How to get vet work experience in the UK: complete guide 2027

Why vet schools ask for work experience

Vet schools use work experience to check three things:

1. Realistic understanding of what vets actually do (not Instagram-clean)
2. Commitment — demonstrated by months of planning, not a single week
3. Interview readiness — you'll be asked "why do you want to be a vet?" and your answer needs grounded evidence, not abstract passion

What doesn't impress admissions tutors:

• Listing hours without reflection
• "My family has always had pets"
• One week in a small-animal practice presented as full exposure to the profession

The three types of experience

A strong applicant has all three. Large animal clinical experience is no longer essential for most schools and is usually impossible before university anyway.

How much each UK vet school expects

Always verify on each school's own admissions page — rules change yearly.

Each row links to our detailed BecomingVet school page in the schools directory.

The age barrier (and what to do at 15)

Most vet practices cannot take under-18s because of insurance restrictions. Some will take 16+ for observation only.

At 15 — focus on these

• Kennels / catteries — hands-on animal care, no clinical risk
• Rescue centres — RSPCA, Blue Cross, PDSA, local rescues often take younger volunteers
• Stables — mucking out, grooming, exercising horses
• City farms — animal handling + public communication
• Saturday job in a pet shop — retail + animal husbandry (avoid large chains, independent pet shops encourage learning)
• Reading + documentaries — not "work experience" but valuable for interviews. "Modern Veterinary Practice" magazine, "Blood Will Tell" by the BVA

From 16 — doors start to open

• Some practices accept 16+ for observation
• Liverpool's own work experience week is for 16+ (Liverpool)
• Lambing placements typically 16+
• RVC Work Experience Support Programme — 16+

From 18 — all barriers down

• Any vet practice should take you in principle
• Farm animal experience week schemes open
• Abattoir visits (day visits, not placement)

Where to look

Vet practices

• Start with practices within 30-minute travel distance
• Phone or drop in — never just email a generic note
• If you have a farmer in your network, ask them to introduce you to their vet (warm intro doubles your chances)
• Follow up every 2-3 weeks — persistence pays off

Rescue centres

• RSPCA, Blue Cross, PDSA, Cats Protection
• Wildlife rehabilitation centres (local ones often need volunteers)
• Local independent rescues (Google your town + "animal rescue")

Farm & lambing

• National Sheep Association lambing work experience
• Local farms — Open Farm Sunday events are a good entry point for networking
• City farms + working farms accepting volunteers

Equine

• Local stables — Pony Club contacts
• Horse racing stables (14+ for Saturday work in some)
• Equine veterinary hospitals (Rossdales, Liphook, Cotts, Newmarket Equine Hospital…)

Social media groups

• Facebook: VetWings group (large private group, ~18k members) — great for placement tips and offers, needs admission
• "VetWings Jobs" — public, ~9k members, mostly a job board

Vet school support programmes

• RVC Work Experience Support Programme — structured + reflective
• Edinburgh pre-admission activities
• Liverpool pre-vet work experience week (16+, by application)

How to ask: phone, email, drop in

The BVNA warning

The British Veterinary Nursing Association notes that "popular practices get hundreds of requests a week". A generic mass email will be deleted. You need to stand out.

The forum consensus

From The Student Room and Mumsnet threads over the years, what consistently works:

1. Phone first, then email. Ask: "do you take work experience students?" If yes, ask for the right person to send CV to.
2. Drop in during a quiet period (14:00-15:00 weekdays) with a printed CV
3. Be introduced — a farmer, a stable owner, a family friend who's a client can vouch for you
4. Short CV — 1 page: GCSEs, responsibilities (any paid work, Saturday job, caring roles), name + age + school. Vet schools will care about your reflection, not your decorative achievements
5. Follow up politely every 2-3 weeks if no answer — persistence without annoyance
6. A Saturday job over several months is worth more than a single week placement — demonstrates commitment

During the placement

What to wear

• Closed-toe shoes, trousers (not shorts), long sleeves tops, hair tied back
• Bring your own pen + small notebook
• Bring a packed lunch — not always eating with the team

Ask questions

Prepare 5 questions in advance so you're not caught silent. Examples:

• "What's the hardest case you've seen this week?"
• "What made you choose this career path?"
• "What's one thing you wish you knew before starting?"
• "How do you manage emotional cases (euthanasia, grieving owners)?"
• "How has the profession changed in 10 years?"

Keep a reflective diary

• At the end of each day, note: what did I see? what surprised me? what did I learn? what questions did it raise?
• This is the raw material for your personal statement and interview
• Don't summarise what the vet did — reflect on what you experienced

Before the last day

Ask for a reference on headed paper, dated, signed. Ideally one line: "X spent [dates] in our practice. They were observant, punctual, and asked thoughtful questions. We would be happy to confirm further." Schools accept scanned PDFs during UCAS submission.

Virtual work experience (free MOOCs)

Free online courses that supplement in-person experience and that some vet schools count as additional:

• Nottingham — FutureLearn "Vet School Application Support" — free, 4 weeks, covers application process + reflective skills
• Edinburgh's MOOC on veterinary career — also free
• Reflective modules on Coursera + edX (University of California, Cornell, etc.)

These supplement, do not replace in-person experience. Mention them in personal statement as evidence of self-directed learning.