To practice as a vet in the UK you need to go to one of the 7 Veterinary colleges and take a degree (e.g. BVM&S, BVSc). Once you have obtained this degree you are entitled to become a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS), only then are you entitled to practice. The training is hard and the Veterinary Course is regarded as one of the most difficult to pass. Although Vet Schools are university based the courses are structured more like a college where most of your day is taken up with formal teaching (lectures, tutorials, practicals and so forth). This is unlike arts or science courses where there may be only a few hours teaching through the day, leaving extra time for private study. As a vet student you will have to study during your `free' time. Much of the practical course work involves dissection, work in slaughter houses and working with laboratory animals. In the later years of the course you may be expected to be part of an on-duty team which can mean being up all night at times dealing with hospitalised animals and emergency cases. You will also have to see practice initially on farms and eventually with Veterinary Surgeons, this takes up 50% of your vacation time so the amount of holiday time you will have to earn money to support yourself at college is severely restricted. The course lasts 5 years, or 6 if you go to Cambridge.

Qualifications:

To be a Veterinary Surgeon you need to love animals and have empathy with them. There is, however very little room for sentimentality in the job, at times you will have to make some fairly difficult decisions with a clear mind. School qualifications to enter Vet College are very high, every College is different and requirements are subject to change so you must always check with individual colleges for full information. Generally you will need A level chemistry and 2 others, usually science although some will accept an `academically sound' non science A level. The grades should be at least 2 As and a B. AS levels are sometimes accepted. Bear in mind you will also need GCSEs as entrance qualifications for the University. All Veterinary courses are greatly oversubscribed, even having the correct school qualifications doesn't ensure a place. You should also approach the Vet Colleges personally, initially in writing to show your interest and make sure you take advantage of any open-days or similar that they may offer. Anything you can do do get yourself known to the college will improve your chances of acceptance.

The Job:

Vets, once qualified can do a wide variety of related jobs and the veterinary degree can provide an opening to many non-veterinary career paths. Some of the commonest branches of veterinary medicine are:

General Practice - this is the most popular career option and it involves direct, hands-on treatment of animals. Every practice is obliged to give 24 hour service, 365 days a year although in a multi-vet practice cover during anti-social hours will be done in turns, on a rota. Within general practice you will find yourself treating a wide range of species under a wide variety of conditions although most vets will have some sort of specific interest in say pet animals, or production animals. Types of practices differ, some will work to the highest standard possible whereas others prefer to offer a more `economy' type service. Some practices will specialise in the type of animal they treat - some will treat purely pets, some only horses whereas others will offer a service to all species (mixed practice). As a general practitioner you will find yourself in multiple roles such as physician, surgeon, pharmacist, dentist, manager, radiologist, anaesthetist, accountant, bereavement counsellor and so on. For this reason and many others general practice can be extremely rewarding, albeit very demanding on personal and family life.

Public Health - while this role in part overlaps that of general practice some vets will specialise in the area of public health where they become involved with food production from the slaughter house to the packing plant to ensure high standards of quality and food safety.

Teaching and research - teaching at Veterinary Colleges is important to ensure the education of new generations of Vets and is often accompanied by research. Research is also carried out by government funded bodies and in the private sector, particularly pharmaceutical companies.

Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs - in this government department Veterinary Surgeons are involved mainly with the control of diseases in animals such as anthrax, tuberculosis, brucellosis, BSE and foot and mouth disease. All these diseases represent a threat to human health or to animal welfare and production and the state has taken on the responsibility for researching and controlling them.

If you would like to know more click here for a transcript of a recent careers talk given by Niall Taylor or to visit the surgery please contact me, Niall Taylor at Orchard Veterinary Group on 01458 832972 or e-mail me at the clinic

Have a look at this excellent interactive leaflet by the Royal college of Veterinary Surgeons about veterinary careers.

You-Tube offer a series of videos about being a vet.

LINKS:

Have a look at this excellent interactive leaflet by the Royal college of Veterinary Surgeons about veterinary careers.

You-Tube offer a series of videos about being a vet.

LINKS: