Hi, I am a pre-veterinary student applying to vet schools in the fall and I've decided that I'm very interested in applying to three international vet schools: University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and University of College Dublin. From what I've gathered it seems like the tuition for these schools is cheaper than almost every out of state school in the U.S. I also have relatives in Ireland since my mother was born there and so I know I won't be completely alone. I have searched forums far and wide for any and all info I can gather about these schools and how it was for people transitioning from the U.S. to another country. I just haven't been able to find as much info as I would like and most of them are over five years old so hopefully this will help me and others to have it all in one place. So, if you go to any of these schools and can tell me your experiences, how do you like the city, is it reasonably easy to meet people, how was the transition, what are the living costs like where you live and how difficult was it to find housing (also I will have a dog), what the programs are like from year 1 to year 4 (or in Glasgow's case year 5), how much hands on experience do you get, does it bother you that we are technically not doctors in the U.S., etc etc. I have found one blog that is beautifully laid out for Dublin and very informative and would love to read anyone's blog of their experiences! I intend to apply to three schools inside the U.S. including Virginia-Maryland, Missouri and one other that I'm not sure of yet and if anyone has info about either of those that'd be great! A friend and I will be visiting the three international schools in November over thanksgiving break so if you have any suggestions of what we must see at the schools or even outside please let me know! We are hoping to get a tour of each campus but can't find anywhere on any of the websites if they do tours of vet schools. Sorry for all the questions and thank you in advance for any help you can give me!
Searching for Info about UK/Ireland Vet Schools
- Thread starter vtechgirl
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Hi- current in my 3rd year (grad-entry) at UCD. 
I'll try to answer most of your questions from a Dub perspective, don't know enough to comment on the UK schools. 
Do keep in mind that even though tuition may be cheaper, you'll have increased travel costs (trans-Atlantic flights aren't cheap!) and cost of living may be higher than what you might get with a US school.
Your first-year class with the 4 year programme is v small (we had 30 people), which is really nice. You have a week-long orientatation before lectures start, so it's really easy to get to know everyone in your class. You'll have a FB group specifically for your class, too, that's set up during the summer (and once you merge with the 5 years, you'll get added to their FB group).
Your first year is where you learn all of your 'normal' things- anatomy, physiology, and husbandry. First half of second year is paraclinical (pathology, parasitology, pharm, etc.), then second half of second year and all of third year is clinical (systems based), and final year is of course rotations. The biggest difference from US schools is how you're examined- for the most part, your entire grade will be based off of one midterm exam & a final exam. Some modules will have finals that are worth 100% of your grade. So it's nice in that you won't constantly be worried about tests/quizzes,etc., but it is A LOT of pressure during final season. That being said, you do get a 'revision week' before finals to catch up. Mid-terms are usually MCQ, finals are usually essay/short-answer + MCQ.
Your hands-on experience largely comes from your EMS (extra-mural studies) placements. For first year-second year, this involves going to farms to help with lambing, calving, etc. For later years this involves organizing your own placements with vets, doing summer research projects, etc. You do get to go out to the teaching farm a few times each year to work with horses/sheep/cattle. There's also a clinical skills lab you can use to practice suturing, catheter placement, etc.
As far as Dublin goes, it is a cool city to live in. The public transit is, for the most part, reliable. I didn't find the transition to be too difficult/rough, but I had lived in Ireland (Cork) previously for a bit when I was in undergrad. Rent can be very, very expensive, and finding pet-friendly housing is not easy. It's possible, but you would be unlikely to find something affordable near campus.
If you e-mail the vet school program office specifically, they should be able to set you up with a tour.
Let me know if you have any other UCD related questions!
I'll try to answer most of your questions from a Dub perspective, don't know enough to comment on the UK schools. Do keep in mind that even though tuition may be cheaper, you'll have increased travel costs (trans-Atlantic flights aren't cheap!) and cost of living may be higher than what you might get with a US school.
Your first-year class with the 4 year programme is v small (we had 30 people), which is really nice. You have a week-long orientatation before lectures start, so it's really easy to get to know everyone in your class. You'll have a FB group specifically for your class, too, that's set up during the summer (and once you merge with the 5 years, you'll get added to their FB group).
Your first year is where you learn all of your 'normal' things- anatomy, physiology, and husbandry. First half of second year is paraclinical (pathology, parasitology, pharm, etc.), then second half of second year and all of third year is clinical (systems based), and final year is of course rotations. The biggest difference from US schools is how you're examined- for the most part, your entire grade will be based off of one midterm exam & a final exam. Some modules will have finals that are worth 100% of your grade. So it's nice in that you won't constantly be worried about tests/quizzes,etc., but it is A LOT of pressure during final season. That being said, you do get a 'revision week' before finals to catch up. Mid-terms are usually MCQ, finals are usually essay/short-answer + MCQ.
Your hands-on experience largely comes from your EMS (extra-mural studies) placements. For first year-second year, this involves going to farms to help with lambing, calving, etc. For later years this involves organizing your own placements with vets, doing summer research projects, etc. You do get to go out to the teaching farm a few times each year to work with horses/sheep/cattle. There's also a clinical skills lab you can use to practice suturing, catheter placement, etc.
As far as Dublin goes, it is a cool city to live in. The public transit is, for the most part, reliable. I didn't find the transition to be too difficult/rough, but I had lived in Ireland (Cork) previously for a bit when I was in undergrad. Rent can be very, very expensive, and finding pet-friendly housing is not easy. It's possible, but you would be unlikely to find something affordable near campus.
If you e-mail the vet school program office specifically, they should be able to set you up with a tour.
Let me know if you have any other UCD related questions!
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