2018 Veterinary applicants

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Reply 160

katerebecca

Original post by Louiseee_

This is a really good website for anyone applying to vet school, set up by some Liverpool students :smile:

http://www.edvet.co.uk/about.html

This is so helpful, thank you! 😁

Reply 161

nox1

Just thought I would come say hi to you all as so far my interviews have not gone well, so although I've not been rejected yet I won't be surprised if I may be reapplying next year 😂

Reply 162

luberry

is there anyone on here who is at/went to nottingham? or even been there for an interview? would be really interested to know what you think of it :smile:

Reply 163

Angry cucumber

Original post by luberry

is there anyone on here who is at/went to nottingham? or even been there for an interview? would be really interested to know what you think of it :smile:

I'm in 5th year at Notts, what would you like to know? :smile:

Reply 164

luberry

Original post by Angry cucumber

I'm in 5th year at Notts, what would you like to know? :smile:

just generally about whether you enjoy the course and what you think of it I guess?
I heard that the location of the campus and the accommodation weren't great, how have you found it?

Reply 165

Anderson2727

Hey!

Just wondered if any current Cambridge students have an example of a week timetable? I have founds ones for all others apart from Cambridge!

Also, to all current vet students, I am aware that the course is highly demand but in your honest opinion, can the work load get too much and is there actually time to relax and do other extra curricular activities/ societies???

Thank you to all thosw who reply, in advance.

Reply 166

katerebecca

Hello again! I haven't been on this for a good few weeks, but I think this may be the last time I'm on this particular thread.

I have decided to take a gap year after A Levels are over. This means I will be applying for 2019 entry? I'm not 100% sure on how applications work for gap year/deferred entry etc, which is something I will talk to with my head of sixth. I just think that it is way more important for me to focus on getting the grades, rather than stressing about trying to sort out work experience and putting that first (which is what I've been doing :/). It means I get to spend the year doing wex, maybe get a part time job, driving lessons, and having a bit of a break before heading into hard work again.

I know there are some people here who took a gap year before uni, what was it like for you?

Kate :smile:

Reply 167

username2741103

Hi all,
I am a year 12 student so will be applying this year...
I was hoping that current vet students could detail how much work experience they had at time of application. I know it's difficult to quantify as everyone's applications are different, but it'd be helpful to hear people's stories!
Thank you ☺️

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Reply 168

Cowie315

Original post by Heidirosew

Technically not a vet student, but I have an unconditional for Surrey for next September ( applied with final grades) so I'm in, just waiting around!
Some of my work experience didn't count, I had planned to apply this previous October, but on results day I had AAA and Surrey had clearing interviews, so my work experience that went on my application had the cut off date of 15th October 2015. I received an unconditional deferred offer.

Vet practice small animal - 4 weeks
Dairy - 4 weeks + extra week that didn't count.
Beef/calving - 6 days
Sheep/lambing - 6 weeks + 4 more weeks that didn't count.
Pigs - 1 week plus 3/4 more weeks that didn't count.
Abattoir - I visited 3 each very different.
Bats - completed a bat care course with the BCT
Community farm - 8 days plus I'm on the board of trustees
Lambing workshops - I attended two lambing workshops prior to lambing run by a local vets.

How is all your work experience going?
I'm getting ready for lambing again already!!

Reply 169

username2741103

Original post by Cowie315

Thank you!
How did you go about getting abattoir placements?
also, the bat course sounds really interesting and definitely stands out- what did it entail?
I'm lambing in April so I'm looking forward to that :biggrin:

.
How important did you find GCSEs were for your applications? As my chemistry and biology are linear, I suspected that GCSE grades may have a higher importance now as they are the last external exams. This might be a complete misunderstanding though!!

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Reply 170

Cowie315

Original post by Heidirosew

The abattoirs were luck. One I got a tour of, because the dairy farm I go to also have beef and they took me along with some bulls and talked me in. This was a relatively small production, and they set their days out by animal, so like Wednesday lamb, Tuesday beef etc. The second I actually took a pig there from the community farm with their animal keeper. This was to a very small family run abattoir near us and they gave me some of their time to show me everything.
I then attended a HCC lamb producers day through young farmers to a HUGE abattoir, which was really interesting, I saw a lot more, they also did a lot more. They also had an entirely different stunning method than I had seen before which reduced animal stress and removed the human error in captive bolt. So I got someones contact details that day and pleaded my case over email to them to get a day there. I had to send heaps of evidence to prove I was a student etc.and got to spend a day looking at everything and asking questions.

The farm I go to has two flocks, they lamb the pedigrees this month and then cross breeds in March. Feb is for the late ones and prepping for the next lot! It's one of my favourite times of year, I love working outside as the season changes, start off in the rain/ice/cold and end it in the sunshine!

The bat workshop was quite interesting, it went through basic bat care, a lot of legal stuff, with bats being protected and how the registered bat carers work around/with the law. As it's a criminal offence to interfere with bats that was quite a heavy topic.
Interesting looking at all the different species here in the U.K.

Even as a mature student, I'm 26, my GCSEs were still needed, I sat a science and a maths gcse during my alevels, which were the only GCSEs I could actually take here as a mature student. Surrey were still happy to accept me with what I had. I know a lot of students haven't been as lucky. I think my situation was unique in that regard. I had medical reasons as to why I didn't complete my GCSEs when I was younger rather than that I got lower grades. In the end I wasn't far off what they needed. But I also had final grades and a whole pile of other qualifications. Some that were equivalent to GCSEs.

I think if the universities don't have AS grades to go by I would also assume that given the GCSEs are all they have to go by they would be quite important. I can't speak for the unis obviously but I can't see how else aside from your schools reference they would know what to base applicants on. In the long run it might make it all a lot simpler.
I think perhaps this might be why the unis are interviewing a lot more than previous years? I might be wrong with this though.

Reply 171

Louiseee_

Original post by Anderson2727

If you are efficient with your time and learning and learn decent stress management techniques then you are perfectly capable of developing a good work life balance :smile:

it is a lot of work, but if it was easy everyone would do it

Reply 172

StokeMeAClipper

Original post by Anderson2727

Just remember to enjoy first year, in my experience the stress ramps up from there (current 4th year at Bristol)

Good luck!

Reply 173

StokeMeAClipper

Hi all, current 4th year at Bristol here, had interviews at RVC (offer) and Cambridge (pooled then rejected). Flat out rejected from Nottingham.

If you have any questions about the interview/applying process or just general info about the course here at Bris just ask!

Good luck everyone!

Reply 174

Nessie162

I know RVC has reference letters templates, does anyone know where I can find them?

Reply 175

luberry

Original post by Nessie162

I know RVC has reference letters templates, does anyone know where I can find them?

I'm not sure about RVC, but I know Surrey has them on their website. I think I've managed to attach them below for you :smile:

Attachment not found

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Reply 176

Nessie162

Original post by luberry

Thank You

Reply 177

Anderson2727

Hey! (me again)

I have already carried out more work experience than I thought I would, so I am now still considering to apply to Liverpool despite my previous fear of being rejected due to those people who have dozens of weeks!

So my question is to current Liverpool students (or any other vet students which applied and got an interview) to how much work experience you got? I know that it is quality over quantity, but Liverpool seem to have a preliminary judgement of quantity when deciding on those to interview!

Again, any help and replies will be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Reply 178

nox1

Original post by Anderson2727

I think it seems to be that over the last two years you've needed slightly less as they now say on their website you don't NEED the 10 weeks, it's just preferred. I had just under 20 weeks, and one of the people I met there had 13, and I know someone who got an interview last year with only 9 weeks. Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 179

Little Tail Chaser

Original post by Anderson2727

I got in with around 50, although as you say it's quantity over quality. I think it went down to about 35 on their form anyway, as there's a limit to the number of placements/weeks you can put down.

Most Liverpool interviewees have at least 15 from my general observations, although I've seen people with more than 20 not make it to interview, so again, make sure you get variety as well as pure numbers.