University open day questions to ask about studying Veterinary Medicine

A university open day is your chance to see past the marketing on a university’s website and prospectus and decide whether the institution is the right place for you.

It’s important that you try to attend the open day of all of the universities you’re thinking about applying for to get a better idea of whether they’re really the right place for you.

After all, if you’re going to be spending the next five, or in some cases six, years at a university studying Veterinary Medicine you need to make sure you’ve chosen the right place.

There are only seven Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) accredited universities that offer Veterinary Medicine courses in the UK, so depending on what you’re looking for from a university it shouldn’t be too hard to narrow down your choices to four.

These seven universities are:

University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Liverpool
University of Nottingham
Royal Veterinary College London

When will the university open days be held?

University open days are held throughout the academic year and there are usually multiple dates available to try to ensure that all potential students can attend.

You can find a full list of open day dates for the next academic year on the Apply to Uni website.

It’s important to double check with the universities before the day that the open day dates are correct.

What happens at a Veterinary Medicine university open day?

Universities all have their own open day format, and you’ll usually be able to find out further information on the university website, but there are certain things you can expect from all university open days.

You’ll have a chance to explore the campus, take a closer look at the teaching and recreational facilities, talk to current students, and ask the faculty any important questions that you feel haven’t been answered so far.

You may also see demonstrations, example lectures, and/or performances from the staff and students. There might be a structured Q&A session or there might just be the opportunity to talk on a one to one basis with your future lecturers.

Depending on how long the day takes it’s also worth trying to find the time to explore the local area, particularly if you’re going to be moving some distance to university and you don’t know the town.

What questions should I ask the university open day?

You’ll probably find that many of your questions are answered throughout the day by staff or in course literature the give you.

However, it worth having some university open day questions to ask about studying Veterinary Medicine ready before you go in case there’s something you need to know that isn’t discussed.

There’s no such thing as a stupid question at a university open day. It’s vital that you understand every aspect of the application process, course, and curriculum if you’re going to be a successful candidate.

Here are some of the common questions asked by students studying Veterinary Medicine:

How many weeks of work experience do you expect applicants to have had?
What qualities do you look for in a potential Veterinary Medicine student?
Will I need to attend an interview as part of the application process?
Is the course also accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association?
When will I start to have contact with animals?
Is this a broad based course or will I have to specialise early on?
How will the course be taught?
How much opportunity will there be to work with live animals?
When will I need to complete a specific research project?
How is the course assessed?
Will I need to buy any additional equipment or learning materials for the course?
Will I be taught business and professional skills alongside my clinical work?
Can I study abroad during my course?
What is student life like?
Are there many opportunities for extracurricular activities?
Is accommodation provided for the duration of my five year course?
Can I bring my horse/a pet with me?

After the open day you can still ask questions. The university admissions tutors will be more than happy to answer your questions and try to help you in any way they can during the application process.

You’ll usually be given literature on the day that contains important contact details for the admissions team and other faculties