Cambridge vet med.

I've always wanted to go to study at Cambridge and today I even attended a webinar which talked about the uni. I still have a lot of time to decide, however, I keep on getting told that Cambridge does not have the best reputation for veterinary medicine. I have been drawn towards Liverpool as well as RVC, but cannot visit any of them due to coronavirus. Is what I have been told true? Of course I am aware that just because it's a high ranking university it doesn't mean it's the best at every subject, but I would just like to know about its reputation for this course Thank you

I'm confused, on your other thread you said you want to go to Hartpury to do equine sport science or equine biology

haha yes i do and i don't. It's because i'm only just entering sixth form so I want to keep my options open - for hartpury i was mainly asking for opinions as i'd never really heard much about it. Sorry for the confusion because you did tell me after that they only do vet nursing but I've always leaned towards vet medicine, so the only thing keeping hartpury as one of my choices is the livery and horse riding experience and i meant that if i was to get rejected elsewhere i wouldn't mind focusing on equine biology at hartpury.

I've always wanted to go to study at Cambridge and today I even attended a webinar which talked about the uni. I still have a lot of time to decide, however, I keep on getting told that Cambridge does not have the best reputation for veterinary medicine. I have been drawn towards Liverpool as well as RVC, but cannot visit any of them due to coronavirus. Is what I have been told true? Of course I am aware that just because it's a high ranking university it doesn't mean it's the best at every subject, but I would just like to know about its reputation for this course Thank you

Hi- I can’t say much for the university itself as I’m currently not a student but I do hold an offer there and will hopefully start in October if I am given the grades!

I did a lot of research into the course before I applied, both online, at open days and speaking with other vets and the more I found out about it the more I was drawn there- I have always had a very academic approach to veterinary medicine and loved the city. The course at Cambridge has been changing a lot in recent years- they opened up a clinical skills centre a few years ago and this is available to all years. I spoke with a vet who recently graduated from Cambridge whilst I was doing work experience before I applied and he said he felt like he got the practical experience he needed and was confident going into practice. There was also an equine hospital I did experience at where 3 out of the 7 vets were Cambridge graduates and they all spoke highly of their course because it suited them. The students I spoke to all seemed very happy with their course and were glad they went there too.

I agree with what other people say about not going there just because it’s Cambridge- the course is very sciency and this is not necessarily the best approach for everyone. If lots of students go there who don’t like the course then a) they won’t be good vets as they’re not 100% committed and b) there will be a high drop out rate.

As the course used to be completely integrated with the medics and bio natscis for the first few years the course produced less practical vets, hence the negative reputation from some people. The department did notice this however so there is now more animal handling in the first year. The final year is also lecture free and 100% clinical Cambridge was the first vet school to introduce this. From what I hear, it becomes more practical every year so the reputation will hopefully get better!

I applied to Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool and Nottingham and got offers from Cambridge and Liverpool. I chose Cambridge as it’s where I felt like I fitted in more, could see myself enjoying the course and its location suited me. I am very interested in gaining a post graduate certificate in exotic animal medicine and i felt like the academic approach would prepare me for the exams and extra studying after I graduate. I can see why it doesn’t appeal to everyone eg more sciencey, compulsory intercalation, high grades and admission assessment but for me it felt like a good choice.

Whilst you currently are unable to attend open days, I think some universities are planning to do online ones. If you’ve got lots of time to decide then I’d wait until you visit all of the universities you are interested in before you make a final decision. You can ask students there any questions and see the facilities yourself.

Just remember, you will get your MRCVS at any vet uni and due to the shortage of vets in the UK you won’t struggle to find a job when you graduate. It may be a good tactic to apply there if you feel like you have a good chance of getting an offer. The most important thing at the end of the day is that you’re a vet, and if you are 100% committed to the profession then you will come out as a great one!

Sorry for the long post, if you have any questions about applying, interviews etc then feel free to ask

Ok, then to answer your original question in my opinion Cambridge would be right down my list of choices for vet med unless I knew I wanted to go into research rather than be a practicing vet. It can score highly in some rankings but that's mainly down to research. The only ranking I'd ever look at for vet med is student satisfaction.

I would personally avoid Cambridge at all costs given reputation as a vet school - All vet schools will give you a vet degree and all will get you a job in the current climate - but you would be down on peoples list vs job applicants from other vet schools as typically it is believed they have far greater clinical ability than Cambridge graduates. Obviously this is not a fixed rule and there will be many exceptions.

okay thank you! Do employers not like it just because of their minimal practical side of learning or are there any other reasons? sorry to bother

@animalmagic Would be better to advise as someone who employed vets - but from what I have heard from employers yes this was the reason.

thank you

As an employer I wasn't impressed with most of the Cambridge graduates I came across in my career although there were exceptions who I rated very highly

ok, so it depends on the individual and its all about picking the university best suited to you

A few things to bear in mind when comparing Vet Schools - there are very few, so Vets tend to be much more 'tribal' about their affiliations. These tend to be superficial bragging/boasting than actual strong biases. Be sure you aren't being influenced by 'football fan' type opinions rather than the facts.

In things like the NSS all Vet Schools tend to rank a)very high and b) very similar. So while there are 'ranks' available by student popularity etc, Vet Med courses are generally better and closer in overall rank than most other subjects.

So you are best choosing by personal preference on method of teaching and environment/location.