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BSc Veterinary Nursing at RVC

Anyone doing this/thinking of doing it? Until a while ago I was determined to do a Vet Nursing degree at RVC although I've kinda changed my mind. But it would still be interesting to talk to people doing it etc. :smile:
Reply 1
I did this degree, the BSc (Hons) 4 year programme as my first degree and am now at Edinburgh doing vet medicine, what would you like to know?!

Beth :smile:
Reply 2
Wow, really? So are you now studying to be a vet surgeon, not just a nurse? Ok, here's some Qs lol:

1) What grades did you get at A-level and what subjects did you do?
2) Is it a lot of hard work?
3) Did you enjoy the course? What were the +ve and -ve aspects to it?
4) What were the potential career oppurtunities after finishing the course?
5) Is there still time to have fun? i.e. not working full-stop
6) Did you get a chance to study other non-related (to vet medicine) subjects whilst at RVC?

Thanks :smile:
Reply 3
Sorry, just realised I hadn't replied to this! in response:

1) I did English Lit (B), Chemistry (E), Biology (C) and General Studies (A)
I was also qualified as a riding instructor before I started, spent many years in practice, lambed for 6 odd years and owned numerous animals (this all just meant I felt at ease with a lot of what we were doing!)

2) the degree is not easy-but no BSc (hons) degree is! they have changed it a little now from my time, but you basically are studying for a degree at the same time as working. these days you do 6 weeks intense lectures, 6 weeks block placement, people think this is better as when i did it we did 12 weeks of lectures 2/3 days a week and placement 2/3 days of the week. I never felt totally overwhelmed by the workload though and the course builds you from A-Levels into further stuff very well, I would say having both Biology and Chemistry at A-Level was a HUGE advantage (even though my grades were awful, I had been predicted to do better and for one reason or another didn't so I guess taking my grades as a basis of my knowledge is not perfect but I think if you have at least odne the courses you should find it easier!).

3) I did enjoy the course overall. The negatives for me were that the way it was structured lecture wise etc meant I couldnt fully take part in RVC/Middlesex Uni activities as we often had lectures on a Wednesday afternoon. Some of the modules felt a little pointless and were very human nursing orientated, such as nursing models. However, the course is so varied that it gives you a fantastic grounding for practice as you do everything from anatomy to business management to ethics to surgical nursing to pharmacology :smile:

4) Career wise, you could stay in academia, so do a Masters, Vet medicine, teaching qualifications (though for this they normally want you to be in practice for a while to get experience before you lecture). Then, there are the usual nursing routes, so in practice, working for drugs companies as a rep or food companies such as Hills etc. I went from uni straight into a Head Nurse position, but I did that mainly because I had previous accounting experience and managerial type positions and worked in my holidays as nurse so had lots of experience. Friends generally went in as nurses and then a year/two later became head nurses.

5) There is time to have fun if you monitor your time. I had a horse through uni who I kept on DIY going up at least once a day and competing when I could. I climbed once a week and I worked for the RSPCA every saturday and every other sunday. I also went out drinking a fair bit :biggrin: I came out with a 2:1 and did not put THAT much effort into the course but you do have to work steadily to do that and I also tended to do last minute cramming the week before exams!

6) I am not too sure what you are asking here?

Hope this has helped a little?!

Beth :smile:
Reply 4
Thanks a lot :smile:

By Q 6 I meant can you minor in other subjects such as English or a Modern Language for example? On the RVC website I heard you could..but I'm not too sure.

I though you had to have like all As to get into RVC? But I guess your level of experience with animals greatly went in your favour.

Wow, you were lucky to become a head nurse straight away! Even just 2 years after finishing uni's good though, too. Do you mind me asking what your salary was like? At first etc. and how much it generally increases over time? Thanks :smile:
Reply 5
Ok, the other subject thing that is purely for your elective in your final year, you can do anything for that so long as it is a course by Middlesex or the RVC, however, they all have to be of Level 3 standard (ie final year) so for something like Modern Languages you need to be damn good at it already! I don't know of anyone who has done that as yet, but I am sure it is possible :smile:

Grade wise you would need straight A's or AAB in general to do vet medicine, but vet nursing they currently require just two A-levels, I think they said CC for my group not sure about now. What I would say though is we started off with 49 people in our year and graduated with 14 because a lot of people had got in on CD or similar but only held one science subject and this was a real struggle for them.

I started on £20K in London, I was only working for a year before starting the vet med degree. My friends started on anything from £13K upwards with most on or around the £15K mark and are now on around £17K 2 years on. Vet nursing does not pay well and never will! I do still locum now and I get anything from £12-£17/hr during the day and £21/hr night shift. Double on bank holidays. More and more nurses are giving up permanent work to locum, but you do not have the guarentee of work with this so I am not sure I would do it if I had to survive off it!
Reply 6
Cool, if I did do Veterinary Nursing, I'd prob choose to do French, which I'm doing for AS level and will continue to A2.

Hmm that's interesting. I was sure you needed straight As even just for Vet Nursing..

Starting on 20K is pretty good! Yeah, I realise it doesn't pay too well..which is why I totally went off the idea a while ago. I'm still not sure whether to do it or not. I'm thinking Vet Nursing will be my Plan B if Journalism or a Language-based career doesn't work out for me.
Reply 7
Hi sorry to interrupt but I'm starting a Bsc in Vet Nursing at Middlesex this September and just had a couple of questions.

The responses have both mentioned Middlesex and RVC and I wondered what the link was apart from both the universities being in London and offering vet nursing?

Also does anyone have any ideas of what kind of Master degrees to do after a Bsc in Vet Nursing as ultimately I'd like to be a university lecturer after a few years as a veterinary nurse.

Thanks :smile:

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