I study Vet Med, ask me anything!

Hi everyone! As we get closer to the summer I know a lot of people will be starting to think about university applications.
I'm Charli, and I'm about to start my final year of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nottingham.
I'm here to offer advice, reassurance and support with all things studies, university applications, personal statements and work experience, plus I'll try and answer any questions you have about what it's really like to be a vet student
Let me know what you want to know! xxx

Ah hi! As a first year in college ( I really want to get into manchester university) I have so many questions! It's just been confusing with covid and all, but like, as another med student, i don't really know when or how to apply for the UCAT or the BMAT as well as personal statements, like how long or what do they have to cover?

Hi everyone! As we get closer to the summer I know a lot of people will be starting to think about university applications.
I'm Charli, and I'm about to start my final year of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nottingham.
I'm here to offer advice, reassurance and support with all things studies, university applications, personal statements and work experience, plus I'll try and answer any questions you have about what it's really like to be a vet student
Let me know what you want to know! xxx

Hi! It's so good to talk to someone who is actually studying vet med in uni at the moment. I was wondering if you could maybe outline the interview process for Nottingham and any other unis that you interviewed in, and also maybe talk about how best to prepare for interviews. Also I haven't been able to do any work experience because of the pandemic so I won't be able to talk about any practical experience. But I have done online stuff and further reading which I can talk about. Just to give you a bit of background

Hi there! I'm afraid I'm actually a veterinary medicine student, so I don't really know anything about the UCAT test! However I did sit the BMAT in 2015 - my school sent off an application for all the students there that wanted to sit the BMAT, so I would recommend chatting to some staff/teachers at your college? I'm afraid I don't know how to apply individually, so you may need to explore the BMAT and UCAT websites
(NB to any prospective vet med applicants, the BMAT is no longer required for vet med)

As for personal statements, there is a limited word count (I believe it is 4000 characters) that you will need to use to show the university admissions teams that you are passionate about medicine and deserve a place on their course.

My general personal statement structure advice is:
1) Small paragraph about your interest in science/medicine, preferably with an example of something you find particularly fascinating
2) Large paragraph about any work experience/leadership opportunities you have undertaken and what they taught you. Avoid listing lots of tiny things; instead choose the few that were most impactful to you and give specific examples about what you saw and learnt
3) Mid-size paragraph about something specific you saw on work experience and how you went and researched or tried to find more information about it (eg I wrote about Cushing's disease in horses). It's a really good way to show rather than tell that you love your subject, and it's especially good if you can comment on your own thoughts/reaction to it (eg I was surprised by, or I wanted to find out more, so I...)
4) Small paragraph about your interests outside of medicine (eg what makes you different!) - talk about extra-curriculars here
5) Tiny closing statement

I hope that helps! Good luck!

Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I legit had no clue as to how to structure it, and everyone I spoke to seemed to be like, sell yourself, and I was generally so confused, but this cleared it so much. When would be the best time to put together the university application for a first year like me?

What made you pick Notts over the other unis and how have you found it? Currently trying to pick between my offer for the April intake and a Surrey offer!

In all honesty, I picked Notts because I liked the feel of the university, I liked the newness of the school and its resources, and it had lower grade boundaries than the other unis! It was actually my insurance offer, but I didn't get the grades for my first, and in hindsight I'm so glad things banned out the way they did haha.
That's so exciting you have offers at both, well done! Surrey and Notts actually have very similar approaches to the curriculum so you'd probably get a very similar academic experience no matter which one you attend! Of course I'm very biased towards Notts because I love it so much, but I'd say the biggest indicator would be the feel you get from the unis, eg at interview, open days (if you were able to go!) or even just on their websites, social media etc.
I have absolutely loved my time at Nottingham. The Sutton Bonington campus, where the vet course is based, is beautiful and is set in the countryside, so it's a slightly quieter uni experience than some other places, but I personally find that quite nice because I then have the option to go seek out busier environments if I want them! The societies and sports here are honestly amazing, I think they've got to be some of the best out there! In non-Covid times there are loads of campus events, and the campus generally feels really cohesive and welcoming because we're like our own little community (and this goes double for the April cohorts!). Transport links into central Nottingham are cheap and easy, Loughborough is about the same distance away and so super convenient for many things, and the nightlife is really good both on campus and in the city.
The vet school is amazing, especially the welfare and support, and the practical opportunities are second to none. The faculty here are amazing, super approachable and friendly, and I've honestly really felt taken care of in my time here. I will have spent 6 years here by the time I graduate and I wouldn't trade them for anything hahaha Let me know if there's anything else you want to know!

Hey, I’m trying to decide where to apply for 2022 entry, do you think it’s a disadvantage applying to Aberystwyth (the new vet school in wales) as they haven’t taken on a cohort yet? And does it matter which university you get the veterinary degree from in terms of rankings?
Thanks

Hiya, good question!

The great news is that once you hold your veterinary degree, it really doesn't matter which university you went to, because every veterinary degree is the same. It's true that employers' personal attitudes to each university can sway their decision when it comes to deciding which new graduates to take on, but these vary hugely and are usually just based on prior experiences that they've had with graduates from certain unis, and are nothing to do with the institution.
So no, overall, it does not matter in the slightest where you get your veterinary degree from, because you will still be a licensed vet under the RCVS, and there's a shortage of vets in the UK anyway, so graduate employment prospects are great no matter which uni you went to.

There's been quite a few vet schools to open in recent years, with Nottingham in 2006, Surrey in 2015, Harper & Keele in 2020, and now Aberystwyth too! Not a single one of these universities so far has faced any problems, and in fact their much more 'modern' approach to vet med has actually been doing really well, to the point that employers are seeing graduates from these universities really favourably.
The RCVS (the accrediting body for UK vets) cannot give certification to a new vet course until there have been a cohort of graduates produced there, which means that if Ab opens in 2021, they can't get accreditation until the 2021 cohort graduate in 2026, which some people can see as a big leap of faith because technically, you could go through five years of veterinary training and then be told you aren't licensed to practice. However this is only a technicality. Every vet school has gone through this period before and all have emerged successful, and I don't think Ab will be any different!
The time and energy and expertise that goes into designing a new vet school curriculum is huge, and they wouldn't take on any students unless they were confident it was the best possible setup for creating new vets, so the chances of the RCVS refusing to accredit are really really small. (There's also the fact that the Ab course is jointly hosted with the RVC, which means they've got the expertise of an institution that opened in 1791!). As with any course, feedback from students can inform changes for the next year, so it may be that as a first cohort Aberystwyth vet you may end up having a slightly different experience to a student there in 10 years' time; but this is really just a sign that they're listening and trying to make their student experience as good as it can possibly be!
So in short, there isn't a disadvantage to a new vet school at all, and if you like the feel of the university and what they promote and stand for, don't let their 'newness' stand in the way. In fact it may be quite nice to go through a novel curriculum and experience new facilities and premises for the first time!

I know you haven't technically asked this, but I personally feel that the strongest indicator of the best university for you is the feeling you get from them in social media, prospective student communications, open days, campus life, student testimonials.... etc etc etc. It's just the real gut feeling about whether you can visualise yourself being happy there. I decided not to apply to certain universities (eg Bristol, Glasgow) not because I thought they were bad, but because I just didn't get the right feel from them. I got the right feel from Cambridge, RVC, Nottingham and Liverpool, so that's where I applied. And now six years later, Nottingham has ended up being the perfect place for me - I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else!

Hope this helps xx

What made you pick Notts over the other unis and how have you found it? Currently trying to pick between my offer for the April intake and a Surrey offer!

Hi! So I am looking to apply this autumn, I think to Nottingham, Surrey, RVC and Bristol. I have already got a first class degree in biology so will be the 4 year course at rvc and Bristol.
I actually drove up to Nottingham today and had a look at the Sutton-bonnington campus whilst I was there and I was sort of shell shocked haha, it’s so in the middle of no where! My main concerns are
- where and how do you do your food shopping? I saw the little cost cutters but I don’t think I could live just off that, but the woman In the shop said Loughborough is the closest supermarket. Is it easy to haul shopping back from there? I did just do some research and saw Tesco and Asda deliver so this could be an option
- do you know if there’s any nearby parking for students?? And if so, any idea on costs? I would feel so much better if I could bring my car and drive into the city, but all the car parks I saw today said permit holders mon-fri only
- this may sound really silly but... is there any where for deliveries and takeaways?😂😂😂
- what is accommodation like for 2nd years onwards? Are there many student houses around?

And then about the course itself...
- how busy are you each year? How many days a week would you say you have lectures etc and for how long? My main reasoning being is that as it’s my second degree I am self funding so would love to have a part time job, is this realistic? Are there many jobs nearby?
- how hands on is everything?? What sort of modules do you do. For example in year one, do you do much hands on to go along with the theory? Or does that come later?
- I think I saw you said you’re in year 6. Did you do a sandwich year of some sort? I’d be interested to hear about this
- Finally (sorry I know this is a lot of questions) what was your interview live for Notts? I get nervous about interviews!!

Thank you so much I’m sorry that was so long! I am an over thinker as you can see😂

Hi there! Please don't worry about all the questions haha, they're all valid! But I have good news for all your worries And it comes in the form of a really long answer!

CARS/PARKING: So first of all, yes, Sutton Bonington is a little bit in the middle of nowhere! However once you get on the free university bus, the transport links from there are really good, and it is probably the best uni to bring a car to in the country! The vast majority of people I know have a car with them here (myself included). This is because a parking permit for the entire year only costs about £30 (exact price depends on the car's model), and it entitles you to park in the designated car parks on campus at any time. The reason the boards say 8-4 Mon-Fri is because outside of these dates/times, anyone can park on campus regardless of whether they have a permit or not. So parking is actually super cheap, easy and convenient

SHOPPING: Most people drive out to loughborough to get groceries (only about 15-20mins journey). Tescos, Asda, and Ocado (and maybe sainsburys and morrisons?) all deliver to campus which is super easy. There's also a free 'hopper' bus from campus that goes to the Nottingham city campus and stops at the tram stop, so people can go shopping in Notts itself, or in one of the smaller towns along the way (eg Clifton). The local town, Kegworth, where most 2nd year and above students live, also has a Co-Op in the high street. Any items delivered to your flat in halls are handled by the accommodation provider so you don't have to be in to get it, and there's also an amazon locker on campus.

TAKEOUT: From campus, you can get Chinese, Indian, and pizza takeout (Dominos and otherwise!) delivered (and I think maybe also kebab, chippy and dessert?). There are also are two pubs about a 10-15 minute walk away in Sutton Bonington village itself which do great food.

HOUSING: There are loads of student properties in Kegworth and Sutton Bonington for 2nd years and up, all walkable, and there's a bus from Kegworth each morning too, so that's all super easy and doable. Kegworth is only a 10 minute drive if you have your own car. There's also the option to stay on campus after 1st year if you want, and a few students do this each year!

SCHEDULED HOURS: You should expect to be busy with content 9-5 mondays to fridays, with the exception of wednesday afternoons off. You will have anywhere between 4-12 hours of practical a week (each session 3-4 hours with breaks), 6-15 hours of lectures, 2-3 hours of small group working, and 2-6 hours of 'self-directed learning'. These ratios vary massively depending on the week, but you never have timetabled work before 9am or past 5pm.

JOBS: Getting a job in the evenings/weekends is absolutely doable, and I know a fair few people who do, but if you want to study out of hours (many first years do, but I don't really recommend it!) you'll need to make sure you can fit this in at a level that is comfortable for you There's usually jobs going in the local pubs, a fair few students work in the shop, cafe or bar on campus, or you can work as a student ambassador, etc etc. So long story short, if you want to get a job, you absolutely will be able to

HANDS ON: Nottingham is the BEST for being hands-on! As I mentioned before, you will normally have about 3 practical sessions a week (starting right from day one!) and each one is 3-4 hours long. The topics range from animal handling, to dissection, to diagnostic skills, to lab work, and they are designed to compliment the theory you learn that week. There's also an open 'clinical skills centre' that you can book onto at any time you're not in timetabled in teaching to practice your technique for all manner of things from injections to urinalysis to suturing. There is no 'theory THEN practical' concept here, you learn everything synchronously.

COURSE STRUCTURE: Progressing through 1st and 2nd year, you will study five different body systems that together make up 'the healthy animal'. Each system is taught as a 'block', eg you start Neuromusculoskeletal on day one of first year and study that every day until you've finished and it's time to move onto Circulation & Respiration. Topics like microbiology, parasitology etc are 'embedded', eg you cover aspects of them in each body system module when the time comes. In both years you also take modules about animal health and welfare (eg husbandry, ethics, etc) and professional skills (eg client communication, self reflection etc). In these 'pre-clinical' years, it's all about the normal animal, but you supplement this with Clinical Relevance sessions where you work through example veterinary cases in small groups.
In 3rd year, you do your research project (hello, BVMedSci degree), then move onto some fun modules where you start learning how to scrub up, gown and glove, and suture; how to perform a rectal examination a cow, all that jazz! You also study stuff like how drugs work in the body, how to prescribe and break bad news to clients, and you do a module on veterniary public health (think post-mortems, epidemiology, the food industry etc). You graduate with your BVMedSci, and then start the clinical phase of the course!
In 4th year, you repeat all the modules from 1st and 2nd year but with a clinical focus - you learn about the abnormal animal, and how to diagnose and treat all these new conditions. It's an intense year, but it's the first time you start to feel like a proper vet!
And then finally, you spend all of 5th year out on rotation and placement, putting into practice everything you learnt in 4th year, before you graduate for the second time with your BVM BVS
(NB the two graduations thing is specific to Nottingham uni, I think the only other vet course that does this is the 6 year one at Cambridge? But I may be wrong!)

INTERCALATION: Yes, I did a sandwich year! Between 3rd and 4th year, or between 4th and 5th (like me), you can choose to intercalate if you want. Some people do an intercalated masters in a research project of their choosing, and others (like me) do a PGcert in Veterinary Education - aka a teaching internship. I'd say about 4-5 students do one of these every year? Let me know if you want any more info

INTERVIEWS: These do change every year, but generally Nottingham likes to do an interview with a couple of members of staff (I found this to be really quite relaxed), a group task with a bunch of other applicants, and a 'practical' task, which is often where you're presented with a veterinary-related object/image that you have no knowledge about, and they'll get you to talk through what you see and what you think it might be etc. You may also be provided with a piece of equipment and some instructions and have to work through it. In all of these, just bear in mind that they're not looking for what you know, it's more about the way you think, the way you can process instructions and questions, and how you work through things that you don't know the answer to. So don't panic if you don't know something!
It's completely normal to be nervous about interviews (every single one of us is!) but I can honestly say Nottingham was my favourite interview experience. Everyone was super friendly, there were loads of helpers around if I had questions, and they made everyone feel really welcomed and at ease very quickly. You'll be fine!!!

I really hope this all helps! If you have any further questions about anything please do let me know! You're also welcome to private message me if you have any more personal questions

WOWOWOWOW! This has been SO SO helpful! Thank you so much, I was feeling a bit down after visiting the campus as, although it was so pretty and nice, I thought I’d be too secluded. But you have reassured me so much, and I think Notts is now my top choice! Thank you!

One last question, are you able to choose between which cohort you enter (September or April) or is this something that’s offered to you? Would you recommend one over the other?

Thanks again!

Hi everyone! As we get closer to the summer I know a lot of people will be starting to think about university applications.
I'm Charli, and I'm about to start my final year of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nottingham.
I'm here to offer advice, reassurance and support with all things studies, university applications, personal statements and work experience, plus I'll try and answer any questions you have about what it's really like to be a vet student
Let me know what you want to know! xxx