To get into vet school, you will need good GCSE grades, specifically in Maths, English and the sciences. You will also need good A-level grades or equivalent (or Scottish Highers or International Baccalaureate) in science-related subjects, usually including Biology and/or Chemistry.

Achieving good grades at A-level, or the equivalent, will be important in helping you to get a place to study veterinary medicine at university. Entry requirements for each veterinary medicine course will differ, so be sure to check with the individual university.

However, if you don’t achieve the desired grades, there are other routes into university! For example, many vet schools are helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds become vets by adjusting the grade requirements. This is called a contextual offer.

Different universities have different schemes available, so make sure you contact them directly to find out how they can support you.

There are also foundation courses available which will help prepare you for a veterinary degree, as well as post-graduate entry. Foundation courses usually last around a year and will provide you with the base knowledge you need to undertake a veterinary medicine degree. Entry requirements for these courses are generally not as strict as those for full veterinary medicine degrees, and they often accept alternative qualifications such as BTECs. This makes them a great stepping stone! There are also options to transfer onto a veterinary medicine degree after having already completed a related degree, for example, in zoology or biomedical science.

In order to become a veterinary surgeon, you must study for a veterinary degree at university, but there are multiple routes into this.

Visit the Veterinary Schools Council website to find out more about the admissions process for each vet school, including support and widening participation groups.