UCAS choice list for Vet

Discussion and advice on University Education

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
silverysea
Posts: 1105
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by silverysea »

Hi all

Need to ask, are dcs who are intent on vet college only allowed to put down 4 choices of vet schools in the UK on these UCAS forms? And are there 1 or 2 more spaces they should fill in with a fall-back option?

So far, dd1 (year 12 currently and very very busy, has asked me to help understand the processes) intends to leave those blank, as for her it is vet, or gap year to try again. I guess the following year will be vet or bust. Though minds can and do change, I know!

Are there other good options she should consider?

I have been stalking the student room, but there is only so much I can take in from that, and filter for both youthful daftness and my own total ignorance about The Next Steps for my PFB (precious firstborn).
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by Guest55 »

Did you find the forum for vet med on TSR? It's here:

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=196" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some students put a Biology-type course down but as you can only write one Personal Statement this is tricky. She needs to talk to the UCAS lead person at school but it is quite common to have to re-apply. What hands-on experience has she got?
silverysea
Posts: 1105
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by silverysea »

Thanks G55, I hadn't found the right part of that forum so that is a great help! Still not sure though if they are prevented from just listing 100% vet schools on the UCAS form.

I guess she can fill up all the spaces on the UCAS form with whatever, but turn down the non-vet courses at decision time if Gap year is still the stop-gap of choice. Second time around she will need to bite the bullet and choose a real alternative, or go abroad.

School seems to be pretty good, with a teacher-advised medical club every week, but she is the only one in her year aiming for vet as opposed to human med/dent etc.

She has a dog and has bred and shown fancy rodents, won some trophies, very interested in genetics. She has spent last school year helping Riding for the disabled every week, handling the horses and the clients. This year she has spent an 8 hour day every weekend in ice rain snow sleet and mud outdoors volunteering (and thriving!) on a Children's Farm, handling literally all sorts and sizes, including dosing, enrichment etc. As well as showing kids and adults hands-on, put in sole charge on day 1. We talk about it every week in terms of what she has learned, this week she noted that she had been able to put a rug on a calf that other volunteers, were struggling with, as she has a knack from all the horse rugging last year. Very much enjoying this work. I am trying to get her to log it all but I can only lead a horse to water so far!

She has a meeting with the head of a local animal,hospital next week, hoping for leads as well as advice. One week at a local vet booked for July, and plans to attend a 2 week vet school experience offering in July (at the uni she would most like to attend, it's supposed to be taken seriously by them as experience, not just a money making exercise, though I have my doubts!). Has had problems getting lambing on a big scale and no sheep farmers to book her so far, she is only 16 all year and no experience, so not very desirable- and has been disappointed at their lack of response, (needs to try harder but doing interim exams now) She does have a lead at a commercial sheep farm associated with the children's farm. Went out to a local small dairy farmer for a couple weekends to learn about that business. Just got a budgie! (More mouths to feed). So, I think she has done as much as she can at her stage and age.

Also I think a gap year is a good idea for her, might even defer entry if possible.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by Guest55 »

The sticky about lambing is brilliant - encourage her to read it.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12818
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by hermanmunster »

Hi Silverysea - don't have to fill all the slots on a UCAS form whatever the subject (DD didn't - there were only 4 places she would go to) and can always reject and take a gap year.

Most recent kids I have known be accepted have had significant amount of hands on - living on livestock farms etc. One got in with an offer that I thought was possibly lower than expected - maybe because of experience.
It is probably a case of doing the vet work experience as much as possible and get to know some farmers (or their kids at least) and get involved that way. Gap Year can be useful as time to get lots more experience and have the A levels already.
franticmum
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:16 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by franticmum »

Hi Silverysea

My daughter is also aiming for vet school so I know a bit. They can put a fifth, non-vet course down but there is no point if they only want to do veterinary. There is no transfer across until after graduation of their first degree and doing vet school as a post graduate for another 5 years will be hugely expensive as the fees hike up well beyond the £9k they currently are for their first degree course and this on top of the first degree too would be extortionate.

Sounds like she's done a lot of experience already. Getting the vet practice ones are most important as to keep as many school open to her, she'll need 4 weeks. They all vary in total number and number at a vet but 4 is the worst case (and that also should include a large animal ie equine or farm vet, if poss. but the latter is like gold dust). RVC requires the least amount of experience at 4 weeks' complete total and Nottingham and Glasgow are 6 weeks' grand total, I believe so depends where she is intending to apply. It is worth checking again later in the year when they modify the admissions criteria. Is the vet course free or do you have to pay? The vet school it is linked to may count it as valuable experience but I don't believe the others necessarily will as they don't generally like experience which people have paid for as it excludes those that can't afford it. As such, she may not get much credit for it with others or worst case, she may not even be able to put it down. Worth checking so she has time to get more experience, if necessary.

Try local catteries, kennels and think outside the box too. My daughter helped at a llama park (also featured many other animals).

Can the vets or dairy farmer offer any lambing contacts?

Make sure she gets references for as many places as possible as she goes, stating dates done, name and designation of signatory and dated. Letter headed is preferable.

Hope that helps.
silverysea
Posts: 1105
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by silverysea »

My understanding is the fees are the fees, whatever course you do. If it's oversubscribed, there is even less chance of any funding ever appearing for education.

Thanks and good luck to franticdd!

I think we will skip the paid course experience for now, as we have had a big drop in family income and I also suspect it is more a money spinner for the course than a certain accepted work experience. she has decided to focus on getting "real" experience in all her school holidays. Though tbh, it's just as unfair expecting kids who are younger in year, or not connected with vets and farms, to be able to access such experience. The rescue centres she can get to where we live now, won't take under 18, but in our old area her friend did blue cross help last year from 16, so that isn't fair either. She is also fretting about having moved to an independent 6th form since the RVC apparently prefers state school, but she won a scholarship after 12 years of state school-maybe they will take that into consideration?

Dh thought she should drop out of volunteering at the children's farm one full day a week after a few weeks, but she enjoys it and it is proper hard work and a job, despite no pay, which I see is making her think. I expect she will do extra in school holidays as she did at Christmas. She has so much responsibility there on her 16 year old shoulders for both animals and children's safety and well being, and education, then the next day has to go back to school being treated like a very stupid child, she says!

Visiting the vet hospital for a chat was good in the end, she went in in a real bad mood due in part to me having pulled some minor strings to get it, but came out happy and inspired, and has applied for summer experience there. She felt that she was able to have a real conversation and they treated her like an adult.

She decided to drop maths so now has 3 A levels (phew! 4 has been ghastly) which are suitable for most U.K. Vet schools, and she had a nice reply from the Royal Dick encouraging her to do the usual bio, chem and one she loves, music is not prized less than maths by them at least. Maybe she can forget about Cambridge and another one I can't remember, but maybe that's just as well.

I think it is better to fill her time with the things she enjoys, then she is full of enthusiasm when you talk to her- no need to coach or fake the interest and commitment, and the knowledge she has gained, it just shines straight out.
Loopyloulou
Posts: 878
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:20 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by Loopyloulou »

I think (although TBH I'm not entirely sure) you can only put down four vet options. I also think (although TBH I'm not entirely sure) that none of the options know about any other, and neither will they know about any fifth (non-vet) option; certainly some universities (eg Bristol) are categorical in their published admissions statements that putting one non-vet option won't be held against you, and having heard the Head of Vet Admissions at Bristol speaking about this I'm sure it is true.
For anyone who wants to maximise their admissions chances for Vet I'd say read very carefully the admissions statement and entry process details for each university. We learnt, for example, that you won't realistically get into Cambridge without a Maths or Physics A-Level, and you won't realistically get into Liverpool without the requisite work experience. Also (and this is by no means obvious) some vet schools don't read personal statements at all, but others do, and very carefully...
Good luck :)
Loopy
Catseye
Posts: 1824
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 6:03 pm
Location: Cheshire

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by Catseye »

Loopyloulou wrote:We learnt, for example, that you won't realistically get into Cambridge without a Maths or Physics A-Leve
Back in my day for medicine to get into Oxbridge for medicine they prefered Maths or physics over biology.

Chemistry compulsory.

For medicine and I assume for veterinary science one does not need much more knowledge above O level knowledge on maths or physics.

Imo, maths and physics at A level is the best indicators of potential-although I was an exception to the rule-I hated medicine had no natural aptitude for it e.g for anatomy start at page 1 memorise until until page 500 including diagrams -regurgitate at end of year exams followed by promptly forgetting it. I was wasting my time and theirs.
silverysea
Posts: 1105
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: UCAS choice list for Vet

Post by silverysea »

Does anyone understand WHY you can only put down 4 options for Vet Med?

I mean, surely people should be able to decide what they want to apply to study.

It's not as if it is FREE!
Post Reply