the times | Saturday April 9 2022 41
News
Becoming a vet is a childhood dream
for many — who then drop the idea
because of its elitist image and require-
ment for top grades.
Now the profession says it doesn’t
need just the highest achievers. It is
launching a campaign to change its rep-
utation and diversify its intake to tackle
a shortage of vets.
Its national body has published a
myth-busting guide that says being
good with people is as important as a
rapport with animals, and that a lot of
work experience is not a prerequisite as
this can be a barrier to teenagers from
deprived backgrounds.
It says straight As at A-level are not
needed and that new routes are open-
ing up for those who do not achieve top
grades. Veterinary science or medicine
courses have historically expected
some of the highest degree entry re-
quirements and most universities still
ask for at least three A grades, with
Cambridge asking for AAA, but more
are making “contextual” offers.
Veterinary schools will no longer use
the quality of the Ucas personal state-
ment to judge candidates, as those from
affluent backgrounds have more help.
The British Veterinary Association,
the national body for vets, says children
are being given out-of-date advice
which is unduly pessimistic about their
chances of entering the profession.
Its guide says: “Veterinary medicine
is considered to be highly competitive,
and the course is regularly touted as
being one of the hardest to secure a
place on. However, some leading veter-
inary organisations are concerned that
sometimes trusted adults may end up
dissuading young people from pursuing
veterinary careers, through a desire to
protect feelings should their applica-
tions be unsuccessful.”
The association wants parents,
teachers and careers advisers to be
more positive. It says typical condition-
al offers range from AAB to A*AA at
A-level. However, students not predict-
ed or achieving those grades should not
give up as “different pathways are avail-
able,” including gateway programmes
and foundation years which require
lower entry grades. It denies that pri-
vate school applicants will be favoured
or that those reapplying after an earlier
rejection will be wasting their time.
While work experience is essential,
this could be in a shop or café — show-
ing evidence of people skills — if teen-
agers have not been able to secure
placements at vets’ practices.
Malcolm Morley, junior vice-presi-
dent of the association, said: “People
have the wrong perception of what they
need to do a degree so some really good
candidates are put off because they’re
told they’re not the right person or it’s
not for ‘people like us’... it’s a people-
focused job and it’s professionally
healthy to have a range of people.”
He added: “It used to be 20 applica-
tions per place, but it’s about two per
place now.
“Veterinary schools take into ac-
count a candidate’s educational back-
ground. Students without typical
A-level backgrounds can make really
excellent veterinary students. We’re
seeing an increase in the number of
places at vet school. But there’s a really
significant workforce shortage, it’s the
main issue facing the profession.”
The Veterinary Schools Council saidBridey Shawyer is a trainee vet who completed a gateway course at NottinghamPETER TARRY FOR THE TIMESCase study
B
ridey
Shawyer,
now 24 and a
final-year
veterinary
student at
Nottingham, did not
particularly enjoy
school (Nicola
Woolcock writes).
She took A-levels in
chemistry, biology,
maths and PE but felt
unsupported in her
ambition to become a
vet and was told she
should look at doing
something “easier”
because of her GCSE
results. This left her
uninspired and
focusing on her part-
time work in a vet
practice rather than
on her school work.
She said: “This
continued in a
perpetuating cycle of
grades falling, having
less support, enjoying
work more, and all
ended in mespectacularly failing
my AS-levels.”
A tutor suggested
she try a City &
Guilds qualification in
animal management
and science at an
agricultural college.
She said: “I wanted
to work with animals,
so if nothing else this
course would stand
me in good stead for
that. They showed me
exactly how capable I
was, and how many
opportunities this
qualification had to
offer.”
Shawyer applied for
gateway courses and
started at Nottingham
University, on a
preliminary year
aimed at those
coming from an
alternative route to
A-levels.
She said: “Although
I have always been
tough on myself, vet
school is a challengefor everyone, and I
have never been at a
disadvantage for
taking an alternative
route into vet school.
“In some ways, I am
grateful that I
experienced failure
because I am now
more determined to
not end up there
again, and more
resilient.
“Vet school has
provided some of the
most exhilarating,
rewarding and
incredibly fun
moments, and I would
redo it all again in a
heartbeat.”
She added: “My
advice for teachers
and careers advisers
would be if someone
tells you they want to
be a vet, and you don’t
think they are quite
getting the grades
they need, find ways
to help them improve
this.”Vets seek an injection of fresh
blood by tackling elitist image
in a recent report that its members
wanted to increase participation of un-
derrepresented groups, particularly
minority ethnic candidates.
Concerns about the shortage of vets
were discussed in the House of Lords
last week, with some saying that Brexit
had exacerbated the problem.
Lord Trees, a professor of veterinary
parasitology, said the profession was
struggling with recruitment and reten-
tion, and urged the government to pro-
vide more core funding to train vets.Nicola Woolcock Education Editor
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21Enrolments
The number of students enrolled in
veterinary sciences each yearQualified vets
Veterinary students achieving a final
grade compared with all first-time
graduates, 2020-21**Data does not include unclassified grades
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency43.1%
36%
46.3%
46%
9.8%
14%
0.8%
3%5,900
6,775
7,145
7,860
8,400
10,645
11,575First
class
2.12.2
Third
classVeterinary
All first-time
graduates