Veterinary Medicine - Which route?

Pigg

Hi everyone!

Firstly, I'd like to apologize if this thread is in the wrong section and/or if this question has been asked before.

I'm turning to boards.ie for help as my career guidance counselor isn't much help (she continuously tells me how lazy I am that I'm looking for other ways into veterinary/says I'm not cut out for veterinary/says that if I can't even manage to get the LC points then I should probably give up etc.).

I'm currently in 5th year doing HL Biology, HL Chemistry, HL Geography, HL English, OL Maths, OL Irish and OL French. It's virtually impossible to get 575 points (the most I can get is 520 points with 4HL A1's and 3OL A1's), the entry requirements for Veterinary Medicine in UCD. Moving up to higher level is no longer an option to me as the school doesn't allow it and even if they did, I know I'm definitely not able for it.

I've read threads that I could find about vetmed but they were from 2009 so I was just wondering if anything has changed since then.

Are there any other ways to get into veterinary medicine? If so, what are they?

Oh, and whats all this commotion about going to Budapest? A lot of people suggested it in the threads I read. Could someone elaborate further please? Is going to Budapest something people still do?

Thanks all!

aaabbbb

https://myucd.ucd.ie/admission/vet.ezc

http://www.nuigalway.ie/careers/students/faq/vet.html

thegreatgonzo

Yes people are still going to Budapest to study veterinary and they are also going to a place in Slovakia and Poland too I think. The place in Slovakia is called Kosice I think if you want to google it. I know 2 girls who qualified there and they are both working now in Ireland.

hammyham

hey pigg

firstly your guidance councellor should be shot but thats beside the point

the only other entry route that i know of in ireland is a post grad route, so youd have to do a science degree first which is four years, then the post grad veterinary would be another 5 years. but even after completing your first degree UCD vet is very hard to get into. i applied for that and got turned down but luckily for me i applied to the college in slovakia and got accepted!

Im studying in first year of the post grad course which is four years long, but there is also a six year course for undergrad students coming straight out of the leaving cert, like yourself.

I cant tell you much about the budapest uni, but i can tell you that moving abroad to study veterinary is becoming more and more popular each year, and its definitely a choice you should consider. i know theres a boards thread about budapest on here and theres a site called the student room which has threads about budapest and kosice. the website for my college is uvlf.sk/en, i think you can apply up until may. if you need any more info on it just let me know.

Just dont listen to your guidance councilor, they seem like a right plank, just because you cant get the LC points doesnt mean you cant do vet. if you really want to do it you will.
oh and by the way, i was just like you when i did my LC, looked into veterinary in budapest, chickened out and picked science instead. 6 years on and im only in my first year, if i had just taken the leap back then id probably be a practising vet by now! the applications only 50 quid, so just do it!!