DS announced he wants to do veterinary science

[Lozza70]

After years of wanting to be an airline pilot DS who is currently doing GCSE’s has announced he now wants to be a vet. What is the best A level combination to do?

at the moment he has Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Spanish in mind.

@ramonaquimby for sure you know more about this than I do, but tbf no one is saying he doesn’t have time to get some wk exp.

But he will be sending off his final uni application in 16 months’ time, October 2026, so he has that as the max time to find and do some work exp. So he needs to get on with it; if he gets in touch with places next week when his GCSE exams are done, I don’t imagine there will be an offer of a placement for the week after. He doesn’t have a huge amount of time, that’s all ppl are saying.

But he does have time, I wouldn't be stressing about it. Summer, October half term, Christmas break, Feb break etc plus all the rest up until applications are in. My DC didn't start any work experience that really counted until well after their GCSEs, I think most students who are thinking of applying for vetmed will naturally be quite good with their time and managing other commitments alongside securing appropriate work experience.
In any case, good luck to your son with everything ahead of him!

Kennels and catteries can be busier over the summer and appreciate an extra pair of hands.

RSPCA will take for wex from 16. Stables, city farms, rescue centres might help too. He has time. But many places are booked up a year in advance so might need to be persistent.

And as a career, it’s international for UK vets. Many now aim to work abroad for a few years of their career.

https://www.vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/VSC-entry-requirements-for-2025.pdf

Should be updated for 2026 entry soon

I'm going to be blunt. Vets have the highest rate of suicide than any other profession.
They do they same amount of studying as a GP to be given a third of the wage, and the majority of clinics are now ran by corporate.
I worked in a vet clinic for 4 years and I would strongly recommend that you consider other options.

I have been a vet for 15+ years. It has changed a lot. Fees are expensive, insurance doesn’t always keep pace and clients blame you (I’m not on commission and don’t set the prices but it’s the client facing staff who take the brunt of it).

Clients expect Noel Fitzpatrick level care on a relative shoestring - I had someone just yesterday refuse lab work on a lump and then complain that I couldn’t diagnose a tumour using just my eyes. Another that blamed the vet when a routine blood test showed up another disease because it meant the my would have to pay a second insurance excess. Our corporate owners meddle and pressurise in every area of the running of the practice, performance targets on all aspects of our work. KPIs are obviously necessary in business, but don’t take into account that animals are not robots and there are lots of variables in medicine… we have to be GP, A&E, dentistry and obstetrics all in the same day. Most of my friends and colleagues teeter near the edges of burnout a lot of the time.

I think so many professions sound similar, medicine/dentistry/teaching etc, the pressure is unreal, to meet targets and deliver perfect outcomes in sometimes messy situations. I have a teenager and really don’t know what to suggest to them career wise. So much student debt for a career that burns you out.

@MountainfrogI think this is why so many of them plan to work abroad for part of their careers. More money, better treatment and away from the corporates. The pay really is rubbish for what you do.

I think the same is true in medical, every single dental student that I know is going into private. Teachers are leaving in droves.

I don’t know a single teacher who would suggest you go into teaching.

My daughter knew exactly what she was getting into - that’s where work experience comes in. We all see professions changing every year - every single one has less profit, less salary and less perks every single one. Same with council tax that never goes down and always up and always services cut - always.

I have name changed for this. I have been on the RVC interview panel in the last 12 months and your son would very much fit their broadening access criteria . But he also needs to ensure that he understands the challenges facing the profession - one of the MMIs we do is on professional awareness. We also do one on ethics and that involves considering all the options of a problem and the financial implications of those options.
He does need to get some work experience and really absorb the nitty gritty of what practice life is like. Moral injury, secondary trauma and burn out are very real issues and at this moment the biggest group that are being eroded are the experienced vets. Sadly the suicide levels are incredibly high.
Currently average time on the RCVS register ( the bit that allows you to practice as a vet ) is 4.5 years. The CMA investigation is needed, but currently it means that media coverage is leading to more abuse of veterinary staff than ever before. The outcome of the CMA investigation will only be useful if it leads to a new veterinary surgeons act that enhances the role of veterinary nurses and protects their title. But that new veterinary surgeons act has been on the cards for the last 30years!
Be under no illusions that the CMA investigations will solve all the problems after all it was their predecessor the CC who insisted that the corporate genie was let out the box. Plus the mess in Andalusia of not allowing veterinary practices to dispense any medications and only provide written prescriptions has shown that that approach is not without it’s difficulties.
interviewers will be looking for candidates who have awareness of all these issues the single biggest reason people don’t get an offer is naivety of the issues the profession is facing.

Sadly the issues are not confined to the UK. USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand provide similar levels of care and have similar issues. Yes in some regions yes pay is higher, but so is the cost of living so standard of living of vets is pretty similar across all those countries. The moral injury, burn out and secondary trauma is a very big issue every where.
Corporates also exist in all those places and in the majority of countries in Europe.
IVC Evidensia the biggest group in the UK is also present in 19 other countries including Canada and the Nordics.

They know. But they also know they can locum and travel. Not forever, but full time one job vets they are unlikely to be. And they’ve nothing to compare the job to, so they only know this 🤷‍♀️

As a locum now myself they also need to know the realities of that market now. It is a tough market pay is dropping unless you can bring something extra beyond just a bum on a seat.
I also travel a bit too, but am doing it the other way round ( with 27 years experience) I have volunteered in the Far East in projects where I teach as well as vet.
I have worked a lot with new and recent grads the ones that do best need to not chase the unicorn, work out what they will compromise and what they won’t. There is no perfect practice out there.
Accept that there are going to be great, tough and shit days, but most of all be team players. For example in many practices there are no longer cleaners being prepared to clean your own consult room at the end of the day and take your turn on the kitchen and toilet cleaning rota goes a massive way to making you a valued member of the team.
I know I sound a bit harsh, but I have been round the block and bought the t-shirt. I have been independent and corporate practice, been a practice owner, am a Vet GDP advisor, currently locum and work abroad in stints. As I say I interview for the RVC.

@Notyouraveragevet I think a lot of young people now don’t have a dream job and compromise is part of their lives (this lot started Uni in Covid). And I always think mucking in is part of any job. At least with so much EMS they’ve done pretty much everything. Including a lot of cleaning !
They don’t know about the good old days so this is all they know. If my DD hates it she’ll go off travelling and find a country she likes. At least as a vet she can get a visa pretty easily.
You might have interviewed her or met her in the Far East - neuter clinic ? 😊

Work experience is important but they should also get a customer facing job to prove they can handle the owners as well as the animals. Mine worked in a shops and cafes before uni and kennels during and is now about to graduate.

And also helps with interviews. If you’re used to talking to random strangers it’s much easier to interact in role plays and weird scenarios.

Hi @Lozza70 I'm involved in helping want to be vet students and run some courses with tips for work experience requirements etc it depends where you are in the country but feel free to PM me for any details.

Hope they’re free @Irishstout!

Can I just put a positive viewpoint.

My daughter's been a vet at Vets4Pets practice for around 7 or 8 years since she qualified. She's had great support from her boss to develop, and had done a postgrad qualification funded by them. Yes, it's been stressful, especially early on - good vet school friends all helped each other through it though and now they're all mature, experienced vets enjoying their jobs. Most of her clients are lovely and think she's great. The ones who aren't lovely are in the minority. Her main irritation is that she agrees with clients about prescription needs being too expensive. She earns a decent salary without the responsibility of running a practice, and she has a good life/work balance.

Go into it with your eyes open, but it's not all bad, and in fact, can be great.

Thanks Zizza. So many graduates are without work at all. I guess it isn't a job for everyone, which is why you do the work experience.

Well to revive this thread GCSE results came through positively this week as DS got seven 9’s, a distinction in further maths and three 7’s so is able to do Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Spanish for his A levels. We are beyond proud of him! Still set on veterinary science and I want to support as much as possible.

He did contact lots of local vets to see if he could do some shadowing but no joy yet. He is going again on this and I have shared the info in this thread so thanks for anyone who contributed!

He did so well! Hope he gets some work experience sorted soon 😊

Oh wonderful! He may have more luck with the work experience now he has some results to put on his CV.

@Lozza70 email the practice manager at every local vet (you can do a search on the RCVS website). Some will have dedicated pages on their websites (look for EMS as a start).
Try RSPCA, cat/dog kennels, stables, farms. Stop in and ask if see somewhere. Be persistent !

But it should be your son emailing and chasing this up. Good luck to him!