Any Vets about?/Anybody know about becoming one?

[DanTheMan]

As you may have noticed from my 'Work Vs Life balance' thread, I'm not having the most of enjoyable times at the moment with the monotomous problem that is the office job.

I've had a passion for animals all of my life and I'd really love to work with them in the future.

I've been on The Royal Veterinary College site many times and looked at the possible ways of getting into the career, just wondered if anybody had any first hand experience of what it really takes to get a career within the veterinary industry?

 

[calnen]

I was under the impression becoming a vet took the same kind of time as becoming a doctor - 6 or 7 years, iirc. Its one of those careers you need to have a real calling for, as if you're making that level of commitment to training you'd have to be damn sure you'd be doing it for a couple of decades at least.

 

[Greenlizard0]

I think to be a vet is very tough, esp since demand to get on the courses is very high and thus you need high A's in your A-levels and GSCE's. In terms of work it's very hard, you learn about more than one animal where e.g. in medicine we learn the biology and pathology for one.

Medicine is a little bit easier now due to lots more universities starting courses recently e.g. Brighton, Plymouth etc, but vet courses are quite hard to get into also since I think only six or so places do it in the UK - Liverpool does it, Oxford and Cambridge both do I think and I can't remember the other three.

 

[meghatronic]

Medicine is a little bit easier now due to lots more universities starting courses recently...

Although there aren't enough jobs now to cope with new medics...

 

[j00ni]

further to greenlizard's post, Bristol, Edinburgh, Nottingham and University of London (Royal Veterinary College) offer veterinary medicine courses. As said it is an extremely tough course to get into (commonly cited as the toughest) - with unis requiring not only top academic grades and an entry exam, but also stacks of work experience (min 10 weeks in various roles for Liverpool iirc)

As with many medical courses, there are accelerated programmes for graduates (although these usually have to be in a biological science or related subject).

Basically, whilst a desire and committment to working with animals is desirable, and will help your chances, it is not enough (I know a number of people who intended to or did apply for vet sci and none of them have gotten onto the course unfortunately. Whilst I would never discourage anyone from trying to better themselves, it is a considerable risk as it means quitting your job, working for 2 and a half months on little/no pay, all of which my be for nought

There are a number of ancillary jobs related to veterinary medicine, which may be worth considering, both those which require a degree and those which don't - unfortunately well paid, rewarding jobs are quite hard to come by i believe

Although there aren't enough jobs now to cope with new medics...

actually there are, and even if there weren't there should be

 

[DanTheMan]

Thanks j00ni .

As said previously, I'm not too worried about the job/income side of things at the moment as luckily I'm at a time in my life where I'm not tied down by anything.

I was already planning on going back to college to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics which, from looking, should set me in good stead for a degree in the sorts of things that I'm interested in (IE Veterinary Science, Medicine).

I'm at a stage of my life where I can either set my sights on something I'd really like to do, or just be a mundane office worker for the rest of my life. Might as well go for it whilst it's a viable option.

 

[meghatronic]

actually there are, and even if there weren't there should be

Not what I've heard from the BBC, a recently graduated medic trying to find a foundation placement and two final year student medics. But I could've misinterpreted.

You're quite right though, there should always be jobs for doctors. I think a larger problem is outsourcing. Employing foreign doctors over UK graduates.

 

[jdderbys]

My other half works for the PDSA and has been trying to being a vet nurse for yeears but trying to find a vet centre will to train and pay you is rare. Most vets are not assesed by the royal vet college and therefore cannot ack as training practises.

Most of the locum vets so shes day in day out have all come over from spain and poland and its much cheaper to hire them as and when needed.

Its a very hard career to get into but well worth it.

Iv always been told becoming a vet is harder than becoming a doctor because animals cant tell you whats wrong or what they have adverse affects too so you really have to know your stuff. At lease doctors can ask a patient what hurts!

 

[PikeyPriest]

Iv always been told becoming a vet is harder than becoming a doctor because animals cant tell you whats wrong or what they have adverse affects too so you really have to know your stuff. At lease doctors can ask a patient what hurts!

Niether can unconscious/coma patients coming in to A+E, but doctors seem to cope with that

Vets just like to keep training numbers down do that they keep their salaries up (have a family friend that makes ridiculous money as a vet)

 

[D.P.]

As you may have noticed from my 'Work Vs Life balance' thread, I'm not having the most of enjoyable times at the moment with the monotomous problem that is the office job.

I've had a passion for animals all of my life and I'd really love to work with them in the future.

I've been on The Royal Veterinary College site many times and looked at the possible ways of getting into the career, just wondered if anybody had any first hand experience of what it really takes to get a career within the veterinary industry?

Big sister is a vet, little sister just starting.

5 years of tough study. Expect you work vs life balance to suffer even more if that is what you plan on doing.

Big sister works long days and has many weekends and evenings on call.

 

[j00ni]

DanTheMan: sorry if my post seemed to be a bit of a downer. If you have the time, funds and motivation to do this all power to you. It is a gutsy move to change career at all, but to go for something like vet med you must be a real glutten for punishment!

Not what I've heard from the BBC, a recently graduated medic trying to find a foundation placement and two final year student medics. But I could've misinterpreted.

graduating medics are all but guaranteed a foundation post. Though there is a chance it could be on a dull tract in the arse end of nowhere. It is after foundation training where it all starts to go to **** - though there are more or less enough posts for all doctors (just not all of them are training posts with real career prospects)