Veterinary Medicine
Cambridge offers a world-class opportunity to study the scientific basis of veterinary medicine and clinical veterinary science. Our course provides the fundamental building blocks and practical training on which to develop a full range of competencies that will allow you to excel in whatever aspect of the broad veterinary field you choose to pursue and specialise.
The Cambridge Veterinary Programme has a Pre-Clinical Curriculum and a Clinical Curriculum. In the first two years – the Science Foundations Phase – students study the biological structure, function, and metabolism of domesticated (and semi-domesticated) species, the pathological processes of animal tissue, cellular responses to disease, and the mechanisms by which drugs act. In addition, students gain experience of best practice in animal care, husbandry, management, and welfare. In the third year, students build on this knowledge by investigating a topic of their interest. They are presented with a range of advanced study options that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world, bringing them right to the cutting edge of current science. It is not unusual for these research projects to be published as papers in scientific journals. Completion of the Science Foundations Phase leads to the award of a Cambridge Honours science degree, which is widely-recognised as a positive advantage for Cambridge veterinary graduates in their future career: research from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has shown that veterinary graduates who also have a science degree not only flourish in day-to-day vet practice and are better equipped to ‘problem solve’ difficult and unusual cases they encounter, but also have open to them wider career opportunities.
The Clinical Curriculum is also divided into two phases, the two-year Clinical Phase and the Professional Phase in final year. In the first term of the Clinical Phase, students learn overarching principles of clinical practice (e.g. anaesthesia, surgery, oncology, haematology, biochemical blood analysis, common conditions encountered in general veterinary practice) and control of diseases in populations. In the following four terms, these principles are applied across four courses – Equine Studies, Farm Animal Studies, Small Animal Studies and Veterinary Public Health. The Clinical Phase ends with a ‘transition’ term in preparation for the Professional Phase in which students work within a small group (3-4 students) in their lecture-free final year of experiential learning. Students have responsibility for some cases and work alongside clinicians in the vet school’s first opinion and referral practices through a series of different species-based and clinical discipline-based rotations.
There are about 65 students in each year, distributed across most of the Cambridge colleges – the smaller numbers make for very good relationships with the staff and a very socially cohesive student group. There is a very active Cambridge University Veterinary Society (CUVS) with weekly speaker meetings and many other events and other veterinary societies for farm animals, equines, and a Veterinary Zoological Society for those with an interest in ‘exotic’ animals. Additionally, the vet school runs a number of its own sports teams.
Veterinary Medicine at Caius
The team supporting the vet students at Caius includes an (external) Veterinary Director of Studies, Prof. Alun Williams of Wolfson College, and three Medical Directors of Studies: Prof. Dino Giussani, professor of developmental cardiovascular physiology and medicine, Dr Dunecan Massey, a consultant gastroenterologist, and Dr James Fraser, Associate Professor of muscle electrophysiology - all of whom are Caius Fellows. Prof. Williams supervises Comparative Vertebrate Biology, Veterinary Reproductive Biology, and anatomical aspects of Neurobiology. Prof. Guissani, Dr Massey, and Dr Fraser all supervise Caius students on aspects of the Veterinary Sciences Tripos. Other elements of the first- and second-year College teaching and learning are delivered, together with the medical students, by a large team of scientists and medically-qualified supervisors within the College.
Admissions
The number of places Caius has on offer is strictly limited by a public quota system. Caius, in common with several other colleges, has a quota of two places per year. This might seem a small number, but Caius vets have the advantage of being part of the larger Medical and Veterinary Sciences community. The College has a long and famous history in Medicine and admits a large number of medical students each year. About half of the pre-clinical veterinary course is the same as the medical one and so the vets share contact with teachers whose research is very much at the cutting edge of Medical Science.
Applicants must be studying Chemistry to A Level or equivalent, and at least one of Mathematics, Biology or Physics. The qualities we are looking for are intelligence and imagination, a breadth and flexibility of outlook, but above all an intellectual curiosity and a passion for science itself. In trying to estimate the extent to which you have these qualities, we rely on your UCAS reference, on what you say about yourself and your interests in your personal statement, the details of your academic record so far, your performance in the admissions assessment, and on the interviews, if applicable.
We usually interview all suitably-qualified candidates. These interviews need not be a daunting experience; many candidates have in the past said that they have found them enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. You will normally have three one-to-one interviews of twenty minutes each, one of which will be with a clinician from the vet school. We are very likely to ask candidates about veterinary experience they may have had, to discover whether their perception of veterinary medicine is a realistic one. This is likely to be an important factor in ranking candidates. We may also initiate a discussion on something that really engages their interest, probably related to their school work, to see whether they can argue coherently and have the imagination and flexibility to cope quickly with novel points of view. We are likely to ask about which of your subjects most interests you, and why, and encourage you to demonstrate some independent enthusiasm for it - for example, by talking about things you have done that are not simply part of your course. We will certainly ask about what you read: at university, you will to a large extent be teaching yourself through guided reading, and someone who has no liking for books and is not interested enough in science to spend some of their free time reading about it is not likely to make a good impression. Discussion may well centre on experimental and particularly project work that you have done at school, for this often gives a good idea of a student's scientific understanding independently of how well they have been taught. As well as finding out how deeply you understand the work you have been doing at school, we may also challenge you with new information and data. Finally, you will be given a chance to ask any questions that you may have concerning Cambridge, the course, and the College.
Due to the public quota system, every year we are forced to say no to academically strong candidates. Strong candidates who miss out at Caius are entered for the 'pool', where they are available for consideration by any College that has not yet filled its quota. The result of this post-interview activity is communicated to all candidates simultaneously, in early January.
If you have any queries, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@cai.cam.ac.uk.
