Vet Med 2027

[VetMedMum]

Any parents out there whose kids are looking at Vet Med for 2027 entry?

No vets or medics in our family so it’s all new to me. She is progressing with her work experience, but it’s all starting to get a bit real now…

School have them draft their PS in June so they are ready to submit early in Autumn 2026.

Booked 5 open days so far 😬

If she’s planning to go down the small animal route, she should be prepared for the realities of working for a corporate controlled by private equity. Targets, KPIs, upsell, cross-selling etc etc. It really is all about the £££ these days and it’s naive to expect otherwise. The drop-out rate of idealistic young graduates due to stress, pressure & burnout is horrendous.

Source : A close friend is a vastly experienced SA vet who qualified in the 90s, has worked through the transition to the corporate era & hates what the profession has become.

My DD is a new graduate vet working for a large corporate. It's fantastic. Well treated, lots of CPD and opportunities to progress (they are paying for her to get a certificate). It really depends on the practice, not who owns it.

Work experience is vital. Each Uni needs differing amounts but all like customer facing roles. Being a vet is a people job as much as an animal one. You don't need lambing or dairy. But a variety of vet exp and animal husbandry is good so can talk about things at interviews or in the endless application forms.

It's a tough degree, but they work hard and play even harder.

agree,

corporate practice can have its challenges for senior vets/those with management responsibilities and those of us who have spent most of our career working within a more traditional/independent framework. I would agree though that for new graduates, the training programmes offered by corporate practices are extremely good, and not all independent practices will offer the necessary support or experiences. I certainly wouldn’t rule anything out, especially in a difficult jobs market for new graduates.

Following what you said I have had a chat with him about it and potentially just looking at one Scottish uni. It’s such a tough course to get into. I think he is prepared for that but is struggling with his plan B.