Dick Vet 4 year vs 5 year

Started by robert90
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By the way, how many of you are considering taking on a part-time job?

I want to work maybe once or twice a week so I can go out and de-stress without stressing out about my student loan rising every time I order a beer at a pub.

Current dick vet students, would you strongly advise against this, or do you or people you know work part-time? During the Glasgow reception, they told us that they have some people that do work part-time at bars, on campus, at an animal hospital depending on your experience etc. I'm assuming same goes for Edinburgh.
 
I considered it too but I think that our time in vet school will be much more valuable if put towards sleeping, studying, relaxing, etc during vet school than any part-time pay rate you come across. If you make min wage, will it be easier to pay off the little stuff on a vet salary rather than a part-time job at a pub. Our time will have much more monetary value later on when we're vets. If you think you'll have a lot of extra time then maybe it'd be worth it! Personally I'm more worried about having time to study since I'd be in the 4 year program and I want to take time to travel as well. Just my 2 cents!
 
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That is really up to you guys. There are people who do have part-time jobs to help pay for school or just to have extra spending money. The thing is, not many people that I know of have a part time job, your job over here in Scotland is a veterinary student. Studying takes priority over anything else. The most you can work in a week is 20 hours anyway, I believe that is the max? Besides, if you do lambing for two weeks at some random farm, most will pay you a decent amount, some got 500-600 pounds for two weeks work! You won't have much of a social life during the week. Friday and Saturday nights are maybe all you will get if you even decide to go out on the weekend if workload has become a "Royal Pain in the Arse!" Bartending is the most common job that vet students seem to have. Maybe an online job could work, but be careful with those as my flatmate found out, that can also be a bitch!! If all else fails, you can have a part time job of keeping me company😉!
 
I volunteered again this year to be a student mentor. I should be relatively active once Dog and Cat multiple choice exam is done by March 21st. I will have my EMS work to do during Easter break, but I should have some time in between that and studying to talk to my mentorees? I just did an enucleation practical on a sheep, that was my first taste of doing something related to surgery, that was freaking awesome!! Well, if I get one of you to mentor, don't feel shy to write to me, and to be honest, just use my regular email or find me on FB. Just would be easier that way and you can join the "stalking brigade" 😀, just kidding (especially, Bigkitten).
 
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J - are you sure you want your email out there on a public forum??

I am an not as brave as my colleague about posting my email publicly, but send me a PM if you want it or want to add me on FB 😀
 
Yeah, I just took it off, I guess I have no idea who would try to email me with it, LOL! Don't I already have you on FB already? I guess not. I suppose if the members here want my email, they could PM me and that would be fine. I am assuming the mentor-mentee selections will be sent out by mid-March I think. That was the last time it was sent out and I believe it was Dan who I got as a mentee. Anyways, I think the best people to mentor are GEP's and 1st years because you guys have just had the most recent experience with AB modules and there exams (well AB3 is coming and sorry for having to mention it). I can offer advice from this year and last, but a few things were different from GEP's this year than what I experienced my GEP year. Plus, no more essay questions on exams after this year!! I guess for people who hate essay type questions, no more searching for Bengay after an exam! For me, essays do give you a little more leeway in terms of getting points because you can write a general answer and a few more extra tidbits here and there for another mark or two and get a pass for it. Short answer questions can get really specific and allows really no room for error. I guess it will all work out for the better I suppose. It seems also funny how we are already mentoring our new "children" as the Dick Vets say to the SDNers. Yes, some of these people here will be your "mummy" and/or "Daddy" next year and must take you out to a pub/restaurant so to know who you are and ask any questions regarding school and the social life in Edinburgh. Just don't do what I did and pick a place that is similar to another and get them mixed up and having them go to that other place, go there to pick them up and bringing them back to the original place of intent and now finish this run-on sentence (failure of the English language)!! You never know, your mentor or SDNer just maybe your "mummy" or "daddy" next year!!
 
I am going to be super dependent on my student mentor so beware....I'm 25 with a heart of a 10 year old.
 
I'm proud to be part of the stalking brigade! I can be the ringleader! 😉
I wish we could request specific mentors. I want someone from SDN! I bet if we asked Victoria nicely, it could happen. 😀
 
Silly DVM, we are friends on fb- pretty sure you just commented on something I posted. That was for other SDN members 🙂
 
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question. I am a GEPer and wondering which housing to stay in for the first 5 weeks? Univeristy housing? They offer the Newington Place flat and the Baird House. Any advice on this? I do not care about the catering, I would much rather cook for myself! I was just concerned about location and staying where most of the other vet students are
 
I have no idea about the Newington Place flats, I guess the school has opened up a new place to go for the first five weeks. I stayed at Baird Hall as did quite a number of GEP students for the first five weeks and it was great. I did not care for the food there, but it is part of the costs for the five weeks. It really is a great way to meet with your classmates and you will get to know them really fast during your AB1 run at the time. You never know as I said many times, the classmates you meet there or at Newington Flats maybe your new flatmates when the time comes to get a flat. In terms of where to stay, pick your spots as long as it along or near the 67, 47, or 15A bus routes. The places vets are scattered everywhere, but the places I would say majority of vets are at: Newington, Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Morningside, Meadowbank, and city centre. Loandhead and Easter Bush have vet students as well, but the area lacks some of the entertainment that places closer to the city centre has. I would suggest getting a bus card for the year if you plan to live out at Loanhead/EB and want to go to the city centre often or do not have a carshare plan. I am hoping we get the free bus travel for next year, only time will tell how that goes. I have been living in the same flat for now nearly two years and do not plan on leaving anytime soon.
 
@DVM: Ooh, the school has a carshare? That could be promising! I do carshare here in Washington DC and it's way cheaper than owning a car, for someone who does as little driving as possible. 🙂 But if I did want a car...how does it go getting licensed if you're from overseas?

I'm probably going to choose Edinburgh, and now the small, practical problems have hit me all at once now I don't have to worry about the application side of things!
 
Yeah, the carshare deal is helpful to go to school and back and certainly is cheaper than bus, and even better when your friend does not care about paying for gas money, so I get him some hot dogs from Costco and a pint of beer😀! In terms of getting a car and license, you will need to do a driving test, both written and driving portions of the exam. Then you must find insurance and of course a car. There are some dealers out here that are good for such purposes along Portebello (used cars anyway) and you may even try gumtree for used cars as well as a few of my friends did it that way. I will say that insurance and gas is a bit expensive out here (1.32 pounds to the litre at the moment)!! You may want to take out near the max if you plan to go that route of getting a car. Car share honestly is the best plan for new students if you can find someone that has a car and is near your flat to pick you up and drop you off. I honestly use the bus to get to other places around the city anyway, which costs 432 pounds for a year round pass. I think carshare if you were to pay with the plan of .75 pence for the ride each day is roughly 350 pounds (too lazy to do exact calculations). This is the best I got to offer in terms of advice, it is certainly a pain, but certainly feasible. Hell, I know of final years that still take the bus to EB to school......so not having a car is not the end of the world, unless it is already Dec 21st???
 
Hey Guys,

I am going to Edinburgh at the end of April and am going to be looking for housing (which I know may be hard to do so early). I have two dogs, a german shepherd and a pomeranian (5lbs) that are extremely well behaved that I will be bringing to live with me. I am hoping to find a roommate and housing early, because I will be doing the 5 year program I will not be staying for the 5 weeks in the dorms. If anyone is interested in housing together, please PM me. 🙂
 
Just want to jump on board and say hello to my fellow Edinburgh friends. As of now, I am planning on attending Edinburgh but should I get called off one of the two waitlists that I am on I will go to that school to save some money.

Just wanted to say hi to some of my potential future classmates. I haven't really started looking at what I need to do to move over to Edinburgh but I am probably going to start getting things in order at the beginning of next week.
 
DVMDream said:
Just want to jump on board and say hello to my fellow Edinburgh friends. As of now, I am planning on attending Edinburgh but should I get called off one of the two waitlists that I am on I will go to that school to save some money.

Just wanted to say hi to some of my potential future classmates. I haven't really started looking at what I need to do to move over to Edinburgh but I am probably going to start getting things in order at the beginning of next week.
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YAY DVMDream!! I am a little biased though 😳

@ Howister - You can start looking on City Lets and Gumtree for places. I know a lot of people found roomies off of the FB group last year. You can ask Victoria to send out a link to the FB for accepted or attending students. That's what happened last year and where we all started "mingling" before we got over here. BTW, my GSD is moving over here in September too!!
 
Victoria assigned me a mentor and it's not Packen or DickVetMan. 🙁
I'm sure she's nice but she's not you two!
 
I also received a mentor today that I assume is not someone on here. I am not sure what to ask her yet as you guys have answered all my questions so far😀
 
They don't tell us who are mentees (right word there?) too bad it's none of you guys 🙁

Good to know they went out though 👍
 
BTW, Sheepdog, I did not realize you were a Dick Vet prospect! I am so lost when people change their avatars.
 
Packen said:
BTW, Sheepdog, I did not realize you were a Dick Vet prospect! I am so lost when people change their avatars.
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Yep! Most of the posts on this thread I have done were with my original avatar, a bulldog sitting at a bar with a beer😀, but since I've been consumed into these WW games it has changed to a wolfhound then the genie from aladdin and now to the district 7 logo!
 
Well, I will wait and see if my mentee will email me something, I think I only got one last year, Dan (Packen, you know who I am talking about). I actually volunteered to give a tour of the school next Wed. (March 14th) at 1:40pm because my DOS meeting happens to take place 40 min. beforehand and I figure it will only take twenty minutes max. to look over my portfolio. Here is my take in my head when I am doing the vet tour, "This is the library, I sleep in there 😴!!" "This is the clinical skills lab, I accidently cut the tip of my glove during my suture tie OSCE, but not too worry, I passed because I admitted I broke asepsis:laugh:." Well, I did get paranoid and tried to cut off my suture tie short enough and got too carried away with it. Pressure builds when someone is watching and grading your technique. Well, hope everyone has a good day and maybe one of you will be a the tour unless you still have undergrad classes to finish or......something else??
 
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Howister has me as a mentor, now she must do what all good mentees do, stalk the current mentor vets FB page and worship the ground I stand on:meanie:!!
 
Good plan! I told Howister that she is very lucky...lucky that I am willing to share FB stalking time that is! 😉
 
DickVetMan said:
Howister has me as a mentor, now she must do what all good mentees do, stalk the current mentor vets FB page and worship the ground I stand on:meanie:!!
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Yay!!!!!! I do!!!! And I will stalk, if only my internet would stop spontaneously combusting....
 
DickVetMan said:
Howister has me as a mentor, now she must do what all good mentees do, stalk the current mentor vets FB page and worship the ground I stand on:meanie:!!
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Um worship? My friend, me thinks you have spent too much time in the dissection room, the formaldehyde (or whatever they use now) must be getting to you. 😀 Plus the silent study room is much more conducive for naps.
 
I just said I use the library for naps, even though I hardly use it anyway!! Plus, I am the next David Argyle, I should be worshiped!! I am the envy of men and women will flock to me!
 
Packen said:
Um worship? My friend, me thinks you have spent too much time in the dissection room, the formaldehyde (or whatever they use now) must be getting to you. 😀 Plus the silent study room is much more conducive for naps.
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haha. You tell him Packen!
 
Just wanted to bump this thread, it was about to fall off the first page.🙂

And I do have a SDNer as a mentor- ckd816!
 
Sheepdogpsu said:
Just wanted to bump this thread, it was about to fall off the first page.🙂

And I do have a SDNer as a mentor- ckd816!
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No fair, I haven't heard from any of my mentees. Their loss, I am an awesome mentor!! CKD is pretty awesome too though.
 
bigkittinteef said:
I can adopt you as my mentor if you're not claimed. 😉
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Awww 😀 Dick vets are the best, even pre-Dick vets!

I honestly have met some of the nicest people here at school. I think it is just something about the school that attracts good people 😀 Refer to edit reasoning for explanation of sappiness.
 
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Already have Calla (Howister) as my mentee, and haven't I already "adopted" you Christine!! Wasn't it apparent after I raided your conversation with Calla on FB about Rugby, Royal Wedding drinking game, and me having a dirty mind😀. I guess all us Dick Vets must adopt Christine now! Hey Mel, you may even be her Mummy in Fall Semester, now wouldn't that be interesting. I have to be a grand-dad (even though there is no such title).....now I am becoming an old fart of the school🙄. Well, I have my tour to do this Wednesday so maybe I may see the one or two Americans or Canadians at the tour.
 
DickVetMan said:
Already have Calla (Howister) as my mentee, and haven't I already "adopted" you Christine!! Wasn't it apparent after I raided your conversation with Calla on FB about Rugby, Royal Wedding drinking game, and me having a dirty mind😀. I guess all us Dick Vets must adopt Christine now! Hey Mel, you may even be her Mummy in Fall Semester, now wouldn't that be interesting. I have to be a grand-dad (even though there is no such title).....now I am becoming an old fart of the school🙄. Well, I have my tour to do this Wednesday so maybe I may see the one or two Americans or Canadians at the tour.
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This thread is out of control, I'm sorry I started conversation today😀
 
Sheepdogpsu said:
This thread is out of control, I'm sorry I started conversation today😀
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I don't think this has anything to do with the thread, and more to do with the gentleman (using term loosely 😛) posting. But I think an explanation is needed, especially for next year's GEPs, because this was something I didn't understand.

I *think* that mentors are only given to GEPs and possibly non-UK students. It's usually because you (GEPs) will start classes 5 weeks ahead of the rest of the school, so there are no upperclassman around to help you out or show you the ropes.

Another, completely separate program is the "Mummies and Daddies". ALL students are part of this program. Ideally, on pair of first year students gets paired with a Mummy and Daddy in the year above them. They give GEPs parents who were GEPs last year. The purpose of the program is to link new students with students in the class ahead who can help them out through your years at Divk vet. You can ask them about courses, profs, EMS, flats, basically anything. But the program doesn't start until after the GEPs have been at school for about 2 months. So at that point, for us, we had already found our footing and were confused by the whole program bc we already had mentors. But it is a great way to meet some people outside your class, and I am glad I participated.
 
DickVetMan, I think I added you on facebook the other day assuming you are who I think you are (Both Christine and Calla had you and just the comments you posted on their page sounded soo familiar..lol)
I need to come back and actively participate in this thread before I feel like I'm getting left behind from you guys!!
 
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