Veterinary Medicine

The Course

Recent developments in both the facilities and curriculum have produced a modern, exciting veterinary course at Cambridge. The number of veterinary places at Cambridge is about 65 per year making it one of the smallest veterinary schools. This facilitates a strong cohesion between students, whilst enabling close contact with staff and expediting small group teaching - a particular strength at Cambridge. Veterinary students are spread over the whole university and Clare College typically admits from 2 to 4 veterinary undergraduates a year, though, as explained in the general notes, it imposes no upper limit on the numbers in any subject. We also take about 12 medical undergraduates. Much of the preclinical teaching is shared, in the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos. The College is thus able to devote a considerable amount of resources to looking after this group of students.

The course, leading eventually to the degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Vet MB) is a six year one. After admission to the degree of Vet MB at the end of the course, graduates are registered as Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and are thus entitled to practise as fully-qualified veterinary surgeons. Most students at Cambridge spend the first three years of the course reading for an honours BA degree. The first two of these years are spent studying the major pre-clinical sciences in the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos to provide a sound scientific basis for the detailed study in the last three clinical years of animal health, veterinary pathology, public health, medicine, and surgery, etc. There is continual discussion, involving both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the General Medical Council as well as the relevant faculties of the University, about modernising and streamlining the curriculum for medical and veterinary students. A major overhaul of the course was carried out in October 2000. The current course includes such subjects as Homeostasis, Molecules in Medical Science, Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Biology of Disease, Mechanisms of Drug Action, Neurobiology with Animal Behaviour, Comparative Vertebrate Biology, Veterinary Reproduction and will constitute a core of pre-clinical knowledge on which to base further study. There are also short courses on Farm Animal Husbandry and Preparing for the Veterinary Profession, aimed at a more practical appreciation of modern farming practices and to begin veterinary professional training which continues throughout the six years.

Under regulations set by the Royal College, students must attain a certain standard in each of these pre-clinical sciences before they are allowed to proceed to the clinical part of the course. There are, therefore, examinations - the '2nd Vet MB' - in each of these subjects to be passed, but most students obtain passes in these examinations as part of the Tripos examinations for the B.A degree. In the third pre-clinical year there is a very wide choice of options open to the veterinary student. He or she may opt to study one of the medical science subjects in depth. This usually involves either a written dissertation or a research project which can often lead to a published paper. Alternatively, there are more general courses within the medical and natural sciences on offer, or it may be possible to study another Cambridge Tripos for a year. In recent years a few veterinary students have spent this year studying subjects as diverse as computer science, philosophy, law, music, geography and management studies.

It is important to appreciate that there is a strong emphasis on science in the Cambridge preclinical course. Veterinary students obtain an honours BA of standing with a Natural Sciences degree. Many of the lectures and practicals are shared with medical students, and standards are high. Nevertheless, even though much of the teaching is shared with medical and science students at present, there is a strong sense of identity among the pre-clinical veterinary students. There are short courses in animal handling and informal contact with the clinical Veterinary School is encouraged, especially through the very active University Veterinary Society. It is widely agreed that veterinary graduates with such a strong scientific background, together with well developed critical skills, should make better and more informed practitioners, as well as being very well equipped for a range of other professions including research and academia. Intercalated science degrees are becoming much more common in the other veterinary schools, but not as such an integral part of the course as at Cambridge.

Entry to the clinical Veterinary School for the second three years of the course is automatic, provided the student has passed all the necessary 2nd Vet MB exams. During the pre-clinical years, students are also expected to have completed 12 weeks working on farms (pre-clinical extramural studies, EMS). This formal farm practice experience can only be undertaken after arrival at Cambridge and an induction course, and will include time spent working with sheep, dairy cattle, pigs and horses.

The sixth year of the course is now lecture-free, giving students more time to work with clinicians at the Veterinary School and to acquire skills. There is also the opportunity of an elective, specialising in some aspects of clinical veterinary medicine during the last year. During the three clinical years, students spend part of their vacations at veterinary practices experiencing the work of a veterinary surgeon at first hand and learning veterinary medicine and surgery ‘in the field’ (clinical EMS).

A typical formal workload for a first year veterinary student would consist of 9-12 lectures, 2 dissection sessions, 4 other practical classes, together with 3 supervisions per week. Typically two to four students are supervised together and for some supervisions an essay has to be prepared. Each week the supervisions provide an opportunity for each student to discuss each course with an academic who is a specialist in that field.

During the course, academic and professional work is overseen by the College's Directors of Studies in Pre-clinical and Clinical Veterinary Medicine. There is also close contact with a number of the college Teaching Fellows in many of the pre-clinical subjects.

Before embarking on the veterinary course, every student must have been exempted from the First MB examination. Details of what this entails are given in the Cambridge Admissions Prospectus.

It is only fair to point out that competition for places to read Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge is severe. On the other hand, our willingness to interview more applicants gives you every opportunity to demonstrate your worth.

Admissions

Most candidates for Clare are interviewed in December. Candidates are also required to sit the Biomedical Admissions Test (the BMAT) in their schools in the November before the interview. Successful candidates are made a conditional offer; usually A*AA at A2 level, including at least two science subjects. Candidates offering only two science A2s will normally be expected to have an A-grade in a third science at AS level. Exceptional candidates offering just one science at A2-level will be considered. These standards are applied so that the College can obtain the maximum information on a student in order to come to the fairest decision. However, the special circumstances of an individual student would always be considered.

Applicants for Veterinary Medicine are expected to have spent some time with a veterinary surgeon to gain some experience of the profession, and to appreciate a practitioner’s routine, lifestyle and expertise. ‘Hands on’ experience with a variety of animals is also to be encouraged. However, prospective students should not spend too much time on ‘work experience’ and need to balance time spent with vets and with animals with their other interests and with their academic work.

Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

All candidates are required to sit the 2-hour Biomedical Admissions Test (the BMAT) in the November before coming to interview. For pre-A-level candidates this is normally taken within your school/college, and individual arrangements are made for post A-level candidates.

NB: All offers of a place on this course (for UK students) will be subject to a satisfactory standard disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau. You will be sent the relevant forms to complete only if you are offered a place.

Why study Veterinary Medicine at Clare College?

Preclinical veterinary subjects are taught mainly alongside the medics, except for specific veterinary subjects like anatomy or veterinary physiology. In Clare, we take 4 vets and 12 medics, which reflects the ratio in the university as a whole. It is a good group size for positive interactions. Students have close contact with fellows. There are enough vet students to retain a sense of their own identity but with the advantage of having contact with the medics, which prevents a more parochial outlook. Clare has its own teaching fellows in most biomedical subjects taken during the preclinical years, and also others with expertise more widely in the natural sciences. Historically, we have been very strong in these subjects: David Attenborough, James Watson and Tim Hunt (Nobel Prizes for Medicine and Biochemistry) were all at Clare. A current fellow, Prof Bill Harris, is an FRS in developmental neuroscience and head of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (PDN), which delivers about two-thirds of the teaching to first and second year vets and medics. Library facilities for vets are excellent. Geographically, we are positioned half-way between Downing Site (where most of the preclinical lectures and practicals occur) and the vet school (for clinical years). Finally, we have three qualified vets on the fellowship. One teaches anatomy and carries out neurophysiological research in PDN; the Director of Studies for both preclinical and veterinary clinical sciences are vets, working at the vet school - one is an active equine clinician, the other specialises in pathophysiological research with active collaborations in the preclinical departments.

For further information, please contact Dr John Gibson jsg1001@cam.ac.uk or 01223 337638.

Fellows in Veterinary Medicine

Dr John Gibson Director of Studies in Pre-clinical Veterinary Medicine
Dr Nicola Holdstock Director of Studies in Clinical Veterinary Medicine

Fellows in pre-clinical Biological Sciences

Prof Nicky Clayton Professor of Comparative Cognition
Dr Richard Dyball Reader in Biological Science (Physiology, Development and Neuroscience)
Dr Paul Edwards Director of Studies in Pathology, Reader in Cancer Biology
Dr John Gibson Director of Studies in Physiology, Reader in Pathophysiology
Prof Bill Harris Director of Studies in Neuroscience, Professor of Anatomy
Prof Loraine Tyler Research Professor of Experimental Psychology
Dr Anna Philpott Overall Director of Studies for Biological Natural Sciences Part IB, Director of Studies in Biology of Cells, Biochemistry, Cell and Development Biology, Reader in Oncology
Dr Rik Van Veen Director of Studies in Pharmacology, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology
Prof P Leadlay Professor of Biochemistry

Fellows in other Biological Sciences

Dr William Foster Director of Studies in Animal Biology and Zoology, Senior Lecturer in Zoology
Dr Andrea Manica Senior Lecturer in Zoology
Prof Howard Griffiths Director of Studies in Plant Sciences, Professor of Plant Ecology