2018 Veterinary applicants

Hi I'm currently getting work experience sorted so I can apply next year, I've already had loads of experience at a livery yard/riding school and I'm going to a reptile shop soon to do a week too, I'm just wondering what kind of things I need to take note of? Is there anything I need to be able to discuss during interviews/ my application, such as what I learnt whilst there etc?


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Hi, there is a 2019 entry thread here https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4322662

There is a lot you need to be able to talk about! you will need to for both personal statements and interviews. At the minute, a stables and a reptile shop are not enough, regardless of how much you've done at the stables I'm afraid. Your priority at the minute should be getting experience at a vets, then doing some farm work (lambing, milking etc.), kennels/catteries and then more 'unusual' stuff like zoos, abattoirs, labs etc. (your reptile experience will fall into this category).
You need to think about skills you might learn/see that will be useful to a vet. There's lots but the main ones are communication, animal handling skills, teamwork, time management and organisation. It's also important to take away key husbandry of animals you care for (which will be very good at the reptile shop as many ill reptiles are taken to the vets because of husbandry problems). As it's a shop, you could also think about the economics of animal keeping & how the business is run, as well as ethical issues like where they are supplied from (wold caught vs. captive bred).
Enjoy your work experience!

Thanks for the advice! Yeah I know I've got two vets booked for next year and a dairy farm and I'll do lambing next year, I was just making sure I did have to make recordings on what I did and what I've learnt! Thanks again

Here is my work experience so far. I am going to apply this year, so that's why some of these have been quite short placements.

I've found it incredibly difficult to get placements at vets and farms, even with the ability to drive. All of the big vets around me are full until next year, so I'm going to teeny tiny vets and phoning soooo many farms. Might have a lambing contact for easter and am planning on large/small animal vets, a dairy farm, a laboratory and an abattoir. Anything else I'm missing?

Are you going to the vet practice before the application deadline?

That's the idea! It's been a crazy few months. I wouldn't bother applying without any clinical experience - as you say, it wouldn't exactly look good and I want to see what it's like in that environment. I'm just keeping on trying! Good to know about the size of the practice.

Here is my work experience so far. I am going to apply this year, so that's why some of these have been quite short placements.

I've found it incredibly difficult to get placements at vets and farms, even with the ability to drive. All of the big vets around me are full until next year, so I'm going to teeny tiny vets and phoning soooo many farms. Might have a lambing contact for easter and am planning on large/small animal vets, a dairy farm, a laboratory and an abattoir. Anything else I'm missing?

Just asking: I've got relatively little work experience:
- 10 days Small Animal Practice work experience
- 4 days Small Animal Practice
- 5 days Equine Centre
- 5 days Dairy Farm, Milking
- 10 days Dog Daycare place
I'm back at school to start my A2s next year: was just wondering what is important if I have to reapply in 2019 because my Work Experience is too low.
If anyone knows about how much more experience I should be pushing to get, please reply. Also does anyone know the impact of AS levels on my application? Are they important more for deciding Predicted Grades in School or do the Universities consider them in giving out offers.
I'm applying to RVC, Cambridge, Liverpool and Nottingham and have made the decision to apply for VetMed over Medicine quite late, actually only 2 or 3 months ago. This doesn't mean I'm uncommitted - I pushed myself SO hard to get all the experience and realise that the minimum experience isn't important, the more the better, and I enjoy it too.
Any replies appreciated.

Any replies appreciated.

I'm not sure why you have listed two separate small animal practice days but the RVC wants a minimum of two weeks in vet practices and two weeks in husbandry placements. Nottingham want a minimum of six weeks according to their website and Liverpool have traditionally scored applicants using their total work experience. If you check the universities websites you will find your answer but so long as you avoid work experience focussed universities you will meet the minimum. Be aware that many applicants will have far more and therefore if you are academically equal to them it is likely they would be chosen over you due to their greater experience.

It's not possible to give a set in stone figure of what amount of work experience will guarantee you an interview. Vet applications are too multifaceted, and universities value work experience differently. I've known people who had 50+ weeks who didn't get in, and people with 6 weeks who did. As a total ball park figure I would maybe suggest 20+ weeks, but variety and quality is more important than quantity. You might even have enough now tbh.

As for AS levels, Cambridge are very fussy (I've been people rejected based on their grades who got four As. Their UMS just weren't high enough). Others don't care. I got an E in my fourth AS if it helps put your mind at rest. Liverpool used to have a B in your fourth AS as a formal requirement but they took that away three years ago.

Sorry - two separate practices there my summer's full of W-exp having decided a couple weeks before it began that I wanted to pursue this over Medicine.


AS Thursday, provided I get low grades then I work on getting W-exp during my A2 year more so than was initially planning to go for a 2019 application. Will still try this year but with a weaker application due to lack of experience. One thing's certain though, and that's that I can get the A2 grades regardless, my Work Experience might be weak but I'm sure I can get grades.

Try and make sure you get the grades before pursuing work experience. If you don't have enough WEX you can always take a gap year to get more, but it is much harder, stressful and sometimes more expensive to do a third year to get your grades (if you can find somewhere that will even let you do it.) Been there, done that, do not recommend

Just a question concerning veterinary personal statements:

Should I include paragraphs?

I was recently convinced that I should use the paragraph style (where one line is left blank) so that the personal statement does not just look like one block of text - as this can be difficult to read and hard to follow. Thus paragraphing would give a cleaner view and so be seen more favourably by admissions tutors.

However, after finishing including all of the content which I would like to be included and constantly refining to make sure I stay below the 4000 character limit, I know find myself several lines over the 47 line count.

If I removed all paragraphs I would be within both stipulated requirements. If I didn't I would need to remove a fair chunk out of my statement.

What did those who are already on the course do?

What are those applying going to do?

I appreciate your response and time.

Just a question concerning veterinary personal statements:

Should I include paragraphs?

I was recently convinced that I should use the paragraph style (where one line is left blank) so that the personal statement does not just look like one block of text - as this can be difficult to read and hard to follow. Thus paragraphing would give a cleaner view and so be seen more favourably by admissions tutors.

However, after finishing including all of the content which I would like to be included and constantly refining to make sure I stay below the 4000 character limit, I know find myself several lines over the 47 line count.

If I removed all paragraphs I would be within both stipulated requirements. If I didn't I would need to remove a fair chunk out of my statement.

What did those who are already on the course do?

What are those applying going to do?

I appreciate your response and time.