*For non-UK readers who aren’t familiar with the Vet School system here, Vet Med is generally taken as an undergraduate, first degree, unlike many other countries where it is a graduate course. I have taken the UK graduate route, and am in the minority!*
I recently saw a topic on an internet forum about graduate entry to Veterinary Medicine, and it irked me a bit. One of the main questions was, ‘How competitive is graduate entry compared with school-leaver entry?’ The answers that most people seemed to be giving was that yes, it is a lot more competitive to get in – I think this is true to a certain extent, but certainly not in all cases. I was speaking to a member of staff at Edinburgh who was saying that vet schools are increasingly recruiting graduate students, because their number of government-funded places (which are given to school-leavers) is capped, but they’re willing to take on graduates who have the right qualifications and attributes, providing they fund themselves.
I’m not saying that makes it an easy route in – the fees of around £20,000 per year charged to graduates by most vet schools are simply beyond reach of some people, and that’s not something I agree with. But if someone already knows that they want to take the graduate route into Vet Med (which I don’t think is a bad thing – I’m certainly a million times better equipped now to deal with the course than I was at 18), then they have an extra three or four years to find the funding, and will come out a lot better for taking a first degree – academically, socially and personally.
I think some, quite able people look at the figures and say, ‘hey, you know, it’s so competitive as a grad that I won’t even try’. I know, I’ve been in the situation of staring at those seemingly impossible figures. But I really believe that if your heart is truly in it, then you will be able to get a place, and quite possibly at Nottingham or RVC, which are the only UK Vet Schools not to charge the huge fees to grads. Don’t forget, a certain proportion of those applicants will have got to the end of uni and thought, ‘Hmm, what shall I do now? I think I’ll give Vet Med a shot,’ and not really be as dedicated as they could be - if you really are dedicated to becoming a vet then it will show early on in the application stage, and you’ll automatically have a head start.
Once I had definitely made the decision to go for Vet Med, I did everything I could to get there, and had a load of fun along the way. I did a variety of work experience, prepared very thoroughly for my interviews and spent weeks perfecting my application. Jeez, I have even been back at school for a year to get A level Chemistry! But you know what, I enjoyed it and I think it showed. I never in a million years would have dreamed I would get four offers. But the thing is, I am sure that I wouldn’t have had four offers had I applied when I left school – as a graduate you have the skills, confidence and maturity which allow you to shine at interview. If you can get a strong application in so that you’re offered interviews, you’ve won over half the battle.
So yes, statistically, Vet Med might be harder to enter as a graduate, but looking beyond the statistics, you’re actually in a much stronger position, providing your heart’s really in it. For anyone reading this who is doubting themselves and whether to go for it at the moment, I would really encourage you to go for it wholeheartedly, because if you really want to get there, you will.
