Is veterinary unachievable now?

[RainBearr]

Results on Thursday showed 4As and 5As.
Chemistry coursework was somehow marked down from a (apparently) strong A to a B which brought overall grade to an A after achieving A in exams. 3 UMS overall off an A
History was also 3 UMS off.

The A*s were in seemingly useless subjects:
English lit
English Lang
Biology
Spanish

As in:
Chem
physics
RE
history
maths

A level choices are
bio, Chem, psychology, maths and Spanish

Is it time to give up on veterinary medicine?

Sorry but if he is serious he really needs to make more of an effort. My DC was lucky in that our local vet offered unlimited work experience. Also got a week at another vet via school. However they also did 6 hour round day trips on public transport to an equine vet for a week and a dairy farm for 2 weeks - we don't have a car. Slept on sofas and in dodgy caravans when lambing and in an extortionate b & b for the farm vet. Also volunteered in a stables and a community farm in London plus 2 weeks clearing up shit in a rescue centre. Also did a paid job in a library. We live in central London btw. It is doable and the opportunities are there if you make an effort to look for them. You must get him to book stuff now for next summer and get lambing at spring half term or Easter if possible.

Start checking out the uni prospectuses now and go to open days. All the entry criteria are slightly different and emphasise different things. Don't bother with DofE and World Challenge. Long term volunteering and stuff that emphasises team work like sport are valuable though.

The Student Room website has a Vetmed section and might help with work experience - there is misinformation on there so beware! Also try making contacts at farmers markets, utilise friends of friends, distant relatives - we found most people are willing to help an enthusiastic young person if they are serious about the profession.

I'm puzzled as to why you think an A* in biology is useless ... Bristol for example insist on biology A-level along with chemistry. They are very clear that only 3 A-levels are needed and that the third can be whatever you like (within reason) but applicants with maths and/or physics don't have any advantage over English, history etc

I second (third?) the work experience advice - we live in a city but there are stables, city farms, rescue centres, umpteen vets practices - even the local dog warden offers a work experience scheme

Dd is only going into Y8 and is already drawing up a list of where she might get experience (she's been volunteering at her stables for the last year). Obviously I realise she may well change her mind but there are a lot of similarly motivated and organised children aiming for vet med and your dc will somehow need to stand out

I think, Basildon, the problem might be achieving an A at Chemistry A level with an A at GCSE. Also, Physics and Maths were an A too. I think there is a question around is this the right profile for a vet med course when so many other candidates will have a full, or nearly full, house of A*s, especially in sciences? Just an observation, but if medical course tutors look at GCSE profile, (see another thread) surely vet med ones do too?

My DC got similar GCSEs to OP, though scraped an A* in chemistry. Believe me they do not screen the GCSEs too closely. Predicted grades, AS results (in some cases) and work experience are more important. Liverpool do not read the personal statement when selecting for interview. Most also have a screening questionnaire they send out - Nottingham's consists of several online tests.

Chemistry is difficult at A level. Some fellow students missed the A but were offered a place including a reapplicant - the school HAS to predict 3 As though or the application is binned. Liverpool asks for Chemistry AS and you can substitute another science at A2 but that would likely mean 4 x A2 to apply to the others.

2 of them (Cambs and Glasgow) ask for maths or physics - none of the others. One at least said they had a slight preference for an arts or humanities subject.

However, the A level system is changing this year for several subjects. GCSEs will become more important again for the current year 11 into 12.

My youngest is going into 6th and will be doing 4 AS levels and then 3 A2s. I thought that was fairly standard? A bit like the old system but the AS won't be half the A2 grade - mad though it is.

Some subjects are changing, some aren't. Some schools will not be offering AS for the subjects continuing into year 13. Very messy and why GCSEs will be more important.

Dd's independent school are doing science A levels solely assessed at the end of the 2 year period.Wheras Maths and Further Maths will still be in As1/2 format.I believe some independents will be doing as1's along with the linear course as well.But i fail to see the reasoning behind this.This is why dd school are recommending only 3 A levels or 4 if you have at least 6 A* gcse's.
Incidentally i think to apply to Liverpool vet. School you need a minimum no. Of A as they don't do the reasoning tests that most vet schools do.I think its either 6-8 A but will have to check with dd who's currently out festivaling - in the rain.

The reason some schools are still entering everyone for AS (including my own) is that Cambridge (and some others I think) have expressed a preference for this.

GCSEs are important, but As will not be dismissed as not high enough. I say this as someone who got C in GCSE chemistry. The majority of courses are looking beyond academia to select their candidates compared to medicine the attributes of resilience and tenacity are valued very highly combined with a rounded individual. Tenacity and resilience are exhibited in the drive to get the right work experience leading to strong references.
Universities are horribly aware of how emotionally draining the career is particularly when most graduates move away from their support network to small practices for their first job. They are selecting for attributes that are likely to support with this process and the ability to make new friends in the new environment.
I look at my friends who are doctors and whilst they have interests outside of work they aren't strong as they are in my colleagues. Without exception we all have a strong external activity, the same is true of the current students I see.
I do think schools consistently overlook how important work experience, outside interests and personality are to entrance to the vet course.
What I would say is how burning is the desire to do this? Every single vet and current student I meet has a huge drive that they employ I can't state this enough.

Not all schools! Our vets are encouraged in all those areas as soon as they express an interest in vet med!

You definitely do not need 6A* for vetmed. My DC has 4 I think and the rest As. The only Vet Schools that do the BMAT are the RVC and Cambridge. Cambridge has higher requirements but the others are pretty much the same.

Liverpool use a points system and they count A and A* as the same - you could theoretically get in with a combination of A & B as long as you present the right amount of subjects - 7 I think - including the sciences.

Dd clicked on the Liverpool requirements earlier this summer to show me.No. of A* were specifically mentioned.For some reason this won't download for me now.She's particularly interested in Liverpool because i went there and my dad did medicine there.
In dd's Career advice book 'getting into veterinary school' Liverpool had 1550 applicants ( in 2012) applying for just 161 places.
Maybe your ds was just very lucky and the exception to the rule.

And 2012 was the 'easy' year, with very few deferred places or people applying a year later.

It is interesting that Bristol wants Biology and Chemistry at A level and others want Maths and Physics! By doing 3 A levels, a student is already downgraded by some vet schools because they gave the "wrong" subjects if this advice is to be believed. I would tend to think GCSEs are taken into account as a "tie breaker" if other aspects of an applicant look similar. These courses are hard work and I would assume a strong academic all-round performance is better if students are presenting similar profiles.

Also, I really do not believe a university does not read a personal statement for vet med! Bristol goes to some lengths to tell prospective students what they are looking for and as the same PS is likely to pitch up at Liverpool, why on earth would they not read it? So many students have stellar exam results, the PS is where the student tells the tutors about their work experience and, very importantly, what they have learnt from it. If exam results are not so stellar then surely it is vital? It is a key document in the decision-making process regarding selection for interview. Why would advice be given on how to write one if it is not read? A list of work experience is not the same as what has been learnt from it! It would be very foolish to advise a student that the PS for vet med did not matter because it would not be read!

As fatfree says, Liverpool want 7 subjects at GCSE and a minimum of 10 points where 2 points for A*/A, 1 point for B and 0 point for C. There are also some details on which subjects are required at GCSE and A level. I think this has to be treated as an absolute minimum though, not a normal profile for a prospective student. Hope this helps.

I am the DC. Sorry I didn't say this before. As well as the zoo I have done a 6 week junior vet school in 2013 that was very detailed and involved a little practical. I still have all my notes.
I have asked over 20 vet practices and they told me over 18. Luckily I'm a September baby so I should be able to get some in if I took a gap year.
At the zoo there are also farm animals- I missed out on lambing this year but next year I may be able to help.
I will look at farms and other options.
I have never wanted to be anything else. I have done bronze dofe (so far) and NCS if these help at all

I forgot to add would gateway courses be possible? I fit some of the requirements e.g disadvantaged area and special measures school
However I don't live in any of the areas near the unis which is often a requirement (I'm in the North East)

You need to go to different places though, it's no good going to one place that has a few of every animal.

So you'd need to spend a week on an intensive dairy farm, a week on a pig rearing unit, etc etc.

Going to different places, showing that you have the effort and initiative to approach different people and organise yourself are all vital.

And doing the unpleasant bits, like abattoirs and insects (unpleasant if you're like me!) show true dedication to learning about ALL sectors.

You can do it on your results so far, but you must put more emphasis than you have been doing on the WE.

The over 18 thing is not universal. I did vet experience at 14. You need to ask to meet with one of the partners and go in that way. The receptionist will just give you a stock answer. You need to show your dedication and commitment, as they get loads of kids just wanting to play animal hospital.

Have you approached any farms? I know of a large pig rearing unit that take WE.

Hi. Don't worry about more D of E.bronze is fine. Do have a look at the University of Bristol web site for ideas for work experience. You will be in a better position if you can volunteer in a setting with farm animals, but on a farm, rather than in a zoo. Look to see where there are farms you can travel to and get on the phone/email. Don't just stay at the zoo because you need a portfolio of work experience. I think you have been unlucky with the vets. Around me they definitely have 6th formers in. A gap year may well help with this. Could you go abroad and volunteer in a wildlife conservation project? You will need top class A levels so don't compromise your exam results! Quality, not quantity. Good luck.

Some of the "gateway" courses don't have residency clauses- check Nottingham off the top of my head.

The zoo is a zoological gardens and farms (real farms) surround it so it would be a real farm situation. It has insects also. I thought long term commitment would be better than doing something for a few weeks. I will start looking around ASAP and ask my head of year the first day back if she has any contacts that I can call. I was planning to do Spanish just for fun because I really enjoy it and would dropping maths be an option. Luckily there's no coursework at A level for chemistry and that's what brought me down. I got 100%UMS in 2 of the 3 exams. I have already taught myself the first units of chem and bio. I am determined and always have been but finding experience has been a problem. I am doing the Nottingham vet med link I'm December which may help

You need to get the 'nasty' elements in as well so do try and get into an abattoir if you can.
There are vets who take people younger than 18, I was a year 12 form tutor this year, and I have had students doing work experience this year.

The zoo is a zoological gardens and farms (real farms) surround it so it would be a real farm situation. It has insects also. I thought long term commitment would be better than doing something for a few weeks.

In the nicest possible way, you're not really listening to what people here are saying.

I'm not going to repeat myself but no, staying at one place with a variety of animals will NOT be as good as work experience at a wide range of different settings, in different parts of the country, and with different operating methods.

ALL successful vet med students will have this.

If you're in the NE I know of at least 4 mixed practices that take 16 year olds. You need to approach it differently.

Best of luck.

Doctor it is now very, very tricky for even vet students to get an abattoir placement ( a required placement of the course) so I would not feel to diet hearted if you don't get one.
I would say the critical list is
Large animal practice ideally with some experience of TB testing.
Small animal practice.
Equine experience not necessarily in practice local stables is sufficient.
Dairy Farm
Lambing
Some kind of team work experience

Experience of TB testing would very much be the gritty end of veterinary practice even more so if animals are positive at the test.