Veterinary Medicine

Fitzwilliam admits two to three students to read Veterinary Medicine each year. We are very proud of their achievements; in 2010 one of our first year vets was the top veterinary student in the Medical and Veterinary Tripos exams.

Your choice of college should be influenced by the teaching offered as well as by many aspects of college life such as student support, your sense of the college's community, and practical concerns such as available facilities, accommodation, and location (Fitzwilliam is one of the closest colleges to the School of Clinical Veterinary Medicine - just a five-minute cycle ride away!).

Veterinary Medicine at Fitzwilliam

At Fitzwilliam we pride ourselves on all aspects of our college life, as well as on the high quality of teaching we offer in veterinary subjects. Both the Pre-Clinical and Clinical Directors of Studies in Veterinary Medicine are Fellows of Fitzwilliam and are dedicated to the academic success of our students. In addition, Fellows and Members of the College supervise most of the core subjects taken in the first two years of study which ensures a very personal involvement in your teaching.

Veterinary students at Fitzwilliam also have 24-hour access to our recently-refurbished Evelyn Suite. The Suite contains skeletons, anatomical models, radiographs, computers, microscopes, and textbooks that aid veterinary learning - all on your doorstep. The College also has a very well-stocked Library & IT Centre.  All Pre-Clinical students are provided with personal copies of core textbooks for each subject studied in the first two years.

Applicants who satisfy the entry requirements and impress at interview can expect to receive a conditional offer. The typical offer is A*AA in three science or mathematics subjects at A level, including Chemistry. Some other types of qualification (such as International Baccalaureate) are regarded as suitable alternatives to A level.  Please contact the Admissions Office for details.

Please note that as part of the admissions process for Veterinary Medicine, applicants must take a written test - the Bio-Medical Admissions Test (BMAT). The BMAT is typically taken at the applicant's school, and is administered by Cambridge Assessment.  

Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge

Read about the Cambridge University pre-clinical course >>

Lectures and practicals in all subjects are organized by University departments and held in Faculty buildings near the centre of Cambridge. The University's teaching sessions are supplemented by weekly supervisions in each major subject. Supervisions involve groups of two to four students, and are typically given by a Fellow or Member of Fitzwilliam. Supervisions allow discussion of individual students' work and academic difficulties. The supervision system is one of the biggest teaching advantages of Cambridge and is one of the most common reasons for students choosing to come to the University.

During their first year, students study anatomy, biochemistry and physiology. At the end of the academic year, students sit an examination in these subjects - this is Part 1A of the Medical and Veterinary Science Tripos or MVST. In addition to these courses, students take a course in statistics (ISBM) and one in Farm Animal Husbandry. Each of these two courses is the subject of a short examination at the end of the Lent (spring) term.

In the second year, students study pathology, pharmacology, veterinary neurobiology and animal behaviour, veterinary reproduction, and comparative vertebrate biology. Comparative vertebrate biology is a specialised course covering the anatomy of the head in different species and looking at the biology and anatomy of fish, reptiles and birds - many species of which are now commonly encountered in veterinary practice.

In the third year a wide variety of courses is available, selected from the Natural Sciences Part II. These courses include anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, plant sciences, pharmacology, physiology and zoology. During their first three years, Veterinary Medicine students are also expected to become familiar with agriculture by working with different farm animal species during the vacations.

Read about the Cambridge University clinical course >>

Veterinary students who complete their pre-clinical course stay on at Cambridge for a further three years, studying clinical veterinary medicine at the Veterinary School. This clinical period requires students to put the science they have learned in their pre-clinical years into practice. Teaching in the clinical years includes both lectures and small, hands-on group sessions in 'rotations'. The final year is largely lecture-free, the focus being on the acquisition of the practical skills needed to become an effective veterinary practitioner.  

Completion of the clinical course entitles the graduate to membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

College Fellows and Bye Fellows in Medical and Veterinary Sciences:

Fellows:

Dr. D Robert E Abayasekara, Director of Studies in Pre-Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Supervisor in Veterinary Reproductive Biology.

Dr. Angie Tavernor MRCVS, Director of Studies in Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Supervisor in Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Veterinary Neuroanatomy, Veterinary Reproductive Anatomy and Comparative Vertebrate Biology.

Dr. Kourosh K Saeb-Parsy, Director of Studies in Clinical Medicine, Supervisor in Pharmacology.

Dr. Mark J Arends, University Reader in Histopathology,  Supervisor in Pathology.

Bye Fellows:

Professor Ieuan Hughes, Professor of Paediatrics at the School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital. 

Dr Stephanie Purseglove, Supervisor in Pathology.

Dr Annalise Katz-Summercorn, Supervisor in Human Anatomy.

Further information about Veterinary Medicine can be found on the Department of Veterinary Medicine site.