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Higher education

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

Original poster

Veterinary science-which uni?

74 replies

AutisticLegoLover · 29/01/2023 15:40

Dd wants to do veterinary science and is googling universities and trying to evidence where to apply. We live in greater Manchester (sort of) but are on the edge of the Peak District. She wants to stay fairly close to home.
I've said that nearer the time we will go and look at places but she'd like some pointers before that point because she's a planner.
Any advice would be great. Thank you.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 15:46

Have you had a look at Keele? The Vet School is new, it's a lovely Campus and shouldn't be that far.

titchy · 29/01/2023 15:46

There's not exactly a great deal of choice - 8 as I recall. She needs to pick the ones she's most likely to get an offer from given her academics and experience, and performance in any external tests.

She's highly unlikely to have the luxury of selecting a uni near home sorry. Vet med is the most competitive course there is.

PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 15:50

Is it even more than Medicine @titchy? That must be really tough!

Bobbybobbins · 29/01/2023 15:51

Would echo the poster above - one of my form group applied for vet last year and struggled. She found the interviews challenging so would suggest prep for that as well as loads of work experience

PatChaunceysFruitCake · 29/01/2023 15:52

My friend's daughter has just been offered a place at Liverpool after being rejected from Keele and Nottingham. They really liked Nottingham, like Keele it has very up to date facilities.

As @titchy says it is very competitive so important to look at places that match her experience and grades. My friend's daughter got straight 9's at GCSE and is predicated 4A*s at A-level. She has loads of work experience etc, we were surprised when she got two rejections which shows how competitive it is.

My friend and I are both lawyers and we thought things were competitive when we were applying in the 90's Confused

titchy · 29/01/2023 15:55

PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 15:50

Is it even more than Medicine @titchy? That must be really tough!

Actually now there's Surrey and Keele it's prob not as competitive as it was - maybe one place for every four or five applications, sim to human med.

Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 29/01/2023 15:55

She's only 14 and already worrying about it. It sounds scarily hard to get in. Nottingham, Liverpool and UCLAN would be nearest. I think UCLAN is available this year but she's year 9 so has a while to think about this in depth.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 16:05

So if it's anything like Medicine I too echo @titchy and she would need to apply strategically, to give her the best chance of securing an interview.

Do the have a Med/Vet Med Society at school?

titchy · 29/01/2023 16:06

Given that's she's only 14 she just need to keep working her hardest at school - but not to the exclusion of all else!

PatChaunceysFruitCake · 29/01/2023 16:07

I think it is very hard to get into but lots of students do manage it each year. No reason to think she won't if she realises it's about combining top grades with developing some experience of the profession with the confidence to do well in interviews.

I think it's the third point that surprised me the most. Grades and experience are self evident but the selection process wasn't 'why do you want to be a vet' type questions. I thought the interview process was tough for a 17 year old and was really looking for well developed critical thinking skills as much as anything.

Good luck to her OP. I think if you want to do it you need to know from a fairly young age to ensure you choose the right subjects, gain the experience etc.

icanbewhatiwant · 29/01/2023 16:17

Our neighbours daughter had lots of experience with animals, she did the necessary work experience at vets in Newmarket, plus several other relevant jobs (though it was around covid so she didn't get as much work as she'd liked) she had mostly A star or 9's at gcse. After interviews at 5 vet schools she was offered a place by 2 of them and rejected by the others. Then at A level she mucked up on her chemistry paper so didn't get the A star needed for her firm choice (needed all A star) However still had a place at the second choice. I can't remember which one she's going to, but they are taking in 2 intakes instead of one. So she's starting in April this year instead of last sept.

It's tough out there for vet school. I'd suggest looking at any relevant work experience your dd can do as they need to have worked and have plenty of experience.

yoyo1234 · 29/01/2023 16:33

I think there may now be 11 places offering vet med/sci/surgery so more than there used to be (6 in uk). Would get loads of experience and research what each place wants.

CopperMaran · 29/01/2023 16:39

Definitely need to interview prep & get as much relevant experience as possible. If one of our kids wanted to be a vet, I would try and get them a weekly Saturday volunteering job at a vets: cleaning kennels, observing emergency consults and ops. Etc. Also get Xmas and bday gifts to be animal experience type gifts. The newer courses are good and have a great reputation already - because they are more modern in their approach and set up (their students do much more studying on the job than the more traditional courses at the original places). They’ll all be good courses though.

it’s a hard, very vocational job - it has a lovely reputation because it’s animals and you have beaten a lot of competition to get a place but lots of vets leave after 2-5 years in the job because it is hard work, long hours and most days you have the high of saving a life but also the lows: losing an animal you hoped to save or deal with someone who’s unhappy because the outcome isn’t great or they haven’t got insurance or the funds they need. Vets are not particularly well paid given their qualification level, (unless they take on the pressure of part-ownership in their own business) and at least half of practices are owned by corporates now, which is a very different environment to work in.

I love animals and I’m a scientist but thought about being a vet - but I found I couldn’t cope with having to leave someone else (the owner) to make the decision of what was best for pet as a lot of people’s values are very different to mine. Work experience showed me it wasn’t the job for me - so I applied for a different scientific field to study at uni and over the years have a menagerie of my own pets: dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, goats etc instead. I do have a vet in the family hence my knowledge of the difficulties. They do love their job but it isn’t easy.

Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 29/01/2023 16:39

Thank you. She will hopefully be doing work experience from school at the local vets. She is doing stable management and rides horses and is interested in all aspects of animal care and very passionate about it. Her critical thinking is very good for her age and she's predicted top grades. It's such a lot of pressure for her though.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 16:40

There might be a Thread on TSR for the year she'd start. She could have a look at that.

I don't know about Vet Medicine but in Medicine they seem to be looking for a well rounded student so were particularly interested in a sport DS played.

PritiPatelsMaker · 29/01/2023 16:42

It's such a lot of pressure for her though.

I think it's important to make it clear that they don't have to apply to please you and they can explore other options.

It will be pressured but if it's their choice, all you can do is to support them.

Outfor150 · 29/01/2023 16:44

I know someone who went to Nottingham and rated it highly.
I also know someone who tried in two successive years to get a place-great grades and lots of work experience- but didn’t get a place anywhere and had to change her plans -did zoology instead. This was a few years ago, though.

MrWhippersnapper · 29/01/2023 16:46

Sheffield ? Would be fairly close

newtb · 29/01/2023 16:49

Sadly, it's always been more difficult to become a cet than a dr. 48 years ago, only 1 girl in my year got a place compared with about 10-15 who got places for medicine. ABB/AAB to be a dr but higher to be a vet.

Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 29/01/2023 16:49

It's very much her choice. It's what she's wanted to do for the past 6 years. I do think she should have a back up plan. Maybe veterinary nursing. Or something in Equine because her main love is horses. She has very high standards for animal care and I think it would be very hard for her to accept that others don't have those same standards.

At what age can she start volunteering?

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 29/01/2023 16:52

www.vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk/news/2023-entry-requirements-for-uk-veterinary-schools-published/

This ^ is a useful site to start.

Does she/you mean vet science or vet medicine as they are different ?

Outfor150 · 29/01/2023 16:55

Don’t forget that vets work in abattoirs too. I’m sure she’s aware of this - but animal care in all situations is important.

yoyo1234 · 29/01/2023 17:03

Vet science and vet medicine can be the same eg BVMS (Bachelor veterinary medicine and science at Edinburgh) still qualifies for MRCVS.

Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 29/01/2023 17:16

She wouldn't step foot in an abbatoir. She's a vegetarian for s start.

OP posts:
titchy · 29/01/2023 17:21

She's probably too young at the moment, but she needs to be aware that being a vet isn't just making injured animals better. Vets DO need to go to abattoirs. They also need to deal with animal owners who mistreat their animals, and send sick and in-pain animals home because their owners can't afford treatment.