Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
mumsneedwine · 28/09/2019 09:26

It's so wrong isn't it ! Poor kids working so hard to do good. To their own detriment. Something will need to change or there will be the same retainment crisis facing teaching.

Scottandcharlene · 28/09/2019 19:21

DD pressed send on Friday. She is 18 today so is forgetting about UCAS for the weekend and celebrating - now that’s a whole different set of worries.....

Bati · 28/09/2019 19:54

scotandcharlene happy birthday to your dd Smile
Has anyone applied or applying to Edinburgh.
My dd sent her Wes form off and they have emailed back with instructions for it to uploaded to MyEd.
To upload it you need to login. She hasnt got any login details to do this.
Anyone know if you has to sign up for it, if so how. Or will they send her some login details.

Scottandcharlene · 28/09/2019 20:22

Thanks @Bati Smile

Bati · 28/09/2019 21:14

Figured out the Wes form and MyEd Smile

colliemayhem · 30/09/2019 09:55

Hi, been reading the posts with interest and hope you don't mind me jumping on. My ds is interested in applying for vetmed for 2021 entry. He is doing some work experience at our vets at half term which will hopefully make his mind up one way or the other if that is the way he wants to go. At the moment the favourites are Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol and Surrey. What I am wondering is the timing of the various work experience forms and interviews. We were thinking about going on holiday at October half term next year, but I'm now wondering if this is a mistake if these forms need to be submitted after the UCAS forms have gone in. If anybody going through it at the moment could give me an idea of the timing, it would be much appreciated. And, good luck to all those who are applying at the moment.

Wolfff · 30/09/2019 19:25

I think it entirely depends on when he submits the UCAS form. I think DD's was submitted fairly late in October and I remember she got the forms to fill in in dribs and drabs. She had one interview I think at Edinburgh in December or maybe early Jan and Surrey was latish Jan. i can't remember the others but her first offer was Liverpool followed by RVC, Surrey and Edinburgh. Edinburgh was her original favourite, it's wonderful. She chose to stay nearer home though.

As a male, he's a rare specimen, so that's good I think!

Wolfff · 30/09/2019 19:27

She told strangers on the tube when she got her first offer as the message came through on her phone after work and got some hugs! It was an emotional moment!

mumsneedwine · 30/09/2019 20:32

DD would be screaming to everyone if (please make it a when) she gets an offer.
Definitely good to apply early as some send the supplementary form once applied via UCAS. Some just on websites. So up to student to be clued up - open days spell procedures out very clearly. And unfortunately things change annually so this years info might not apply next year. If you go away somewhere with internet should be ok

Wolfff · 30/09/2019 20:57

It was a long hard struggle in her case. Two gap years. She didn't apply in 6th form because the school told her she was rubbish (high flying grammar). The first time round she got 2 interviews and 2 rejections and the second time 4 interviews and 4 offers.

Keep going, if the kids really want it they can do it. Some people apply three times.

colliemayhem · 30/09/2019 21:13

Thanks, I will keep an eye on dates next year.

As a male, he's a rare specimen, so that's good I think!
I didn’t realise how rare but at the Edinburgh open day last weekend somebody asked about the number of male students as the peer support group photo had one boy in the group. they reckoned only about 1 in 9 students were male! What would be interesting to know is how that compares to the ratios on application.

Scottandcharlene · 11/10/2019 10:34

Anyone else frustrated by references? Surrey are so specific on how they want their references, and several of dd’s have got slight omissions on them. There are a couple without signatures as they were emailed, and a couple with missing years (dated but just no year included). There’s also one which is just not responding to repeated requests for a reference. It is so annoying as she’s done the work but it’s so difficult to get hold of people!

Original poster
3catsandadog · 11/10/2019 10:38

We asked on open days and I think if email they accept without signatures. They also allow not on headed paper if from a farm etc.

The process seems much more complicated than when my DS applied for Medicine a couple of years ago. It just seems to be neverending online forms for my DD to complete!

OP posts:
Scottandcharlene · 11/10/2019 14:29

Thanks for that 3cats. Hoping to get the final 2 forms completed this weekend and fingers crossed Surrey will accept what she’s got. I popped round to the vets where she did some of her experience and they signed the letter, the lady was so helpful and is going to try and sort out a mock interview with one of the vets. She gave me the low down on the recent graduates they are having and how they are better prepared from certain unis. She also said that one of the reasons for poor mental health in the profession is that the (mainly girls) new vets are disappointed at the reality of the mundane nature of a lot of the work, and that the girls tend to be very focussed on the academic side but less aware of the people skills needed. A useful hour!

olliepolly · 11/10/2019 14:46

The 1 in 9 ratio for Male to Female for Edinburgh you quoted is about right.
In my DD year Edinburgh who started in 2017 the ratio may even be 1 in 10.

Bati · 12/10/2019 09:14

I am really frustrated, dd sent off her ucas form over 2 weeks ago and school have still not sent it 😔
We started chasing it up and she got an email from her form tutor saying she needed to print her personal statement off and copy of payment and take it in to her.
We did that, then after a few days she got an email through ucas from a teacher at school to go and see her. Didn't say who it was from.
So she had to find out who it was who had emailed her and why. When she tracked said teacher down, this teacher was saying you need to talk about your a levels and why you like studying them etc and the fact my dd's was mainly about work experience.
My dd politely pointed out she was applying for vetmed and she really needed to write about her work experience as that's what they are looking for.
This was days ago, now that teacher has sent her ucas to the head teacher and we are still waiting for it to be sent.
If it doesn't get sent over this weekend, I will be on the phone 9am Monday morning, so annoyed with them at the moment x

Scottandcharlene · 12/10/2019 17:19

That is so annoying Bati, hope the school get their act together. I bet they will be happy to brag about any offers she receives.

handmedownqueen · 13/10/2019 16:16

Hi All I'm in the middle of this too with DD
Liverpool - WE form soooo easy
She did Bristol yesterday which took half a day
Anyone done the Harper one yet?
Also Surrey - seems the most complex selection process ever !
So much DD should be doing apart from these forms atm

Original poster
3catsandadog · 14/10/2019 08:43

Hi at Handmedownqueen there are 5 of us now :)
DD has her 18th this week so really hoping there is not an influx of more forms for the weekend but expect there maybe be for Nottingham and Surrey if shes through the first stage!
I never imagined there were so many hoops to jump for Vet Med.

OP posts:
Bati · 14/10/2019 23:29

Hi handmedownqueen 😊
Haply 18th birthday to your dd 3catsandadog.
So 8.30am I was on the phone to dd school, by 9.30am they had sent her ucas off 😊
Dd has competed 3 out of the 4 universities additional forms, 2 of which had been sent off. Edinburgh's is ready just waiting for them to send their login info so she is able to upload it.
That just leaves Nottingham - any idea how long after ucas being sent before you receive Nottingham additional forms and when the dead line is for them x

Original poster
3catsandadog · 14/10/2019 23:34

Thank you. It was about a week after for Nottingham and then you are given a wee.

OP posts:
Scottandcharlene · 15/10/2019 07:18

Hello handmedownqueen, great news Bati, and happy 18th to dd 3catsandadog. DD did the Bristol form at the weekend and just has to upload the references for surrey, which after today she should have, complete with a signatures and dates! I am now in the habit of waking very early thinking about some aspect of the process. Looking forward to half-term as dd is suffering with a cough and could do with a bit of a break, although I’m sure she will be snowed under with school work. At least there’s no work experience to do!

Bati · 19/10/2019 14:41

How's it all going.
I have a quick question - dd is filling in her forms for nottingham. Is all the work they do classed as work experience or volunteering - what's the difference x

Bati · 19/10/2019 15:45

Is anyone else dc applying to Nottingham for vet med.
Dd has just opened the 2nd questionnaire, all I can say is OMG and only a week to complete it all 😬
Wish it was half term this week coming but sadly not, it's her mocks. Safe to say absolutely no revision will be getting done this week for said mocks 😒

mumsneedwine · 19/10/2019 16:36

DD just looked at me and said 'here we go again'. She's not opened the SJT and now at work but the other form she kept reading bits to me this morning and grimacing. I just told her to try her best ! Last form - then it's just the long wait.