2018 Veterinary applicants

Original post by Anderson2727

Which 4 are you applying to? Not all of them even consider AS grades.

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Which university's don't consider AS grades?

Reply 383

Little Tail Chaser

19

Original post by idree5

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Which university's don't consider AS grades?

It's only Cambridge that do AFAIK

Reply 384

VictiniCup

16

Original post by Anderson2727

Which 4 are you applying to? Not all of them even consider AS grades.

Settled on Edinburgh and Surrey, need to look at others.

Reply 385

Louiseee_

Original post by Izzy3999

Hello, a 2018 vet med applicant here. I am currently trying to sort out my uni choices and would love some info on Nottingham. I am an IB student based in Austria and will definitely be applying to Bristol, Surrey and Liverpool. I have enough points to apply to Cambridge but am unsure about whether its the right environment for me. I need to decide on one more uni, either Cambridge, London or Nottingham and have been reading widely about all three. I like the look of the Nottingham course in particular but I haven't been able to visit the uni. How would you describe the environment, city (night life), sport facilities and campus there?

Thanks! :smile:

I'm just going into third year at Notts :smile:

The campus is really beautiful and has a lovely atmosphere, but it is extremely rural. It's also really small, which is nice because you get to know people and you'll see them around a lot but also means gossip spreads like wildfire! (what happens at the bar party certainly does not always stay at the bar party!). However, I've found that nice from a prospective farm vet point of view because the uni small holding is on campus so you get a fair bit of large animal handling (you also have to carry out smallholding duties in first year which is actually pretty cool).
Nottingham has amazing nightlife but we're actually pretty far out from the campus (~30 mins by car & 40 mins by free hopper bus). there is a free hopper bus from campus to get to Nottingham. Loughborough is much closer and loughborough SU is a pretty fun night! Nottingham overall is a really lovely city and I love it, I just find a drive there and use the park and ride quite a lot so I can't really drink when I go :P
Sports facilities are pretty good, they've just updated the gym equipment. There's pretty much all your mainstream sports; men & women's rugby, football, tennis, mixed hockey & lacrosse, a running club, riding club. University park has a much more extensive and competitive sports scene but it's whether or not you can be bothered to travel all the way to the city a couple of nights a week for training.

Reply 386

Emily_.

8

Original post by katerebecca

hello! I think this is the thread for me, I'm currently in Year 11?

I've only just started proper revision now too :s-smilie:

I'm thinking of starting to get in touch with people now as I'm eager to get some experience and start doing voluntary work during summer. Do many places take on 16/17 year olds? (I turn 17 this September.) I've already done 1 week at a small zoo (which was incredible) which took place in March of last year, can this go towards my experience for application?

Anyone who has been in Year 11 and now at vet school got any tips for what to do at this stage? Thanks! :biggrin:

Also, I have picked my A-Level courses now too:
-Biology
-Chemistry
-History
-Physics (which I'll drop after AS)

I'm in year 11 too, I know you didn't ask about this but I was going to do physics with biology and chemistry but the teachers at my college advised me not too unless I took maths. I'm not trying to put you off because you might be better than maths than me, I got a 7, or might already know. Just a word of warning incase you didn't know and are a little shaky with maths ☺️

Reply 387

Scitty

16

Original post by laurakyna

Hey all, I've been lurking around for about a year and a half now keeping an eye on these threads. Kind of want to say hi and introduce myself as I'm sure I'll start participating a bit more now!

I'm a mature student (I'm 23) studying my A Levels for the first time, and just got my As results (AAAB in Maths, Bio, Chem and the B in further maths which I'll drop this year as I was just doing it for fun). I'm getting really excited to go back to college for my second year but at the same time really nervous as it's the exams next summer that actually matter, not the ones I've just done!

I've done some work experience this year, enough to have hit the minimum required for each uni, so I'm sitting down to try and write my personal statement to apply this october. I don't know why, but this seems to be the hardest part! I don't even know where to start or what to write, I'm just staring at my work experience notes and trying to think of just one sentence but my mind is completely blank.

Is anyone else having this trouble/ or had this trouble when you were writing it? How do I get over this writers block!??

Hey! I'll be 21 when I start at Bristol in 2018 :biggrin:

Where are you thinking of applying?

PS wise, I found it helpful to write down positive traits I have, examples from work experience (veterinary or not!) where I have demonstrated these traits, then link them back to/pick the ones that fit veterinary as a course and career best.

Also - mention extracurricular stuff. Let them know you're capable of balancing work and fun. e.g. I wrote about my running to blow off steam, and how I ran the Land's End to John O' Groats distance this year, which was a personal goal of mine. Knows how to relax - check. Is active - check. Can make and achieve goals - check. Whatever you do, link it back into to how it makes you someone who personally suits this choice.

If you're really stuck, try not to write beginning - middle - end; it can be really daunting, and can make you lose track of what you may want to say. Initially just jot down ideas as they come, and gradually form them into coherent paragraphs.
I would say don't stress how much you love animals/science etc as that's something that's more or less a requirement for the course. Instead, just demonstrate it by mentioning your motivation to take science A Levels as a mature (19+) applicant, and the hours of work experience you've put in. In other words, show, don't tell.

Other than that, I can't really think of much else! Be truthful, but don't be afraid to big yourself up. :tongue:

Good luck!

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 388

Viapurifico

Okay, what do you guys think of my work experience now?

•

11 months dog training instructor/assistant

•

8 months dog ringcraft training instructor

•

3 days stewarding at open dog shows

•

2 weeks dog/cat grooming

•

2 weeks (10 days) small animal vets

•

2 weeks large farm animal vets

•

1 week small animal vets

•

5 days cattery

•

5 days pet shop (fish, small furies, reptiles)

•

3 days cattle farm (show/dairy)

•

3 days equestrian centre

•

2 days falconry centre

•

1 day dairy farm (milking)

Total: 5 weeks at vet practices, over 20 months other animal establishments

I am trying to get a day at an abattoir but I keep getting blanked. :[ After the deadline, I am planning on a few days at a veterinary pathology lab and a couple weeks doing lambing at Easter. Is there anything else I should add, or do more of?

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 389

I applied last year to Liverpool, RVC, Bristol and Edinburgh (interviews at all and an offer from Bristol) with my work experience: 5 vet different practices (mixed, small, small, equine, and mixed) about 6 weeks in total, 1 week dairy, 1 day pig, 1 day poultry, 1 week lambing and every saturday for the last 4 years at a riding school.

I am reapplying (due to missing the grades) but I haven't gotten any more work experience apart from continuing at the stables. I am going back to the pig farm later on in my gap year and am hopefully starting volunteering at the Blue Cross asap (have an 'informal chat' with them on Thursday). I have just emailed some kennels to try and get some work experience there and am hopefully going back to one of the vet practices to do some lab work! Do you guys think that will be enough for experience? Would it be enough if the kennels and vet practice fell through? Some of it will now be over 4 years ago (2 weeks of vet). I am planning on applying to RVC, Bristol, Liverpool, and then Surrey or Nottingham!! Thank you :smile:

Reply 390

username1444816

Original post by Viapurifico

Okay, what do you guys think of my work experience now?

•

11 months dog training instructor/assistant

•

8 months dog ringcraft training instructor

•

3 days stewarding at open dog shows

•

2 weeks dog/cat grooming

•

2 weeks (10 days) small animal vets

•

2 weeks large farm animal vets

•

1 week small animal vets

•

5 days cattery

•

5 days pet shop (fish, small furies, reptiles)

•

3 days cattle farm (show/dairy)

•

3 days equestrian centre

•

2 days falconry centre

•

1 day dairy farm (milking)

Total: 5 weeks at vet practices, over 20 months other animal establishments

I am trying to get a day at an abattoir but I keep getting blanked. :[ After the deadline, I am planning on a few days at a veterinary pathology lab and a couple weeks doing lambing at Easter. Is there anything else I should add, or do more of?

You have an amazing amount of work experience! I have just under 10 weeks!

Reply 391

Original post by pacb10

I applied last year to Liverpool, RVC, Bristol and Edinburgh (interviews at all and an offer from Bristol) with my work experience: 5 vet different practices (mixed, small, small, equine, and mixed) about 6 weeks in total, 1 week dairy, 1 day pig, 1 day poultry, 1 week lambing and every saturday for the last 4 years at a riding school.

I am reapplying (due to missing the grades) but I haven't gotten any more work experience apart from continuing at the stables. I am going back to the pig farm later on in my gap year and am hopefully starting volunteering at the Blue Cross asap (have an 'informal chat' with them on Thursday). I have just emailed some kennels to try and get some work experience there and am hopefully going back to one of the vet practices to do some lab work! Do you guys think that will be enough for experience? Would it be enough if the kennels and vet practice fell through? Some of it will now be over 4 years ago (2 weeks of vet). I am planning on applying to RVC, Bristol, Liverpool, and then Surrey or Nottingham!! Thank you :smile:

I don't quite remember for the other vet school for definite but I know the RVC look for two weeks at a large/small animal vets within a 18 month period of the deadline (last time I checked) so it may be worth trying to get an extra two weeks if you can to be on the safe side, other than that your work experience seems very varied, which most schools seem to love! I'm also a reapplicant btw x

Reply 392

Original post by alexriversxx

I don't quite remember for the other vet school for definite but I know the RVC look for two weeks at a large/small animal vets within a 18 month period of the deadline (last time I checked) so it may be worth trying to get an extra two weeks if you can to be on the safe side, other than that your work experience seems very varied, which most schools seem to love! I'm also a reapplicant btw x

ahh okay thanks :smile:

I have 2 weeks vet within 18 months before (just!) but with the extra it'll be certain! where are you applying?

Reply 393

Original post by pacb10

ahh okay thanks :smile:

I have 2 weeks vet within 18 months before (just!) but with the extra it'll be certain! where are you applying?

My two favourite are nottingham and the RVC and I just need to choose between bristol, surrey or liverpool for the last two, are you reapplying to the four you initially applied to?

Reply 394

Original post by alexriversxx

My two favourite are nottingham and the RVC and I just need to choose between bristol, surrey or liverpool for the last two, are you reapplying to the four you initially applied to?

Oh nice

I am applying to bristol, rvc and liverpool (same as last year) but Edinburgh don't accept resits so i'm applying for nottingham or surrey but I'm not sure which yet!!

Reply 395

username1444816

Original post by pacb10

Oh nice

I am applying to bristol, rvc and liverpool (same as last year) but Edinburgh don't accept resits so i'm applying for nottingham or surrey but I'm not sure which yet!!

How many weeks work experience do you have?

Reply 396

Original post by pacb10

Oh nice

I am applying to bristol, rvc and liverpool (same as last year) but Edinburgh don't accept resits so i'm applying for nottingham or surrey but I'm not sure which yet!!

If there's one uni that I liked the most it would be nottingham, from what I gathered it had a very friendly atmosphere and that. Are you going to any of the open days?

Reply 397

Original post by sophielophie

How many weeks work experience do you have?

So far about 38.5 (but around 30 of those are all at once place that I've worked at for 5 years)! with the extra stuff I'm trying to fit in before october, I'll hopefully have an additional 2.5 :smile:

Reply 398

Original post by alexriversxx

If there's one uni that I liked the most it would be nottingham, from what I gathered it had a very friendly atmosphere and that. Are you going to any of the open days?

Oh really, can I ask why? When I went a few years ago it seemed quiet and it is really far out of the city which puts me off! It was the one I liked the least (out of all 8)! I am going to look around both nottingham and surrey (on 15th and 16th September respectively). How about you?

Reply 399