Do I take the plunge and get a career I love?

pleasedelete

Not to be skeptical but which university is it to study to be a vet? Even for mature candidates it is a very competitive interview process with many more applicants than places.

You post implies they said you would get a place if you got the grades?

Dunroamin is correct that many universities have a non negotiable entry requirement on gcses. Those that offer vet courses are Russell group unis. There are only 7 in the uk that offer it. Bristol consider access but have a handful of places.

There is a longer route if you meet certain education , family background and income criteria (plus educational which include named gcses at b or above).

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/Undergraduate/VetGateway/Index.cfm

At rvc with an access course you still need a grade gcses.

WolfSong2000

If I were you I'd try and get some work experience shadowing a vet for a while...the ideal can be very different from the reality, especially if you specialise in large/farm animals. I consider myself an animal lover, but having worked with a vet, you could not pay me enough to become one. There is no way I could be persuaded to put down a perfectly healthy animal for no good reason - it's hard enough doing this for an old/sick animal.

It's also worth bearing in mind it's not a very glamorous job. If you work with farm animals you'll be out at all hours, in the freezing cold/rain/dark with your hand more likely than not stuck up an animals posterior, especially if you're called in for a difficult lambing/calving, etc.

Not saying that being a vet isn't very rewarding, but I think people tend to look at the job through rose tinted glasses and don't always appreciate firstly how difficult it is (much more so than becoming a doctor, imo) and secondly the not-so-pleasant aspects.

LannieDuck

pleasedelete wrote: »

Not to be sceptical but which university is it to study to be a vet? Even for mature candidates it is a very competitive interview process with many more applicants than places.

You post implies they said you would get a place if you got the grades?

I agree - it sounds as if you'll be eligible for interview if you have the course requirements, rather than automatically getting a place. That means it will still be competitive, and you should definitely get some good work experience, as the PP above suggests.

The experience will help you decide if the career is for you, at the same time as making you competitive for interview (because it's almost guarenteed that the other candidates will have lots of voluntary experience).

nimbo

dominos wrote: »

Rather than mess around with GCSE's, I would recommend looking into A Levels at college or night school. Yes some courses may ask for GCSE's, but if you dont have them already, just go for A Levels
A Level Maths, English and one of the sciences would put you in good stead, not only for one of your chosen careers, but for your life and future in general.

In order to teach study social work and midwifery you have to have GCSE English And maths (and science for little kiddie teaching) or equivalent. The equivalents are very strict and A Levels do not count. I had A level English before GCSE and to get on a social work course I still had to get the GCSE (I also did a science GSCE as at one of the universities I was applying to it was required when I started the GCSE and was dropped the next year)...

Look into the little details as it will be these that will trip you up when applying, and having to go backwards because you missed an important step or specific qualification will really upset you, and will stretch out the process.

Good luck OP.

lauzt1987

coinxoperated wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice. I'll give some local uni's a call over the next couple of weeks and see where I stand then.

Its a shame, becoming a social worker would be my easiest choice right now, qualifying in 3 years with a job to support me with entire time, I just have no passion for it

Please don't take this the wrong way but I think you are underestimating how difficult it is to become a vet. The grades that are required are usually all As and you seem to have difficulty using an apostrophe so not sure how well you would cope with A level English.

Furthermore, because it is such a competitive course to get on to, good grades in itself generally aren't good enough. You need lost of work experience. My friend who is a vet worked on farms and at stables for 2 years on a voluntary basis, had 5 As at higher (scotland) and still didn't get an offer for all the Universities he applied to.

Mara69

Sounds like a pipe dream to me, in all honesty. If the OP is unable to even figure out how to achieve her 'dream job' then how on earth will she cope with such demanding study?

Person_one

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Just to point out


We could not thank ours enough for the support they gave us in our last pregnancy and were a million times better than anything we came across in the NHS who were absolutely useless by comparison.

Just to point out, the NHS paid to train them all, I wonder if the private ones paid back their tuition fees and bursaries on principle...

coinxoperated

Thank you to those who have provided actual informative and helpful replies, rather than the 'kick you while your down ' ones.

I sincerely don't require your negative comments and certainly won't be replying to any of them from now on.

I have plenty of experience with farm animals and small animals and some experience with horses which will all help.

I was unsure of the process to become a vet, but thanks to the helpful posters rather than the ones that decide this forum is some sort of spelling test... I have been able to discover exactly what I require.

I do appriciate how hard it is to become a vet and think it something I will be able to achieve, otherwise I wouldn't be attempting it!

So to put it bluntly ! -

Thank you to those who have offered support, good wishes and constructive advice.

To the people who seem to enjoy being extremely negative surrounding someone else's career when they really don't have an understanding of that persons ability - maybe you should put your thinking processes and bitter tongues into a career, you might make it too!

loubie_lou

Dunroamin wrote: »

I think that you missed out a "not" from your first sentence.

Some colleges will allow students to study the requisite GCSEs alongside the Access course but others will expect students to have taken them first. There are many degree courses that will require certain GCSEs for entry, even after successful completion of Access.

Thanks :doh:

jayII

At the end of the day, it's well worth going for. Even if you don't get into vet school you will have gained qualifications, confidence in your academic abilities and probably have a great time at college. I'm sure that you can use a science access qualification to get into other interesting and useful uni courses.

A word of caution: Do double check if you need any GCSEs to get onto the vet/midwife course and to get a job. Many unis and employers insist on a handful of GCSEs, including English and Maths, even if you have access and/or degree qualifications. It would be annoying to have to go and study these at a later stage.

I hope it all goes well and you have a brilliant time getting where you want to be.