Getting in to vet school via cross-over course

I desperately want to get into vet school, but no matter how hard i try i can't seem to get the grades necessary to do so. I was wondering if anyone knew of any cross-over courses i can take to get into vet school. Also if anyone, who got into vet school, could tell me what grades they got at GCSE and A level and anything else that helped them to get in, that would be very helpful.
Thank you

Reply 1

Minerva

Original post by murraymint21

I'm not sure what you mean by 'cross over' courses?

Vet Med is one of the most competitive courses, where pretty much every successful applicant has straight A*s/As at GCSE and the same at AS/A level. In addition they are expected to have serious amounts of varied work experience.

To be honest, if you are struggling to get the grades required it sounds to me as if you should consider abandoning this ambition and move on to other things.

Reply 2

totallyme

Hi murraymint21 :smile:

Had a look at your previous posts and was wondering what kind of stage are you at in your education (I've no idea what lower 6th corresponds to qualification wise :tongue:

), what subjects have you picked and where are you hoping to study veterinary medicine?

As the poster above me has said it is very very difficult to get into vet med and there are no cross over courses, unfortunately. However, don't be too downhearted! If you look on all the websites of the universities that offer vet med you'll see that grades aren't just everything when it comes to getting in (although if I remember correctly Bristol and Cambridge have very high requirements). In fact offers given to candidates can be A*AA/AAA/AAB/ABBB or whatever, it depends on the candidate, the university etc.

This is a personal question and feel free not to answer but why do you feel like you cannot get the grades? I see that you say that you try hard but does that mean cram like mad 2 weeks before the exams and spend most of the year out with friends or do an hour of study every day because getting into vet school is your ultimate goal? If it's edging towards the former and you aren't pulling off the grades then (and I'm sorry to say this) if being a vet is what you want to do then you need to kick yourself up the bum and change your attitude to your work. If, however, it is the latter well...I hate to be brutally honest but vet med is full of chemistry and biology and it is full on, 9-5, working your socks off most of the time so maybe it isn't for you?

If it is all you can think about, you work really hard, you spend every spare moment getting work experience (you need more than 10 weeks when you apply normally), you get help with everything that you don't understand, you're enthusiastic etc etc Well there's no reason why your previous grades should hold you back. If, however, it was the latter there are many many courses out there that are possibly even more animal involved than being a vet. It is the HUGELY expensive route but if you do well another course you could get into vet med after (although I think you still need the minimum A levels even then).

All I mean to say is, don't write yourself off just yet! :smile:

Reply 3

HannahUVM

There are also options abroad that don't have such high entry requirements. You have to pass an entrance exam but that's it really. However it's just as hard once you're in.

Reply 4

Lottii

I have to echo what totallyme said. If VetMed is your life desire, then you need to get your head down and do some seriously hard study. If you already are, then I think you might struggle with the work at university, like people say it is very science based, and that isn't where everyones talents are!

If you are already working as hard as you possibly can, perhaps now is the time to consider other choices? Veterinary nursing may be the way forward, or other animal based careers.

Going to a UK vet school, you are going to need mostly A's with the rest B's to stand much chance of getting a place. Competition is so fierce, that you have to have the top grades. There are some Uni's that I have heard of offering a rare person an interview based on lower grades, but that is usually extenuating circumstances and it is rare to get past interview like that.

As Hannah said, you do have the option of going abroad. UVM Kocise has a enormous thread in this section, and several people (including Hannah!) study there and from what I've read, they recommend it absolutely!

Another option which is what I think you are meaning by cross-over, is doing it as a post-grad. But that would normally mean you have to fund the course yourself, which is very hefty fees. There aren't really any cross-over courses, but something science based - Animal Science/Equine Science -if you did that as your first degree, you could then apply as a post grad and do a shorter course.

The final option if you are not getting the science grades, is to do a preliminary year (sometimes called Year 0) which teaches you the science you need to know and then you do the course. It is sooo competitive though, I read somewhere you have between a 1 in 30 and a 1 in 50 chance of getting on a course. I'm not positive on which UK schools offer that, but I know at least two do.

Reply 5

skatealexia

Original post by murraymint21

There are things such as the gateway course at RVC which is CCC offer at a level providing you meet their entry requirements. I got 5A*s, 4As and 2Bs at GCSE so getting a B isn't the end of the world, and then AAAB in my As levels. Unlike what a previous person said, vet med IS a lot of hard work, pretty much 9-5, but as for lots of chemistry and biology, chemistry not that I've seen, hardly any chemistry, but whilst the content of biology isn't hard you need to be able to cope with learning large amounts of information for exams in a short space of time. In the end I got A*AA at a level. My offer was AAB from Liverpool. You won't get a lower offer. You can't do a cross over course I'm afraid, and trying to do it as a graduate you still need insane grades at a level of As ect. So consider it :smile:

Getting in to vet school via cross-over course

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