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Any vet nurses gone into vet med?

Ive been in practice for 3 years and qualify as a nurse in july next year. But during my time in practice I've come to the decision I'd actually love to be a vet! However, I have no A-levels. Any advice/help in how to into vet med would be great!! :smile:

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There is no route directly from vet nursing into vet med so you would need to do A levels or an acceptable equivalent to apply. If you take a look at the entry requirements on the university webpages it will lay what you would need.
Reply 2
Original post by Popsicle_pirate
There is no route directly from vet nursing into vet med so you would need to do A levels or an acceptable equivalent to apply. If you take a look at the entry requirements on the university webpages it will lay what you would need.


Hi! thanks for the reply! yeah i'm aware of this just wondering if anyone else out there has done it..
I'm looking into an access to HE course to start next year to hopefully allow me to apply at cambridge and RVC the following year, just know I'll be up against A* students fresh from school so I don't know if this is just a silly dream that I'll never be able to accomplish because of the tough competition! :afraid:
I've heard back from the RVC and they said they'll accept an application if I've done the access course but still waiting to hear back from cambridge.. I'm assuming cambridge is crazy hard to get into.. and not sure if I'll have a good enough application with the access to HE diploma hmmmm wont know if I don't try i guess!
I think obviously it's possible but since they are quite different careers so I'm not sure how many nurses would want to become a vet? I don't know of anyone in my year at RVC that was a nurse previously for what that's worth.

If they accept the qualification and you get the required grades in it then it shouldn't put you at any disadvantage compared to A level students! I've had a quick look and it doesn't look like Cambridge accept the access to HE course for science courses (but it's still worth waiting to hear back from admissions about the vet course specifically):
"An Access to HE Diploma alone is not sufficient preparation to study a science subject (excluding Psychological and Behavioural Sciences) or Economics at Cambridge."
One of my year back in the 1980s was a veterinary nurse so it certainly could be done back then and I'm sure it can be done now :smile: The difficulty may well be if you are restrcited to where you apply by geography. Good luck.
I know someone who is applying to vet 2019 entry- she worked as a vet nurse for 6 years and now is on a bio veterinary degree after being rejected from unis her first time round for vet (she regrets starting the course now). She doesn’t have good A levels (not good enough for vet anyway) but she’s hoping to get into the RVC for the standard 5 year course. I think if you’re determined enough it’s certainly possible, if a bit harder. Good luck!
Original post by paulyn82
Ive been in practice for 3 years and qualify as a nurse in july next year. But during my time in practice I've come to the decision I'd actually love to be a vet! However, I have no A-levels. Any advice/help in how to into vet med would be great!! :smile:


Speak to the individual unis as to what they accept in terms of qualifications but my advice would be to keep your options open as much as possible. I did A levels and although access courses won't technically put you at a disadvantage if they accept this there is variability as to what "alternative" qualifications are accepted by the individual vet schools. It's very competitive - I got one offer but rejected from 2 other unis, and withdrew my application for my 4th choice.

I know of colleagues who have gone from nursing to being a vet so certainly possible.
Have you tried accelerated vet med courses? I plan on studying nursing and then going into vet med via one of these courses (RVC and bristol are the only two I can think of straight off the top of my head) and they don’t mention a levels in their requirements only that you have a 2:1 in your degree. Plus with 3 years work in clinics I’m sure you’re in with a good shot of getting a place
Original post by paulyn82
Ive been in practice for 3 years and qualify as a nurse in july next year. But during my time in practice I've come to the decision I'd actually love to be a vet! However, I have no A-levels. Any advice/help in how to into vet med would be great!! :smile:

Hey! There are a couple of nurses on TSR in the 2019 application cycle actually.

I'm presuming from the fact you've been in practice 3 years and are still training, you are on a day-release college programme? Thinking about a lot of these, how soon could you go into vetmed? Many require a couple of years work post graduation in return for employer payed training.

Also if you are a college based SVN you will only be eligible for the 5year vetmed programmes, not the 4year graduate accelerated unlike any uni based SVNs.

I'm a VCA (have been since 2013), I've gained loads of experience in practice and do triage consults, anaesthesia, run lab, take radiographs etc but never took up a nursing training position as I always knew I planned on heading into vetmed. Im a biovet currently but have applied for graduate entry starting in Sept.

Taking A-levels or access courses are likely to be your best options, although check with all the uni's just to be sure. I would advise though carefully thinking about why you want to be a vet, not a nurse. The jobs are totally different. Do your research and maybe check out nursing progression options too -eg if you are fascinated by 'cool' surgeries, have you looked into nursing at referrals where you could be part of a theatre team, or in ICU on the post op care for these complex cases? Just be sure that you will be happy dealing wiht clients, making diagnoses, operating etc rather than the more animal based hands on care provided by the nursing team.

Both jobs are fab and the veterinary team wouldnt work without each other but they are different. Think about why you accepted nursing in the first place and take your time. If its definitely what you want, get your grades and gain experience in various areas - farm, equine, small animal vets along with farm work, animal husbandry etc and go for it! :smile:

Sorry for the long post!
Hey, I'm an RVN currently going through Vet Med applications so I'll tell you my experiences :smile:

Are you doing the Diploma or Degree? Hope it's all going well.

So at GCSE I achieved all As and Bs but was told not good enough to do Vet Med related A levels. Chose random A levels and did terribly as I felt I had no direction. Fell into nursing at an amazing local hospital who then sent me to college and I qualified in 2016 with the diploma. Since then, I've worked in a University Referral Hospital and have done charity work abroad with smallies and large exotics and all of these experiences made me decide that Vet Med is definitely a career I wanted to pursue.

I contacted the RVC, Bristol and Nottingham regarding entry protocol. Nottingham DO take/ consider applicants with vocational qualifications such as Vet Nursing Diplomas subject to experience and individual application. There was a miscommunication with the RVC and they told me to do an Access to HE Course in Science in place of A levels as the Nursing diploma isn't accepted (it's a level 3 course that is like Science A levels condensed and squished into 1 year). Turns out this is incorrect as because I already have A levels they cannot accept me as an applicant (despite being an RVN and achieving all the highest grades on Access assignments so far) as the mistakes of you past taint all your future applications apparently. They might consider me for 2020 application if I'm unsuccessful this year to other Unis depending on my grades. You won't get onto an accelerated course with the diploma it has to be a degree post grad application. So you're looking at the 5 or 6 year depending on Uni.

Bristol take the Access to HE course as route of application, RVC would too if you achieved the grades- both for the five year course. Nottingham you can apply with an Access course or as an RVN- but will be subject to your whole experience and they will put you on the 6 year course. I believe Liverpool have their own Access to Medicine course. I'm happy I'm doing the Access course as I feel it'll hold me in good stead alongside the fresh out of A level students if/ when I get in. I could do a related degree as means of entry if unsuccessful but I'm not getting any younger so I'd rather have a crack with the access course/ my nursing and see.

I was interviewed last week for Nottingham and really enjoyed the whole day and if I'm not successful this time I'm going to reapply. I was rejected from RVC on grounds of A levels, and I'm on hold for Bristol. I didn't apply to other vet schools so can't speak for them.

So it is possible. I think you have to consider how different the job roles are but nurses CAN make amazing Vets. Two of the best vets I know were RVNs and one of the best Vet Students I know was an RVN too.

If you don't try you'll never know!

Hope any of that ramble helps!

(If any nurses read this and have taken the jump from VN to VS can we chat about your experience!!)

xx
Off the top of my head I can think of three RVNs currently studying vetmed at Nottingham. There are at least 2 in the current prelim year (i.e. in the first year of the 6 year course). I don't know exactly what qualifications any of them arrived with, but it's definitely do-able :smile: They have the added advantage of being able to do a few ad-hoc locum shifts occasionally to help with the finances. Obviously it's hard to balance a lot of working, but a few unsociable/late notice shifts and it seems to help a lot. Plus they're absolutely ace at a lot of the clinical skills tested in the early part of the course!
Hi! I'd love to know how you got on! any way we could chat about it? I'm an SVN looking to do the same. :smile:
sorry meant to comment here- new to TSR- could you tell me how you got on? thanks!

Original post by tigerintheroom
Hey, I'm an RVN currently going through Vet Med applications so I'll tell you my experiences :smile:

Are you doing the Diploma or Degree? Hope it's all going well.

So at GCSE I achieved all As and Bs but was told not good enough to do Vet Med related A levels. Chose random A levels and did terribly as I felt I had no direction. Fell into nursing at an amazing local hospital who then sent me to college and I qualified in 2016 with the diploma. Since then, I've worked in a University Referral Hospital and have done charity work abroad with smallies and large exotics and all of these experiences made me decide that Vet Med is definitely a career I wanted to pursue.

I contacted the RVC, Bristol and Nottingham regarding entry protocol. Nottingham DO take/ consider applicants with vocational qualifications such as Vet Nursing Diplomas subject to experience and individual application. There was a miscommunication with the RVC and they told me to do an Access to HE Course in Science in place of A levels as the Nursing diploma isn't accepted (it's a level 3 course that is like Science A levels condensed and squished into 1 year). Turns out this is incorrect as because I already have A levels they cannot accept me as an applicant (despite being an RVN and achieving all the highest grades on Access assignments so far) as the mistakes of you past taint all your future applications apparently. They might consider me for 2020 application if I'm unsuccessful this year to other Unis depending on my grades. You won't get onto an accelerated course with the diploma it has to be a degree post grad application. So you're looking at the 5 or 6 year depending on Uni.

Bristol take the Access to HE course as route of application, RVC would too if you achieved the grades- both for the five year course. Nottingham you can apply with an Access course or as an RVN- but will be subject to your whole experience and they will put you on the 6 year course. I believe Liverpool have their own Access to Medicine course. I'm happy I'm doing the Access course as I feel it'll hold me in good stead alongside the fresh out of A level students if/ when I get in. I could do a related degree as means of entry if unsuccessful but I'm not getting any younger so I'd rather have a crack with the access course/ my nursing and see.

I was interviewed last week for Nottingham and really enjoyed the whole day and if I'm not successful this time I'm going to reapply. I was rejected from RVC on grounds of A levels, and I'm on hold for Bristol. I didn't apply to other vet schools so can't speak for them.

So it is possible. I think you have to consider how different the job roles are but nurses CAN make amazing Vets. Two of the best vets I know were RVNs and one of the best Vet Students I know was an RVN too.

If you don't try you'll never know!

Hope any of that ramble helps!

(If any nurses read this and have taken the jump from VN to VS can we chat about your experience!!)

xx
You could always apply for graduate entry veterinary science, which is what I am currently looking at. I am a year 12 student and I am studying non science A Levels (although some unis count psychology as a science) so I am looking at maybe either a psychology or veterinary nursing degree and then graduate entry veterinary science degree at either Bristol or RVC. The GCSE requirements seem quite low (grade 4/C in English, Maths and Science) so that’s good and I couldn’t find any specific A Level requirements on the websites but a 2:1 in your degree or higher is needed So you may have to sit some A Levels but you may just be able to do a HE course. I hope this helped a bit :smile:
Original post by paulyn82
Ive been in practice for 3 years and qualify as a nurse in july next year. But during my time in practice I've come to the decision I'd actually love to be a vet! However, I have no A-levels. Any advice/help in how to into vet med would be great!! :smile:
Hi there, are you still planning on studying veterinary nursing then studying graduate entry medicine? I am also interested in doing this so it’s great to finally find others who are doing this too. What year are you in and what year are you applying to do veterinary nursing and where are you thinking of studying it?
Original post by Kennedyno
Have you tried accelerated vet med courses? I plan on studying nursing and then going into vet med via one of these courses (RVC and bristol are the only two I can think of straight off the top of my head) and they don’t mention a levels in their requirements only that you have a 2:1 in your degree. Plus with 3 years work in clinics I’m sure you’re in with a good shot of getting a place
Hi there,
I’m interested in studying either a veterinary nursing degree or a psychology degree in 2020 and then applying for graduate entry veterinary science at either Bristol or RVC. Would this be possible?
Many thanks :smile:
Original post by tigerintheroom
Hey, I'm an RVN currently going through Vet Med applications so I'll tell you my experiences :smile:

Are you doing the Diploma or Degree? Hope it's all going well.

So at GCSE I achieved all As and Bs but was told not good enough to do Vet Med related A levels. Chose random A levels and did terribly as I felt I had no direction. Fell into nursing at an amazing local hospital who then sent me to college and I qualified in 2016 with the diploma. Since then, I've worked in a University Referral Hospital and have done charity work abroad with smallies and large exotics and all of these experiences made me decide that Vet Med is definitely a career I wanted to pursue.

I contacted the RVC, Bristol and Nottingham regarding entry protocol. Nottingham DO take/ consider applicants with vocational qualifications such as Vet Nursing Diplomas subject to experience and individual application. There was a miscommunication with the RVC and they told me to do an Access to HE Course in Science in place of A levels as the Nursing diploma isn't accepted (it's a level 3 course that is like Science A levels condensed and squished into 1 year). Turns out this is incorrect as because I already have A levels they cannot accept me as an applicant (despite being an RVN and achieving all the highest grades on Access assignments so far) as the mistakes of you past taint all your future applications apparently. They might consider me for 2020 application if I'm unsuccessful this year to other Unis depending on my grades. You won't get onto an accelerated course with the diploma it has to be a degree post grad application. So you're looking at the 5 or 6 year depending on Uni.

Bristol take the Access to HE course as route of application, RVC would too if you achieved the grades- both for the five year course. Nottingham you can apply with an Access course or as an RVN- but will be subject to your whole experience and they will put you on the 6 year course. I believe Liverpool have their own Access to Medicine course. I'm happy I'm doing the Access course as I feel it'll hold me in good stead alongside the fresh out of A level students if/ when I get in. I could do a related degree as means of entry if unsuccessful but I'm not getting any younger so I'd rather have a crack with the access course/ my nursing and see.

I was interviewed last week for Nottingham and really enjoyed the whole day and if I'm not successful this time I'm going to reapply. I was rejected from RVC on grounds of A levels, and I'm on hold for Bristol. I didn't apply to other vet schools so can't speak for them.

So it is possible. I think you have to consider how different the job roles are but nurses CAN make amazing Vets. Two of the best vets I know were RVNs and one of the best Vet Students I know was an RVN too.

If you don't try you'll never know!

Hope any of that ramble helps!

(If any nurses read this and have taken the jump from VN to VS can we chat about your experience!!)

xx
Hey, well yeah if you look on the website that’ll tell you what degrees are acceptable as means of graduate entry. Obviously it’s never a guarantee so bear that in mind. Would you actually want to be a nurse if you did the nursing degree and we’re unsuccessful in Vet led? Are you interested in psychology? Would biovet or biomed not be a better option? You’ve got to ask yourself lots of questions first.
Original post by alexandria51201
Hi there,
I’m interested in studying either a veterinary nursing degree or a psychology degree in 2020 and then applying for graduate entry veterinary science at either Bristol or RVC. Would this be possible?
Many thanks :smile:
So many typos-sorry!
Original post by tigerintheroom
Hey, well yeah if you look on the website that’ll tell you what degrees are acceptable as means of graduate entry. Obviously it’s never a guarantee so bear that in mind. Would you actually want to be a nurse if you did the nursing degree and we’re unsuccessful in Vet led? Are you interested in psychology? Would biovet or biomed not be a better option? You’ve got to ask yourself lots of questions first.
Hi, for Bristol a psychology and veterinary nursing degree are both accepted and at RVC only veterinary nursing is accepted (for the degrees I am interested in). Yes I would be happy being a vet nurse if I couldn’t get into veterinary science :smile:
Original post by tigerintheroom
Hey, well yeah if you look on the website that’ll tell you what degrees are acceptable as means of graduate entry. Obviously it’s never a guarantee so bear that in mind. Would you actually want to be a nurse if you did the nursing degree and we’re unsuccessful in Vet led? Are you interested in psychology? Would biovet or biomed not be a better option? You’ve got to ask yourself lots of questions first.
Original post by rabbitturnip
sorry meant to comment here- new to TSR- could you tell me how you got on? thanks!

Hey! Sure. I have been offered the 5 year Bristol course and 6 year Nottingham course for entry in September. I’m absolutely over the moon! The offers are subject to achieving 30 distinctions in my Access to HE course (my nursing diploma is generally not accepted, and as I’m 26 I didn’t want to do a biovet or biomed/ science related degree first and then apply for graduate entry- I’d like to graduate by my early 30s haha, so that’s why I did it this way). Always happy to answer questions :smile:

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