Veterinary medicine can be rather revolting at times. Watching a cat gradually recover from a debilitating degloving injury was one of the most gruesome, yet interesting, things I have witnessed. Seeing the animal's ability to regenerate his skin with the help of veterinary intervention was incredibly satisfying, and confirmed to me that, despite all the bad smells, a career in the profession would be very diverse, hugely stimulating and infinitely rewarding.
Completing over 45 weeks of varied work experience has revealed the scope of work carried out by veterinary surgeons. Seeing practice at five small animal clinics, including an ongoing weekly placement, has illustrated the role of vets as general practitioners; providing preventative medicine such as vaccinations and worming treatments as well as performing routine surgery. Learning how handling techniques vary between species helped to foster my interest in increasingly popular exotic pets, and I was fascinated by watching the reconstruction of a tortoise's shell following a dog attack. I have seen some of the considerations that need to be taken into account when treating exotics, for example preparing rabbits for surgery with iodine rather than surgical scrub and spirit, or not operating on a reptile too close to a moult. This ongoing placement has also taught me the importance of professionalism and good communication with clients, imperative for gaining their trust.
By volunteering at an open farm for 22 months I have been involved in the husbandry of a variety of animals, including poultry as well as larger livestock such as ponies and cattle. While there I have observed a vet carrying out TB testing, which demonstrated that human and animal health are intimately linked and highlighted the importance of vets in food production and public health. This point was further reinforced during a placement at a dairy farm, where I was able to see the strict regulations, such as withdrawal periods on drugs, in place to produce milk that is safe to drink. A week spent at the Biological Services Unit of the RVC was a unique experience. My time there taught me the importance of 'good laboratory practice', and I saw the measures carried out in order to ensure that the data recorded was reliable. I found this had links to my coursework in science subjects, for example when writing about sources of error in evaluative pieces. Other placements that I have enjoyed include work at a kennel and cattery, an animal shelter, a stable, a wildlife park, a pet shop, a dog groomer and two sheep farms; where I assisted with lambing. Additionally I am looking forward to spending a week at an equine and farm practice in October.
I find managing my time, balancing school work and extracurricular activities, to be an enjoyable challenge. My ten year involvement in Scouts, including as a 'Young Leader', led me to receive a Jack Petchey award for my commitment. Assisting at 'U3A', where I taught elderly people computer skills, enhanced my communication abilities, useful for when I was deputy head girl and when I earned my Junior Sports Leaders Qualification at an after school group. In 2013 I partook in 'The Challenge', a three week course which gave me the chance to plan a community project with people my age . Being chief editor of my school's science journal provides me with an opportunity to work in a team and motivates me to follow scientific developments, an essential habit for those working in an industry that is constantly evolving.
Work experience has shown the positives and negatives of working in veterinary science, and I remain confident that I can successfully tackle the challenges provided by careers in the profession. A vet's quality of work is their patient's quality of life, and I eagerly await the opportunity to use my passion to improve the lives of animals and their human companions.
Universities Applied to:
- RVC (Veterinary Medicine) - Offer (AAA) Firm - missed offer but still accepted
- Edinburgh (Veterinary Medicine) - Offer (AAA) - Insurance
- Liverpool (Veterinary Medicine) - Offer (AAA)
- Bristol (Veterinary Medicine) - Offer (AAB)
- Liverpool (Bioveterinary Science) - Offer (ABB)
Grades Predicted (on UCAS):
- Biology (A2) - A
- Chemistry (A2) - A
- Physics (A2) - A
Grades Achieved:
- Biology (A2) - A
- Chemistry (A2) - A
- Physics (A2) - B
- Mathematics (AS) - E
Work Experience:
Completed prior to application: Clinical: 1 Week Small Animal Veterinary Hospital, 9.1 Weeks Small Animal Exotics Vet, 1.1 Weeks Small Animal Veterinary Practice, 1 Week Small Animal Veterinary Practice, 1 Week Small Animal Veterinary Practice
Husbandry: 1 Week Pets at Home, 6.2 Weeks Riding Stable / Livery Yard (~50 Horses), 21.0 Weeks Urban Rare Breeds Farm Park, 15 Afternoons Dairy Farm, 1 Week Dog and Cat Grooming Salon / Pet Shop, 1 Week Quarantine Kennel/Cattery, 1.8 Weeks Lambing (~1200 ewes), 1.8 Weeks Lambing (~320 ewes), 1 Week Biological Services Unit, Royal Veterinary College, 2 Weeks Animal Rescue Centre, 1 Week Wildlife Park
Completed after application submitted: Clinical: 1 Week Large Animal Vet
Husbandry: 2.8 Weeks Lambing, 0.6 Weeks Sheep farm
Total: 56.7 weeks
NB: I count a 'week' as five working days, i.e. approximately 40 hours. One day of work = 0.2 weeks. One half day = 0.1 weeks.
Placements in bold were ongoing.
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Comments on the statement:
I was pleased with this at the time, but looking back there's a lot I would change now. I think I wrote about my work experience well but on the whole the statement isn't terribly original and uses a lot of cliches. And let's not even discuss the cheesy quote at the end that I found on Tumblr somewhere...
