DD is 25 and wants to study veterinary medicine in Europe!

[SouperMario]

Hello,

DD is 25. She has worked in politics/journalism since she graduated uni. Most people in her position I think would be very pleased with how their career is going, but I think she has become disillusioned with it all and she wants to change career.

Ever since she was little she has adored animals and wanted to become a vet until she turned 16/17. She regrets not following through with this dream and now claims there is nothing else she wants to do. She still lives at home (because she cannot find accommodation in London that will take her pets 🙄).

She cannot afford to study in the UK as she is not entitled to any government funding. She recently inherited 40k from my father and has announced she intends to use this to fund her studies abroad in Eastern Europe and become a veterinarian. She can just about afford it but she will use up all of her savings as well as her inheritance.

Am I right in thinking she is mad to consider this? I wanted her to use that money as a deposit for a house in the near future, if she goes ahead she’ll stand no chance at saving up a similar figure in my lifetime. By the time she graduates (if she actually does) she’ll be 32 and at the early stages of her career - will she be giving up the chance to start a family?

I might be overthinking this, as she hasn’t even been accepted. She’s just at the very early stages, that being said, she is incredibly stubborn and if she wants something, she tends to work until she gets it. I just think she will be making a terrible mistake if she does it.

The point is would not get any funding in the UK.Eastern european courses are much cheaper for self funders, and I believe much much easier to get accepted on than UK courses

@fUNNYfACE36
Yes. I do know they are cheaper. I can see the fees. Plus DD already has a degree. Hence looking abroad. Plus it’s ludicrously competitive here. It’s definitely cheaper abroad. However not so cheap the £40,000 covers everything. Plus the course must be RCVS approved. Going in without science A levels, if that’s the case, must be an issue! Anywhere. They are academic science courses. I know they offer prep courses in chemistry and biology but that’s more money again. The fees and living costs don’t really stack up without bank of mum and dad.

Let her follow her dreams.

If she has the brains to do it then I think it's a good idea. I know a couple of people who've done the same.

Vets can earn a hell of a lot more than most journalists. Plus better to retrain at 25 than slog away and do it at 45.

I changed direction completely by doing a degree in my mid 30's with two kids in tow. That was tough.
Really wish I'd had the self knowledge and opportunity to do it at her age instead.
If she's realised she's on the wrong path, she's throwing nothing away by avoiding making herself miserable by sticking with it for years, she opening doors not closing them, and she has a way to do it which many wouldn't!

I think you should support her. ⭐

If it’s her dream she should follow it. While saying that would she consider shadowing a vet for a couple of days just to see what they do and if it meets her expectations- most vets are in small animal practices.

My DD is a vet, 2 years in. She loves it despite some horrible customers and working through her lunch break and staying beyond her shift each day.

Does she actually want kids or is it you wanting grandkids? My DD works with a number of part time vets. You can have both.

Being a vet is a much safer bet than being a journalist due to the growth of the internet and AI ( unless she wants to be a right wing mouthpiece). There could be fewer animals if veganism grows and landlords continue to stop pets however l that's a long way off whereas the threats to making a living using writing are here now.

So you want her to stay in the UK, in a career she’s not happy with, buy a house and settle down early, in case she struggles to have children/your grandchildren? That sounds like no life.

She needs to make her own decisions and seek adventure and challenge and happiness. This is her decision to make alone. And it sounds very exciting for her.

Gymmum82 · Yesterday 22:50
Just so you know. She will not be able to work as a vet in the U.K. if she studies in Eastern Europe. She will have to do further study and pass her RCVS exams which is I think another £25k. So after 6 years of study and money. She can’t even work if she plans to return to the U.K”

Two of the vets at our practice (Myerscough) are Eastern European. They’re not very old so it’s clearly doable.

She recently inherited 40k from my father and has announced she intends to use this to fund her studies abroad in Eastern Europe and become a veterinarian. She can just about afford it but she will use up all of her savings as well as her inheritance

Are her savings HUGE? because I'd be very surprised if (even in East Europe) 40 K could cover university tuition fees, and her living costs, for 5 or 6 years .
Perhaps because she still lives at home she has an unrealistic notion of independent living costs and budget?

I'd also be surprised if a foundation year would match the kind of A level knowledge required of vet students training in UK.

MaisyDaisyMay

“it would be really stupid of her to spend her inheritance like that, she needs to look at other options.”

No it wouldn’t and no she doesn’t. She’s an adult woman, it’s her life and her money. If she wanted to blow it all on gin and holidays that would be entirely her business.

She doesn’t, she wants to invest in her future. Sounds like a smart young woman.

I wonder who put her off pursuing her original goal in the first instance?

Wanting to invest in her future sounds sensible to me.

I'm 33 and about to start changing careers in September. I might not qualify until my 40s. But I know its what I want. Sounds like she knows what she wants, too.

Several countries in Eastern Europe are approved so she wouldn't need to pay£25k for the exams, just the registration fee.

Fees would be €25-€30k though so I hope she has a lot more in savings than just her inheritance!

DS was 28 when he changed career path radically - academic training for 3 years plus 3 years practical training at a pittance and he has never looked back. He has zoomed up the career ladder and, fwiw, has had a DW all this time and they would have been happy to have children while he studied. I know it’s not quite the same for men.

I also changed direction career-wise in late 20s, with a new baby! And it worked brilliantly. (I had DH so I wasn’t going it alone). Perhaps its a family gene!

@Vanillazebra $20,000 Can per annum. £12,000 pa. How is that going to fit in with the £40,000 budget? Assuming she wants on campus living and meals!

It's up to her but she needs to talk to vets. They are by and large miserable and poorly paid - unless you are running a big chain of vet surgeries it's not lucrative at all. If she's going into it with her eyes open then as an adult it's up to her. Though I'd be amazed if £40k would cover a 6 year course.

@titchy Loads of posters have not looked at the fees or the requirements of getting on a Eastern European course. She would appear to need a foundation year. The OP has not mentioned her working or volunteering with animals. If you look at Canadian universities (and all of them here) they want experience with animals. Farm animals too. Not just your pets. The money she has simply isn’t enough. Posters who just come up with “follow your dreams” haven’t proved the dream. Never mind her lack of the correct academic qualifications. It’s probably not a realistic dream unless she can access a lot more money, do the necessary pre university work, and meet the academic requirements.

Not “proved”! Have not investigated the dream.

At 25 people are really old enough to make their own decisions.

Tell her how you feel and give her advice, but ultimately accept it is up to her. It's not sensible to want her to spend her inheritance on what you want her to. It's her money she has control over it and up to her how she spends it.

Make sure you let her know clearly what support would/would not be forthcoming from you in the event of it not working out or her needing more cash so she can go into the situation fully informed.

If she's big enough to make the decision on her own and be in control of her own life, she's big enough to do it without your financial support.

She's an adult.
She's not too old by a long shot.
Vet med pay is shit.
The reality is v different from the image. Every vet I know and I know a few, say they wouldn't do it again.

No they earn rubbish money

@GasPanic How will she do it without parental financial support? Read the thread! She does not have enough money if she only has £40,000. Not even Eastern Europe has €0 accommodation and food! For 6 years!

"Nope. No relevant qualifications after GCSEs. She did get all A/A* at GCSE, including the sciences and maths. She’s looking at courses that include a foundation year (or their European equivalent) which will add an extra year of expense."

If she doesn't have A Levels or equivalent she won't get in to university. I don't think a foundation year would be enough, she would need the whole upper curriculum which is at least 2 years full time.

That's her problem to figure out.

Adult choices. Adult responsibilities.