Themes that recur
Two accounts, both grade B, both from admitted students who completed or are near completing the degree at UAB Bellaterra. Important context: UAB Veterinary Medicine is accessed via the Spanish EBAU selectivity score — there is no formal interview process. These testimonials are about what you're walking into, not how to pass a selection hurdle.
Both María González (recently graduated, 2021–2026) and Irene Moreso (5th year) say the same thing about the degree:
- It is far more demanding than the "pet clinic" image that attracts most applicants
- The breadth of veterinary medicine — public health, food safety, research, large animals — will surprise you
- There will be days spent entirely at the faculty. Plan for that
Irene describes it plainly: "a long-distance race requiring patience."
What surprised applicants
María flags something rarely said openly: mental health becomes an explicit conversation in years 4 and 5. The workload and the weight of clinical decisions start to land differently by that point. It's not a warning to avoid vet school — it's a call to go in with eyes open and support structures in place.
Irene names the gap between the public image of veterinary medicine and the reality of the degree. She started with the standard clichés — small animal clinic, maybe some farm work. Living the degree changed everything: "Vocation must extend beyond liking animals — real interest in medicine, science, public health, plus massive human interaction is essential."
Neither testimonial is negative about UAB itself. Both are honest that the profession is harder and wider than it's usually portrayed.
Where the accounts diverge
They don't contradict each other — they're consistent. The difference is emphasis: María focuses on the intensity of the degree (days at the faculty, mental health), while Irene focuses on the conceptual shift (understanding how wide veterinary medicine really is). Both are talking about the same experience from slightly different angles.
No testimonial describes a specific admission interview, because there isn't one at UAB for standard entry. The selectivity score (EBAU) is the gatekeeper.
What I'd tell my past self before this interview
There is no interview at UAB to prepare for. But if these two testimonials tell us something useful for anyone considering the school, it's this: apply knowing what you're actually signing up for.
Irene's message is direct: the career isn't as idyllic as portrayed. If your motivation is mainly "I love pets," that's not enough — you need genuine interest in medicine, science, public health, and a lot of human interaction. That's not a gatekeeping statement, it's practical honesty about what the degree demands.
And María's note about mental health in years 4-5 is worth taking seriously before you start, not after. Find your support structures early. The intensity isn't a bug — it's the nature of training to handle serious medical decisions — but you can prepare for it.