To think I can go to Uni to become a Vet

[Lilt1992]

Im mid twenties in a dead end job. I was brought up on a council estate with nothing, never had anyone to look up to, never took school seriously but I had potential, all my teachers kept telling me. I left with fairly ok GCSE's. Signed onto benefits by 18 years old and then went into full time work. Now that I have money behind me and I'm older, I'm regretting not going to Uni and getting a career. My dream would be to be a vet and I'm considering studying Veterinary medicine, a 6 year course. I've been doing a bunch of research but my next step is to speak to a Uni or vet surgery to get an idea of how I'll get accepted. However, part of me feels stupid to even consider myself good enough to do it. I'm having these constant doubts. Family have told me that anything is possible. Has anyone else got any experience with something similar?

If you don't have A levels you'll probably need to do an 'access course'. This will be great learning and a good indicator of you being ready to move into a really demanding uni course. Of course you can do it if you want to, just get yourself prepared 👨‍🎓

Sorry to butt in - can I just ask you @PhoenixJasmine how far in advance is normal to apply for a work experience placement?

No worries. It’s usual to have school holidays booked up 6-9 months in advance. Other dates are sometimes available at shorter notice. I also don’t allow back-to-back placements all summer (to give me & my team a break as having the workies around is extra work/stress for us as well) so it can depend on what other weeks are already booked.

Thank you! I need to do mine within the next year. I can do term times though so that might help! Benefits of being old and not at school!

@Rubyupbeat

You may have a long road ahead, but WOW a dream come true. Anything IS possible, it really is, if you want it enough.

This is lovely and I know you mean to be kind but it simply isn't true.

I have straight A GCSEs and 4 A and A* A levels.

However I'm not naturally good at science or maths (I just studied very hard) with no natural aptitude for them and couldn't realistically have a job that required that skill despite my grades.

Likewise I love music but can't sing well enough to make a living from it.

I would have loved to be an actress but my despite my grades and extra curricular experience being good, I do not have the natural talent to make a living from that either.

I worked harder than anyone I know, I've grafted my arse off to run a successful business but no matter how much I wanted something or how much I tried, there are limitations to everyone's abilities.

It's a strength, not a weakness, to acknowledge that.

It's over confident or disingenuous to tell people they can achieve anything they set their mind to. It just isn't true.

So people should celebrate their talents, skills and abilities rather than being told if they keep trying anything is possible.

@OrlandoInTheWilderness my DD booked most of hers a year in advance. As school holidays get booked up fast.

Firstly, you will need A grade A-levels in Maths and biology as a start. And that means the same at GCSE level.

Secondly, you will need a lot of work experience, experience of being with and looking after animals, in order to even be seriously considered by the universities. A friend’s DD has just started at vet school and as well as decent grades she was expected to have spent at least three years getting decent exposure to animals e.g. volunteering at animal shelters, on a family member’s farm, work experience at an actual vets etc, and only about 20% of those who apply are actually accepted on to the course, regardless of their grades.

Secondly, work experience is important not only to get on to the course, but also so you’re aware of what you’re getting into.

It’s not all treating sick animals and making them better, it’s euthanising a litter of puppies because the owner couldn’t be bothered to get the bitch spayed and doesn’t want to find homes for them.

It’s putting a healthy dog to sleep because the owners are moving abroad.

It’s attending cruelty cases where an animal has been so badly neglected or treated that euthanasia is the only fair thing to do.

It’s aiding an animal to give birth to dead young because they weren’t looked after properly during pregnancy or even because they were just unlucky. And the list goes on.

And I agree with PP, it’s really not true that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. There’s nothing wrong with trying, but sometimes it just isn’t possible, and if you don’t think about the pitfalls before you start so you can see how realistic you are being, then you’re potentially setting yourself up for huge disappointment later.

Please please please can everyone stop saying you need 3 As at A level. You don't. Notts,Surrey & Harper Adams all offer AAB as standard offer. And for the OP Gateway offers would be even lower (BBB - CCC).
You do need work experience but only the minimum stated on websites. Liverpool need the most and are specific about what it needs to be in. Cambridge needs very little.
Just been through it with DD this year for 5 year course, but open days talked about all courses.

@OrlandoInTheWilderness in most practices work experience space is also taken by vet students doing placement and final year students mainly come in term time. At my practice minimum 12 months in advance to get a placement if you want to go to the equine practice down the road 2 years.

It’s euthanising a litter of puppies because the owner couldn’t be bothered to get the bitch spayed and doesn’t want to find homes for them.

It’s putting a healthy dog to sleep because the owners are moving abroad.

Getting off track, but just wanted to point out - as a vet in general practice of 14 years standing - you’re right my job is not all cute fluffy kittens, but, these examples are not things that any vet ever has to do. We do not have to euthanise on demand, and many of us in these example scenarios would decline. We do then have to refer to a colleague who may consider differently. Personally I have a lot of rescue links so would be able to pass on for rehoming and usually manage a good outcome for cases like these (even if it involves hand rearing the puppies myself in one case!)

The only time I have done euthanasias that I personally morally disagreed with were under the dangerous dogs act, but sadly there were no other legal alternatives for those dogs as they had been classified as pit bull type, regardless of how lovely they actually were. That sucks big time. The law is an ass there for sure.

Please please please can everyone stop saying you need 3 As at A level. You don't. Notts,Surrey & Harper Adams all offer AAB as standard offer. And for the OP Gateway offers would be even lower (BBB - CCC).

You do need work experience but only the minimum stated on websites. Liverpool need the most and are specific about what it needs to be in. Cambridge needs very little.

It's the combination though isn't it? Cambridge might not need loads of work experience but presumably they would require AAA or similar for A levels?

Likewise a uni that doesn't require those grades would require lots of work experience to show a huge interest and passion to make up for not having as high grades.

So OP would need to take the initiative to gain high grades and / or plenty of work experience.

But it appears OP hasn't researched thoroughly as they are unsure of grade requirements and hasn't spoken to a survey or university. That doesn't show a true passion for the profession and without that true passion even the most experienced and academically successful candidates would struggle.

You say you only need the minimum but if other candidates have the same grades and more work experience, with a clearer passion for the job through ensuring that have work placements etc, it's surely clear who the place / role would go to.

It isn't useful to say anything is possible if you try hard to enough as that isn't the reality. OP would perhaps be better looking at other careers that fulfil the things that appeal to them about being a vet - love of animals, a wish to support them and nurture them etc.

It's such a competitive career (as I'm sure @PhoenixJasmine would confirm) that it's not constructive to tell someone that without high grades and / or work experience it's accessible.

Happy to be told otherwise but in my experience it's better to be realistic and excel in a career you can excel at.

Thanks @Lonecatwithkitten I'll start contacting tomorrow. Luckily I know a lot of cattle, sheep and pig farmers and have had a career with horses so will be able to sort that part no problem and will contact kennels/cattery etc. I'm taking this year to get good GCSEs and work experience and I'm very, very lucky to have fabulous support to enable me to do so.

Yes I do agree with @backseatcookers - you need to research. I've spoken with every vet school as each are different. Even if they say they accept access you need to clarify which access courses they accept; for example Liverpool have a list of approved courses. I have the entry requirements of all of them on a spreadsheet that I filled out as I contacted them. I'm booked onto an open day at Harper Keele in October and will be looking at the others.
That is another point; have you thought about moving with regards to uni? Chances are you won't be going to the uni down the road and you will need to be prepared to move.

Don't forget the new one at Aberystwyth opening next year. Under the guidance of RVC.

Thank you @mumsneedwine - I'd not actually seen a new one was opening at Aberystwyth. I'll have a look into that!

@OrlandoInTheWilderness make sure you get a mix of vet experience and animal husbandry. Strangely the vet stuff was easier to get ! They all like a mix of both. Good luck. DD found vets wanted to help her and she has already got EMS next year with the farm vet she spent a week with.

Thanks @mumsneedwine I will do!
Just looked at Aberystwyth. It looks great but unfortunately you are based in Wales for years one and two, then Hertfordshire for years three, four and five with placements in Wales. Might be a little tricky with child's schooling!! It depends how long you'd be away for I suspect. I am very lucky in that my parents retire in year two and will be moving to support us (they are currently in tied housing with work) so it may be possible, just more difficult! I'll have a more in depth look at that. Love Aberystwyth though, we used to holiday in Cardigan Bay when I was a child.

There is no harm in trying. There might be an access course you can do if you find that you don't ha r the right qualifications at the moment. Email some uni's that do the course your interested in and go from there.

Most Unis (except Notts and Surrey) mean year 1,2 and some 3 are at different places. Liverpool & Bristol it's 3 years in city and then move to their country campuses. RVC 2 years in Camden then 3 years at Stoke Poges. Can commute though.
Good you've got family help as no holidays really due to EMS requirements each year.

RVC Stoke Poges?

My dc did 2 years at Camden, then 3 at Hawkshead, Potters Bar.

Sorry ! Meant Potters Bar. Was doing something else at same time which involves Stoke Poges.😂 Hawkshead is awesome

Yes commutable is better ideally but it can be worked! I am so so lucky. We live with them so I can devote time to retraining

@OrlandoInTheWilderness where ever you go will have to travel away for some of the experience, at the RVC often you large animal rotation involves a month in the West Country. I did placements in northern Aberdeenshire, Wales, Leicestershire, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk and Virginia USA.
Final year rotations at college are very long hours and I know of at least two marriages and countless relationships that did not survive final year.
No one should under estimate the commitment required to complete the final three years of the course - these are considered to be 48 week academic years due to placements and rotations.
Your family need to be fully on board with what a truly massive time commitment vet school is. I did a intercalated degree between my second and third years and was stunned at how easy a regular degree was compared to Vet School - even with the extra study I had to do to cover year 1 and 2 modules in needed to complement year 3 regular degree modules.
Vet school is a weird combination of totally brilliant, exhilarating, terrifying, exhausting and all consuming.

Liverpool offers a fantastic access course with entry requirement of only GCSEs. I know someone who has done this and is current 4th year having left school at 16. Hopefully the link will work 🤞www.carmel.ac.uk/carmel-university-centre/university-of-liverpool-degrees/year-zero-courses/medicine-dentistry-veterinary-science/

Liverpool University do an 'Access to Veterinary Studies' foundation course- their entry requirements are 5 GCSEs at grade B and a successful interview. There might be similar courses at other universities or alternatively you could sign up for an Access to Higher Education course with a combination of sciences. I think you also will need some work experience at a Vet Practice.