Enough work experience?

I was just wondering if this is enough work experience:
3 weeks small animal practice- one also specialised in exotics
2 weeks cattery
6 days lambing
1 week rescue centre- mainly with cats, small animals and some birds. Also helped with dogs but not very much
2 weeks dairy farm
(booked in october half term) 1 week mixed practice.

This isnt work experience but i was accepted onto a biology applied course at a local practice for 8 weeks, one evening a week. Learnt skills such as suturing, about cardiology and identifying bones. Also dissected a rat and a pigeon and the whole course was very hands on. Does this count for anything or is it not worth mentioning on my PS?

I have been riding since i was 5 and had horses myself from 7 so i can handle horses appropriately but is it necessary to get a placement at a riding school or something because i feel i wouldnt learn anything.

Any comments? Thanks in advance

Reply 1

Little Tail Chaser

It really depends on which universities you want to apply for. Liverpool, for example, base their decisions quite heavily on your work experience (they're not interested in your personal statement), but others such as Cambridge are more grades-orientated.

As I'm sure you know, Liverpool have the highest work experience requirements at ten weeks. I *think* (please double check though :smile:

) that they'll count anything up until December, so after doing your placement in half term you'll have just made it. However, bear in mind that those are minimum requirements, and some people will have been able to do quite a bit more (remember you'll be up against reapplicants as well). I was reading the 2015 Applicants Facebook page today and apparently even people with 15/16 weeks of work experience were told that it wasn't enough (although some people also got in with fewer number of weeks, which stresses my point of applying to your strengths). If you can find the 2014 Vet Applicants Stalking Page then that might be worth a read, as you'll be able to see the number of weeks that each person who got into each university had.

From the sounds of it, the course you went on (which sounds awesome, by the way :tongue:

), was taught to you so I'd hesitate to describe it as work experience, although it will definitely be worthwhile mentioning in your personal statement provided that you didn't have to pay for it :smile:

Experience with your own animals doesn't count towards totals, so it would be worthwhile to do a placement at a riding school/livery yard/stud farm/other horsey establishment, yes. You could also mention your experience with horses on your PS