RVC- Reputation

[BB KitKat]

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The tread about Ross reminded me of a question I have been trying to figure out for awhile... What is the reputation surrounding RVC? I believe it is the oldest vet school in the UK, but is it known as a prestigious institution?

 

[hopefulvet21]

hello, RVC may not be well known to many students in the US, but I am fairly certain it is pretty well known by most veterinarians. I visited RVC this past semester and went on a tour of it. The facilities were fantastic. They have about 5 huge flat screen TV's lining each side of their labs so that you can see what the professor is doing at his/her lab bench. They podcast all their lectures in case you miss one. They have a great library (and not many libraries impress me compared to my university's library which is HUGE and has over 4 million volumes and 12 floors)-- obviously RVC's wasn't that big because they generally only hold volumes related to vet med.

But Anyway, it was all really great. They are part of the University of London and have an excellent reputation in the UK and abroad. They do a lot of progressive research and have a strong affiliation with the Bioscience Innovation center (which is right next door). Often times us US students live in a sort of bubble and foreign schools escape our radar and we are skeptical about them. But I studied abroad in the UK and their education system as a whole is highly regarded internationally. However, as with any accredited veterinary school (in my opinion), they all have good reps and you're not going to be regarded as a better or worse vet solely based on what school you went to.

And in case you didn't know already, RVC is AVMA accredited which, by definition, means it has equal standing as any US vet school. Don't get caught up in school "reputations" for veterinary school. I think that idea is more relevant to undergraduate, masters, PhD programs, and the like.

 

[BB KitKat]

Thanks for all the great info! RVC sounds like a really great school. On another note, though, you mention not getting caught up in "reputations" for vet programs as compared to other academic programs.
What does everyone think about students planning for internships post-grad? Won't school attended come into play come application time (especially since they are so competitive)?

 

[VeganChick]

They podcast all their lectures in case you miss one

That is so cool!

 

[Nexx]

That is so cool!

They have recorded lectures over here too, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't find it at some/most schools in the US either.

It's also fun to place your teachers on double speed! We have one or two lecturers who speak UNGODLY slow, so much that on 2x speed, they sound normal. Then we also have some lecturers who might benefit from slowing them down every now and again, a certain histology professor comes to mind. He's hilarious, just every now and again he sounds like the guy from the micromachines commercial in the 80's.

I find myself spacing out sometimes in class so iLecture has become an occasional saviour 🙂

 

[hopefulvet21]

haha Nexx, double speed, that's funny! I'm afraid you have introduced me to another possible form of procrastination now.

BBKitKat- I was concerned about the opportunities I would have when applying to internships and residencies in the future as well. I think in some cases, going to a particular school can give you certain connections. However, I think every school has connections somewhere, including RVC. If you are interested in pursuing a particular specialty, you may want to look into schools that have professors in that field or whatever. But I really don't think it will affect much in the grand scheme. I think your grades and recommendation letters from vet school, as well as any particular additional experience, will be most important in getting selected for an internship or residency. I don't know anyone personally at RVC right now, but I do have a good friend at Edinburgh and I think the two schools are pretty comparable. Two of her flatmates that graduated this past year have gotten internships in Colorado, which is what they were looking for. She said that she thinks going to vet school abroad may even give you an advantage over other people in some cases because it gives you a unique quality and makes you stand out a bit more. I don't think it is anything to worry about- the quality of your academic and work performance will be a deciding factor, but probably not the institution (unless it's not accredited maybe).

Also, if you're not impressed by the podcast thing, how about this:
There are two campuses-one in Hawkshead and one in London. Sometimes a lecture is going on in Hawkshead that can't be attended by the students currently in London or vice versa. So, their lecture rooms are equipped with live video and microphone systems that allow you to 'virtually' be at that lecture and even ask the professor there questions from where you are! I thought that was really cool because it must seem like there is this omnipotent, mysterious, invisible person asking the professor a question! They also have a lovely, quaint little anatomy museum on the bottom floor and a lounge with big comfy blue couches for cat naps😴!