How to contact me.........or donate!

So at this stage I am beginning to plan my huge revision task for the Christmas holidays and trying to get all of my fundraising efforts in order for the main funding campaign to begin in January 2011. I was interviewed today for the local paper to run a feature on my story, which will follow as it goes to press........

I will keep you updated on any developments as they unfold.

DONATE NOW!!!!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Every little helps. A comprehensive list of supporters will be maintained, and regular updates and reports issued to individuals who wish to receive information regarding my progress.

I am also on Twitter, should you wish to 'tweet' some support!

http://twitter.com/#!/melvetstudent

Funding my veterinary degree.......

So having completed and submitted my vet school application, my thoughts have turned to funding. A veterinary degree is no mean feat in terms of academic ability, dedication, time and sheer will, and not least financial commitment!

Tuition fees......

With tuition fees totaling £16,000 over five years and little opportunity to gain paid work due to the immense work load of studying, seeing practice and extra mural studies, it leaves no option but to be able to support ones self throughout the degree without relying upon gainful employment.

I have researched all funding avenues, including veterinary specific bursaries/scholarships, funds for second degrees, charitable donations/awards/loans and educational grants as advised by the British Veterinary Association (BVA):

http://www.bva.co.uk/1146.aspx

Competition for scholarships and awards is high and funds are limited although the few that are available look promising, and I shall most definitely apply come January 2011 (since all of them open for applications during the year of your proposed study).

Advertising & raising my profile......

I am just about to run an article in my local paper the Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald which covers North Wales, and should help to raise my profile and plight to raise funding towards my degree costs. This is in line with this blog and a numerous other new media ideas which are yet to be launched.

Bank loan....

Having discussed my situation with my bank, they have agreed to loan me a substantial sum which will cover my tuition fees, but not the cost of living for 5 years. So my aim from now onwards is to publicise and raise my profile even further in order to raise the estimated £55,000 required to support myself over the five year period of study.

Cost of living......

This has been calculated based on £11,000 per annum, which covers, very basic, frugal living costs incorporating rent, utilities, car, books, travel expenses & phone. Since I am a mature student of 36 I will not be eligible for halls of residence, so external accommodation will be required, although this should be better suited to my needs.

I am also in the process of researching funding opportunities through the following:

Charities Digest

The Educational Grants Directory

A Guide for Individual in Need

The Complete University Guide: Student Finance

The Grants Register

The Directory of Grant Making Trusts: Rural Conservation & Animal Welfare

This is on top of an extensive list which I have drawn up of UK & USA based philanthropists, sports/media celebrities, veterinary pharmaceutical companies, animal feed companies, veterinary technologies - all of whom I intend to write to in the New Year.

Please feel free to submit any additional ideas which you might have in terms of fundraising, oralternatively if you wish you contribute to my fund then do please contact me........!!!

All donations, however great or small will be most gratefully received!

The opportunity to gain entry for study in September 2011 is my LAST CHANCE given the Government's proposed hike in tuition fees up to £9,000 per year. So this really is make or break for me!

Thanks for reading..........

Vet School Applications & A levels.....

Vet schools........

Having made the decision to pursue veterinary medicine whilst still in America, I began contacting all the veterinary schools in the UK. The prospect of studying in America was very appealing too, but because you are considered an international student the fees are prohibitively expensive.

I contacted Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham and Dublin vet schools, all of whom were prompt and helpful in their responses, but with hugely different scales of tuition fees for potential second degree students. Some universities it seems offer accelerated programmes of 4 years as opposed to the usual 5 years, and these are available to students in a similar situation to myself who have completed and meet previous experience/qualifications which enables them to fast-track.

As I investigated more and more, It quickly became apparent that the only vet school which I could possibly hope to raise the funding towards attending was Nottingham. This is largely because Nottingham have elected to cap their fees at £16,000 total for the whole 5 years, rather than the other school which ranged between £64,000 to £110,000!!!!!

Nottingham Vet School........

So I have applied to just one vet school - Nottingham, which was new in 2006 but is progressive in its approach to curriculum design and lecture delivery and holds a very highly regarded teaching team in the veterinary science department.

My application was submitted via UCAS in October and I have recently completed the next phase of the process which was a very demanding online questionnaire! The aim of these is not to trip you up but to really whittle the stronger candidates from the weaker ones, and see who is outstanding following completion of all the phases. If successful, the next phase involves a telephone interview, followed by a formal interview at the vet school in the Spring of 2011.

Watch this space............here are the postcards sent to acknowledge receipt of my application........

A levels - in biology and chemistry......

In the mean time I am keeping myself busy attending my local 6th Form College in Pwllheli, north Wales - Coleg Meirion Dwyfor to complete A levels in chemistry and biology!!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems that having left school with only GCSE's has finally caught up with me! Nottingham Vet school have said that I must complete these two subjects in order to be considered for a place, so it's more studying for me.........both in a year, taught through Welsh and a little bit in English!!!

Kentucky photos.....

Working in Kentucky, USA.......

Following my time working in Newmarket I went on to study once more, this time for a Masters degree in Equine Science at Aberystwyth University in Wales. The course was challenging and demanding and all consuming time wise, but very worth while in terms of horizons reached and the new input of people, friends and colleagues which ensued.

My greatest achievement to date came about through an external examiner at the university who was well placed to put me in contact with the Gluck Equine Research Centre in Lexington Kentucky. The centre forms part of the veterinary science department of the University of Kentucky and is especially active in the equine field!

I was incredibly pleased to win two scholarships to fund a 3 month trip to the USA from June to September 2010, which forms the topic of my dissertation work. My project is entitled 'A comparison of immune responses in aged horses given commercially available live or inactivated equine influenza (EI) vaccines' which essentially investigates the age-related decline in immune responses in horses which is associated with reduced responses to vaccination and susceptibility to equine influenza infection.

The chance to fly to the USA and be based at this centre of excellence in the field of equine veterinary medicine, was a dream come true. The whole experience was just incredible, from the welcome that was extended to me by all the staff, the facilities and colleagues that I worked with - to the horses and hands on veterinary field work which I was responsible for on a daily basis. I was also encouraged to help with PhD students work and assisted with a number of complex disease based studies. My laboratory skills improved in leaps and bounds due to the excellent tutorship and guidance provided.

Whilst in Kentucky I also maximised my time off by visiting as many of the equine facilities in the area, including world leading equine veterinary hospitals, race tracks and training centres, equine rehabilitation and nutrition centres and saw a number of competitions at the Kentucky Horse Park, site of the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Working in Newmarket.....

The opportunities which arose through working at Rossdales Equine Hospital have really shaped my career in terms of knowledge gained but also the ability to network within industry and gain valuable experience not perhaps otherwise available.

Whilst at Rossdales I was able to work in the company of world class veterinary surgeons, diagnosticians, internal

medicine specialists, cardiologists, theriogenologists,

pathologists, and the best equine veterinary nurses in the UK!

My time in referral practice allowed me to see and experience procedures and cases which most mixed practitioners rarely see in their career. The opportunity to be 'hands on' involved with these cases is the most valuable form of experience available. Every minute of every day was exciting, challenging, rewarding and frustrating! I wanted so much to be the vet handling the case and making those decisions!

Here is a small sample of pictures from this period........

The Background......

My interest in all things veterinary began from an early age and remains my greatest passion 36 years later! Over the course of my career and both degrees I have had exposure to all levels of veterinary care and medicine, from small animal clinic work to world leading equine hospitals and rural farm work.

My equine interest remains the greatest driving force in my career, and yet all aspects of veterinary care and medicine in all species interests me. My first real taste of the veterinary profession outside of animal care came when I joined the BVA - British Veterinary Association in London in 2000 as part of the New Development Team. It was very much a changing time for BVA and the profession too, and I gleaned an awful lot of knowledge from involvement with students from all the veterinary schools including a realistic outlook of life in practice and my own career expectations.

Having met a number of wonderful veterinary surgeons during my tenure at BVA, many of whom have remained great supporters if my career to date, I was very fortunate to meet Professor Tim Greet from Rossdales Equine Hospital. It was during the course of my first degree at Hartpury College that I was able to see practice and work for Rossdales, the largest equine veterinary hospital in Europe. Having graduated I went on to work full time at Rossdales, which gave me access to world class veterinary facilities, practitioners and caseloads.......

The Beginning.....

This is my story about my journey to become a veterinary surgeon! I am a 36 year old who has already graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Equine Sports Science from Hartpury College, University of the West of England (2004-2007) and a Masters Degree in Equine Science from Aberystwyth University, Wales (2009-2010).

I have always loved animals be they my own pets or otherwise, and my life has been enriched by a considerable number of them! I have ridden horses since my childhood and went on to qualify as a British Horse Society Instructor, which enabled me to travel and gain some wonderful experiences. Horses have been and still are my greatest passion, and despite not owning one presently I am fortunate enough to be able to ride regularly.

Home is on the North Wales coast in the most delightful village called Abersoch, and due to its rural location I have taken a keen interest in all aspects of animal husbandry/farming since an early age. I am lucky to have such great farms at my fingertips to gain the experience which proves so valuable.

During my MSc at Aberystwyth University we had to carry out a research project which formed the basis of our dissertation. I was incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to travel to the USA and work at the Gluck Equine Research Centre in Lexington Kentucky. It was during my time in Kentucky that my desire and passion to study veterinary medicine became more of a reality..........