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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Vet Medicine 2020

620 replies

3catsandadog · 24/09/2018 12:09

Hi a new thread with DC applying to Vet Med next year or for anyone with DC already studying who could pass on some words of wisdom!

My DD is looking to apply to Cambridge, Surrey, Nottingham and Bristol.
She has a fair amount of work experience arranged already and we will do the open day circuit next year.

OP posts:
Bati · 23/09/2020 11:56

Hows everyone dc doing.
Dd hasnt started yet, but she has had her timetable and to say I am a little disapointed for her is an understatement.
I knew some lectures would be on line and there would be less actual contact time but I did think with it being vet med there would be some sort of contact every week.
How wrong was I - first 2 weeks is completely on line only.
3rd week there is 1 day where she has contact for a couple of hours.
4th week no contact again, all online 😢
We have looked at the years timetable and they litterally go weeks with out any contact, its just a day here and there.
Dont get me wrong, i knew this year was going to be different but I thought maybe there would be about 2 f2f a week.
Anyone else dc have their timetables, is it this bad for all vet med students or is it just liverpool that are next to zero no contact for the year x

Scottandcharlene · 23/09/2020 12:58

Hi Bati, we took dd to Nottingham on Saturday and she starts lectures next Monday. I know she has two practical sessions on Tuesday ( hand washing and dog interaction!) and a dissection on Wednesday but I don’t know after that. I have been so worried seeing some of the posts about students stuck in their rooms all the time but so far I am relieved to say dd seems very happy. She is getting on well with her (non vet) flat mates and spending most of the time chatting in the kitchen, which is obviously better than being stuck at home! She has managed to meet up with other vet students and had a busy day yesterday of online welcome meetings. It is so sad that they are not getting the full experience but they are still having fun and making the best of it. It all comes down to luck about housemates. I really hope your dd settles well and at least enjoys the new experience. It is very early days for everyone, so a lot is unknown.

mumsneedwine · 23/09/2020 21:32

DD gets timetable on Friday I think. She has made lots of vet friends this week, meeting up in parks and on boats. Flat mates seem nice too. Honestly I'm not sure she has stuck to the rules but she's worked all through this in a supermarket so I think she deserves a little fun. She's at Spoons tonight with 5 more vets. Social media has been a lifesaver.
I've suggested watching lectures in study room with 5 other vets so they can chat and have some interaction.

Bati · 24/09/2020 11:50

Hopefully things will be a lot better when she gets there than what i am imagining.

@handmedownqueen when is your dd moving to liverpool, my dd will be going in just over a week x

handmedownqueen · 26/09/2020 18:09

@Bati - I didn't think the timetable looked too bad - at least there is some F2F. I have heard the med school are reducing contact time with Y2 up so they can put In as much as possible with freshers - hopefully same for vet med?
She was due to go today but had to put off a week as she was told she was a COVID contact so had to self isolate - she is gutted. Is your DD there?

Bati · 26/09/2020 20:48

@handmedownqueen when I first looked at the timetable I also thought it was ok, then
I saw the colour code and realised what I thought was contact time wasn't - I think it is either 2 or 3 f2f for an hour or 2 each time before christmas 😢
I think its dreadful that the first time they have any f2f is week 3, which is for 2 hours then its weeks again before they have another f2f.

Bati · 26/09/2020 20:54

@handmedownqueen what a shame your dd has got to wait another week. What accommodation is she moving into.
Dd has not moved in yet, the plans are for next saturday x

Bati · 06/10/2020 12:55

Hi
Hows everyone Dc getting ?

Its finally freshers week for Liverpool, so dd is getting more info and so far she isn't impressed and by the sounds of it, most of the 1st year vet students aren't either.
They have been told this morning, there will be no clinical lessons this year and between now and christmas they will have only 12 hour f2f.
What's everyone elses f2f like this year?
Is it just the University of liverpool who have cancelled all the clinical things for 1st year vets this year or have the other universities done the same.
Students, including my daughter questioned them over no clinical this year and they were told that they will do year 1 clinical next year along side year 2 clinical.
Students pointed out that covid could be still around this time next year, so what will happen then, this was not answered 😒
They also pointed out they had friends doing other courses, same uni and other uni's who are having more f2f than they are, so asked why theirs is so little considering the course they are doing.
This was mainly ignored and eventually they were told their friends had lied.

Feel so disappointed for dd, really wish she had taken one of her other offers up x

Original poster
3catsandadog · 06/10/2020 13:00

Thats a shame to hear Bati. I think my DD has a couple of lectures this term and then practicals and all supervisions are f2f.

That all may change if they need to be locked down of course.

Sorry to hear your DD is disappointed its so hard when they cannot mix either.

OP posts:
mumsneedwine · 06/10/2020 13:17

Bristol not covering themselves in glory either. Having been told they must attend Uni they now have dissection f2f and a couple of animal handling days. All lectures on line. Not sure about tutorials yet. But she expected more. I'm cross as she's moved away at great cost for effectively a few hours a week.
At least RVC were upfront and told kids all on line and could stay at home.
As a teacher I'm cross. I teach kids f2f every day so don't see why Unis can't. Some of the 'kids' I teach are 18.

mumsneedwine · 06/10/2020 13:19

And DD has already been in lockdown for 4 days while flatmates awaited test results. Negative. This time. But it's ripping through the halls at the moment.

Scottandcharlene · 06/10/2020 13:50

It’s really sad that this has happened to our dc after such a difficult and long-winded application process. My dd is happy and enjoying herself at the moment (we delivered her car to her at the weekend, taking our dogs with us to surprise her and went for a lovely dog walk). She has lectures online but I think has 2 or 3 practical sessions f2f each week. The only consolation is that with a 5 year course they will have plenty of time to get the full university experience. I know my dd would have been miserable not going this year, she was so ready! It is horrible seeing all the stories of self-isolation and I am worried that it will happen to dd at some point, but she seemed very accepting of the situation thankfully. My dd seems to have been really lucky with her flatmates which I’m so grateful for.

mumsneedwine · 06/10/2020 14:59

Mine has been having a fantastic time. Been there 2.5 weeks but teaching only started yesterday. She's met loads of vets and had some great nights out. Playing netball weekly and has loved Bristol. And I agree, she wants to be there and will make the best of it. But do feel Unis could have tried to do a bit more F2F for them.
Hurry up vaccine !!!

Scottandcharlene · 06/10/2020 15:57

That’s good to hear @mumsneedwine. Dd said her flat went out to see the full moon together last week and the security guards came and checked on them because they looked suspicious! They couldn’t have been more innocent 🤣

Bati · 06/10/2020 15:58

Glad they are enjoying themselves, dd is still at home. She was due to move in but her flat ended up in isolation before she even moved in, she is hoping to be able to go this weekend.
Its such a shame this has happened to them all after all they had to do just to be able to apply and then all the interviews 😢

Scottandcharlene · 06/10/2020 16:33

@Bati that is really tough, my dd would be so miserable if she was still at home. I’m sure once your dd has the excitement of moving into her accommodation she will feel more positive as she will at least get some of the university experience.

Original poster
3catsandadog · 10/10/2020 09:15

Hi @Bati

Hope your DD manages to move in finally this week!

OP posts:
Colliemayhem · 10/10/2020 11:01

Hi all, I hope all your DCs are settling in. I hope you don't mind me asking, but can anybody recall the timescale of WES forms coming in last year? DS's application was submitted to UCAS this week and he has received 3 of the WES forms to complete, with only Surrey missing. Can anyone recall whether Surrey is usually one of the later ones? I will probably wait until the 14th and if he hasn't heard anything by then get him to chase it up incase they wait until the deadline and send them all out at once.
Second question - did anybody apply to Glasgow last year? Their form doesn't seem to allow much to be put on it!

Original poster
3catsandadog · 10/10/2020 11:14

Thanks Colliemayhem so far so good!

Just checked emails and my DD received Surrey on the 17th and she was a very early applicant.

OP posts:
Bati · 10/10/2020 18:16

Thanks catsanddogs dd ended up moving in yesterday, she went out last night with flat mates and going back out tonight with them.
Colliemayhem dd didnt apply to Glasgow or Surrey but if i remember right,
Some where sent to her, others she found online. The ones online she did and returned before school had even sent her ucas off.
For the ones sent to her she either had a week or 2 weeks to fill and return (cant remember exactly)
Good luck to your ds xx

Scottandcharlene · 10/10/2020 19:13

Good to hear your dd has moved in @Bati and that she’s going out with her flatmates. My dd told me they are all being tested next week (Nottingham are testing everyone). She says she feels it’s inevitable they will have to self-isolate but she’s not too worried about it. Hope everyone is ok - I had a nostalgic read of this thread earlier - how innocent we were this time last year!

Original poster
3catsandadog · 11/10/2020 10:37

Bati that's good news hope she settles in quickly.

I know Scottandcharlene can't believe all we had to think about at this time was filling in those forms!

I wish I had appreciated pre Covid more!

OP posts:
Bati · 29/10/2020 21:23

Hows it going
Dd is not having a good time. She lives in a flat with 4 others. 1 keeps to themselves and the other 3 hang out and leave her out.
She is in liverpool so tier 3.
Everything is online so she has no way of meeting anybody
Any ideas what she can do.
I have suggested she comes home as its not healthy to live pretty much in solitary.

mumsneedwine · 29/10/2020 21:38

Hi @Bati. That sounds tough. Are any sports running ? Or any vet society things ? Or could she move flats ? DD isolating as flatmate positive and it's been hard as she's missed dissection and netball matches but at least she gets on with her flatmates.
If all else fails I'd say come home and try again in January. As everyone has told DD, it's a 5 year course and will be a slog. But it's so so hard for them as this is not what they worked so hard for.
Wish I could make it all go away 😞

Bati · 29/10/2020 22:09

She has joined the vet societies but again they are all online.
Due to covid they are not allowed to move flats 😢
She has been looking into the sport centre today to see if anything is still on. Gyms where shut but apparently opened back up a few days ago so hopefully other things are happening.
She joined a vet chat and and some people where talking about trying to meet up but then everyone recieved an email from the university saying they were not allowed to meet up with other people from other houses/flats.
Anyway to try and meet people she is hitting a dead end.
Today was the first day she actually had a face to face meet up at the university. It was for a dissection, everyone was put 2 meters apart from each other and everyone did the disection in silence. Its weeks till she gets another face to face.
I really wish she didnt choose liverpool, I know their is a pandemic but its truly awful and i will be telling everyone i know for their kids not to apply there.
I really feel for your dd having to isolate, its horrible situation to be in.