Glasgow Acceptance

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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seriously...no one is looking for a roommate!!? Where is everyone planning on living?
 
I'm bringing my kitten so I can't live in the dorms either. SeaChel, do you know how your dog is with cats?

There is a list of flat/room ads on the big/wee vet site and I figured I would try those first so I don't have to find a place on my own. But it would be nice to live with other first-years...

Anyone else thinking of living in off-campus housing? There are a couple ads with multiple available rooms.
 
I am planning on living off campus too! Smiles and Seachel, do you have any idea how your kitten and dog are with 3 other kitties😉 And also, do you have any idea what you will do with your animals when you go back home on breaks, which is around 5 months per year? That's what worries me the most! These guys are currently fosters, but it has crossed my mind to keep them and bring them with me to Glasgow! Either way, I have to live with kitties and I want to foster others if I can't bring these guys with me! I will just bring them back to the US from France and find great homes for them when I get back in May! Here are a couple pictures of my little Angels, now 8 months! I have been trying to place them into good homes now for 5 months! They are the best! But food will be a problem as they steal everything😀

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/kittykatcat_cat/128-2806_IMG.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/kittykatcat_cat/Troisfrres003.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/kittykatcat_cat/croissant.jpg
 
I am definitely interested in living with other people...I'm still just trying to figure out whether to accept or not. The money bit is killing me! I'm trying to do some major thinking and projecting to see if it's plausible and smart for me.

I have a 95 pound fixed yellow lab, Aspen, who is the sweetest, calmest, lab in the world. She gets along with and loves all animals (except squirrels) and has lived with other dogs and a cat before.

If I do accept I cannot come without Aspen. She is my companion! I hope it is not too selfish to bring her along. Anyone know how they ride on an international flight? In the baggage area? Isn't that area unpressurized?
 
ebrewha
You're not alone! The money thing is killing all of us! But we can all do it! We will suffer but do we have a choice, lol? Just remember that our degree from Glasgow will give us more opportunities, I believe, than a degree from one of the 28 US schools because it is AVMA accredited. This gives us the option to practice veterinary medicine in a lot of countries, something I am very interested in, since I know I will never have enough money to travel! So this is a good way to see other countries and work at the same time. Although it will be difficult to start practicing anywhere!

Why don't we get a 4 bedroom apartment to share with 2 dogs, and 4 cats!😉 That would sure be interesting, lol!
 
vet2be, your cats are adorable 🙂

I have introduced my kitten, Miles, to several other cats and dogs without incidence. He will also be living with my mom's cat and cocker spaniel for the summer so I'm not worried about other animals. I'm sure he will appreciate playmates while we are in class.

I'm not sure what I will do during vacations yet. I imagine it will be easier to convince someone to keep a cat for a little while than a dog. If I go home for a month+ I might consider bringing him. I also have family friends in England, who might help me out.

ebrewha, pets fly in an area of the plane that is pressurized, doesn't freeze etc. Check out http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/index.htm for a list of carriers that will fly internationally. There is a very straightforward list of requirements to bring pets to the UK, but they won't have to be quarantined 🙂

*FYI our pets need to get an international chip, another rabies vaccine and then a test a week later 6 months before leaving. My mom will have to send Miles to me after I get to Glasgow, which is actually ok because it will give me a chance to settle in a little.

I'd love to find a place with other "international" students, maybe it will make the transition easier :-D plus we can trek to campus and study together.
 
My babies said to say Thanks! Those 3 have been the biggest headache the past 6 months of my life, lol! Not because of them, of coarse, but finding them homes! I still don't know if it will be the best decision to bring them to Glasgow! This means 3 more cats that I will be adopting on top of my 6 at my parents house. It looks like I am starting to become the "crazy cat lady."😎

I have done a lot of research about taking animals on planes the past 5 months. They are currently booked on my flight back home, from France. I am taking Lufthansa from France to Germany, and than another flight with United to San Franciso, and then to Arizona. United seems to be pretty cheap, compared to most flights, as far as animals. I don't know what to say about how well they will take care of them! That is something I have been worrying about for 2 months now since I booked them. They must go through cargo(the hold section that is pressurized). Am I the only one who is worried about the planes losing our cats during connection flights? I don't want them to have to go on that long flight more than once, twice if they come with me to Glasgow. This means they must stay in Glasgow while we go away on vacation, and I imagine that pretty much all the American students will be leaving at the very minimum for the summer. I guess we will figure it out when we get there. 😉

And yes, I agree! It would be great to be roomies with other American students!
 
What is everyone doing to prepare for going to Glasgow in September? I already filled out my Fafsa form. That's it, so far! I know we need to apply for the stafford loan but I don't know how to go about it. We have already discussed housing. However, I don't think we will be able to reserve anything until we get closer to the date, except the dorms.
 
2 dogs and 4 cats...why not?! If we all roomed together we could get one of those nice poshie apartments on the west end! It'd really be neat to just come over to Scotland already knowing 3 people!
 
has anyone heard anything about the deadline for the deposit due being extended? i was told in an email that because of the problem with the mail and people not receiveing their information packet right away that they would allow people to send the depoist in up until mid May. just wondering because i'm trying to pull together the money and make some final decisions and the extra time would be great but i don't want to lose my spot in the class by turning it in late.
 
When is the deadline to accept their offer? I have been accepted but I have not received my formal offer/packet in the mail. Also, what is the deposit?

Any current Glasgow student or alumni - Does the 16,500 (pounds) tuition cost cover the cost of books and supplies? I have been making a budget and I did not include books or supplies.

Also, does anyone know the 2007-2008 class schedule yet? Meaning when the "freshers week" is, when classes start and end...when the breaks are? I'm guessing they start around the last week of September and end in mid-December but I am not positive on this.

Any help would be great! Thanks!
 
I would e-mail them. My friend received an acceptance via e-mail but the actual paper packet was lost in the mail. They can send you another one.
 
Yeah, that happened to me actually. They sent me a replacement packet, but didn't mention anything about extending the deposit deadline. Try emailing Joyce Wason. As far as I know, the deposit is 1000 pounds ~ $2000 due by April 30. This is what the acceptance letter said

"Fees are reviewed annually and for entry in September 2007 the fees are £16,500 per year for each of the five years... In addition you should allow approximately £8,000 per year for accommodation, books and travel."

So I think the answer is, no, books are not included in tuition.

Here is a link to the academic calender (scroll down for vet school). Freshers week is not on it, but I imagine it is a few days before classes start. Also, I think there is an international student orientation kind of thing before freshers week.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/registry/students/dates/dates07_08.html
 
Just for fun...and because I am currently bored working in my cubicle (I currently work as an engineer...ug!)...I decided to start the following list of Glasgow "yes's", "maybe's", and "waitlisters"...I'm not sure if this info is correct so feel free to change your name if it is in the wrong location.

Also, it may be cool to put your current location down...

YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012
Seachel

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Eqsx83
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11
smiles44
alisonr

WAITLISTED
Normed
bellai
imagine21
 
I said no to Glasgow 🙁 , but I am currently trying to decide between Edinburgh and Wisconsin. Any thoughts? I am INCREDIBLY on the fence. Any opinions are helpful.
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Eqsx83
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11
smiles44
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed
bellai
imagine21
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Eqsx83
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11
smiles44
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed
bellai
imagine21
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Eqsx83
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11
smiles44
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Eqsx83
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11-Pennsylvania, USA
smiles44
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012
EqSx83 - Washington, D.C.

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11-Pennsylvania, USA
smiles44
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21
 
It's been a while since I've posted and I've done some serious thinking in the mean time. I toyed with the idea of a Master's or working for a year or two, but when it comes down to it Glasgow just seems right! I was worried about money and being so far away...but I think I can make it happen! I'm bringing my dog, a Cavalier, but considering I would be leaving in less than 6 months I guess my parents will have to send her to me. Who else is looking for off campus housing so we can have pets? I have to bring her- no worries, she is very low mantainence!
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012
EqSx83 - Washington, D.C.
sMiles44 - NJ, USA

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11-Pennsylvania, USA
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21


and to Emory - I think most of us have the same concerns (plus others). I'm mostly scared about failing out b/c I don't have enough motivation to study without regular tests and assingments haha. My first dog was a cavelier when I was 10, so thats awesome. And, you aren't alone bringing a pet...
 
I applied to Glasgow and was waitlisted. I'm pretty sure I'm out of the loop since I haven't heard anything by now. I haven't heard back from London either.

So I'm heading to St. Matthew's in Cayman in May. Good luck everyone!
 
Are many people thinking about University Housing for the first year. I have a heard a lot about people living on their own because of pets in this forum but not much about University Housing. If you are planning on University Housing which place are you thinking of?

I am thinking of Queen Margaret Residence for the first year and then moving out the second so can bring my dog. (I have three year old collie) I hoping other first years will joining me at Queen Margaret.
 
I started filling out the form for paying the deposit for Glasgow. There was a space for matriculation number. I looked all through my packet for a matriculation number and haven't been able to find one. Has anyone else started to fill out the form? If so, did you put anything for matriculation number?
 
I just put (deposit) in that space. I think the form is the same for tuition fees, at the bottom there is a place to put what you are paying for. I think they'll give us a matriculation number after we give them the deposit.
 
sdb9 said:
I said no to Glasgow 🙁 , but I am currently trying to decide between Edinburgh and Wisconsin. Any thoughts? I am INCREDIBLY on the fence. Any opinions are helpful.
Click to expand...

I'm probably going to decline Glasgow too to go to Edinburgh or one of the schools I'm waitlisted at. I feel so out of the loop! What do you want to concentrate in? I am just having trouble declining b/c I'm accepted unconditionally at Glasgow but conditionally at Edinburgh and I'm so freaking paranoid about not getting the grades I need. Of course I think you should come to Edinburgh and keep me company 🙂
 
Hi guys!

I'm new to this forum but I think it's really great what you guys have going here! I'm going to be attending the University of Glasgow in the fall as well and I currently reside in the U.S., so the big move is pretty scary. I saw that some of you were mentioning getting an apartment so you can keep pets? I'm going to have to do something like that as well, I have a yellow lab that also gets along with anything and everything and I would hate to leave her. I've also got a california banded kingsnake that I hope I can take as well...

I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on how to start finding off campus housing, or if anyone needs a roomate? 😀
 
so is there any idea yet when the waitlist might start moving? the waiting is killing me! but reading this thread is helping pass the time 🙂

YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012
EqSx83 - Washington, D.C.
sMiles44 - NJ, USA

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11-Pennsylvania, USA
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21
missmutt - pennsylvania, usa
 
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
DDoc
Supersasquatch - Albany, NY
Cali33?
Mandy880
Vet2be2012- Phoenix, Arizona
EqSx83 - Washington, D.C.
sMiles44 - NJ, USA

MAYBE
ebrewha - Houston Texas, USA
Sdb9
rinnyroo
emory23
twh11-Pennsylvania, USA
alisonr
SeaChel-Raleigh, North Carolina--still waiting on Iowa

WAITLISTED
Normed - Ontario, Canada
bellai
imagine21
missmutt - pennsylvania, usa

I am going to Glasgow in about a week! I'll let you know what I find out about housing, etc. Does anyone have any idea how close Glasgow is to the Sea? Is the weather as crappy as people say it is? I am used to no rain, sun, warmth, etc. I am worried about it. I don't think I will bring my kittens with me because I have no idea what I will do with them when I go back home every summer. I think it would be best for them to find a stable home.
 
I'm still haven't officially decided what I am going to do but I have been doing some housing investigation. (I will be bringing my lab if I come, so the campus housing is not an option for me)

This site is pretty helpful for looking at flat/house rentals:

http://www.s1rental.com/

(look at a map of the city to find areas close to the university like Kelvingrove, or Maryhill, etc...I'm not sure exactly where the vet school is located in relation to the university...Cindy has said that it is roughly a 45 minute walk from the main campus to the vet school but I'm not sure if the vet school is north/south/east/west of the university....Also - do any Glasgow alumni or current students have any advice on the close neighborhoods...such as which ones are great locations, safe, etc.?)

And here's a decent interactive map of Glasgow:

http://citybreaks.visitscotland.com/city/glasgow/map.aspx

(if you zoom out to about 9 you can see it's relative distance to the water...it also looks like there is a cool river that goes through the town as well)

I've been using this map during my housing searches. Ideally, it would be awesome to rent a house with other vet students (I say house because a yard would be really great for my lab Aspen and my potential roommates' dogs) close to school with 3-4 rooms.

Side question: Does anyone know if it would be possible to bring our dogs with us to our lambing jobs over Spring break? I'm guessing it depends on the people you will be working for, etc.
 
This is a good map that shows all the residence halls and the vet school (NW of the main campus).
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/accommodation/residence_map.htm

The moodle site has a lot of info about off campus housing as well as ads for rooms for rent.
http://moodle.gla.ac.uk/vet/moodle/course/view.php?id=52
Click "log in as guest" and the enrollment key is b1gvet2006.
Scroll to "private accomodation" there are suggestions for choosing a neighborhood and helpful hints.

This is the private accomadation info on the main Glasgow U website
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/accommodation/general/private/private_accommodation.htm

There is also PAD (private accomodation database), but you need a matriculation # to enroll and search, which is most of the reason why I haven't started to look aggressively for a place yet.

But, I definitely want to live with other vet students, have to live off campus b/c I'm bringing my cat and would love to get a place with other first years heading over there. I think there are several of us in the same boat 🙂
 
I would definitely love to rent with other vet students! I will have animals regardless. I just don't know which cat or cats I will be bringing! Maybe even my older female cats in Phoenix! They need more veterinary care now that they are over 10 years old and my parents are not good with that🙂 If anyone knows how and when to go about getting a place to rent, I am ready to listen, lol. I hope I can find out more information when I get there. I will only be there a full day though! I will see another current vet student though.
 
sMiles44 said:
YES I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND!
I'm mostly scared about failing out b/c I don't have enough motivation to study without regular tests and assingments haha.
Click to expand...

Not to scare you more, but I have seen it happen. Luckily, you can repeat examinations - but to a certain point. I know (or know of) at least two Americans who have had to repeat entire years...

And it's not just the length of time between and amount of material on the exams. It's the exam structure. If you don't like essay questions - I'm sorry! They have essay questions on EVERY exam for every subject...except the rare one like your final exam (which is entirely oral and practical). You better get used to oral exams too, as they have a good many of those (especially if you're in the top of your class, as you can't get an "AD" (distinction) without an oral exam). There is negative marking on the physiology multiple choice (or at least, historically there has been). So if you just guess and get one wrong, you actually LOSE a point or more. It may be safer to not answer in that case.

Also - there are distractions being abroad. Like traveling (let's go here and there for the weekend...miss some school...). Or if you're into partying, there's plenty of that going on all around you. You're usually not more than 5-10 minutes from a pub wherever you are.

Just remember - it's not all fun and games, unless you're a genius (and there are plenty of British kids who are!). Oh the thoughts that you might fail - been there, done that - and I really wasn't one who had to worry.
 
Study group, anyone? :idea:
 
About the deposit - I just paid mine last week (I don't think I wrote anything on the matriculation number area - it didn't matter tho Ms. Kerr just wrote me to let me know they received it...)

Housing - I too am planning on living off campus (I'm bringing my setter mutt - even tho my parents would gladly take care of her...the kitty is staying with the folks in the states however...) The moodle site should be updated soon and will list current students looking for roomies... it also has links for letting agencies on it so its a good place to look... from people I talked to - most vet students live in the Anniesland area b/c its close to campus

Weather and such - I visited there early last month to look at the school (absolutely fantastic btw - I was sold immediately after visiting - and I went to a pretty impressive undergrad uni myself) I was only there a short while (my spring break) but while I was there the weather was quite reasonable... it did rain - but it wasn't unbearable rain (which is a lot coming from me b/c I HATE rain) it was very light and intermittent - it would rain for like an hour and be done with... or it would rain at some point over the night while I was sleeping so it would be a little wet in the AM but no big deal. Also, they seem to have pretty mild weather temperature wise - it doesn't get terribly cold in the winter nor does it get unbearably hot in the summer (tho I guess that is all relative compared to what you are used to - but I'm from the D.C. area which can be both very cold and very hot depending on the season...)

Flunking out - the very lovely girl I met with (also a US student over there) on my visit was pretty honest about the curriculum - while it is not a cake walk - not many people fail completely. The faculty are very conducive to you NOT failing and will give you multiple chances to pass an exam if you fail the first time around... I think she only knew of one person who failed (and had to repeat) and entire year and I don't think she knew of anyone who had flunked out completely.

Anyways - that was my spiel... When I visited I thought it was great - all the students and faculty I met on the University were extremely nice and helpful (even though it was smack in the middle of exam time for them - bad timing on my part but I had no choice!) and even regular Glaswegians I met were super nice (I didn't meet a single grumpy person - it was a funny experience). One nice girl even walked me to my hotel when I first arrived b/c neither me nor my cabbie could find the darn place!

Wow that was a lot... sorry for the long post!!! I tend to ramble a little bit
 
aggiegolf said:
I applied to Glasgow and was waitlisted. I'm pretty sure I'm out of the loop since I haven't heard anything by now. I haven't heard back from London either.

So I'm heading to St. Matthew's in Cayman in May. Good luck everyone!
Click to expand...

Hey Aggie,

I was waitlisted too.. You have to keep on top of Joyce and Jill if you're really interested. I'm sure they're sick of my emails and constant assurance that Glasgow is my first choice. haha. It's still early, and I still have hope.. 🙂

:luck:
 
twh11 said:
I started filling out the form for paying the deposit for Glasgow. There was a space for matriculation number. I looked all through my packet for a matriculation number and haven't been able to find one. Has anyone else started to fill out the form? If so, did you put anything for matriculation number?
Click to expand...
You won't have a matriculation number until you are completely registered at Glasgow so I wouldn't worry about it 🙂 It's what I would have called a student ID number in the States.

Very Happy, American, Fourth Year Student at Glasgow
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/rquam
 
Just a note for all of you looking for housing - A lot of e-mails go around the vet school from students looking for flatmates for next year so I've posted those e-mails on the forum of Glasgow's Moodle site. I'll try to keep it up to date and add new posts as new e-mails come round. Some of the students with space available are willing to take people with pets so just ask if they don't say in the e-mail.

Very Happy, American, Fourth Year Student at Glasgow
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/rquam
 
Does anyone know about how much extra it costs to fly pets from the US to Glasgow for those of us who want to take our pets? I have a cat that I want to bring but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg bringing her over there.
 
Mandy880 said:
Does anyone know about how much extra it costs to fly pets from the US to Glasgow for those of us who want to take our pets? I have a cat that I want to bring but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg bringing her over there.
Click to expand...

I called two airlines, continental and northwest. I was told by the USDA guy in my state that handles these things that they are the best at flying pets overseas. He specifically did not recommend British Airways. Anyways, Northwest told me it would be a total of 1,027.00 after everything, plus more if they had to kennel her due to temperatures (They won't fly her if the temp outside is under 10 degree F or over 85 degrees F at anytime during the flight which is a problem since the transfer takes place somewhere in the midwest in the summer).

For Continental, they told me $540 plus 65 cents per kilo. A much better deal. My advice is to contact the airlines specifically and ask. There is a lot of red tape throughout the whole process.
 
I have a question about the general living expenses in Scotland. I guess I was just wondering what do people, in general, have to pay
as far as your living expenses go per month. For example, I know rent
varies, but what about utilities, tv, internet, phone, etc... I read
somewhere that there is a 100 pound a month fee for sewer, water, etc? I
just don't want any surprises when I am calculating my budget.

Also, I read that vet students in the uk aren't allowed to conduct surgery on "live" animals, so how do they practice/get experience in real world settings/surgeries? As I am sure you all know, the living body is quite different than the dead.
I am just sort of worried about that. I got accepted to Western (in Pamona, CA) and they let you do surgery practically when you walk in the door. That is really appealing to me. However, they do this weird pbl (problem-based learning) for EVERYTHING which makes no sense and is scary.

Thanks.
 
sdb9 said:
I called two airlines, continental and northwest. I was told by the USDA guy in my state that handles these things that they are the best at flying pets overseas. He specifically did not recommend British Airways. Anyways, Northwest told me it would be a total of 1,027.00 after everything, plus more if they had to kennel her due to temperatures (They won't fly her if the temp outside is under 10 degree F or over 85 degrees F at anytime during the flight which is a problem since the transfer takes place somewhere in the midwest in the summer).

For Continental, they told me $540 plus 65 cents per kilo. A much better deal. My advice is to contact the airlines specifically and ask. There is a lot of red tape throughout the whole process.
Click to expand...



Thank you! 🙂
 
Miry said:
I have a question about the general living expenses in Scotland. I guess I was just wondering what do people, in general, have to pay
as far as your living expenses go per month. For example, I know rent
varies, but what about utilities, tv, internet, phone, etc... I read
somewhere that there is a 100 pound a month fee for sewer, water, etc? I
just don't want any surprises when I am calculating my budget.

Also, I read that vet students in the uk aren't allowed to conduct surgery on "live" animals, so how do they practice/get experience in real world settings/surgeries? As I am sure you all know, the living body is quite different than the dead.
I am just sort of worried about that. I got accepted to Western (in Pamona, CA) and they let you do surgery practically when you walk in the door. That is really appealing to me. However, they do this weird pbl (problem-based learning) for EVERYTHING which makes no sense and is scary.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I think I posted about my expenses earlier (I am a Californian who graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 2006). I paid 300 pounds per month for rent (split w/another American student - she also paid 300/mo.). Sewer and water? No payment there. We were exempt from "council tax" (I think that may be sewer and water) because of our full-time student status (you have to fill out some form and have Maureen from the vet school sign it). Gas, electricity and phone/TV/internet. Whatever way you want to do the phone/internet (some people group them together w/the same company). It was about 100 pounds every 2-3 months for electricity. Not sure about gas, but I think around 40-50 pounds per month. We lived in Bearsden, literally 3-5 minutes' walk from the vet school campus.

Surgery - well, I'm a vet now and I am certainly happy with my surgical skills. I wish I had more spay/neuter experience, but I am very happy (ethically) that no animals suffered from any of my surgical learning experiences. The UK has very very strict animal welfare laws. Practicing on live animals would be considered experimentation, and to experiment on animals in the UK you must have a special license. In the UK schools, you must do 26+ weeks of extramural studies (EMS, equivalent to externships or preceptorships) during your clinical years (last 3 years). You should attempt to gain surgical experience during this time. For instance, I spayed and neutered several cats and neutered dogs at a practice about an hour away from Glasgow. I helped with a ton of C-sections on cows (on various Scottish isles and the Isle of Man, all where I chose to do my EMS) and even helped w/a uterine prolapse.

During the actual time at the vet school, you learn basic suture patterns and techniques (including hand ties) using models (very simple foam, also shoe string attached to wood blocks). According to the surgeon I work with here, I am one of the best interns at doing hand ties - so see, you can be good even without practicing on live animals. Also, you get to scrub in on various surgeries during your clinical rotations. During my exotics rotation I got to do half a castration on a chinchilla. During the soft tissue rotation, we did go to the cat and dog home and got to perform 0.5-1 spay each on a dog with excellent mentorship/supervision. Basically - seek out as much surgical experience as you can and you will do well! Be prepared though - in the UK, they often don't wear caps, masks, gowns, or gloves when doing surgery! (They do it w/all that in the vet school, but tradition prevails in a lot of the private practices).

I did a RAVS (Rural Area Veterinary Service) trip (through the US Humane Society) one summer and gained some surgical experience that way.

Truly though, my best surgical confidence-builder has been working with a boarded surgeon and other experienced vets during my internship. I feel SO much better. I have done intestinal biopsies, spays, neuters, parts of C-sections, hernia repairs etc. I have been able to suture up the stomach and take liver biopsies, and probably more. On emergency, I have repaired many lacerations and abscesses. I am still slow (my fastest spay was 39 minutes and my dog neuters are about 20 minutes), but I should do fine once I'm in a general practice and get to do that stuff more regularly.

I honestly don't know if I would have felt too good going to a school like Ross where they do practice on live animals (strays and such) and have "kill" or dead-end surgeries.
 
As far as bringing animals to Glasgow, it will be costly. It's also the things you have to do to prepare you animal to go overseas too, not just the trip it self. I am actually in a different situation right now. I am trying to bring my 3 cats from France to the US. I have been working on this since November. It has been nothing but a very difficult and confusing experience, not to mention costly. I think I will end up taking them on United where I will be on the plane with them. This way, they count as excess baggage and so this is the cheapest way to do this. I don't know if this is the best for them though so I am still working on it. It will cost me about $135 per cat. Not too bad but times that by 3. I still need to buy the carriers which I think will add significant amount to the cost of bringing them back home too. They also had to be rabies vaccinated, microchipped, with a health certificate. All in all, the absolute cheapest way that I can do this, it will still cost me over $800. Oh ya, did I mention these are just foster kittens that I couldn't place! I am coming home in May, will find them good homes, and off I am to Glasgow in September! I am also working on the option of trying to bring them with me to Glasgow. But, since I don't have a place to stay yet(don't even know if pets are allowed where I will finally stay), and don't know anyone there yet that could take care of them whenever I go back to the states for my breaks, I think it would be a bad idea to bring them, as badly as I want to! If anyone has any ideas on how to comfortably keep your animals in Glasgow, please let me know! I would be so greatfull. 🙂
 
Vet2be2012 - that seems like a lot of money and a lot of stress to put upon a couple of cats. Are you sure there's no way you can't adopt that out, even to a good farm family?
 
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