Veterinary Medicine HELP!

ruairibrady

Hi im a TY student and Im interested in studying veterinary medicine in the future. I know this is what I want to do but Im afraid I wont be able to get enough points to study it in Ireland. I got 5 A's and 6 B's in the JC (all higher) if that gives some indication my ability and if I stand a a chance getting to study it.

I do know that you are able to study it outside of Ireland in places such as Kosice and other European cities. How does that all work? Like how many points in the LC are required to get into those colleges to study it there. Unfortunately my schools career guidance teacher is a looper and wont discuss things so Im asking here for any help. Just an explanation to clear everything up! :P

Good luck with the Mocks!

robman60

It's definitely possible. My brother got 4 As 7 Bs in the Junior Cert and ended it with 585 in the LC. That included an A1 in maths the year prior to the bonus points.

There is one key point, though. Play to your strengths completely! As in, if you are gifted mathematically, do Maths, Applied Maths and Physics. If you love sciences do a minimum of two sciences. This is crucial to maximising your points.

Whistlejacket

With those JC grades you have ability so getting the LC points to do veterinary is mostly based on putting in lots and lots and lots of work. The syllabus is finite, there is only so much they can ask you in each subject.

Please do make sure that you spend plenty of time in a variety of veterinary practices though, so that you are definitely sure it is the career for you. A lot of people come into it with preconceived ideas of how wonderful it will all be. It's a grind and a real slog at times and it's not well paid, especially for the effort that goes into it. It's also a really rewarding and enjoyable career, so the highs are great and the lows are awful. You need to be prepared for it; use your time now to find out as much as you can about it and get plenty of hands on experience.

Best of luck.

Eurovisionmad

Exactly what the previous poster said, I got 4A's, 5B's and a C in the JC, and was a bit disappointed but I got 605 in the LC then and passed out a serious amount of people in my year who had left me for dead in the JC! I think really the LC suited me a lot better than the JC. Definitely choose the subjects you're talented at, no point keeping on something you despise if you can avoid it! Play to your strengths!

ruairibrady

Thanks haha Ive spent 1 week in 3 different veterinary clinics and got to experience numerous operations being done such as cat and dog castrations, cat neutering, calfing and even observed a difficult intestinal surgury after a dog ate a wire brush. I experienced the nursing side of it also, preparing surgical packs, preparing patients and grooming. I think I'm going to go for vet medicine.

What subjects would anyone suggest excluding any, Irish, maths, chemistry. My school also offers ag science. Just wondering if that would be of benefit. Looking for some guidance in subject choices and how to work my way to vet medicine.

Thanks for the advice guys! Keep it coming Please!

Niamhy123

You must do Irish, English, Maths, Chemistry and one other Science, I'd advise doing Biology and Ag Science together because of the overlap for points, and also they're handy to have in college! I had to do a language too, not sure if that requirement is still there or not, look it up in the ucd prospectus! Other than that, just do what you're good at - you need points! Definitely do honours maths if you're in any way good at it.

shedu

If you were going to the UK to study vet, some colleges there require As in leaving cert higher chemistry and higher biology as an entry requirement

Billiethepup

Points are very achievable with that JC result. You need higher chemistry, you'd be mad not to do biology and ag science will definitely too. Aside from those and the essential English, Irish, Maths, Language pick what your good at. 7 honors subjects are enough, if your taking any pass id do another but thats only my advice. Definitely do honors maths if you can, the bonus points make a massive difference.

Re. studying abroad, Budapest is the most common place Irish students go to study veterinary. Big thing to bear in mind is fees though, university fees are 'free' if you study in Ireland, you'll pay a small fortune to get the degree abroad.