Which Vet Uni
Trying to decide which 4 vet schools to apply for (2025 intake). What is the best way to find out about the pros and cons of each school / different course structures / whether teaching is more practical or theoretical etc. I have already attended the Liverpool open day and have others lined up, and I have read the online course description for each uni, but would be really interested to hear why people chose specific unis to apply for, which offer they accepted and why. Really worried about making the wrong choice!
Original post by Karyn Coburn
Trying to decide which 4 vet schools to apply for (2025 intake). What is the best way to find out about the pros and cons of each school / different course structures / whether teaching is more practical or theoretical etc. I have already attended the Liverpool open day and have others lined up, and I have read the online course description for each uni, but would be really interested to hear why people chose specific unis to apply for, which offer they accepted and why. Really worried about making the wrong choice!
Hi! Im also applying for 2025 intake and my current options are between RVC and Edinburgh. I did not go to the Liverpool open day, how did you find it?
Reply 2
Original post by icebear05
Hi! Im also applying for 2025 intake and my current options are between RVC and Edinburgh. I did not go to the Liverpool open day, how did you find it?
That msg was actually my daughter using my account as she hasn’t got her own on here yet. She isn’t home so I’m answering for her based on what she told me - she liked the idea of being on the main campus in the city and being able to mix with students from all courses. She also liked the campus itself and the location because it’s close but not too close to home, so a lot of personal preference. She had only just started researching courses when we attended last year, and it was her first uni visit, so there was nothing to compare it against. Sorry we can’t be more helpful.
Reply 3
There is no right or wrong, honestly doing your research and knowing your vague preferences is the only way to choose. Look at the type of campus, curriculum style, potential expenses, facilities etc - most of these don't require going to an open day to find out. I'm also a firm believer that 99% of students will enjoy wherever they end up at, and in some respects the right uni will choose you - you apply to 4 options but it isn't uncommon to only get 1 offer. I don't have any personal reasoning to share as Liverpool was my only offer in 2 years of applying, but I did want to have some time at a 'normal' campus and I really love the city and it's quite cheap, so I'm happy I ended up where I am.
Original post by RambleAmple
There is no right or wrong, honestly doing your research and knowing your vague preferences is the only way to choose. Look at the type of campus, curriculum style, potential expenses, facilities etc - most of these don't require going to an open day to find out. I'm also a firm believer that 99% of students will enjoy wherever they end up at, and in some respects the right uni will choose you - you apply to 4 options but it isn't uncommon to only get 1 offer. I don't have any personal reasoning to share as Liverpool was my only offer in 2 years of applying, but I did want to have some time at a 'normal' campus and I really love the city and it's quite cheap, so I'm happy I ended up where I am.
Do you mind telling me what your uni vet application looked like as I am worried my grades and application is not good enough.
Reply 5
Original post by icebear05
Do you mind telling me what your uni vet application looked like as I am worried my grades and application is not good enough.
What are your grades and work experience? Getting above the minimum doesn’t matter but getting the minimum is essential - someone getting all 9s and A*s is not ranked any higher than someone who has just the minimum. I got two A *s and an A, at GCSE I can’t remember anymore but I had everything above a 7 except 6s in maths and physics - this was actually an issue with finding places I could apply to, less so of an issue when I had to reapply with actual A Level grades already as they were more willing to forgive it. I did however only scrape minimum work experience first time I applied and the second time I tripled the normal requirements and I felt that really helped in terms of knowing what to talk about on forms and interviews etc.
Reply 6
baffled
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by RambleAmple
What are your grades and work experience? Getting above the minimum doesn’t matter but getting the minimum is essential - someone getting all 9s and A*s is not ranked any higher than someone who has just the minimum. I got two A *s and an A, at GCSE I can’t remember anymore but I had everything above a 7 except 6s in maths and physics - this was actually an issue with finding places I could apply to, less so of an issue when I had to reapply with actual A Level grades already as they were more willing to forgive it. I did however only scrape minimum work experience first time I applied and the second time I tripled the normal requirements and I felt that really helped in terms of knowing what to talk about on forms and interviews etc.
My work experience currently only contains volunteering at my local horse riding centre and a week on a farm and a day in a vets clinic. Is this enough and where else should I look? I feel like everyone is either full or doesn’t accept work experience
Reply 8
Original post by icebear05
My work experience currently only contains volunteering at my local horse riding centre and a week on a farm and a day in a vets clinic. Is this enough and where else should I look? I feel like everyone is either full or doesn’t accept work experience
Each uni sets out their requirements for WEX very clearly on their websites. It sounds like you need to be getting more time in a vet practice - that is where you will see the job in action before committing the next 5 years towards becoming a vet.
Reply 10
Original post by icebear05
My work experience currently only contains volunteering at my local horse riding centre and a week on a farm and a day in a vets clinic. Is this enough and where else should I look? I feel like everyone is either full or doesn’t accept work experience
Once you’ve decided where you might apply look and find out which one requires the most WEX and essentially that is your minimum
6 weeks is a safe bet I think, but spread your type of WEX so a week small animal vet practice, a week large animal practice, maybe 2 different weeks on farms with 2 different species, maybe a week with horses, and then a week at say a kennels or Cattery… just an example of how to ‘spread the load’ over all the areas. You don’t get extra ‘points’ for doing more than they require but it gives you lots to talk about in interviews.
Most of the vet schools also like/require the Nottingham university online course which is essentially 2 weeks of WEX (I think)
Reply 11
Original post by Karyn Coburn
Trying to decide which 4 vet schools to apply for (2025 intake). What is the best way to find out about the pros and cons of each school / different course structures / whether teaching is more practical or theoretical etc. I have already attended the Liverpool open day and have others lined up, and I have read the online course description for each uni, but would be really interested to hear why people chose specific unis to apply for, which offer they accepted and why. Really worried about making the wrong choice!
Hiya, I’m in the same position as you and I’m applying for 2025 entry. My main choice is RVC and then I’m applying for notts because of the location. Maybe try looking at the ranking of the uni in the UK and some unis have the course content on for each year so maybe look at that. Looking at the course really helped me because I want to work with large animals and livestock which both RVC and uni if notts both look at
Reply 12
Original post by Karyn Coburn
Trying to decide which 4 vet schools to apply for (2025 intake). What is the best way to find out about the pros and cons of each school / different course structures / whether teaching is more practical or theoretical etc. I have already attended the Liverpool open day and have others lined up, and I have read the online course description for each uni, but would be really interested to hear why people chose specific unis to apply for, which offer they accepted and why. Really worried about making the wrong choice!
Hi Karyn Coburn,
I'm Martina and I am first year veterinary student at the University of Central Lancashire.
As I am near the end of my first year (finals are approaching!) and I tought it was nice to share my experience so far 😀.
I've been really impressed by quality of teaching, how approachable the staff has been with us and the type of facilities available at the newly build vet school. When I chose UCLan, it was mainly for two reasons: the location was convenient for me and I wanted lots of hands-on practice, which is something the course offered from year one.
What's been amazing for me, and something other universities don't offer, is how much time we spend doing practical stuff each week. We have 3 hours of dissections, 3 hours clinical skills practicals (like injections, injections, intubation, and cardiac auscultations etc...) and 3 hours doing animal handling with various species every week, starting from the first year.
Also, in January each year, we go on clinical placements, called IMR, and we spend 2 weeks in a clinical (large or small animals) followed by an experience vet and the rest of the clinical team. This early exposure ensures that by the time we reach the third year, we've already established a solid foundation to excel in our clinical EMS.
I hope this helps!😉
Best wishes,
Martina - 1st Year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
Reply 13
Original post by UCLan Student
Hi Karyn Coburn,
I'm Martina and I am first year veterinary student at the University of Central Lancashire.
As I am near the end of my first year (finals are approaching!) and I tought it was nice to share my experience so far 😀.
I've been really impressed by quality of teaching, how approachable the staff has been with us and the type of facilities available at the newly build vet school. When I chose UCLan, it was mainly for two reasons: the location was convenient for me and I wanted lots of hands-on practice, which is something the course offered from year one.
What's been amazing for me, and something other universities don't offer, is how much time we spend doing practical stuff each week. We have 3 hours of dissections, 3 hours clinical skills practicals (like injections, injections, intubation, and cardiac auscultations etc...) and 3 hours doing animal handling with various species every week, starting from the first year.
Also, in January each year, we go on clinical placements, called IMR, and we spend 2 weeks in a clinical (large or small animals) followed by an experience vet and the rest of the clinical team. This early exposure ensures that by the time we reach the third year, we've already established a solid foundation to excel in our clinical EMS.
I hope this helps!😉
Best wishes,
Martina - 1st Year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
I'm Martina and I am first year veterinary student at the University of Central Lancashire.
As I am near the end of my first year (finals are approaching!) and I tought it was nice to share my experience so far 😀.
I've been really impressed by quality of teaching, how approachable the staff has been with us and the type of facilities available at the newly build vet school. When I chose UCLan, it was mainly for two reasons: the location was convenient for me and I wanted lots of hands-on practice, which is something the course offered from year one.
What's been amazing for me, and something other universities don't offer, is how much time we spend doing practical stuff each week. We have 3 hours of dissections, 3 hours clinical skills practicals (like injections, injections, intubation, and cardiac auscultations etc...) and 3 hours doing animal handling with various species every week, starting from the first year.
Also, in January each year, we go on clinical placements, called IMR, and we spend 2 weeks in a clinical (large or small animals) followed by an experience vet and the rest of the clinical team. This early exposure ensures that by the time we reach the third year, we've already established a solid foundation to excel in our clinical EMS.
I hope this helps!😉
Best wishes,
Martina - 1st Year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
Just to say. My daughter is a first year at Nottingham. They have the same level of hands on right from day one
Reply 14
Original post by happyplace11
Just to say. My daughter is a first year at Nottingham. They have the same level of hands on right from day one
Thank you, we have heard that Nottingham is quite practical based. Did your daughter start in the September or the April? Do you think it matters?
Reply 15
Original post by UCLan Student
Hi Karyn Coburn,
I'm Martina and I am first year veterinary student at the University of Central Lancashire.
As I am near the end of my first year (finals are approaching!) and I tought it was nice to share my experience so far 😀.
I've been really impressed by quality of teaching, how approachable the staff has been with us and the type of facilities available at the newly build vet school. When I chose UCLan, it was mainly for two reasons: the location was convenient for me and I wanted lots of hands-on practice, which is something the course offered from year one.
What's been amazing for me, and something other universities don't offer, is how much time we spend doing practical stuff each week. We have 3 hours of dissections, 3 hours clinical skills practicals (like injections, injections, intubation, and cardiac auscultations etc...) and 3 hours doing animal handling with various species every week, starting from the first year.
Also, in January each year, we go on clinical placements, called IMR, and we spend 2 weeks in a clinical (large or small animals) followed by an experience vet and the rest of the clinical team. This early exposure ensures that by the time we reach the third year, we've already established a solid foundation to excel in our clinical EMS.
I hope this helps!😉
Best wishes,
Martina - 1st Year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
I'm Martina and I am first year veterinary student at the University of Central Lancashire.
As I am near the end of my first year (finals are approaching!) and I tought it was nice to share my experience so far 😀.
I've been really impressed by quality of teaching, how approachable the staff has been with us and the type of facilities available at the newly build vet school. When I chose UCLan, it was mainly for two reasons: the location was convenient for me and I wanted lots of hands-on practice, which is something the course offered from year one.
What's been amazing for me, and something other universities don't offer, is how much time we spend doing practical stuff each week. We have 3 hours of dissections, 3 hours clinical skills practicals (like injections, injections, intubation, and cardiac auscultations etc...) and 3 hours doing animal handling with various species every week, starting from the first year.
Also, in January each year, we go on clinical placements, called IMR, and we spend 2 weeks in a clinical (large or small animals) followed by an experience vet and the rest of the clinical team. This early exposure ensures that by the time we reach the third year, we've already established a solid foundation to excel in our clinical EMS.
I hope this helps!😉
Best wishes,
Martina - 1st Year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
Thank you, that’s really useful. Are all the vet buildings / facilities now complete or are some still a work in progress? I know my daughter is concerned that the uni experience won’t be as good at UCLan given it’s not near a major city and the campus not offering as much as, for example, Liverpool. How do you find it student life? Is there still a lot to do on campus, has it been ok getting to know other students / making friends?
Reply 16
Original post by Karyn Coburn
Thank you, we have heard that Nottingham is quite practical based. Did your daughter start in the September or the April? Do you think it matters?
For those who are in the April cohort they know no different and all seem very happy. My daughter plays netball and although she loves playing for the Sutton Bonington team she really wanted to play for the main university team too. Consequently it really mattered to her to start in September. It’s definitely a different vibe in April but not in a bad way. My daughter said they basically never see the April students so I suppose where she has the social life with all the other courses at SB and on main campus for April students it really is just vets.
I think if Nottingham was your first choice it would be silly not to go in April if that’s what they offered you. Also it would be mad to turn it down if it was your only offer. But if you want to play University sport to any level it can seriously impact that being in the April cohort. I remember a dairy farmer telling her to take any offer she got from Nottingham because he really rated the Notts students he’d had on placement. But she would have really struggled with the compromise of not having her university netball. Hope this helps? I’m sure there may be April students on here who could speak more about their experiences. They are definitely the ones to ask 😊
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