Worst/longest/nastiest VetMed exam?

Hi

Am just trying to avoid revision really :wink:

Here in Vienna we're just getting to the end of our 2nd year (of 6) and are all revising like crazy for our end of year exam (yep, singular!)

It's an oral exam on EVERYTHING we have done over the whole year: anatomy, physiology, histology and embryology. There are 3 profs (one from each subject - histo & embryo is combined) and it is very practical. For histo you have to recognise 3 different slides and answer some questions, anatomy could be anything from x-rays to dead dogs on the table, physio is just standard stuff really (plus I did loads of physio at Nottingham when I studied Animal Science there).

The whole thing takes a minimum of 90 mins (each prof asks you 3 questions, if you mess up one question you're out and have to resit in Sept) and we have to be there at 8am and wait and listen to the others until it's our turn. Fortunately I'm high up on the alphabet but one of my friends won't get her turn till 5pm!!!

So anyway, this is just waffling really (I don't want to go back to revising CNS!) but I wondered what non-final exams in the UK were like? Austria (and Germany for that matter) is obsessed with oral exams, which is OK sometimes as the prof does try to help you along if you have no idea but with no time to prepare or really think about your answers it really does put you on the spot.

About 50% of the students are expected to fail this one and have to resit! (Bear in mind that the worst ones have already been thrown out for failing the constant anatomy dissection tests we've had throughout the year, and are having to retake the whole year!)

Anyone beat it? :biggrin:

(preclinic!)
Clair

Reply 1

J_E_N_N_Y

1

we just have 8 exams in first year at liv. 4 in jan, 4 in may. none are oral although they have them in 3rd year i believe. 1 exam per module. most 2 hours but the odd one is 2.5hours. some are all multiple choice, some are all saqs, some 50/50 split some have essays q's in. some have practical station things in. quite a variety tbh.

Reply 2

Future African game vet

11

what is the pass % in a veterinary exam? and do you get graded- or just a pass or a fail?

Reply 3

batty_hatty

7

Future African game vet

what is the pass % in a veterinary exam? and do you get graded- or just a pass or a fail?

Ours is 50% is a pass, 65-80% is a merit and 80%+ is a distinction.
Although that sounds low, its hard to get the really good marks, to do so you need to dedicate all (and i mean all) of your free time to studying. or have a photographic memory lol!

Reply 4

clair0511

OP

5

Ours is 60% for a pass, which is much higher than when I studied Animal Science in the UK (40% for a pass then, but that was a third.....anything over 70% was a first....but then hardly anybody ever got that!).....uni is different to A levels though - 60% is hard work!

Reply 5

Future African game vet

11

wow- that sounds tough- but I'm up for a challenge :biggrin:

Reply 6

Hel' in Heaven

batty_hatty

Ours is 50% is a pass, 65-80% is a merit and 80%+ is a distinction.
Although that sounds low, its hard to get the really good marks, to do so you need to dedicate all (and i mean all) of your free time to studying. or have a photographic memory lol!

It's 75%+ for a distinction :wink:

Reply 7

batty_hatty

7

Hel' in Heaven

It's 75%+ for a distinction :wink:

Oops, ta Helen. I guess I wouldnt know as I've never got one :frown:

Reply 8

Hel' in Heaven

batty_hatty

Oops, ta Helen. I guess I wouldnt know as I've never got one :frown:

Ohh, I'm sure it will happen!
I got 90% this year! Not really sure how, definitely didn't spend all my time studying! Must be the photographic memory... :p:

How crazy were those queues this morning! :eek3:

Reply 9

batty_hatty

7

Hel' in Heaven

Ohh, I'm sure it will happen!
I got 90% this year! Not really sure how, definitely didn't spend all my time studying! Must be the photographic memory... :p:

How crazy were those queues this morning! :eek3:

Annoyingly clever person :rolleyes:

those queues were ridiculous, we thought we were mad getting there just gone half 6, yet we didnt get the placements we wanted and there weren't many in front of us. I cannot believe people were there at 5am!

Reply 10

theparsniplady

batty_hatty

Annoyingly clever person :rolleyes:

those queues were ridiculous, we thought we were mad getting there just gone half 6, yet we didnt get the placements we wanted and there weren't many in front of us. I cannot believe people were there at 5am!

Ooo,what are these queues for?

Reply 11

Hel' in Heaven

theparsniplady

Ooo,what are these queues for?

We have to do 2 weeks at the PDSA during our clinEMS, and college only gives us the choice between a few hospitals in the Midlands and some in London, mostly South/East London and really annoying to commute to!
It's a first come first served affair so people who wanted specific places/weeks decided to get there at 5am (when registry was opening at 9h30). I got there at 8 and I was pretty much in the middle of a queue of 200 people.. ridiculous! (the one I got was ok in the end, even if it means I have to commute from Potters Bar to Romford for 2 weeks, will probably drive it)
These are the joys that await you!
:woo:

Reply 12

theparsniplady

Hel' in Heaven

We have to do 2 weeks at the PDSA during our clinEMS, and college only gives us the choice between a few hospitals in the Midlands and some in London, mostly South/East London and really annoying to commute to!
It's a first come first served affair so people who wanted specific places/weeks decided to get there at 5am (when registry was opening at 9h30). I got there at 8 and I was pretty much in the middle of a queue of 200 people.. ridiculous! (the one I got was ok in the end, even if it means I have to commute from Potters Bar to Romford for 2 weeks, will probably drive it)
These are the joys that await you!
:woo:

At the moment I do genuinely look forward to it-I'm feeling camping outside with a sleeping bag and a thermos :yep:

Although when the time actually comes I'm sure I will find it a complete pain :p:

Reply 13

batty_hatty

7

Hel' in Heaven

We have to do 2 weeks at the PDSA during our clinEMS, and college only gives us the choice between a few hospitals in the Midlands and some in London, mostly South/East London and really annoying to commute to!
It's a first come first served affair so people who wanted specific places/weeks decided to get there at 5am (when registry was opening at 9h30). I got there at 8 and I was pretty much in the middle of a queue of 200 people.. ridiculous! (the one I got was ok in the end, even if it means I have to commute from Potters Bar to Romford for 2 weeks, will probably drive it)
These are the joys that await you!
:woo:

It really was crazy, me and my housemates were there just gone half 6 (so 3 hours early) and even then only 3 out of the 4 of us got where we wanted, its a nightmare. the worst thing is that every year its getting earlier and earlier that people are arriving at. It won't be long before people are sleeping in the corridor the night before!