Veterinary Science Personal Statement
My fascination with the scientific complexity of both healthy and diseased animals has driven my ambition to study Veterinary Medicine. I relish chances to develop my understanding of such ideas, and grasped an opportunity presented at Vet-Medlink to complete independent research on cutting-edge medicine. My project, a discussion of the future of nanotechnology in veterinary medicine, passed with merit and was published online.
From an early age I have accumulated a wealth of work experience in a wide range of animal-based professions, including not only different veterinary practices but also a stables, zoo, cattery and different farms. Through this varied experience, I have been made very aware of the duty of a vet to advise owners on their animal’s health and welfare and to ensure they are acting in the best interests of their pets and livestock. During my week at Broken Cross Veterinary Surgery, I observed the case of a parrot brought to the practice in poor condition and unable to fly. An x-ray showed that the bird had severe osteoporosis due to malnutrition; some bones were completely missing after years of calcium deficiency. This case brought to light the fact that a vet’s role is not solely confined to diagnosis and treatment: they have a responsibility to educate. This year, I have begun to develop such skills as part of a team selected to organise and run enrichment workshops in local schools, encouraging children to develop their own skills in a variety of areas.
Over the course of a year, I spent Wednesday afternoons at Wright and Morten Small Animal Hospital, gaining a real insight into the dynamics of the practice and the importance of the different roles within the team. I quickly became familiar with the way the vets interacted with owners and I admired both their communicative and scientific skills in consultations and operations such as pyometra, knee realignment and foreign body investigation. My own skills were challenged when I was elected Charity Prefect and led the school’s successful effort to raise over three thousand pounds for the Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital. My compassion and hard work were recognised and I was awarded School Colours for charitable service.
From the age of eleven, I have regularly visited a local sheep and dairy farm and have adapted to increasingly practical work, from singlehandedly docking and tagging groups of newborn lambs to milking and feeding cattle. This long-term placement has made me appreciate the level of skill and consideration needed by farmers, and how large animal vets must take into account not only the best interests of the animal but also the livelihood of the farmer and public health. After keeping a flock of these sheep at home and looking after the lambs from birth to slaughter, and spending a day at an abattoir, I have gained some understanding of the various stages of meat industry and the vet’s key role within it. A week at a rare-breed public farm park has introduced me to other commercial aspects of farming, as well as the importance of conserving diversity within the farmed species.
I enjoy the challenge of balancing academic study with extra-curricular activities. I have sung contralto in the school’s choir and performed on tour in Budapest, while, outside school, I hold RYA qualifications in sailing and windsurfing, have completed my Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and enjoy photography and playing the piano.
The prospect of studying a variety of different scientific fields and applying that knowledge in a challenging yet intensely rewarding career is the reason I am so dedicated to pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine.
Universities Applied to:
- Bristol - Interview - Offer (AAA) Firm
- Cambridge - Interview - Rejection
- Liverpool - Interview - Rejection
- Nottingham - Interview - Rejection
Offered a choice of alternative courses at Nottingham after rejection (including Biochemistry; Animal Science; Agricultural Science) which I turned down.
Grades Achieved:
- Biology (A2) - A
- Chemistry (A2) - A
- Maths (A2) - B (4 UMS off an A, looking into getting it remarked)
- Psychology (AS) - B
- Extended Project - B
Accepted despite narrowly missing AAA offer.
