chances of getting into a Vet Course with good grades in a different field?

my grades are:
A BTEC Level 2 Diploma in IT - Distinction
A BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in IT - Distinction*
A BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT - Distinction* Distinction*
Maths GCSE - C
Maths FSMQ - 2 A's
Cambridge English IGCSE - C
Applied science BTEC (QCF) - Pass

all of my good grades are in IT, i want to go to university for a veterinary course. some uni's offer a foundation course for students who dont have all of the grades that are needed, but even the foundation courses need some higher grades.

so i was wondering what i can do to become a vet. Would going to a vet course that isn't that good for a year then swapping over to a better course afterwards help boost an application? or will my IT grades be high enough to be considered helpful to my application?

Reply 1

ivybridges

Original post by Nathan_D

I think its slim. Why did you do a BTEC in Science if you wanted to do such a Science-heavy course? I mean, most of those courses want Bio and Chem at A-Level and that's a considerable step-up from GCSE let alone a BTEC Diploma. Plus, I think your Mathematics mark would have to be a bit higher. The Uni's always tend to say 'C and above' but they expect more and most applicants apply with more. It's like the Oxford and Cambridge prospectuses say 'C' in English and Maths and GCSE but you'd be extremely unlikely to get in with C.

Reply 2

Nathan_D

when we were picking our options in school i had decided against being a vet and i had no interest in science anyway so they gave me a BTEC course instead. yeah, i noticed that C was typically the bottom line for the grade. i finished college last year and have only just decided that i did want to be a vet. does this mean im practically screwed for it then?

Reply 3

ivybridges

Original post by Nathan_D

Well, I mean, I want to say go for it and try but I think you will struggle to get even interviews with those foundations. Are you going onto A-Level or?

Reply 4

Nathan_D

Yeah, i figured id have some trouble with even the foundation courses. no i was planning on applying to uni for 2018/2019, would doing a night course to get science A-Levels boost my application enough?

Reply 5

returnmigrant

You will need evidence of science at Level 3 - especially Chemistry.

Look at Foundation degrees in medical sciences aimed at those with high grades in the 'wrong' subjects.
One example : http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/life-sciences/study-with-us/sciencewithfoundationyear/index.aspx
or do 3 solid science A levels (it will take 2 years, but if you want to do Vet badly enough that wont bother you).

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 6

ivybridges

Original post by Nathan_D

You could do. But I'd worry that even with it you'd be a weaker candidate. Based on your Pass and C mark in the two relevant courses you've already done - I think you might find the A-Levels hard. I got an A in Bio at GCSE and found it really tough at AS Level.

Reply 7

Nathan_D

I just looked over the preliminary course for Nottingham, im still below the GCSE grades (they want B's) but my IT grade is equivalent to 3 A levels, and the point of that course is for someone like me. so ive emailed them and ill find out i guess, thanks for the info.

Reply 8

ivybridges

Original post by Nathan_D

No problem. I think you'll find that a lot of Universities won't take the BTECs as valid equivalents for such competitive and challenging courses like Medicine, VetMed or Dentistry but give it a go and find out where you stand.

Reply 9

Nathan_D

honestly i would skip school a lot and i hated science, once i got to college i started to pay attention. TBF i would still probably be bad at science and hate it, if it was similar to what we were doing at school. so yeah, im not sure that i would do that well if it was just a standard Science A level. so maybe your right, thanks.

Reply 10

ivybridges

Original post by Nathan_D

My advice to you would be to watch MyAlevelScience online (YouTube) and watch the sort of stuff you'll be learning. It's not easy by any means - especially if you haven't got the best foundations. Obviously you could be a late bloomer and it could work out but I highly doubt that Maths at a C with BTEC Science and a BTEC IT Diploma will fulfil their prerequisites confidently.

As I say - enquire, look into it, give it a shot if you want to. If it's genuinely all you've ever wanted - go back to college and get some A-Levels; at least Biology and Chemistry in my opinion, if you want to do VetMed. It can be done, but you have to be practical and straight up about what you're capable of. It's not for everyone. I was never great at Maths and that instantly shut off a lot of stuff for me and it's really disheartening but it is what it is and the reality is that there are so many capable candidates within the yearly pools to these courses that you're just instantly trying to battle to the top from 400 places down and it's virtually impossible for you to ever climb high enough. That's how I feel about it anyway.