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Veterinary Medicine 2015 hopefuls!

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Reply 2000
Hi guys very random I am currently a vet student at the RVC if any of you are looking for holiday or weekend placements and can get to hertfordshire (we are also close to a train station that runs on a line from london). I run a small yard with foals and competition horses (polo, showing, dressage, jumping and eventing (also breaking some in to drive)) as well as liveries and very happy to teach someone bandaging, handling youngsters, medicating horses, correct field rotations etc. Also option to ride and if over lots of weekends option of payment for yard duties. Might give you some extra points on that all important personal statement so feel free to PM me. Realise yard experience isn't hard to come by but happy to ensure it is a very "vetty" placement (we currently have vet visits every 3-4 days). Just trying to be helpful as remember how stressful it was going through the system and would be nice for the yard to be able to say we helped someone get into vet school :wink:
Reply 2001
Original post by chaarlotte
i can't help but feel guilty though :redface: btw i don't know which part of scotland you're in but i could always give you a few contacts if you're looking for some work experience :biggrin:

i think the mock interview thing sounds really good and helpful, especially the feedback bit because you can get some practice even if it's not really vet medicine orientated :smile:

the petting zoo is a weekly placement, basically volunteering as i'll be doing cleaning, feeding etc and the vet clinic is a 12 week block consisting of every friday evening :smile:


Those contacts would be great, but I live I central scotland in a small village so everywhere is kind of hard to get to. :/
I would live to find a long term placement that sound great! :biggrin:


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Original post by Tiffanya
Those contacts would be great, but I live I central scotland in a small village so everywhere is kind of hard to get to. :/
I would live to find a long term placement that sound great! :biggrin:


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sure, i'll pm you all the contacts i have, inc the long term ones :biggrin: most of the places are accessible by public transport :smile:
Hi is there anyone else hoping for graduate entry in 2015? If so where are ye hoping to go and whats the story with fees for graduates? I know UCD is 20k/ year but you can get a 4 year course if you have requirements (2:1 honours degree and relevant degree, i.e. animal science!).
Cheers!!
I posted in here a few times about one of my rats, Rin. People seemed interested so I thought I'd let everyone know that sadly Rinny's story came to an end today. Obviously I am devastated, but I think her time had come. She was a little old lady rat, and when your pet is struggling to walk and breathe you have to ask yourself whether you're keeping them alive for their benefit or yours. I was there while the vet did it, and cliche though it may sound, it was very peaceful. I wouldn't have had her go any other way. She was the most affectionate ratty in the world and after two years of companionship the very least I owed her was a dignified ending.

Sleep tight Rinny Rat. I miss you already.
Rin.jpg Rinny.jpg
Reply 2005
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
I posted in here a few times about one of my rats, Rin. People seemed interested so I thought I'd let everyone know that sadly Rinny's story came to an end today. Obviously I am devastated, but I think her time had come. She was a little old lady rat, and when your pet is struggling to walk and breathe you have to ask yourself whether you're keeping them alive for their benefit or yours. I was there while the vet did it, and cliche though it may sound, it was very peaceful. I wouldn't have had her go any other way. She was the most affectionate ratty in the world and after two years of companionship the very least I owed her was a dignified ending.

Sleep tight Rinny Rat. I miss you already.
Rin.jpg Rinny.jpg


Awwwww that so sad. :'( sorry to hear that. She must have had a wonderful life with you <3


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Original post by Tiffanya
Thank you everyone is so kind on here :smile: it's always good to find someone that feels the same way. I would be totally lost if my doctor hadn't of helped. I hope you have found a way to manage it. My mum has always been like that. It is quite hurtful that she doesn't care about hints that are so serious. I'm just honing to continue to try my best on my own that's all I can do :smile: then hopefully I will prove them wrong!!!




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Hi Tiffanya, I was reading through your stuff and I'm gutted to hear your parents could be more supportive. Listen, if you want some good placement there's a place to the west of Glasgow. It may seem a little far but you can get there by public transport and stay in the lodgings (£15/week). It's called Hessilhead Rehabilitation Centre. You'll get loads of wildlife care experience there. Also the SSPCA centre at Stirling probably isn't too far from you. They have a huge range.

Something else worth getting is work experience with the PDSA. They're really able to show you a lot more interesting stuff because the clients aren't paying there's no limit to cost of the vet time.

Good luck!
Reply 2007
Original post by JamesG1001
Hi Tiffanya, I was reading through your stuff and I'm gutted to hear your parents could be more supportive. Listen, if you want some good placement there's a place to the west of Glasgow. It may seem a little far but you can get there by public transport and stay in the lodgings (£15/week). It's called Hessilhead Rehabilitation Centre. You'll get loads of wildlife care experience there. Also the SSPCA centre at Stirling probably isn't too far from you. They have a huge range.

Something else worth getting is work experience with the PDSA. They're really able to show you a lot more interesting stuff because the clients aren't paying there's no limit to cost of the vet time.

Good luck!


Thank you!! The wildlife centre sounds great because it is always hard to get places. I've tried to get experience at an sspca wildlife centre in fishcross but they said I had to be 18. :frown:

Thank you for that information if it wasn't for this thread I would have no idea what I was doing :s-smilie:


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Original post by Little Tail Chaser
I posted in here a few times about one of my rats, Rin. People seemed interested so I thought I'd let everyone know that sadly Rinny's story came to an end today. Obviously I am devastated, but I think her time had come. She was a little old lady rat, and when your pet is struggling to walk and breathe you have to ask yourself whether you're keeping them alive for their benefit or yours. I was there while the vet did it, and cliche though it may sound, it was very peaceful. I wouldn't have had her go any other way. She was the most affectionate ratty in the world and after two years of companionship the very least I owed her was a dignified ending.

Sleep tight Rinny Rat. I miss you already.
Rin.jpg Rinny.jpg


I'm really sorry to hear that. :frown: At least she isn't suffering anymore, and she is a beautiful rat so she is, very sweet face :smile:
Reply 2009
Sorry about Rin, LTC. She was a lovely colour!
Original post by Tiffanya
Awwwww that so sad. :'( sorry to hear that. She must have had a wonderful life with you <3


Original post by LadyEcliptic
I'm really sorry to hear that. :frown: At least she isn't suffering anymore, and she is a beautiful rat so she is, very sweet face :smile:


Original post by ABC05
Sorry about Rin, LTC. She was a lovely colour!


Thank you all :grouphugs: . Rinny was a rescue ratty so didn't have the best start, but I like to think that the 23 months that she had with us made up for it. She had a massive cage full of toys and hammocks to play with, as well as some ratty friends and people that loved her dearly. And she certainly was a beautiful girlie as well. We lost her sister Kismet nine months ago (we had her PTS as she had a Zymbal's gland tumour :frown: ), so it's about time they got a chance to be together again. Rinny was from an accidental litter and not from the best breeding stock so I suppose I should be thankful that she made it this far, but at the same time a light has gone out of my life now :frown: . She enriched my life far more than I ever thought she would and I'll never, ever forget her.
Reply 2011
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
Thank you all :grouphugs: . Rinny was a rescue ratty so didn't have the best start, but I like to think that the 23 months that she had with us made up for it. She had a massive cage full of toys and hammocks to play with, as well as some ratty friends and people that loved her dearly. And she certainly was a beautiful girlie as well. We lost her sister Kismet nine months ago (we had her PTS as she had a Zymbal's gland tumour :frown: ), so it's about time they got a chance to be together again. Rinny was from an accidental litter and not from the best breeding stock so I suppose I should be thankful that she made it this far, but at the same time a light has gone out of my life now :frown: . She enriched my life far more than I ever thought she would and I'll never, ever forget her.


She must have been very happy with you. I like rats- my friend has two which are lovely, and not at all dirty/smelly/unhygienic which is what most of the general public seem to think they are. I think that two years is extremely good, especially as she was from an accidental litter, so not exactly brilliantly bred or anything like that. Might be a bit too early to be thinking about this, but are you thinking of getting any more?
How is everyone finding sixth form? :smile:


Original post by ABC05
She must have been very happy with you. I like rats- my friend has two which are lovely, and not at all dirty/smelly/unhygienic which is what most of the general public seem to think they are. I think that two years is extremely good, especially as she was from an accidental litter, so not exactly brilliantly bred or anything like that. Might be a bit too early to be thinking about this, but are you thinking of getting any more?

I like to think so, she was spoilt rotten from the second we bought her home :h: ! 'Ewww!' is generally the response I get when I tell people I keep rats, but I've learned to embrace it :biggrin: The good thing that comes of rats being filthy sewer animals/ spreading the plague/ biting people/ having AIDS/ eating babies etc. is that they're not a pet that many people seem to get on impulse, which I think means better welfare for the ones that are bought as pets :smile: . Rescue ratties are always a bit of a gamble, but overall I'm happy that Rinny got to spend two years with us :love: . I still have Rin's cagemates, Ruby and Dora, but the cage is suitable for up to six rats and it does look awfully empty with only a pair in there. As you can imagine at the moment I'm still pretty upset about Rin :frown: , but I think I'll put my name down on a few breeders' waiting lists and see if any cheeky babies are looking for mummies a couple of months down the line...
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
I posted in here a few times about one of my rats, Rin. People seemed interested so I thought I'd let everyone know that sadly Rinny's story came to an end today. Obviously I am devastated, but I think her time had come. She was a little old lady rat, and when your pet is struggling to walk and breathe you have to ask yourself whether you're keeping them alive for their benefit or yours. I was there while the vet did it, and cliche though it may sound, it was very peaceful. I wouldn't have had her go any other way. She was the most affectionate ratty in the world and after two years of companionship the very least I owed her was a dignified ending.

Sleep tight Rinny Rat. I miss you already.
Rin.jpg Rinny.jpg


Hi there,

I am really sorry for you loss - but can sympathise how it devastating it is for them to be no longer with us - my dog was euthanased a few years back, as were some of my other rodents when I was a child. I definately think it was the right decision for you to take as sometimes it can be difficult to let them go. My thoughts are with you x
Original post by SilverstarDJ
Hi there,

I am really sorry for you loss - but can sympathise how it devastating it is for them to be no longer with us - my dog was euthanased a few years back, as were some of my other rodents when I was a child. I definately think it was the right decision for you to take as sometimes it can be difficult to let them go. My thoughts are with you x


Thank you for your kind words, Silver. We've burried Rin next to her sister so they won't have to be separated ever again. I'm still a bit of a wreck but I have two more little ratties as well as two bunnies and some hens to look after, so I'll have to focus on remembering how much they all mean to me too :smile: . I'm very sorry to hear about your dog and your rodents. It's a horrible decision to have to make, but sometimes it is just the best thing to do to end their suffering :frown:
Reply 2015
Hello, bonjour, hola, guten tag mon vetty amies :biggrin: (no doubt I will get a warning for using other languages without a translation so: "Hello..., my vetty friends")! Apologies for my disappearance, I have had little time to come on this with revision and copious amounts of homework and whatnot. As an update of myself, I had pretty much organised a weeks worth of WEx at the PDSA in October :party:!

And I met chaarlotte the other day :tongue:.

Original post by Little Tail Chaser
Hi everyone :smile: Been gone for over a week as well so I just caught up.

Thing is, over the past week I've been thinking (a rare occurrence :wink: ) and I'm just not sure that vetmed is the course for me any more. It's not due to a lack of interest, but my GCSE results left a lot to be desired :lol: , which wasn't exactly a surprise but there you go. There are other jobs out there that involve working with animals, so it's not like I have to change my mind entirely, not that I was even 100% certain in the first place. I'll probably still volunteer at the farm as often as I can, but to be honest I really don't enjoy work experience as much as I used to; the whole process of writing letters etc is frankly exhausting, as is travelling each day, and I doubt that's going to get any easier if I need to travel further for lambing etc next year. Doing less(/none! I've done a fair bit now so I could probably get away with what I've done so far, ~20 weeks, if I'm going to apply for something less competitive) will certainly save me a lot of time (and money!), so I'll be better able to focus on my studies. One girl who started volunteering at the farm a few months after I did spent years preparing to apply for vetmed, but she's recently changed her mind as is applying for biology in October so I suppose it's good that I've made this decision now :smile:

I'll probably still hang around in this thread, though :smile: . I like hearing about what you guys do :h: You can't get rid of me that easily, I'm like Lassie :ahee: !


WHAT?!?!

Are you actually insane? :eek: Lizzie, do you realise that you had not done "bad" in the slightest with your grades, but rather did outstanding! How can you seriously think that what you have done has:

left a lot to be desired


Tails, you have done so well in your GCSEs! You realise that an A*/A translates roughly as a 1 in Standard Grade, the highest mark? Plus, universities are only looking for a minimum of 5 As/1s which you have done. Not all vets nor most have all A*s on a spanky clean sheet of A4 card :lol:. As mentioned so many times, it is your A-levels that count! A university probably doesn't give two flying ****s about your GCSEs. And if you believe that it was down to studying or whatever then study more. It is simple after all! Do whatever you feel as studying: reading, copying, mind maps etc.

You are an extremely charismatic and a totally determined girl and I see no reason why you can't be a vet! Some of your wise and intelligent comments has put what I have learnt to shame several times. You have loads of WEx and you have plenty of time to gain so much more! I still don't see how you can overlook that!

You seem completely and utterly committed to veterinary medicine as a lifestyle. I have no doubt, not a bloody single doubt, that you will not get into the course! If you still want to do it, believe in doing it: DO IT!!! I believe in you :yep:. We all have our doubts and days when we can't be bothered to get up for the farms and doing the same weekly routine - but change it up and think of the long run!

I am not forcing you to do something you do not want to do, let's make that clear. :lol: If you do not want to be a vet anymore, that is absolutely fine but just think it through and don't walk away from something that you could have loved to have done (which appeared evident :smile:). Tell us how you feel about it and if you change your mind! You are always welcome here! :hugs: :biggrin:

Original post by Little Tail Chaser
I posted in here a few times about one of my rats, Rin. People seemed interested so I thought I'd let everyone know that sadly Rinny's story came to an end today. Obviously I am devastated, but I think her time had come. She was a little old lady rat, and when your pet is struggling to walk and breathe you have to ask yourself whether you're keeping them alive for their benefit or yours. I was there while the vet did it, and cliche though it may sound, it was very peaceful. I wouldn't have had her go any other way. She was the most affectionate ratty in the world and after two years of companionship the very least I owed her was a dignified ending.

Sleep tight Rinny Rat. I miss you already.
Rin.jpg Rinny.jpg


No way! Oh my god - I am so sorry :frown:. She had an absolutely great life and she was a fighter :smile:! You had taken such great care of her and I am sure she loved every moment of it :yep:. That must have been an awful decision but I agree you made the right choice - you wouldn't have wanted her to suffer would you? She is in a safe place now :smile:. I have never even met her and I am upset :cry2:.

R.I.P. Rin - We all miss you! :console: :smile:
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 2016
^^^ listen to her, LTC. She speaks the truth.


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Reply 2017
Original post by ABC05
^^^ listen to her, LTC. She speaks the truth.


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Arghem, .... you mean "he", :tongue:. It's okay! :lol:
Original post by CanineVet
Arghem, .... you mean "he", :tongue:. It's okay! :lol:


I was under the impression LTC was female as they have the female gender sign :lolwut:

Edit: Ohhhhh misread - ABC was referring to yourself... apologies :tongue:
Reply 2019
Original post by Angry cucumber
I was under the impression LTC was female as they have the female gender sign :lolwut:

Edit: Ohhhhh misread - ABC was referring to yourself... apologies :tongue:


I panicked for a moment there :lol:.

No worries :tongue:.

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