Looking for Work experience for vet school application

7

Hi everyone

I have recently decided to go into veterinary science after pursuing a law degree. I have emailed more than 20 practices and farm but so far I have not had any good news.
The shelters near my home are also not accepting volunteers right now so I feel abit stuck.

If you can offer any animal handling experience, please reply to my post. I’m based in Manchester but willing to travel and take days off work.

Reply 1

Euapp

21

Original post

by Gabsgab

Hi everyone
I have recently decided to go into veterinary science after pursuing a law degree. I have emailed more than 20 practices and farm but so far I have not had any good news.
The shelters near my home are also not accepting volunteers right now so I feel abit stuck.
If you can offer any animal handling experience, please reply to my post. I’m based in Manchester but willing to travel and take days off work.

I would phone any sheep farmers in the surrounding areas. They may well have the number of required hands for lambing, but if you state that you are offering an extra pair of hands for free, that you don’t mind mucking out pens, filling water buckets and making tea all day, I’m sure someone will take you on. The same goes for stables. If you say you are willing to pick fields and muck out they are always looking for extra hands.
The best advice I can give you for clinical work is to literally go and see the vets at their practice. If you or one of your friends has several animals that are all followed by the same vet, try and get them to speak to the vet about you. You will eventually find something even if it’s not what you expected. Where we live there are no cattle, so we did goats and pigs instead, but even for that we had to travel 800km and couch surf for two weeks. There are no real rules in the breakdown of your husbandry experience, even at the most strict of schools so look into something like alpaca farms if you get no luck elsewhere .
Best of luck. If you don’t give up you will eventually be rewarded !

Reply 2

Vetmum13

9

Original post

by Gabsgab

Hi everyone
I have recently decided to go into veterinary science after pursuing a law degree. I have emailed more than 20 practices and farm but so far I have not had any good news.
The shelters near my home are also not accepting volunteers right now so I feel abit stuck.
If you can offer any animal handling experience, please reply to my post. I’m based in Manchester but willing to travel and take days off work.

My daughter found she had far more success calling or going in person to ask- it’s harder to say no to someone standing right in front of you. She only decided to apply for vet med 2 months before applications closed so she had to find work experience at the last minute and secured 5 weeks of varied work experience. Sheep farms are desperate for lambing help. Stables always looking for free labour! Try RSPA shelters too. Vet practices are harder to get into but more likely to say yes if you go in and say hi.
My daughter got a week’s experience at a leading equine hospital who have a 2 year waiting list for work experience by turning up and impressing them.

Reply 3

Vetmum13

9

Original post

by Euapp

I would phone any sheep farmers in the surrounding areas. They may well have the number of required hands for lambing, but if you state that you are offering an extra pair of hands for free, that you don’t mind mucking out pens, filling water buckets and making tea all day, I’m sure someone will take you on. The same goes for stables. If you say you are willing to pick fields and muck out they are always looking for extra hands.
The best advice I can give you for clinical work is to literally go and see the vets at their practice. If you or one of your friends has several animals that are all followed by the same vet, try and get them to speak to the vet about you. You will eventually find something even if it’s not what you expected. Where we live there are no cattle, so we did goats and pigs instead, but even for that we had to travel 800km and couch surf for two weeks. There are no real rules in the breakdown of your husbandry experience, even at the most strict of schools so look into something like alpaca farms if you get no luck elsewhere .
Best of luck. If you don’t give up you will eventually be rewarded !

Oops didn’t see your reply til mine posted! Saying same thing!

Reply 4

ujala1234

1

Original post

by Gabsgab

Hi everyone
I have recently decided to go into veterinary science after pursuing a law degree. I have emailed more than 20 practices and farm but so far I have not had any good news.
The shelters near my home are also not accepting volunteers right now so I feel abit stuck.
If you can offer any animal handling experience, please reply to my post. I’m based in Manchester but willing to travel and take days off work.

Hi, slightly unrelated but i'm stuck between choosing law or vet med, could I possibly ask why you have chosen vet med after completing your law degree?

Reply 5

username7733447

10

My advice for writing the emails is to write in a tone that makes them want to give you a role :smile:

Reply 6

ringi

14

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteering also 101 other such organisations

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 7

_ayla_

2

Original post

by Gabsgab

Hi everyone
I have recently decided to go into veterinary science after pursuing a law degree. I have emailed more than 20 practices and farm but so far I have not had any good news.
The shelters near my home are also not accepting volunteers right now so I feel abit stuck.
If you can offer any animal handling experience, please reply to my post. I’m based in Manchester but willing to travel and take days off work.

Call, go in person, and keep emailing. I emailed over 4 times(every few months) to the practice I currently work at before they had an opening. Also in the meantime get a customer facing job like a store clerk or waiter, this will help because it shows you can interact well will people and tolerate demanding clients.

Reply 8

Gabsgab

OP

7

Hi everyone. Thanks for your replies! I have taken your advice and contacted every vet practice and farm near my house and successfully secured 5 placements!

Looking for Work experience for vet school application

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