Access Course for Veterinary Science Degree

I know someone who had access qualifications and did the pre-vet course at Liverpool which is design for people who haven't got the typical A levels, but I can't remember what qualifications she did exactly. I would advise you to email the respective unis and ask if they will accept your access qualifications, and what they would recommend in your situation.

Liverpool requires you to: have spent a minimum of 6 weeks gaining experience of the husbandry of a range of animals, on commercial livestock farms, in commercial stables and in commercial or rescue kennels / cattery. It is also beneficial to have gained experience in other veterinary-related sectors e.g. abattoirs, laboratories, zoos or wildlife centres. Candidates should also have completed at least 4 weeks in veterinary practice. As a minimum, experience should be gained in at least two different practices, preferably one small animal and one large animal (mainly farm/equine) practice.


You currently lack large animal vets. I would also advise you to go onto a commercial farm if you can, especially to do lambing & dairying so you get a better idea of the industry. I would also point out that, on the vet course, we do not specialise and have to cover horses, farms and small animals.

Don't set your heart on one vet school - the majority of applicant will go where ever they get given a place! Applying to only one vet school really limits your chances of becoming a vet.

Let me know if I can answer anything about Liverpool

Thank you, you was a big help!




I have just emailed a Farm(with stables & meerkats), a horse riding stables & Lea-hurst equine hospital about work experience. To get the farm and large animal experience.


I couldn't work at a abbatoir or a laboratory because I disagree with it, however I have also got two other animal sanctuarys and two small animal hospitals (one being lea-hurst) that I could also try and get work experience at..


also they is Chester Zoo but it is extremely hard to get work experience there unless you have an internship, which are all full right now.


I have already got the foundation course on my list as a back up If I do not get into Veterinary Science Degree straight away.

Get as much work experience as you can.
But... having an issue with abbatoirs might be a problem. I know at Bristol they have their own abbatoir that you're expected to visit and gain knowledge on meat hygiene. I expect the other vet schools are the same

I'm hopefully starting an access course in September. I phoned Liverpool University admissions as I would have loved to get a place on their foundation year, but as I did Biology and Chemistry at A-Level in 2006 I can't be considered for that. They have a list of accepted access courses and advised me to apply for the one I have, at Leeds City College, and then apply for Veterinary Science in the usual way.
Bristol University also advised an access course, it has to be biology and chemistry based and there is a minimum amount of credits at Merit and Distinction you need to achieve.
I won't be applying to the RVC but I think they also accept access courses with biology and chemistry, as do Nottingham, but for their 6 year course (with a preliminary year). Surrey's prospectus says "other" qualifications considered on an individual basis, so you could e-mail them.
I've not yet contacted the 2 Scottish uni's, but it doesn't look like they accept access courses.

I think it would have probably been more simple to apply with the standard 3 A-Levels... but it doesn't look impossible! I'd say focus on getting as much varied work experience as you can, especially once your course has finished.
I'm guessing when you say you couldn't work in a laboratory because you disagree with it you mean testing on animals? If so look at other lab work opportunities such as a veterinary diagnostics lab.

To add to this...

I think all vet students have to spend time on a public health rotation ie abattoir? When I was at the Bristol vet school abattoir, rvc students were there on rotation. I believe Cambridge students have used it in the past too, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is a compulsory thing. Public health is an important part of veterinary science and there are definitely modules on it including abattoir procedures etc.


Posted from TSR Mobile

I know that in University of Liverpool in the 4th & 5th year I will in practice at there own Small Animal Hospital and Equine Veterinary Centre , I haven't saw anything of an abattoir, and noone seems to have been to one, I do not see why I would need to know about meat quality or health seems I do not wish to even be involved with that.
currently I am at a small animal clinic for 2 days a week and stables with riding school on a sunday.
and hope to be starting at a farm, but not until lambing season starts, does anyone know when that is by chance?

I have until September til I start my access course and start to apply for uni's, lets hope I can get as much work experience in before that,
but I will continue to do work experience after I apply to,
I LOVE IT<3

I know that in University of Liverpool in the 4th & 5th year I will in practice at there own Small Animal Hospital and Equine Veterinary Centre , I haven't saw anything of an abattoir, and noone seems to have been to one, I do not see why I would need to know about meat quality or health seems I do not wish to even be involved with that.
currently I am at a small animal clinic for 2 days a week and stables with riding school on a sunday.
and hope to be starting at a farm, but not until lambing season starts, does anyone know when that is by chance?

I have until September til I start my access course and start to apply for uni's, lets hope I can get as much work experience in before that,
but I will continue to do work experience after I apply to,
I LOVE IT<3

Lambing season can be as early as January up until July.
Although farmers I know have finished now, Feb/March/April is the busiest time as far as I'm aware.

As far as I am aware a veterinary student must undertake some experience with public health/meat hygiene (whether they like it or not).

EMS requirement for Liverpool: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/ems-at-liverpool/

Veterinary science encompasses public health: as well as treating animals (EMS will involve all the main small animal, farm and equine species) vets are trained in meat inspection and abattoir procedures, as there are diseases in animals which can be harmful to humans eg if people eat meat from an animal with a certain disease, humans could get that illness, or a similar one. Other notifiable diseases eg foot and mouth (hopefully we won't get another outbreak, it was horrific) and TB will require animals being culled; at the bristol abattoir the vet students were taught how to kill cattle with a bolt gun as this may be necessary, even for other ailments (ie not contagious but the cow cannot be saved).

I think it is compulsory to at least learn about all these things, even if you have no intention of working in the farm/equine/public health sectors.


Posted from TSR Mobile

I would much prefer to use the lethal injection over a bolt gun. That makes me feel quite ill the thought of having to watch that.
all I can hope is that I do not have to do this, but I am very dedicated to becoming a vet so I guess I will have to get through this.

I'm sure others agree- but clients may want a bolt gun used. I'm not sure if this is because they could then sell the animal for meat depending on its condition?

It's also worth noting that on EMS you will have to work on farms, both for animal husbandry and with vets. So even if these are for meat animals you will have to experience that environment and keep professional as many farmers will not agree with your views obviously!

Sorry to have to tell you all this- just thought its better to have a good idea of what you're getting into


Posted from TSR Mobile

I couldn't work at a abbatoir or a laboratory because I disagree with it, however I have also got two other animal sanctuarys and two small animal hospitals (one being lea-hurst) that I could also try and get work experience at.

I would much prefer to use the lethal injection over a bolt gun. That makes me feel quite ill the thought of having to watch that.

I couldn't work at a abbatoir or a laboratory because I disagree with it, however I have also got two other animal sanctuarys and two small animal hospitals (one being lea-hurst) that I could also try and get work experience at..

SuperCat has explained to you why we can't use lethal injection. Aside from human safety, it is sometimes hard to locate a vein or too dangerous to do so where a free bullet or bolt gun can be used. Farmers can use bolt guns, but would have to call out vets to inject as they can't legally have access to the drug (rightly so) - as a business they can't afford to do so when a call out fee can be a £100 or more. So you have to understand it from both points of view too. Many farmers do care & take pride of their animals but it is still a business who can only afford to spend so much as lots of farmers are already losing money. There are a few negligent stock keepers, but then the same can be said for all the other animal industries too.

Also, if done correctly it is often a much quicker way of death than watching an animal suffer and die of thirst or hunger if it is ill and cannot be cured, so it is doing them a favour in some ways.

The rationale behind bolt guns is that, if you destroy the brain, you cannot feel pain or suffer. Destruction of the brain takes only a fraction of a second with the bolt gun if done correctly. The animals can vocalise, twitch or kick, but there are involuntary reflexes but is often distressing to watch if you've never seen this before. Knowing they are only reflexes will make it more bearable to watch. Some farmers have even asked me as a vet student if I mind watching at they dispatch an animal before doing so, or give me some sort of prior warning. If you do not wish to see an animal being killed (it will be often be obvious when this is about to happen) then you just need to express your concern that you wish to have some warning and turn your head away. I am sure they would understand. It is something you will have to get used to, as horrible as it sounds but it is part of your job.

I think you have completely the wrong idea about what a laboratory is. Do you think every lab in the country has animals locked up in cages? Where do you think the samples from vets go? Where does all our food get tested for micro-organisms and vitamin and chemical analysis??

You need to broaden your mind past the killing animals thing. What happens if you have to put an animal down? Or as part of EMS have to witness a horse or cow be shot and/or incinerated? Sadly you can't specialise until after you finish vet school. Make sure you know the whole story before you develop too strong an opinion on something.


Also on the gun/lethal injection thing. You cannot use lethal injections on animals destined for food whether it be human or otherwise. For obvious reasons really, people and animals would die too. Also if you're burying rather than incinerating/cremating an animal the lethal injection cannot be used due to ground contamination and the possibility again of it getting into the food chain. I doubt there are many, if any, vets who are comfortable with it, but it has to be done.

P.s. I'm not saying you're mis-informed or anything like that. Just that you need to broaden your mind to accept that you will HAVE to deal with these things, whether you like it or not ,on your journey to becoming a vet.

I think at Liverpool we are required to spend at least a week at an abattoir, though I haven't done this yet. Whether or not you agree about easting animals doesn't mean that animals aren't killed for human consumptions, and because you can't specialise during the course, you need to learn about meat hygiene - vets check animals both before and after slaughter to ensure the meat is safe for humans to consume.

As for labs, there are two types of labs: one being a pathology/clinical sample lab and the other being a research lab using animals. The first is where blood / tissue samples are sent off and diagnoses.

I've been to an actual animal lab. Although I strongly oppose the testing of cosmetics (this lab didn't test cosmetics luckily) and would advocate methods of reducing the amount of animals used to move science forward, I personally feel the animals were kept in conditions where all their basic needs were met and were provided lots of enrichment too (more so than on some farms!). Some of the cages I saw for rodents were bigger than a lot of pet owners use. And there was time to play with the animals who liked human company too when all the cleaning was done. Also some human treatments have indeed arisen from the use of animals. It is much better if we test animals in the UK than abroad as we have higher welfare standards and those working in the industry can vouch to improve the conditions even more.


SuperCat has explained to you why we can't use lethal injection. Aside from human safety, it is sometimes hard to locate a vein or too dangerous to do so where a free bullet or bolt gun can be used. Farmers can use bolt guns, but would have to call out vets to inject as they can't legally have access to the drug (rightly so) - as a business they can't afford to do so when a call out fee can be a £100 or more. So you have to understand it from both points of view too. Many farmers do care & take pride of their animals but it is still a business who can only afford to spend so much as lots of farmers are already losing money. There are a few negligent stock keepers, but then the same can be said for all the other animal industries too.

Also, if done correctly it is often a much quicker way of death than watching an animal suffer and die of thirst or hunger if it is ill and cannot be cured, so it is doing them a favour in some ways.

The rationale behind bolt guns is that, if you destroy the brain, you cannot feel pain or suffer. Destruction of the brain takes only a fraction of a second with the bolt gun if done correctly. The animals can vocalise, twitch or kick, but there are involuntary reflexes but is often distressing to watch if you've never seen this before. Knowing they are only reflexes will make it more bearable to watch. Some farmers have even asked me as a vet student if I mind watching at they dispatch an animal before doing so, or give me some sort of prior warning. If you do not wish to see an animal being killed (it will be often be obvious when this is about to happen) then you just need to express your concern that you wish to have some warning and turn your head away. I am sure they would understand. It is something you will have to get used to, as horrible as it sounds but it is part of your job.