Question: I would like to be a vet but I feel daunted by the prospect of soo much competition and wasn't sure what is the best way to go about. What advice would you give me and how did you get to where you are now (career wise)?

Janet Daly answered on 9 Mar 2013:

The competition really is tough – if you really, really want to do it, then you have to give it 100% and you still may not get in to vet school. Try and get as much experience as you can (helping at vet practices, pet shops, on farms…). There are also summer schools and open days at vet schools that you can try and attend. However, I have managed to get to work with animals, do research that helps animals and teach at vet school without doing a vet degree (I did a degree in Animal Physiology and Nutrition). So my advice would be that if you think you would like to do it, give it a go, but be prepared that you might not get into vet school and don’t despair if you don’t… there are some great other options out there (there are now degrees in Veterinary Science on offer) that allow you to use your brains and help animals just as much, if not more, than being a general practice vet.