How to become a vet?

[Athravan]

I was going to do my training to be a vet but life didn't work out that way. I was told a minimum of 3 A grade A-levels (those are the ones you do for 2 years after your GCSEs so age 16-18 usually, either in college or still in High school, used to be called 6th form, don't know what it's called now!) but if you had 4 A levels you would stand a much better chance, as competition is extremely fierce with more applicants than places, so you have to show yourself at your best.

I was told 3 sciences + an extra one, ideally maths or something showing technical knowledge as opposed to an art subject.

You need to make sure as much work experience as possible is animal related and once you start your alevels spend every summer and holiday volunteering, if going for a vet your school should help you get your 2nd lot of work experience (at age 17 or so) in an actual vet and that should lead to summer work (unpaid almost certainly).

Then I think it is a minimum of 4 years study, but can be as much as 6-7 years depending on what you specialise in and whether you leave at a bachelors or continue onto a higher program or go into research.

Then you're qualified but you won't be a senior vet, so you'll start out somewhere at a medium salary and get the boring stuff until you get experience usually. For a herp vet some people also do another 4 years study for a herpetology degree, my herp vet took 2 years out to volunteer and travel at various instutitions around the world, learning about exotics.

Depending on how long you take debt is likely to be anywhere between 20k and 100k to be honest! If you work as much as you can in uni you can pay off some of your debts - if you go on to do a second degree or choose to take a year after your degree doing research or voluntary work to get experience in other countries it's going to be higher.

[ChrisBowman]

Originally Posted by Athravan

I was going to do my training to be a vet but life didn't work out that way. I was told a minimum of 3 A grade A-levels (those are the ones you do for 2 years after your GCSEs so age 16-18 usually, either in college or still in High school, used to be called 6th form, don't know what it's called now!) but if you had 4 A levels you would stand a much better chance, as competition is extremely fierce with more applicants than places, so you have to show yourself at your best.

I was told 3 sciences + an extra one, ideally maths or something showing technical knowledge as opposed to an art subject.

You need to make sure as much work experience as possible is animal related and once you start your alevels spend every summer and holiday volunteering, if going for a vet your school should help you get your 2nd lot of work experience (at age 17 or so) in an actual vet and that should lead to summer work (unpaid almost certainly).

Then I think it is a minimum of 4 years study, but can be as much as 6-7 years depending on what you specialise in and whether you leave at a bachelors or continue onto a higher program or go into research.

Then you're qualified but you won't be a senior vet, so you'll start out somewhere at a medium salary and get the boring stuff until you get experience usually. For a herp vet some people also do another 4 years study for a herpetology degree, my herp vet took 2 years out to volunteer and travel at various instutitions around the world, learning about exotics.

Depending on how long you take debt is likely to be anywhere between 20k and 100k to be honest! If you work as much as you can in uni you can pay off some of your debts - if you go on to do a second degree or choose to take a year after your degree doing research or voluntary work to get experience in other countries it's going to be higher.

Still called 6th form So I Should Go For 3 Sciences and Something else?

[bampoisongirl]

Originally Posted by bowie1125

Ill Do that then Thanks very much, After ive ( If) got the A level's Do I Just Apply To The Uni ?


Chris

Your 6th form and careers advisors there will help you with all the applications so dont worry about that until you get there.

Originally Posted by Athravan

I was going to do my training to be a vet but life didn't work out that way. I was told a minimum of 3 A grade A-levels (those are the ones you do for 2 years after your GCSEs so age 16-18 usually, either in college or still in High school, used to be called 6th form, don't know what it's called now!) but if you had 4 A levels you would stand a much better chance, as competition is extremely fierce with more applicants than places, so you have to show yourself at your best.

I was told 3 sciences + an extra one, ideally maths or something showing technical knowledge as opposed to an art subject.

You need to make sure as much work experience as possible is animal related and once you start your alevels spend every summer and holiday volunteering, if going for a vet your school should help you get your 2nd lot of work experience (at age 17 or so) in an actual vet and that should lead to summer work (unpaid almost certainly).

Then I think it is a minimum of 4 years study, but can be as much as 6-7 years depending on what you specialise in and whether you leave at a bachelors or continue onto a higher program or go into research.

Then you're qualified but you won't be a senior vet, so you'll start out somewhere at a medium salary and get the boring stuff until you get experience usually. For a herp vet some people also do another 4 years study for a herpetology degree, my herp vet took 2 years out to volunteer and travel at various instutitions around the world, learning about exotics.

Depending on how long you take debt is likely to be anywhere between 20k and 100k to be honest! If you work as much as you can in uni you can pay off some of your debts - if you go on to do a second degree or choose to take a year after your degree doing research or voluntary work to get experience in other countries it's going to be higher.

Thanks Christy totally forgot some of the most important things. Work experience is absolutely crucial to get in, i think they want a minimum of 6 weeks. If you look on that link i sent you i think they say they accept like 100 students from thousands of applicants, and only 32 on the other course.

Christy can i ask about your herp vet? There's not herp degrees in the UK is there, so where did he go? xx

[ChrisBowman]

Originally Posted by bampoisongirl

Your 6th form and careers advisors there will help you with all the applications so dont worry about that until you get there.



Thanks Christy totally forgot some of the most important things. Work experience is absolutely crucial to get in, i think they want a minimum of 6 weeks. If you look on that link i sent you i think they say they accept like 100 students from thousands of applicants, and only 32 on the other course.

Christy can i ask about your herp vet? There's not herp degrees in the UK is there, so where did he go? xx

So would it just be best for me to knuckle down in school till the time comes to apply?

Chris

[Myo]

Originally Posted by bampoisongirl

Listen dude dont listen to anyone til u listen to me lol I am training to become a vet (reptile specialist) , but because i wasnt quite good enough at physics and chemistry at A level (you have to do all 3 sciences at A level and pass with A's to become a vet straight away) i decided to do a different degree first.

I am currently doing a Zoo biology degree (bsc) at Nottingham Trent university. After i have done this, instead of doing 6 years at vet school i only do 5, because i already have the main knowledge. Im hopefully going to be going to Nottingham university to do my vet degree.

Years 1 and 2 are mainly theory, year 3 a research project and after these 3 years you graduate with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medical Sciences (BVMedSci) degree.

The last 2 years are mainly surgical and practical, and you then come away with Bachelor of Veterinary Surgery (BVS) degree.

Here is the link for more help. Courses - School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - The University of Nottingham

There are only 6 other vet schools in the UK if im right, London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Liverpool.

Hope this helps, if u wanna ask me anything drop me a PM xx

Hey mate, I heard that with degrees once you hit a certain age you are classed as a mature student and don't need any formal qualifications. I think the age is 21 or 25. Do you know anything about whether it applies to vetinary degrees?

[Athravan]

Liverpool has a herpetology degree, I think it is the only place in the UK

[vetdebbie]

Myo - No don't think so mate!

Being graduated I can say you need 3 A levels. When I went through (admittedly one or two *cough* years ago now), the entrance requirements varied depending on the uni. I got 3 offers AAB from Bristol and London, A in Chemistry, and ABBB from Edinburgh as I did Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, again A in chemistry. I think you need to do at least Biology and CHemistry to get in, the third can be any other science eg maths, physics, and geography, oddly. One of my friends did Art and History instead, so it can be done with others, but you'd need to check. Work experience is the key - I didn't get in to glasgow or liverpool as I didn't have enough of it.
Application is the same as for any other degree, so your school should be able to help you.
And it's 5 years standard for most of the schools (not sure about Nottingham, it's too new!), except Cambridge, and to be fair that's only 6 years because you take a BSc in the middle.
Don't ask me about debts - I was the last year of student grants!!

[AshMashMash]

Originally Posted by bowie1125

Ill Do that then Thanks very much, After ive ( If) got the A level's Do I Just Apply To The Uni ?


Chris

Hey. Before I start my reply, feel free to PM me bowie about anything, ask for my msn if you like.

I am a third year vet student at the RVC. Basically, you need to do Chemistry and Biology at A level, plus at least one other subject. This does not have to be a science of maths. In my house hold (4 vet students), the extra subjects we did were: physics and maths (me, I did 4), physics, and 2 did pyschology.

You do not need 3 A's at A level to get in. The most common offer is 3 A's. However, AAB, and ABB are also sometimes offered. My offer was actually ABB, and I got AABC, good times.

There are 7 vet schools in the UK: Nottingham, Royal Vet College (London), Cambridge, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinborough.

ALL of these offer 5 year courses for veterinary medicine (BVetMed), except Cambs, which is 6 years. You spend a year in practice before qualifying at Cambs. Liverpool is particuarly good for equine medicine, the RVC for pratical stuff, and Cambs for more research based lab type work.

Sometimes you may not get the required grades at A level. In these cases the uni may offer you a different placement. As with bampoisongirl, you can do an animal related subject, and reapply as a mature student at the end of it and hope you get in. Some will offer a BSc in veterinary science (not medicine), which is 3 years. On completion of this, you can, at my uni, skip the first year of BVetMed if you get an offer for it: so 3+4 years = 7 year course in this case. Also, the RVC does a "gateway" program: if you didn't quite meet the grades needed, you can do an extra year at the RVC to get you up to scratch, and then go right into BVetMed. So, this course is 1+5 = 6 years long.

Bear in mind, and this may be important, if you do another course before BVetMed, such as the BSc Veterinary Medicine, or Zoology or something, you are classed as a mature student after completing it. This means you do not get loans from the Student Loans Company for your BVetMed course. At the moment, course tutition fee's are at £3000/year + inflation (£3150 presently). After 2010, they can go up to anything the university wants to charge, ie £10,000+/year.

For me personally, I will be in about £40-45k of debt when I finish, and I have considerable parental help financially. It works out at about £5000/year living expenses, £3000/year tutition fees. Non-London uni's will be cheaper I suppose.

Originally Posted by Myo

Hey mate, I heard that with degrees once you hit a certain age you are classed as a mature student and don't need any formal qualifications.

To enter on BVetMed, you must meet the reqiurements. As I have said, you can sometimes to other courses first, and you may have a better chance of being accepted, but you either need to be a Graduate or have the right A levels. There's no other option. Students from the US must be a graduate to enter onto the course, infact. AND have to pay higher tutition fees, AND dont get loans from the SLC, or their own loans company. Bugger for them

Also, you have to do lots of work experience in 6th form to have even a chance of getting in: kennels, catteries, vets of course, abatroires, farms, riding schools etc. The more you have, the better your chances.

Good luck!

BTW, you're in GCSE's now are you?

EDIT: as far as I can see, no one has mentioned the BMAT test, I forgot too. In 6th Form, you must complete the BMAT test for most universities. An external exam you take, generally science related.

EDIT 2: also, dont forget to get those GCSE grades:

At least 5 grade As including grade A in Double Award Science (or in Biology and Chemistry if taken separately) and not less than grade B in English, Maths and Physics (if taken as a separate subject).

[DNA]

Edinburgh is considered to be one of the upper ranking vet schools in the UK. I've spoken with the Deans in the past who agree that you're looking at around £60,000 of debt when graduating.

Up here, entry is incredibly tough. Quoted from the University website you will need:

SQA Highers: AAABB. Five Highers including Chemistry, and two of Biology, Maths, Physics. Chemistry and one other science at A grade. Five Highers must be taken in S5. Chemistry and another science subject (preferably Biology) at Advanced Higher, at B grade. If students have not previously studied Biology to Higher level and Physics to Standard Grade or Higher level, the subjects should be studied in S6: to Higher level for Biology; and to Standard Grade, Intermediate 2 or Higher level for Physics. Standard Grade credit in English.


GCE A Levels: AAB. A levels at AAB in Chemistry (A grade), Biology and either Maths or Physics; ABBB in Chemistry (A), Biology, Physics or Maths. If Physics has not been studied at A level a good pass is required at GCSE level. GCSE grade B in English.

Aswell as the above, you'll be expected to have a background in animal care and some experience of working in the animal-for-food industry, beit an abotoir or similar.

[GlasgowGecko]

Originally Posted by bampoisongirl

Listen dude dont listen to anyone til u listen to me lol I am training to become a vet (reptile specialist) , but because i wasnt quite good enough at physics and chemistry at A level (you have to do all 3 sciences at A level and pass with A's to become a vet straight away) i decided to do a different degree first.

I am currently doing a Zoo biology degree (bsc) at Nottingham Trent university. After i have done this, instead of doing 6 years at vet school i only do 5, because i already have the main knowledge. Im hopefully going to be going to Nottingham university to do my vet degree.

Years 1 and 2 are mainly theory, year 3 a research project and after these 3 years you graduate with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medical Sciences (BVMedSci) degree.

The last 2 years are mainly surgical and practical, and you then come away with Bachelor of Veterinary Surgery (BVS) degree.

Here is the link for more help. Courses - School of Veterinary Medicine and Science - The University of Nottingham

There are only 6 other vet schools in the UK if im right, London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Liverpool.

Hope this helps, if u wanna ask me anything drop me a PM xx

We have just had an honors student do this exact thing. He did his degree in Zoology, and then decided to apply for Vet medicine. For some reason this meant that they could charge him the highest rate of tuition fees (in line with international students) which were around £10k per year. Please be aware of this when choosing this option.

Oh, and if this is the way you choose to do things, a first is essential, again with relevant experience...

Andy