Any vets around need work experience help.

[PheasantsNest]

My 16 year old DD wants to become a vet. She has asked everywhere about doing work experience but apart from one veterinary practice everyone has said she must be over 18. She has tried pet shops, dog shelters, cat shelters other veterinary practices.

She needs the experience to apply for university next year. Does anyone have any ideas where she can ask?

Thank you

Local farms, st John's ambulance (I know it's people but it's showing aptitude), volunteering in oap homes (same reason), scouts, mucking out stables. There is a farm attraction near us that is always taking unpaid teenage labour and if you speak to them they are all planning on applying for vet school.

@nomoneytree Thank you. We are inner city so don't have any farm attractions. I will get her to ring some local farmers the nearest are about 15 miles away. She does volunteer in a charity shop but needs animal experience really.

She may need to go further afield - with covid restrictionsand major staffing issues, many practices won't have the capacity to supervised work experience (or will prioritise EMS for currentvet students).

It looks better if she contacts them rather than a parent doing it too - shows initiative etc. I'd suggest sending an email explaining that she is looking for work experience for her veterinary applications and needs x amount of weeks minimum. Attach a CV and follow up with a phone call a few days/week later.
She wants to demonstrate that she's passionate, willing to muck in and doesn't think its just fluffy kittens. Including predicted grades on the CV may help show she has a realistic prospect of getting a place at vet school too.

Definitely check the admissions pages of the unis for the minimum requirements - some are quite prescriptive about it. There may be concessions due to covid so definitely check up to date details. You can sometimes count work experience arranged but not yet undertaken at the time of application although this may limit the personal statement.

Now would also be a good time to contact farmers about lambing in the spring too.

The vet med section on The Student Room forum is v helpful.

Other types of volunteering suggested above are good to show she is an all-rounder (as would playing an instrument or a sport) but won't fulfil the university requirements for work experience.

Check out city farms too - there's at least a dozen in London so I'd be surprised if your city had none at all.

Yes, we are city. At least 3 city farms that I know of. She might need to start with non animal volunteering and work her way up.

Can she do a lambing placement at a farm?

She will need to travel for it, and probably expect to have to stay overnight on/near the farm for it (probably in a manky caravan!) but it will be an intense and valuable week (or however long she can commit to)

Cattery or dog kennels?

Animal rescues will be a good start. Even just walking the dogs will giver experience with dealing with different breeds and temperaments.

Can she do dog walking, cat sitting, gerbil monitoring ? She needs to be showing commitment, responsibility, maturity, understanding of an animals needs.

What about boarding kennels/cattery? Or even helping an established dog daycare visitor, cat sitter, dog walker.

Sadly a lot of places will just say no under 18s as it's easier, they don't have to worry about child protection just having an 18 on site, or for worries about insurance coverage and so on. If you have any family/friends connections working in an animal-related field that's the time to exploit them, doesn't have to be dad is a vet level but friend knows someone who already volunteers at an animal rescue centre can help get a foot in the door.

There was a volunteer that age helping at the Dogs' trust dog training classes I went to recently. She could also do Borrow My Doggy, it is experience of animal care and could provide a reference.

There might be experiences that you technically pay for, but are still work experience, such as small animal care courses in the local pet shop or petting farm or zoo.

Also consider an on-line lecture series, which although not work experience, shows a real interest in the subject. I teach on a different on demand course, and we have had applications from people who have a clinically vulnerable family member, for example, so they have had to look at what they can do without putting them at risk. We are treating that similarly to in-person work experience. Here is an example she could do:
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/animal-behaviour-an-introduction-online

Cats protection league? My children volunteered at our local branch as part of the DofE award. I can't remember how old they were, but under 16

Thank you everyone. We did have a city farm but it closed down over 20 years ago. She has tried every animal charity and rescue they all say their insurance won't allow under 18's. We will contact some farms.

Forgot to say she has done some online courses.

I arrange work experience for learners and it is an absolute nightmare at the moment with staff shortages and covid

Has she tried exotic animal charities or shops? Hedgehog rescues?
A lot of these places love Vet students are not every Vet is trained in exotic animals, could be worth a try