Veterinary Medicine

Director of Studies: Dr Stuart Eves (pre-clinical Director of Studies; Selwyn College) & Professor Lucy Davison (clinical Director of Studies; MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow)

Course Overview

St Edmund’s College is pleased to receive applications from mature students (aged over 21 years) or from affiliated students to read veterinary medicine at Cambridge. Affiliated students will already have a good degree preferably at 2.i level in a related subject such as Animal Science. The course extends over 6 years for mature students and 5 years for affiliated students. St Edmund’s normally accepts 4 or 5 veterinary students each year. The College has a number of veterinary fellows and is situated within cycling distance of the Veterinary School and the central University Departments.

The veterinary course is divided into preclinical and clinical parts but there is considerable overlap between the two sections. The Preclinical course lasts 3 years for mature students and two years for affiliated students. subjects such as anatomy, biochemistry and animal husbandry are studied leading to the award of a BA degree. During their preclinical years students are required to undertake at least 12 weeks of preclinical Extra Mural Study working on livestock farms.

The Clinical part of the course extends over three years and takes place at the Veterinary School at the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Subjects such as pathology, parasitology, medicine, surgery and veterinary public health are studied. The sixth year is lecture free and students work in the various clinics of the Queen’s Veterinary Hospital. During their clinical years students are required to complete 26 weeks of Extra Mural Study at a selection of veterinary establishments.

Successful students are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Vet MB). This degree allows students to register as veterinary surgeons and to become Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS) which entitles them to practice.

There is further information about the course on the University and Department webpages.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should apply to the College by 15th October for admission in the following October. Mature students are advised to have studied A Levels in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Maths and to have achieved passes preferably at A and A* grade. The University of Cambridge does not consider Access to HE courses alone as adequate preparation for science courses.

Students are asked to attend for interview at St Edmund’s College in December. Applicants are advised that they should have undertaken some veterinary work involving both small and large animals before coming to Cambridge.

Admissions Assessment

All applicants for the Preclinical Veterinary Medicine Tripos at St Edmund’s are required to register to take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT). More information can be found here.  Failure to register and to sit the assessment will mean that your application is incomplete and invalid.
Please note that your performance in the assessment at interview will not be considered in isolation, but will be taken into account alongside the other elements of your application.