A level choice insanity

[Blindinglybaffled]

Dc is yr11 and has sen. They are in mainstream school and work really really hard just to keep up. Fantasy gcse results would be maybe a 7, some 6s and 5s. They are doing foundation maths and double science and really want to be a vet - I have taken great pains to kindly explain that vet med is more difficult to get into than standard medicine and they need to adjust their plans (vet nursing maybe?). Today a senior science teacher (who actually teaches them!) has said they could totally do A level chemistry & biology and being a vet is achievable. To my knowledge it is totally not!! I’m not wrong am I?! Dc is really upset saying that I’m trying to squash their dreams and obv think they’re stupid. They’re not stupid at all but have limitations and I think at 15/16 we need to be realistic. FFS - what was the teacher thinking?!

You are entirely correct. That teacher really unkind.

Why is “vet med” harder to get into than “standard medicine”? I’m confused by terms.

Veterinary medicine is more competitive than (human) Medicine - ie the degree to become a medical doctor.

Did the teacher actually say that or has something got lost in translation?

Is there a college nearby where they could study ‘animal husbandry’ or a related practical course? It sounds like the ‘typical’ university route into vet med is unlikely but if they have a clear goal of what they want to do trying to find a route towards that will really help motivation & confidence (which may be what the teacher was trying to do - or they may just have been not thinking / an unhelpful idiot)

We found some of the Teachers in sixth form gave advice which was hugely unhelpful.

DS who loves chemistry and maths and is a straight A student struggled with A Level Biology initially. These are not an easy combination of A’Levels.

It’s probably worth looking at the Vet Medicine section in Higher Education to get an idea of what others are doing who are closer to applying and whether they are best to apply strategically or not.

Looking at our local Vet School the entry requirements suggest 3 A’Levels at grade A but it might be that the ones actually getting in have above those grades. Some Schools may even look at his GCSE results as part of the application process.

He could maybe look at TSR for himself. There should be a Vet Medicine thread running for the year he will be applying

Teacher is an arsehole

I'd try and get them work experience at a vets so thry can see firdt hand its not all its cracked up to be.... vets are paid like shit...

And yes its insanely hard to become a vet

Do any colleges nearby do T level or BTEC animal care? Could be a great stepping stone into a related career.

A quick google will show that you are right... just on Maths, they will need a minium grade 6 at GCSE for example. They may need that to Science A levels as well.

Also agree with looking at the local Agricultural College. Many do T Levels, BTecs and apprenticeships. Some also do higher education. It sounds as though this model might suit him better and he could still have a career with Animals, just not as a Vet

So I think both what you have said and what the teacher has said has done elements of truth. I worked with a girl who was absolutely determined to do vet med. She had failed her English GCSE I think, maybe done a levels but if she did then she did very badly. Anyway, she then came to work for us doing something totally unrelated. After a couple of years she decided she really wanted to be a vet. She helped at a farm with lambing, volunteered with a vet on Saturdays, and we helped her study to her English GCSE while she worked. She got a place on a foundation year to go on to study vet med and she's now a qualified vet.

It's not the traditional route but it is possible, though very difficult.

Edit: I hadn't clocked that he had SEN. I think this will depend on the sen. I'm fairly sure this lady has dyslexia, but nothing else that I'm aware of.

But medicine is straight a stars. How can it be harder than that?

A level science with foundation maths is unlikely to lead to the sort of grades needed.

Have a look at the agricultural colleges and universities like Writtle (ARU). There are courses like Animal management, animal science, animal rehabilitation which may appeal more than vet nursing. There are also foundation years for Vet med.

Christ, he's not even sat his GCSEs yet. Don't write him off

More applicants for fewer places.

The teacher really said it @titchy - dc’s very capable best friend confirmed the conversation. I’m so cross.

Well medicine isn’t straight A stars for one. For another regardless of entry requirements, the ratio of applicants to places means it’s harder to get into Vet Med.

Because there are less places / universities that offer it, so it’s even more competitive in reality as demand way outstrips supply.

There are fewer places to study veterinary medicine -v- medicine so just on numbers it will be much harder to secure a place regardless of A level results.

Teacher must be bonkers. I spent years having to gently to explain to grade 5/6 children that veterinary medicine was not achievable for them.

Not all med schools request all Astars, infact very few do to my knowledge. Some ask for AAB minimum.
There are more applicants per space for vet med.

I’m sorry but I do think you are wrong.

he doesn’t have any exam results yet. Telling him he can’t possibly be a vet is too much at this stage. There are non traditional routes into vet med, and if he doesn’t make it that’s for him to find out.

squashing hopes at this stage is excessive.

yes the teacher probably is being overly optimistic but better that your child works hard motivated by his dream and gets the best results he can then that you persuade him he’ll never get there and he dies no work

DS went for Medicine. One of the Sixth Form Teachers suggested he applied for an “aspirational Uni”. When he said he was applying strategically and had a spreadsheet she genuinely didn’t know what this meant.

I would ask him how many students the School have got into Vet Medicine and if they run a Medicine/Vet Medicine applicants group. Ours didn’t and it was obvious once DS was in Sixth Form that the SLT lacked a lot of knowledge about the process and requirements.

Not true.
Plus the grade requirements aren’t the only factor… there are fewer vet med places available to more applications, therefore it’s more competitive.

You are probably being realistic and your child’s teacher seems somewhat misinformed ! Most vet schools require multiple grade 7’s at GCSE and 3 A’s at A level, one of these must be Chemistry which is a very challenging A level subject even for very academically capable students. If your child is working very hard to keep up and is realistically expected to get the grades you mention at GCSE, it would be a real challenge to get up to the standard required. Vet schools will reject straight away, those students who don’t reach the required minimum as the course is so oversubscribed. However, your child is obviously very hardworking and motivated despite their challenges. Would they qualify for any contextual criteria ? Whilst it does look like it would be challenging for them to gain the grades necessary, it might be worth looking at vet nursing or a similar course which has lower academic requirements, with potentially a view to applying for vet med much further down the line. Plenty of vet nurses apply successfully to vet med as mature students after working as qualified vet nurses. Just an idea. If your child is determined, there are sometimes ways to make the dream happen, but there is no denying that vet med is a very hard and academic degree, even for those who are straight A students.

Re the first bit, I hadn’t realised that. Dd is going for medicine and the only unis we’ve looked at so far all want all a stars. Thanks for info re second bit.

You don't see how being a doctor for multiple species is harder than for one species?