I notice you live in Lincolnshire, I do too. If you need any help getting any placements anywhere in our county or thereabouts, PM me and I'll be glad to help you.
I was just wondering how much work experience people have.
When I went on the vet-med link course in December 2008, during the edge session I looked at a girls mock UCAS statement and she seemed to have done weeks and weeks.
I've done about 5 weeks, and will be getting some more over the next year.
But is it really necessary to get loads of weeks work experience? If I have a a few more days here and there would would that be enough?
And is there any types of work experience that are better than others, as I really would like to have enough work experience so that i might get an offer.
You should aim to to have varity. I had:-
I live on a farm (sheep) - all my life
My neighbour has cattle - occasional days
I've been going to the vet's after school on a Friday since 08/07
I spent a week at a SA practice in a city
I spent a week at a stables
I visited an abbatoir - 2 days
I spent some time at a kennels/cattery i.e. a morning
I have a place at Edinburgh and Glasgow with the w/e. Someone I know had a bit less then me ( a weeks lambing, surgery on an afternoon for a year, week with LA vet) and was asked to complete a week's cattle as part of her conditions. So she got in. The key is varity and you should aim for at least 4 weeks (5 is better than this of course) i.e. week seeing practice and 3 weeks other things. However this is minimum and when you consider that any one applying to Livipool has at least 10 weeks has another 3 choices which you could have applied for i.e. you w/e of 4 weeks would look wimpy against theirs, you should aim for about 8 weeks. If you can get some lambing in and w/e with cattle. Also equine and pigs. I went to the abbatoir and this seemed to be what the interviewers liked as I got a q on it in every interview (except Cambridge ).
What w/e have you got and what grades have you got? Have you applied this year?
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Re: Work experience for veterinary medicine
Originally Posted by KatieJayne1991
I was just wondering how much work experience people have.
When I went on the vet-med link course in December 2008, during the edge session I looked at a girls mock UCAS statement and she seemed to have done weeks and weeks.
I've done about 5 weeks, and will be getting some more over the next year.
But is it really necessary to get loads of weeks work experience? If I have a a few more days here and there would would that be enough?
And is there any types of work experience that are better than others, as I really would like to have enough work experience so that i might get an offer.
You don't HAVE to get any work experience, but bear in mind that most if not all of the vets I study alongside had weeks if not months of work experience. Faced with two identical candidates except one has 4 weeks work experience and the other has 20+ weeks, who are they going to take?
Getting into vet school is no easy task, the chances of getting in are as low as 10%, even for the people with beautiful grades, Gold D of E awards, Grade 10 piano certificates, represent Britain at Bingo, etc, why reduce that further by doing very little work experience?
If you want to get in, get as much diverse work experience as you can. You never know, if you genuinely want to be a vet and enjoy working around animals/people you may even enjoy it, you may even get paid.
Also some unis have minimum requirements of work experience (eg; Liverpool), don't meet their requirement and it is very unlikely you will get an interview, let alone an offer.
When I applied I had:
1 week SM vet
1 week LA vet
1 week Kennels/cattery
2 weeks Dairy
2-4 weeks City farm (did a day/weekend every month for a couple of years)
1 day at a lab
Bear in mind that I have friends who worked at veterinary practices every Saturday for years, had their own ponies, did several weeks lambing/dairying, etc, comparatively I did very little. Plus that was on top of very good grades, a D of E Gold award, played for a local cricket team, regular voluntary work, etc.
PS: For work exp ideas use the search button, this question has been asked to death.
yeah- work experience is a tough one, every place seems to have different opinions on it's amount and bredth! I aimed to get as much as possible from being about 13 years old, so I haven't really had a proper holiday since year 9
Just try and get as much as you can, it could make you stand out during application, so the hard work is worth it!!!
I reckon that veterinary work experience would be most helpful, as it gives you a clear view of exactly what YOU could be doing in 6 or so years time when you graduate, however vets work in manyfields and need to know about all types of animals, and have knowledge of the workings of many animal establishments and proceedures (ie lambing) as their job is partly to give advice to farmers and abbitor owners etc...
I had about 56 weeks all in all (which shocked me a bit cos I didn't know I had done that much!!) But my advice is just to get as much as possible and see whether of not veterinary science is for you, becuase I'll tell you one thing- work experience really can put you and your passion to the test, there will be things you may not enjoy, agree with or like very much, and you may meet total idiots whilst you are there who treat you like dirt and order you to make tea every 10 minutes! But if you can stick at it, come out on top and enjoy all the poo shoveling and cleaning up of placentas and vomit, then you probably have what it takes to be a vet.
Have faith in what you want to do in life go into your placements with an open mind, and I'm sure you'll be fine
xx
Last edited by Future African game vet : 28-12-2008 at 09:50.
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Re: Work experience for veterinary medicine
Originally Posted by Future African game vet
I reckon that vetterinary work experience would be most helpful, as it gives you a clear view of exactly what YOU could be doing in 6 or so years time when you graduate, however vets work in manyfields and need to know about all types of animals, and have knowledge of the workings of many animal establishments and proceedures (ie lambing) as their job is partly to give advice to farmers and abbitor owners etc...
Veterinary experience is only part of the picture, that is why most if not all of the unis at one time or another have asked for only a few weeks work experience, but significantly more animal based experience.
If you've already got a couple of weeks experience, the general recommendation is to concentrate on getting more, more diverse animal based experience as opposed to more clinical work.
It is very easy to sit in a nice warm operating theatre watching an op while sipping your coffee, it is much more challenging to be up at 4AM doing an early morning milking shift (it says far more about your character, determination, motivation, etc). It also gives the interviewers a means to judge what you learnt/paid attention to/how aware you are of the current situation in the farming industry/whatever. It also shows that you have some proficiency in working with animals and people.
Haha yeah its amazing how much you end up with! I did something like 12 or 13 actual weeks, as in blocks, but then with my saturday job on a sheep farm, if you added up the days it came to something like 45 extra weeks! But it didnt feel like work exp because it was just my job, like my friends who worked in sainsburys, just a lot more fun
I did
-3 weeks at vets (2 sugeries)
-1 week dairy
-1 week lambing
-1.5 years volunteering at animal sanctuary for 4 hours every Sunday.
-Used to ride horses (yeeeeears ago, but I still put it on UCAS form).
-Used to ride horses (yeeeeears ago, but I still put it on UCAS form).
When you say 'years ago', how many years was this?
I used to help out every weekend at stables from aged 10 to 13, but i don't know if that counts, because it was ages ago?
When you say 'years ago', how many years was this?
I used to help out every weekend at stables from aged 10 to 13, but i don't know if that counts, because it was ages ago?
i did that too, and still wrote it on my personal statement, and on all the work exp forms
I'm gonna get on my high horse and just post a quick reminder to everyone:
There's a seach button on these forums for a reason - and this question is probably one of the most discussed on this board. Do please use the search function before posting a new thread
As for your actual question, OP, everyone else seems to have answered more than satisfactorily
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TSR Moderation Team: Moderator PS Helper
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Re: Work experience for veterinary medicine
Originally Posted by emilyyy
I'm gonna get on my high horse and just post a quick reminder to everyone:
There's a seach button on these forums for a reason - and this question is probably one of the most discussed on this board. Do please use the search function before posting a new thread
As for your actual question, OP, everyone else seems to have answered more than satisfactorily
I think it would be a good idea for everyone to get together and write a sticky.
University course discussion for veterinary science.
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Work experience for veterinary medicine
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