No large animal practice work experience at all before application deadline

Chill, I didn't have any LA vet work before I sent my application and I still got in (RVC, Edinburgh, Bristol and Liverpool) I did some after the deadline, which I mentioned on my PS, though. I know some people at the RVC though that never did any at all. If you can get some properly booked before you send your form then you can put it in your PS, but I wouldn't do it if you can't get any arranged.

I am about to apply a scholarship funding me tuition fee and living expense when studying abroad, based on the requirements of applying this scholarship, I have to select those universities on the top 100 ranking all round the world, sourced from QS. I have decided to put Glasgow and Edinburgh out of 4 choices, but I have no idea which universities I should select for the rest, do you have any suggestions?

I heard from someone saying that Bristol got higher entry requirements to offer a place than Cambridge, is it true?

Here is my work experience:
12 weeks in total as a veterinary assistant in 2 different SA clinics (at late 2014)
3 weeks as a keeper in animal rescue centre
3 weeks in commercial poultry farm
3 weeks in hobby farm of horses and cattle
9 days in commercial dairy farm
2 weeks in commercial sheep farm
1 day in kennel
In following weeks, I would work at vet laboratory for 3-4 days.
1 week = 6 working days
According to experience listed as above, which universities am I preferred to choose in addition to Glasgow and Edinburgh?
ps I got A level results of A*A*Aa.

Thz little tail chaser!

Honestly, I don't recommend choosing universities based on leaderboards. They're too subjective, and often completely different to each other. The RVC, for example, is third in the world on the QS World University Rankings, but second worst in the UK, according to The Complete University Guide. Go figure. I'm not going to make any suggestions because your choice is personal and should consider the facilities of each respective university, where you want to live/be a student, whether you want to intercalate, etc etc. It shouldn't just be based on reputation.

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No. Bristol's standard offer is AAA, Cambridge's is A*A*A. You can see all of the UK vet school entry requirements here, but bear in mind that entry requirements are no indicator of the quality of the university. I have heard very poor things about Cambridge vet students, for example (mainly a lack of practical skills or even a lack apparent desire to want to work while on placement), while Bristol has some very good facilities including their own abattoir. That's not to say that Cambridge is bad, either. Just that some vet schools suit different people (Cambridge seems to appeal to people who want to work in research/labs, RVC and Edinburgh are very good for exotics, Liverpool is good for equine etc etc).



Tbh that work experience meets the requirements of everywhere as far as I know. If it helps at all Liverpool place a lot of emphasis on work experience (although they like to see large animal vet work too), while Cambridge and the RVC focus on it less, if that helps with your decision.

it's also worth bearing in mind that generally one week is considered to be 5 days (40 hours), so if you have any placements where you did a day per week or something then it may well end up working out as more than you've put here.

It is pity that I have not got work experience at large animal practices yet, so it seems I would better not choosing Liverpool, right?... And I had worked at small animal clinic in late 2014, which is obviously over 18 months prior to course commencement, then is it not wise to select RVC for my choices? Besides, I am not confident to choose Cambridge as it needs all applicants to take BMAT which would be difficult for me, I reckon.
Thank you!

Will make no difference for liv don't worry. Whilst they like you to have large animal clinical experience, a lot of students can't get it because of their age (health and safety most students need to be 18 to do LA work). I never had it when I applied to Liverpool, I had a lot of small animal work experience but no large. I'm a third year there now so I honestly wouldn't write liverpool off just because you don't have any LA work ex.

Again for liv I had placements dating back to 2009 (I applied in 2013) and I included them on my WEX form, and still got a place so don't worry about them being over 18 months ago, just make sure you have some which are more recent or are planned.

I never applied to Cambridge, BMAT wasn't my thing and I would have done terrible in it.


Don't look at leaderboards, it's all about where you want to go to, each vet school has different qualities, and are located in different areas, some are rural, some are city. Choose where YOU personally would like to go to. I didn't really have an opinion on where I wanted to go, i just wanted to go to one of them, and I'm happy here in Liverpool, but that's not to say I wouldn't have been just as happy at RVC or Bristol or even ed


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And I got 12 days left before the application deadline, but I have not started drafting my personal statement yet because I still strive to gain as much work experience as I can, am I too late to write it? Which one, experience or personal statement, is more important for admission? Thank you!

I do question your desire to do vet med if, 12 days before the deadline you haven't got a draft of your personal statement done. I would start writing it as much as possible. A personal statement isn't a list of what work experience you've done anyway. If you don't have a personal statement, you won't be looked at, you can't even submit your ucas application...

Liverpool don't look at personal statements, but the others do. If you're going to limit yourself to one university because you can't multi-task personal statement writing and work experience I am quite worried about your motivation to do veterinary medicine. It's a HARD, 5 year degree, which requires a lot of hard work and motivation to complete. There's students who have already written their p.s and got the work experience and are super keen to get their application off. I would personally have a think. You've got to multi task arranging ems and doing uni work when you get to vet school, and I don't want to sound harsh but 12 days before your application is due you need a kick up the bum because you should be getting on with things now.


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Thanks Lizzleflicking! I know what to do from now on.

Will make no difference for liv don't worry. Whilst they like you to have large animal clinical experience, a lot of students can't get it because of their age (health and safety most students need to be 18 to do LA work). I never had it when I applied to Liverpool, I had a lot of small animal work experience but no large. I'm a third year there now so I honestly wouldn't write liverpool off just because you don't have any LA work ex.

Again for liv I had placements dating back to 2009 (I applied in 2013) and I included them on my WEX form, and still got a place so don't worry about them being over 18 months ago, just make sure you have some which are more recent or are planned.

I never applied to Cambridge, BMAT wasn't my thing and I would have done terrible in it.


Don't look at leaderboards, it's all about where you want to go to, each vet school has different qualities, and are located in different areas, some are rural, some are city. Choose where YOU personally would like to go to. I didn't really have an opinion on where I wanted to go, i just wanted to go to one of them, and I'm happy here in Liverpool, but that's not to say I wouldn't have been just as happy at RVC or Bristol or even ed


Posted from TSR Mobile

No. Bristol's standard offer is AAA, Cambridge's is A*A*A. You can see all of the UK vet school entry requirements here, but bear in mind that entry requirements are no indicator of the quality of the university. I have heard very poor things about Cambridge vet students, for example (mainly a lack of practical skills or even a lack apparent desire to want to work while on placement), while Bristol has some very good facilities including their own abattoir. That's not to say that Cambridge is bad, either. Just that some vet schools suit different people (Cambridge seems to appeal to people who want to work in research/labs, RVC and Edinburgh are very good for exotics, Liverpool is good for equine etc etc).