Eleanor, veterinary medicine student at the Royal Veterinary College

What appeals to you most about farm medicine?

I’ve always loved the outdoors and meeting new people. Being a farm vet is very different to working as a small animal vet, for example, where you would typically work in the same practice each day. As a farm vet I travel to different farms and am outdoors. I’m also on the road travelling to different farms which I like, as this gives me time to reflect. I also feel a lot more comfortable handling a cow than an angry cat. Cows are amazing animals when you get to know them. They have their own personalities and are like big dogs!

What was your biggest challenge getting into vet school?

My journey to the RVC was not an easy one. Sadly, my school was not supportive of my journey to vet school. The only reason I am here is because of my own determination and the support of my family.

I received incorrect advice from my school. They told me I wouldn’t be able to be a vet as I hadn’t selected A Level maths, wasn’t smart enough for vet school, and should consider a different career path.

At the time, it was difficult to hear those things. When I didn’t get into vet school first time round, I felt that everyone had been right and that I wasn’t smart enough. Despite this, those words still motivate me to push through when I’m finding university hard.  

I would advise people to check the requirements of each specific university. They are usually biology and chemistry, then ask you to pick a third subject that you’re passionate about and apply it to vet school. I once spoke to a vet student that took philosophy and ethics which is great because veterinary medicine is built on ethics!

What was your route into vet school?

My route into vet school wasn’t easy, but I’ve always known that I wanted to be a vet, from attending vet appointments with my pets to completing my first work experience placement in year 10 at my local vet practice.

Knowing I wanted to be a vet made choosing my GSCEs much easier. In addition to the core subjects of triple science, maths and English, my options were history, German, and drama. My overall results were 1A*, 5As, and 3Bs.

My A levels were slightly more complicated; my first time, at my school’s sixth form, I took biology, chemistry, and history. Unfortunately, I did not meet the grade requirements for my initial offer from a vet school - I came out with BCC.

I decided to switch to college, retook my biology and chemistry, and picked up an AS level in core maths. Due to COVID-19, I never sat my second lot A levels, but I came out with AAB. What I hadn’t realised was that I could have got into the RVC gateway course with my first round of A levels (BCC) and, despite having AAB A level grades from my retake, I decided to take my place on the RVC’s gateway programme.

This was the best decision I ever made! It helped me gain self-confidence, which I had lost during my initial results day. I think the key message from this is that it's okay to retake. I initially felt so embarrassed that I had to retake it, but in the end, it was the best situation for me; it allowed me to be a bit more mature when moving to university, which made the transition from moving from A levels to university easier.

What is a gateway programme?

As I’ve mentioned, I joined the RVC through the gateway programme; this programme is classed as an extra year at university compared with the traditional five-year programme. The extra year offers a basic understanding of animal husbandry, anatomy, and physiology and allowed me to hit the ground running when I joined the BVetMed programme. Gateway courses often have lower grade boundaries which is a massive help!

What are your favourite and least favourite parts of vet school?

The best thing about being a vet student for me is finally being able to learn about topics I’m interested in and getting to apply knowledge from lectures in a practical setting by working with animals.  

The worst thing about vet school is that it can be difficult to maintain a good work/life balance as there is so much work to do. It can be hard to find time for yourself. However, as I have progressed through the years, this balance has become a lot easier. In addition, the RVC promotes work/life balance by giving us Wednesday afternoons off, where you can spend some time being part of one of the societies.

What advice would you give to a young person wanting to become a vet?

My advice for any young person wanting to become a vet is to firstly try and get as much experience as possible. I do appreciate that since the COVID-19 pandemic it has become more challenging, but getting out onto a dairy placement or a livery yard and getting hands on will always be a great place to start! Keep an eye out for what universities have to offer, and look for summer programmes or open evening events to get a taster of life for a vet student. I think, also, something that people don’t mention enough, is that you shouldn’t be put off from becoming a vet you’re squeamish and find it challenging to watch surgery. I used to feel this way and there are days where I sometimes still feel like this!

Overall, despite vet school being challenging at times, the community you become a part of at vet school is one you will cherish for life.