Advice on which vet school to choose.
Hi everyone,
I am looking to get some advice on which vet school to go to. I have been accepted into the 5 year program at Bristol, RVC, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
I’m not really focused on rankings since I know RVC is ranked #1 and I’m more focused on the programs and student experience.
I think I have narrowed my options down to Bristol or Edinburgh and I was hoping to hear about students’ experiences there as I am trying to compare the programs.
One thing I am particularly interested in is the amount of hands on experience students get during the first two years at the vet schools. So if any current students can give me more information on this, that would be great.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me advice or can give me more information on the programs.
I am looking to get some advice on which vet school to go to. I have been accepted into the 5 year program at Bristol, RVC, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
I’m not really focused on rankings since I know RVC is ranked #1 and I’m more focused on the programs and student experience.
I think I have narrowed my options down to Bristol or Edinburgh and I was hoping to hear about students’ experiences there as I am trying to compare the programs.
One thing I am particularly interested in is the amount of hands on experience students get during the first two years at the vet schools. So if any current students can give me more information on this, that would be great.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me advice or can give me more information on the programs.
(edited 1 month ago)
Scroll to see replies
Bristol have recently reformed their program to be very clinically focussed and that is reflected in their practicals. They have essentially cut all histology out because it’s just not that clinically relevant as a vet, we do bits and pieces like being able to identify parasites etc but nothing too deep.
In first year you will do lots of animal handling whereas second year this will decrease however there’s still some, second year has more of a focus on clinical skills so you may not be handling as many animals but you do lots of practical skills such as dentistry, gloving/gowning, anaesthesia and suturing really to prepare you for your clinical years. There’s still animal handling but most of it is in second term after Xmas you don’t do a lot first term which tbh given it’s very content heavy is probably a blessing!
In first year you will do lots of animal handling whereas second year this will decrease however there’s still some, second year has more of a focus on clinical skills so you may not be handling as many animals but you do lots of practical skills such as dentistry, gloving/gowning, anaesthesia and suturing really to prepare you for your clinical years. There’s still animal handling but most of it is in second term after Xmas you don’t do a lot first term which tbh given it’s very content heavy is probably a blessing!
Original post by ALEreapp
Bristol have recently reformed their program to be very clinically focussed and that is reflected in their practicals. They have essentially cut all histology out because it’s just not that clinically relevant as a vet, we do bits and pieces like being able to identify parasites etc but nothing too deep.
In first year you will do lots of animal handling whereas second year this will decrease however there’s still some, second year has more of a focus on clinical skills so you may not be handling as many animals but you do lots of practical skills such as dentistry, gloving/gowning, anaesthesia and suturing really to prepare you for your clinical years. There’s still animal handling but most of it is in second term after Xmas you don’t do a lot first term which tbh given it’s very content heavy is probably a blessing!
In first year you will do lots of animal handling whereas second year this will decrease however there’s still some, second year has more of a focus on clinical skills so you may not be handling as many animals but you do lots of practical skills such as dentistry, gloving/gowning, anaesthesia and suturing really to prepare you for your clinical years. There’s still animal handling but most of it is in second term after Xmas you don’t do a lot first term which tbh given it’s very content heavy is probably a blessing!
That’s great to hear!
I am really interested in exotics, do you get any experience with exotic handling at all?
Original post by Chloe507
That’s great to hear!
I am really interested in exotics, do you get any experience with exotic handling at all?
I am really interested in exotics, do you get any experience with exotic handling at all?
That’s all in second year but yes, we have a practical where we go to a petting zoo place and do an exotics handling practical. We do rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, and a couple of types of reptiles.
Original post by Chloe507
Hi everyone,
I am looking to get some advice on which vet school to go to. I have been accepted into the 5 year program at Bristol, RVC, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
I’m not really focused on rankings since I know RVC is ranked #1 and I’m more focused on the programs and student experience.
I think I have narrowed my options down to Bristol or Edinburgh and I was hoping to hear about students’ experiences there as I am trying to compare the programs.
One thing I am particularly interested in is the amount of hands on experience students get during the first two years at the vet schools. So if any current students can give me more information on this, that would be great.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me advice or can give me more information on the programs.
I am looking to get some advice on which vet school to go to. I have been accepted into the 5 year program at Bristol, RVC, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
I’m not really focused on rankings since I know RVC is ranked #1 and I’m more focused on the programs and student experience.
I think I have narrowed my options down to Bristol or Edinburgh and I was hoping to hear about students’ experiences there as I am trying to compare the programs.
One thing I am particularly interested in is the amount of hands on experience students get during the first two years at the vet schools. So if any current students can give me more information on this, that would be great.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me advice or can give me more information on the programs.
Hi there,
My daughter is at Notts and she specifically chose it as she felt it was the most practical and hands on degree offered by any of the vets schools. They handle animals throughout the course and extensively so they turn out very practical vets. She had offers from multiple uni's too and turned them down in favour of Notts. The student experience is also really good - you live on Sutton Bonnington with all the other vets in halls in year 1 (if you want, you can also go to halls on main campus in Notts). Then in subsequent years many vets move to Notts (free bus run by the uni to Sutton Bonnington) or surrounding area. She plays lots of sport so has friends on many many different courses not just veterinary. RVC will be good some years in London and others out in the country but I have heard that it is really really expensive so unless you particularly loved it being in London won't necessarily make you a better vet but will make you have a larger student debt. I don't know much about Bristol (though it was our nearest vet uni) except my daughter said the course seemed far more academics based and less hands on which is what she wanted. Make sure one of your uni choices has lower grade boundaries so you have a just-in-case option.
Original post by Mimote
I don't know much about Bristol (though it was our nearest vet uni) except my daughter said the course seemed far more academics based and less hands on which is what she wanted.
I’m unsure when your daughter looked at the vet school, but given the new curriculum (I am part of the first cohort on their BVSc28 curriculum and just finishing second year) it couldn’t be more different to that. They have taken so much feedback on board we have hands on practicals constantly, not sure what your version of ‘academics based’ is but we do less lab stuff than most vet schools (because as a vet in clinic it’s just not that common) in all honesty hence my response regarding histology.
If you aren’t sure and don’t know much about a school please don’t make assumptions when comparing vet schools because it can give completely the wrong impression to applicants trying to make informed choices😊
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by ALEreapp
I’m unsure when your daughter looked at the vet school, but given the new curriculum (I am part of the first cohort on their BVSc28 curriculum and just finishing second year) it couldn’t be more different to that. They have taken so much feedback on board we have hands on practicals constantly, not sure what your version of ‘academics based’ is but we do less lab stuff than most vet schools (because as a vet in clinic it’s just not that common) in all honesty hence my response regarding histology.
If you aren’t sure and don’t know much about a school please don’t make assumptions when comparing vet schools because it can give completely the wrong impression to applicants trying to make informed choices😊
If you aren’t sure and don’t know much about a school please don’t make assumptions when comparing vet schools because it can give completely the wrong impression to applicants trying to make informed choices😊
I know you have asked specifically about the course and student experience and I can’t answer those as my daughter is at a different vet school. I do however think that as @ALEreapp said the older vet schools have updated their curriculums and almost all vet schools are very hands on and practical now. My daughter is at a newer vet school and they have a half day of animal handling on rotation each week, lots of lab practicals and rotation in vet practice from year 1.
However I would also suggest thinking about transport links and getting home- obviously both Edinburgh and Bristol have good transport links.
And consider cost of accommodation and ease of securing accommodation. In Edinburgh and Bristol accommodation is expensive but they are great cities.
RVC great transport links being in London but accommodation costs are extremely high, Nottingham is cheaper but far from transport links as it’s in a rural location.
However I would also suggest thinking about transport links and getting home- obviously both Edinburgh and Bristol have good transport links.
And consider cost of accommodation and ease of securing accommodation. In Edinburgh and Bristol accommodation is expensive but they are great cities.
RVC great transport links being in London but accommodation costs are extremely high, Nottingham is cheaper but far from transport links as it’s in a rural location.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Mimote
Hi there,
My daughter is at Notts and she specifically chose it as she felt it was the most practical and hands on degree offered by any of the vets schools. They handle animals throughout the course and extensively so they turn out very practical vets. She had offers from multiple uni's too and turned them down in favour of Notts. The student experience is also really good - you live on Sutton Bonnington with all the other vets in halls in year 1 (if you want, you can also go to halls on main campus in Notts). Then in subsequent years many vets move to Notts (free bus run by the uni to Sutton Bonnington) or surrounding area. She plays lots of sport so has friends on many many different courses not just veterinary. RVC will be good some years in London and others out in the country but I have heard that it is really really expensive so unless you particularly loved it being in London won't necessarily make you a better vet but will make you have a larger student debt. I don't know much about Bristol (though it was our nearest vet uni) except my daughter said the course seemed far more academics based and less hands on which is what she wanted. Make sure one of your uni choices has lower grade boundaries so you have a just-in-case option.
My daughter is at Notts and she specifically chose it as she felt it was the most practical and hands on degree offered by any of the vets schools. They handle animals throughout the course and extensively so they turn out very practical vets. She had offers from multiple uni's too and turned them down in favour of Notts. The student experience is also really good - you live on Sutton Bonnington with all the other vets in halls in year 1 (if you want, you can also go to halls on main campus in Notts). Then in subsequent years many vets move to Notts (free bus run by the uni to Sutton Bonnington) or surrounding area. She plays lots of sport so has friends on many many different courses not just veterinary. RVC will be good some years in London and others out in the country but I have heard that it is really really expensive so unless you particularly loved it being in London won't necessarily make you a better vet but will make you have a larger student debt. I don't know much about Bristol (though it was our nearest vet uni) except my daughter said the course seemed far more academics based and less hands on which is what she wanted. Make sure one of your uni choices has lower grade boundaries so you have a just-in-case option.
Thanks for the reply! It’s nice to hear that your daughter enjoys notts.
Is your daughter part of the September or April cohort?
Original post by ALEreapp
That’s all in second year but yes, we have a practical where we go to a petting zoo place and do an exotics handling practical. We do rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, and a couple of types of reptiles.
That sounds awesome!
I was also wondering about where you do your rotations in fifth year, is it at the school’s clinics or do you go elsewhere?
Original post by ALEreapp
I’m unsure when your daughter looked at the vet school, but given the new curriculum (I am part of the first cohort on their BVSc28 curriculum and just finishing second year) it couldn’t be more different to that. They have taken so much feedback on board we have hands on practicals constantly, not sure what your version of ‘academics based’ is but we do less lab stuff than most vet schools (because as a vet in clinic it’s just not that common) in all honesty hence my response regarding histology.
If you aren’t sure and don’t know much about a school please don’t make assumptions when comparing vet schools because it can give completely the wrong impression to applicants trying to make informed choices😊
If you aren’t sure and don’t know much about a school please don’t make assumptions when comparing vet schools because it can give completely the wrong impression to applicants trying to make informed choices😊
I refer you back to my original comment that I did not know much about Bristol other than what I had been told by my daughter. I did not make an assumption but reported what I had heard and knew. And yes it was a few years ago that she looked at Bristol. I am glad you were able to give a very recent report on Bristol. Also as you can see I gave first hand information about Notts and made it clear that this was the university my daughter had chosen.
Original post by Vetmum13
I know you have asked specifically about the course and student experience and I can’t answer those as my daughter is at a different vet school. I do however think that as @ALEreapp said the older vet schools have updated their curriculums and almost all vet schools are very hands on and practical now. My daughter is at a newer vet school and they have a half day of animal handling on rotation each week, lots of lab practicals and rotation in vet practice from year 1.
However I would also suggest thinking about transport links and getting home- obviously both Edinburgh and Bristol have good transport links.
And consider cost of accommodation and ease of securing accommodation. In Edinburgh and Bristol accommodation is expensive but they are great cities.
RVC great transport links being in London but accommodation costs are extremely high, Nottingham is cheaper but far from transport links as it’s in a rural location.
However I would also suggest thinking about transport links and getting home- obviously both Edinburgh and Bristol have good transport links.
And consider cost of accommodation and ease of securing accommodation. In Edinburgh and Bristol accommodation is expensive but they are great cities.
RVC great transport links being in London but accommodation costs are extremely high, Nottingham is cheaper but far from transport links as it’s in a rural location.
Think you’re absolutely right. For each uni you have to analyse all aspect and determine which ones are important to you. For my daughter she loved the hands on of Notts and the fact that its campus was based in the country and not in the heart of a big city. She’s a country girl At heart. Just a note on Notts. Whilst I agree that Notts vet campus may not seem the easiest to access the uni actually make it pretty good. The main vet campus is in Sutton Bonnington outside of Nottingham about 11 miles (less distance from the city centre than Bristol vet campus which you wouldn’t expect - noting I do not know how much time Bristol vets spend learning on Bristol main campus vs their vet campus, there’s a Bristol vet on here who may be reading this and I am sure who would be happy to clarify if needed) . Where they have 1100 acres of farm/plenty of animals. They also have student accommodation and a sports centre, student union etc. onsite there are frequent buses from Sutton Bennington to the main Nottingham Uni campus and they are FREE. veterinary is not just taught there but a bunch of other related and science subjects. Many vets students move out to surrounding villages or Loughborough or Nottingham after year 1 depending on whether they prefer the country or city life. The uni bus stops at some of them like Kegworth too so if you move there you get free transport too. The campus is close to East Midlands airport. Notts mainline station is big and well connected. Notts is a smaller city but has a huge student vibe with 2 unis (Trent and Notts Uni) just like other city based unis.
Not necessarily advocating just for Notts or against any other uni as in fact I think all of them are amazing. Just providing a little more context for those that may not have visited Notts and they are trying to figure out whether it may suit them.
Original post by Chloe507
Thanks for the reply! It’s nice to hear that your daughter enjoys notts.
Is your daughter part of the September or April cohort?
Is your daughter part of the September or April cohort?
September. But to be honest I think there seem to benefits to both ie if you start in April you have much easier access to EMS placement dates as they don’t conflict with the vast majority of all the other vet school students looking for placements ie June-Sept, Christmas, Easter etc. However, I’m not sure if you play a team sport how this would impact you if playing a winter sport for example hockey and you’re away on placement? Also would you be on campus when lots of other students arent’t ? I really don’t know anything more than superficial info. I think you’d have to look at the precise timetable for both courses to see which worked best for you. If you only get an offer for April though and as we know vet offers are thin on the ground I’d still grab it with both hands 😀
Original post by Chloe507
That sounds awesome!
I was also wondering about where you do your rotations in fifth year, is it at the school’s clinics or do you go elsewhere?
I was also wondering about where you do your rotations in fifth year, is it at the school’s clinics or do you go elsewhere?
A mix of both! They have their own farm animal, small first opinion and referral then we go outside to partner practises for equine aswell as your chosen optional rotations can be wherever. They also have a partnership with Bristol zoo so we get priority if you want to do a rotation there x
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Mimote
I refer you back to my original comment that I did not know much about Bristol other than what I had been told by my daughter. I did not make an assumption but reported what I had heard and knew. And yes it was a few years ago that she looked at Bristol. I am glad you were able to give a very recent report on Bristol. Also as you can see I gave first hand information about Notts and made it clear that this was the university my daughter had chosen.
That’s all I’m asking, if you don’t now much about a vet school and only what you ‘heard’ then it’s best to just stick to the vet school you do know a lot about. Reporting on what you heard is not the same as knowing what it’s actually like, especially given they have entirely changed their curriculum hence why I stated it’s not awfully helpful to someone trying to make an informed choice.
Just cause I’ve read the other post I’ll add here, in first to third year you don’t live at the vet campus, you live in city centre and the vet school get you coaches out to the vet campus. This is around 1x a week in first year, 2-3x a week second year and 2-3x a week third year. Then from 4th most live out (although you can stay in city centre if you want) but it’s cheaper and most are over the city life by that point as their non vet friends have left
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by ALEreapp
That’s all I’m asking, if you don’t now much about a vet school and only what you ‘heard’ then it’s best to just stick to the vet school you do know a lot about. Reporting on what you heard is not the same as knowing what it’s actually like, especially given they have entirely changed their curriculum hence why I stated it’s not awfully helpful to someone trying to make an informed choice.
I think I made myself pretty clear in both my original post and the follow up. I’m sorry you didn’t feel that was the case.
Original post by Mimote
I think I made myself pretty clear in both my original post and the follow up. I’m sorry you didn’t feel that was the case.
Thankyou for your apology, as I say next time just discuss the vet school you actually know about and have experience with 😊
@Chloe507 are you on the official vet med applicants thread on TSR for this year. It’s not just applicants on there but current vet students too.
I know you said you are probably choosing between Edinburgh and Bristol and you might be able to get some feedback about Edinburgh on there.
I know you said you are probably choosing between Edinburgh and Bristol and you might be able to get some feedback about Edinburgh on there.
Original post by Vetmum13
@Chloe507 are you on the official vet med applicants thread on TSR for this year. It’s not just applicants on there but current vet students too.
I know you said you are probably choosing between Edinburgh and Bristol and you might be able to get some feedback about Edinburgh on there.
I know you said you are probably choosing between Edinburgh and Bristol and you might be able to get some feedback about Edinburgh on there.
Original post by ALEreapp
Thankyou for your apology, as I say next time just discuss the vet school you actually know about and have experience with 😊
Thanks for the advice I’ll bear it in mind. All we are all trying to do is help and support all the young people and I would hope each other. You also need to be careful how you write things. Don’t forget also that not everyone takes away the same understanding from something they read.
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