Thank you - what kind of annoying things? And if you don’t mind me asking what made you unhappy for the most part? Was it the difficulty adjusting to a new country or specifics about the program / life there in general? I’ve visited the U.K. many times and have family there so I’m used to the culture but I think studying there will be very different. I’m trying to not let the excitement of potentially living in London blind me from making the best choice for myself.
Thanks for taking the time to respond!
Sorry about the delay in a reply, we are in the middle of a obnoxious neuro module and I haven't had much free time at all! I think Staffie said a lot of things I think after being here 5 months. I have a couple of things I can add about first year stuff.
Firstly, I totally agree with the money issue. If you have an instate, go there. I did not and the other schools I was accepted to were equal or more in cost even with international fees. I have a flatmate who picked RVC over her IS and said if she could go back she would pick her IS. If you are like me and RVC is equal/less expensive than your other options then I would consider it (keep in mind you will need to fund your visa and NHS surcharge before you get your financial aid).
I think the atmosphere in the beginning is shocking coming from an American university. The UK students are 18 years old and the amount of partying the school puts on for the freshers is insane to me coming from the US. It made me feel a little like I was going backwards while all my friends in the US were learning and moving forward, RVC is a 7-day, non-stop party. It has calmed down a lot, but the first few months here... think back to freshman year at college if the school supplied alcohol and the drinking age was 18.
A lot of my annoyance in the beginning came from the total lack of organization in the first few weeks. For such a well-respected and old program they are really bad at communication. I am not sure if it is just this year, or if this is an ongoing issue, but our entire class had to pry information out of RVC in the first few weeks. They really like to focus on the 'now' and the rest 'they will tell you as you need it' which is extremely frustrating. I have a feeling that is mostly an issue this year because they have had a large turnover of staff this year, but it is so difficult when you are trying to find information and you can't.
Once you get into the swing of things in mid-October, it starts to come together. Keep in mind that they assume you will do a LOT of out of class learning. For example, there is no anatomy class, it is all from the dissection manual, textbooks, and dissections. The first few dissections everyone was completely lost. They are working on getting some videos for next years class though. The nice thing is that they really seem to listen to students and change things accordingly.
Since there are no regular classes like Staffie said, you can have weeks with 5-6 lectures/labs every day, then a week with 3 days of 1 lecture. It is a bit hot and cold, but it is just the way the UK does lectures so you get used to it. But since you don't always have the same schedule, it is possible to do fun things on the weekends or take an extended weekend to travel. All lectures are recorded, so you can miss some and still be able to catch up. It is also great for when you miss a concept in lecture. I heard not all schools have recorded lectures so its a nice luxury.
I haven't had a end-of-year exam yet, but I am already dreading them. I have 2 weeks in our 6 week Easter break devoted only to studying (after 4 weeks of AHEMS placements). It really is a lot of self-motivated studying all the time. I can't say I'm doing it right, but you really have to push yourself and make your own study schedule because even 1 term's information is too much to re-learn before the exam if you forgot it all, never mind a whole year.
I may have just thrown a bunch of things I don't like on you, but it all is something you adjust to. I like not having an exam over my head all the time. I think I remember more by making my own schedule. I also love being in London, there is just so much to see and do. And I also like how, in the 4 year program, there is only 1 pre-clinical year. Second year when I start EMS in the spring, I will be able to work in a clinic and even do some surgery. First year just really stinks because it is two years in one, but I think hope
@Staffie can confirm, it gets better after 1st year.
This was incredibly helpful, thank you! My biggest concern is landing an internship/residency after vet school. Is it more challenging to get one as an RVC student? Is their grading scheme different - do they use letter grades and GPA like in the states and if they don’t how are you judged for such residencies?
As for internships, when I was weighing my options for schools, I asked an internist (who also hires interns at her hospital) what school she would pick and she said RVC. I have seen many interns from UK schools in my time as a tech (you aren't a DVM so it's easy to spot) so I don't think it will be a major issue. I know I felt better when someone who actually picks interns said RVC was good, especially since everyone outside of vet med asked me if I was going to the UK because I couldn't get into a US school.