Veterinary medicine
Most children go through a phase of wanting to be a vet and work with fluffy animals, but in reality, working as a vet is incredibly hard work and requires real dedication to succeed. The purpose of vet school interview questions is to make sure that you fully comprehend the demands of a career in veterinary medicine, as well as the many personal and ethical challenges that you may face.
Subject specific vet school interview questions
It is important to demonstrate that you have seriously considered veterinary medicine as a career, and that you have thoroughly researched the subject. Here are a few of the questions that your vet school may ask to assess your understanding:
- What appeals to you about working as a vet?
- What difference do you think you can make in this career?
- What areas of veterinary medicine interest you most and why?
- What would be your ideal job after graduation?
- What challenges do you think vets come up against?
- What experience have you had of veterinary work?
- Did that experience change your view, and if so how?
- What are the positives and negatives of life as a vet?
- Describe a typical day for a vet in private practice
Personal vet school university interview questions
Being a vet is incredibly demanding on your time, your patience and your expertise, with long years of study followed by extended hours in practice. Your interviewers will want to assess if you are cut out for the stress and pressure of training and working as a vet. You may be asked questions such as:
- What skills do you think a good vet needs?
- Give examples of times you have shown these skills
- How well do you work in a team and can you lead with confidence?
- How do you think you will cope with the intense studying required?
- Everyone’s pet is important to them. How do you show you care and yet still keep to your demanding schedule?
- How would you tell someone bad news about their pet’s health?
- You want to help everyone, but there simply isn’t time. How do you prioritise?
- You suspect a pet is being mistreated; how would you deal with this?
Ethical vet school interview questions
There are perhaps more ethical issues in veterinary medicine than any other field of study, and work as a vet often involves compromises that are far from ideal. Your vet school may ask you a number of questions that make you feel uncomfortable, but you should answer as honestly and ethically as you can:
- Would you put a healthy animal to sleep if the owners no longer wanted it?
- How do you feel about euthanasia as an alternative to costly treatment?
- Are the nips and tucks of pedigree breeds justified, even if they cause health problems?
- Is badger culling morally acceptable if it stops bovine TB?
- Should commercial considerations outweigh the welfare of animals?
- Would you refuse treatment to a sick or injured animal if the owner could not pay?
- What do you feel about the use of live animals in veterinary studies?
- Should exotic species be kept as pets?
