The Student Room Group

Can i apply for vet med a year later after finishing a levels?

I resat biology, chemistry and maths in AS and now i got AAC, C in chemistry, just started doing A2.
Ive decided that i want to go into veterinary medicine but i don't have the work experience. Should i just finish my a-levels and wait a year to apply for vet med with my a level grades, so during that time i can do work experience and such.
Ive tried really hard to think about alternative courses but i honestly dont know what else id want to do. Or could i maybe apply for something such as biomed or animal science, do one year there then apply for vetmed? Need suggestions on how to go about with this
Reply 1
Original post by LauraKuza
I resat biology, chemistry and maths in AS and now i got AAC, C in chemistry, just started doing A2.
Ive decided that i want to go into veterinary medicine but i don't have the work experience. Should i just finish my a-levels and wait a year to apply for vet med with my a level grades, so during that time i can do work experience and such.
Ive tried really hard to think about alternative courses but i honestly dont know what else id want to do. Or could i maybe apply for something such as biomed or animal science, do one year there then apply for vetmed? Need suggestions on how to go about with this


i'm personally planning to take a gap year for medicine and the process for me to apply in my gap year would be the same as how you would apply in year 13 (except you've gotten the grades which increase your chance of getting in as year 13s are applying on the basis of predictions).

I'm also taking it because i want to just focus on A2 rather than revising for small irrelevant mocks and worrying about personal statements, UKCAT, BMAT etc.
You could apply for biomed as a backup if you might not be feeling confident in what you might achieve. The majority of first year med students have taken a gap year so dw or feel weird about being a year older because most people would be 19 as well.

Hope that helps
Reply 2
Original post by Reiner
i'm personally planning to take a gap year for medicine and the process for me to apply in my gap year would be the same as how you would apply in year 13 (except you've gotten the grades which increase your chance of getting in as year 13s are applying on the basis of predictions).

I'm also taking it because i want to just focus on A2 rather than revising for small irrelevant mocks and worrying about personal statements, UKCAT, BMAT etc.
You could apply for biomed as a backup if you might not be feeling confident in what you might achieve. The majority of first year med students have taken a gap year so dw or feel weird about being a year older because most people would be 19 as well.

Hope that helps


Thanks, thats what i was exactly thinking about as well in terms of having no hassle of personal statements and such. So i can focus on A2 properly without those minor worries. Best of luck to you
Taking a gap year sounds like a good idea in your situation and won't cause any problems. As you say that way you have plenty of time to get the required work experience and you will be applying with your achieved and not predicted grades.

However starting biomed or animal science and then trying to transfer I don't think will be successful. Such transfers either don't happen or will be very very rare. Doing such a degree first and then doing vet med would be a very expensive route to take as you would have to self-fund the second degree and thus this isn't normally recommended.


Original post by LauraKuza
I resat biology, chemistry and maths in AS and now i got AAC, C in chemistry, just started doing A2.
Ive decided that i want to go into veterinary medicine but i don't have the work experience. Should i just finish my a-levels and wait a year to apply for vet med with my a level grades, so during that time i can do work experience and such.
Ive tried really hard to think about alternative courses but i honestly dont know what else id want to do. Or could i maybe apply for something such as biomed or animal science, do one year there then apply for vetmed? Need suggestions on how to go about with this
Reply 4
Original post by animalmagic
Taking a gap year sounds like a good idea in your situation and won't cause any problems. As you say that way you have plenty of time to get the required work experience and you will be applying with your achieved and not predicted grades.

However starting biomed or animal science and then trying to transfer I don't think will be successful. Such transfers either don't happen or will be very very rare. Doing such a degree first and then doing vet med would be a very expensive route to take as you would have to self-fund the second degree and thus this isn't normally recommended.


Ive just thought about applying for courses such as bioveterinary/ animal science/ applied anatomy then going for a graduate accelerated programme for veterinary medicine. Would you recommend this?
Even if you do the accelerated programme you will have 4 years of fees to pay for your second degree. That is why most favour a gap year or even look to go abroad to Eastern Europe where fees are lower.

Original post by LauraKuza
Ive just thought about applying for courses such as bioveterinary/ animal science/ applied anatomy then going for a graduate accelerated programme for veterinary medicine. Would you recommend this?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by LauraKuza
I resat biology, chemistry and maths in AS and now i got AAC, C in chemistry, just started doing A2.
Ive decided that i want to go into veterinary medicine but i don't have the work experience. Should i just finish my a-levels and wait a year to apply for vet med with my a level grades, so during that time i can do work experience and such.
Ive tried really hard to think about alternative courses but i honestly dont know what else id want to do. Or could i maybe apply for something such as biomed or animal science, do one year there then apply for vetmed? Need suggestions on how to go about with this


Most students take a year out for one reason or another, having a gap year is a good idea and you can get the work exp during that year. Whatever you do do not apply for another course, do a year then apply for Vet med, it’s a massive waste of £9000 which you have to pay for when you graduate, and if you complete a first degree you would get no funding for tuition fees for Vet med as a second degree which would mean you would have to fund the £9000 a year yourself.
Reply 7
I didn't do work experience and in vet school now I sat my alevel exams in the June last year and was offered a conditional offer without the need if work experience
Depends which you apppy to. Liverpool I don't think you stand a chance as they are minimum 10 weeks but realistically people who get in have 15 + weeks. I'd say defo go for a gap year, MANY people do it. The thing is although you have great grades you'll be against people who have great grades AND work experience. I think if you don't have any it's important to get some, in fact work experience was the reason I changed my mind and didn't want to do vet med so you might find yourself in the same situation. Unis won't mind at all and some actually prefer you to have taken a gap year to do work experience. My own vet took a gap year and worked in Asda and didn't get any work experience (he did have 10 weeks while at school) and got in after his gap year
Liverpool have changed their work experience requirements this year and you now only need 5 weeks work experience.

Original post by Student_222
Depends which you apppy to. Liverpool I don't think you stand a chance as they are minimum 10 weeks but realistically people who get in have 15 + weeks.
Original post by animalmagic
Liverpool have changed their work experience requirements this year and you now only need 5 weeks work experience.


While they may have reduced their W/E entry requirements this year many people will still be applying with previous years standards and ultimately if the choice between two applicants comes down to volume/variety of work experience Liverpool is still likely to choose the applicant with a higher amount as this fits with their curriculum - teaching some clinical skills from day one.
I get that but you can only use a maximum of 5 days from any one placement, and you can only record a maximum of 11 placements (5 vets and 6 animal husbandry) so the most you can ever declare pre interview is 11 weeks. Was that always the case?

Original post by VMD100
While they may have reduced their W/E entry requirements this year many people will still be applying with previous years standards and ultimately if the choice between two applicants comes down to volume/variety of work experience Liverpool is still likely to choose the applicant with a higher amount as this fits with their curriculum - teaching some clinical skills from day one.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending