Looking to speak to a vet who qualified as a mature student.
Hi I was just hoping to find someone who may know or is a mature vet student or graduate. I am applying for the accelerated vet courses and would love some advice and gain some insight from someone who’s already done it and maybe qualified in their 30’s or 40’s? If anyone knows of anybody that may be able to offer me advice I’d really appreciate it! I’m hoping to reapply this year and would love to get some support from someone who has qualified as a mature student.
Many thanks in advance
Megan
Many thanks in advance
Megan
Potentially neither of those - I didn't have another degree but I did work in a kennel/on a dairy farm for several years after sixth form before heading to vet school.
Qualified mid 20's
Qualified mid 20's
Try @Issyvet22 .she’s in her late twenties with two young children and starting this year. But really don’t worry my DD has many students in their twenties, thirties and forties in her standard five year cohort, with one even a fair bit older!
I'm a mature student in my 20s and I have many friends at vet school 20+ and even a couple in their 30s and 40s. Are there any particular questions you have? 
Not crazy, I've just qualified aged 49 (5 yr course, not accelerated) and had the best time! Happy to chat if you want to message me
Original post by Megan9086
Hi I was just hoping to find someone who may know or is a mature vet student or graduate. I am applying for the accelerated vet courses and would love some advice and gain some insight from someone who’s already done it and maybe qualified in their 30’s or 40’s? If anyone knows of anybody that may be able to offer me advice I’d really appreciate it! I’m hoping to reapply this year and would love to get some support from someone who has qualified as a mature student.
Many thanks in advance
Megan
Many thanks in advance
Megan
Hello!
Applied as a graduate for vet med and started when I was 24.
Qualified when I was 30.
Any questions fire away!
Oh that’s is so amazing. Congratulations. Well I hadn’t even thought of applying for the 5 year courses as thought I’d have a better chance with the accelerated course but maybe I should apply for 5 year courses too. Did you get in first time on applying? Did you have a lot of work experience? I’m just trying to work out some updated work experience between current job as physio and two young children.
What was your experience like being a mature student in that environment? Do you mind what uni you went to? Would be great to have your insight! Thanks for replying.
What was your experience like being a mature student in that environment? Do you mind what uni you went to? Would be great to have your insight! Thanks for replying.
Original post by Megan9086
Oh that’s is so amazing. Congratulations. Well I hadn’t even thought of applying for the 5 year courses as thought I’d have a better chance with the accelerated course but maybe I should apply for 5 year courses too. Did you get in first time on applying? Did you have a lot of work experience? I’m just trying to work out some updated work experience between current job as physio and two young children.
What was your experience like being a mature student in that environment? Do you mind what uni you went to? Would be great to have your insight! Thanks for replying.
What was your experience like being a mature student in that environment? Do you mind what uni you went to? Would be great to have your insight! Thanks for replying.
The accelerated courses tend to have less places than the normal 5 year courses and if you have all the relavent qualifications then it’s worth applying for the 5 year ones as well.
i got in on my third application. First was straight from college, second was after finishing my first degree and third and final time was a year after finishing my degree and I had worked in practice for a year between second application and third. It’s definitely what made my application really strong and probably why I then got the place.
i had a lot of work experience, far more than required but they have also since dropped the work experience requirements since I applied so if I’d have applied now I’d have had far too much! I’ve got all my exp on my profile though under about me section.
it made no difference to me that I was a mature student as actually I was one of several. My friends were all mature students and there was probably about 10 of us in the year who were either mature students or graduates. There will always be people in the same position as you. Some of them had children (I’ve had my child since qualifying but there were people in my year with young kids already) so they managed with small people too.
i loved liverpool, but to be honest I’d have probably been happy anywhere I was given a place and it just so happened liverpool was my only offer so I didn’t have a choice where I went, but having the option to live in the city for the first 3 years then have a countryside campus was actually really nice. Had the best of both worlds with shopping/social life and the freedom of fields and beaches with wales being so close too.
this is a super useful thread - thank you.
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
Original post by ChiefBrody
this is a super useful thread - thank you.
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
Only concern around doing another degree first is funding, unless you/she is wealthy enough to self-fund the full course (so no tuition fees from student finance). If she thinks the course will be too much now, far better to take time out after A levels and get more experience etc. Will be quicker and considerably cheaper.
Good luck,
Greg
Original post by ChiefBrody
this is a super useful thread - thank you.
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
I wouldn’t advise doing another degree first. Even if financially it’s not a limiting factor for you It won’t remove the work experience requirements, and in some cases the A level conditions remain plus the need for a 2:1 or higher in the first degree . Added to this doing 3 years of a first degree and then four or five years of vet ( many graduates don’t get accelerated places) means that academic burn out is a real risk.
If your daughter wants to do vet and she hasn’t the necessary work experience to apply to her chosen schools ( even though the minimum requirements have been significantly lowered over the past years, and Surrey has removed it completely for the 2024 intake), then I strongly advise a gap year. Financially, physically and mentally it’s the easiest route.
(edited 7 months ago)
Original post by ChiefBrody
this is a super useful thread - thank you.
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
My youngest daughter is 16, doing A levels. She thinks she wants to be a vet but has been a bit overwhelmed by what she learnt at Vet Med open days, the work experience admission requirements, the course work load etc
One possible route for her is BSc Bio Vet Science (or something similar) and then look to transition to doing D100 Vet Med in a few years - it seems that this is way more normal than it might be in A100 Medicine
So do all Vet Med courses accept mature applicants? And if so how do you use UCAS if you left school already?
If she's on track grades-wise, then there's really no reason to consider the graduate route. The graduate route is more competitive in many cases so she may not even get an offer, and she would not be entitled to a tuition loan for the veterinary medicine course if she finally gets onto it, meaning you would need to fund a minimum of £46,000 for her studies, potentially more. The graduate route often requires good or the same A Levels as the post-A Level route; it cannot be used as a way to get into vet school with lesser grades.
Besides the course work load will be the same regardless of if she has a degree prior! If she wants to be a vet she can manage it. And if she's passionate about veterinary, then it can be frustrating to spend 3 years studying Bio Vet, which is not where her passions lie. Would she not rather spend those three years studying veterinary, and end up being a vet sooner?
The vet course is hard, but if she's getting the grades at A Level then she will definitely find it manageable. I hope that settles concerns somewhat.
If work experience is the main issue, it's very common to take a gap year before applying to vet med. The main issue is feeling 'left out' when friends go to uni. But speaking as someone who took a few gap years, quite a few ended up not going to uni alongside me, so there was plenty of my friends staying home to hang out with. Taking a gap year is hugely beneficial. It will allow her to exceed the work experience requirements and potentially get a job to help save for uni. Additionally, I found that I was a much more mature and well-rounded applicant for vet med, because I had taken some time away from the school system. I ended up working at a vet clinic throughout the year, and I believe this helped me to ace my interview, because I had a lot of personal experience to draw from and I understood the profession a lot better as a result.
Good luck to your daughter.
thanks folks - so much to learn . . .
The new plan A is go "all in" for D100 straight from school, working towards applying in October 2024 (so go after the work experience this year on that basis) but expect / plan to take a year out after A level to deepen the work experience (possibly retake an A level if its not good enough) and mature a little more.
The new plan A is go "all in" for D100 straight from school, working towards applying in October 2024 (so go after the work experience this year on that basis) but expect / plan to take a year out after A level to deepen the work experience (possibly retake an A level if its not good enough) and mature a little more.
Original post by ChiefBrody
thanks folks - so much to learn . . .
The new plan A is go "all in" for D100 straight from school, working towards applying in October 2024 (so go after the work experience this year on that basis) but expect / plan to take a year out after A level to deepen the work experience (possibly retake an A level if its not good enough) and mature a little more.
The new plan A is go "all in" for D100 straight from school, working towards applying in October 2024 (so go after the work experience this year on that basis) but expect / plan to take a year out after A level to deepen the work experience (possibly retake an A level if its not good enough) and mature a little more.
Wise decision, and your daughter is lucky you are all over this.
Good luck to you both,
Greg
Hope it's okay to reply here. I'm looking for advice too but with regards to earning potential while completing the degree?
How realistic the option of a part time evening/weekend role? And what jobs people have got during uni to help with the bills?
I'm a single, mature student with a mortgage, dogs and a lot of outgoings. No family/friends available to help with the dogs during the day so expenses will be increasing as I'll be sending them to daycare.
My mortgage is fixed for 5 years thankfully so will be stable for the first 3 years of uni at least (if I get a place). I'm also thinking of renting out a room to help with the bills so that combined with the maintenance loan will be a good start.
I have heard Wednesday afternoons are usually kept free - is this the same for all unis? I'm based in Manchester and I am applying to Harper & Keele, UCLan, and Liverpool.
How realistic the option of a part time evening/weekend role? And what jobs people have got during uni to help with the bills?
I'm a single, mature student with a mortgage, dogs and a lot of outgoings. No family/friends available to help with the dogs during the day so expenses will be increasing as I'll be sending them to daycare.
My mortgage is fixed for 5 years thankfully so will be stable for the first 3 years of uni at least (if I get a place). I'm also thinking of renting out a room to help with the bills so that combined with the maintenance loan will be a good start.
I have heard Wednesday afternoons are usually kept free - is this the same for all unis? I'm based in Manchester and I am applying to Harper & Keele, UCLan, and Liverpool.
Wednesday afternoons are free for sporting events so in theory a part time job is possible. Whether you could do more than this depends on your learning style. The course is very content heavy. If you manage to assimilate 60 slides per lecture without having to take notes from the online material available before the actual lecture, or don’t need to go over things afterwards then you will have time on your hands, BUT most students do need to do one or the other. That doesn’t mean that they can’t join societies etc and have social or sporting interests at vet school , but in order to do so there are some late night or early morning work sessions needed to free up the time. The same would be true if you want to work rather than join societies. However as no two weeks have the same work burden, and you would have to factor in EMS, a job is slightly more complicated. Whilst you can skip a dance class or a session at the gym, telling your employer that this week is complicated for you might go down less well.
Original post by dorris23
Hope it's okay to reply here. I'm looking for advice too but with regards to earning potential while completing the degree?
How realistic the option of a part time evening/weekend role? And what jobs people have got during uni to help with the bills?
I'm a single, mature student with a mortgage, dogs and a lot of outgoings. No family/friends available to help with the dogs during the day so expenses will be increasing as I'll be sending them to daycare.
My mortgage is fixed for 5 years thankfully so will be stable for the first 3 years of uni at least (if I get a place). I'm also thinking of renting out a room to help with the bills so that combined with the maintenance loan will be a good start.
I have heard Wednesday afternoons are usually kept free - is this the same for all unis? I'm based in Manchester and I am applying to Harper & Keele, UCLan, and Liverpool.
How realistic the option of a part time evening/weekend role? And what jobs people have got during uni to help with the bills?
I'm a single, mature student with a mortgage, dogs and a lot of outgoings. No family/friends available to help with the dogs during the day so expenses will be increasing as I'll be sending them to daycare.
My mortgage is fixed for 5 years thankfully so will be stable for the first 3 years of uni at least (if I get a place). I'm also thinking of renting out a room to help with the bills so that combined with the maintenance loan will be a good start.
I have heard Wednesday afternoons are usually kept free - is this the same for all unis? I'm based in Manchester and I am applying to Harper & Keele, UCLan, and Liverpool.
Hi there @dorris23,
How are you?
It's great to read that you are looking to study here at UCLan! Do let me know if you have any questions about our Veterinary Medicine course or student life here and I'd be happy to help.
Many students have a part time job while studying at University so it's definitely an option for you. You'll find that most jobs will be on the weekend as this will allow flexibility around your studies. When you are applying for part time jobs, it's important to let you employer know that you are a student and you will need flexible working hours. Becoming a student ambassador at your chosen University is a great way to earn money whilst having a role that's flexible around your studies.
Here at UCLan our Student Ambassadors play an important role with:
✨ Open days
✨ Graduation
✨ School & college visits
✨ Speaking to the next set of students about your experience
✨ Involvement in virtual events and live chats
I hope this helps and wishing you all the best,
Sarah
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