One of the very first vet students in the School of Veterinary Medicine

After completing a degree in Animal Science at Teesside University, he realised his ambition was to become a vet, and so his University of Central Lancashire journey began. He was instrumental in setting up the Vet Society within the School, aiding the social welfare of fellow students on an intense course. 

Liam studies on the BVMS course – a five year, five-days-a-week course where you graduate with the skills and expertise to become a vet in practice. One of the unique elements of the University of Central Lancashire BVMS is its placement opportunities which are timetabled to all students from year one, where most vet schools only start these in their third year. 

The students undertake Intra Mural Rotation (IMR) from first year, where they not only experience life as a vet in a clinical setting, but also gain real life experience of how reception works, of the work of a veterinary nurse, and speaking to animal owners as well – seeing just how all the cogs of a veterinary practice fit together. Liam explained that this allows students to have a more realistic view of what being a vet is like rather than solely focussing on the theory.

Having been part of the very first group of vet students on the course, Liam has had a mixed experience with facilities available, from first year when there was very little, to now in second year where the School has a state-of-the-art simulation suite, allowing students to gain experience in using equipment used in practice. Liam and his fellow students are very much looking forward to the completion of the purpose-built Vet School which we hope will be open for teaching in early 2025.

Listening to requests from fellow students who wanted a veterinary society, Liam set up the Vet Society and was the society’s first chairman. He said: “With it being such an intense course, the students wanted something where we could get together and have a little bit of downtime outside of studying.” Initially, the society met ad-hoc until it was more established. Now in its second year, the society meet most Wednesday afternoons, which is time away from lectures allocated by the School for students to take part in extra curricular activities such as this. “It’s a great way to boost social connections and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t as students from the Foundation entry courses and the Bioveterinary Sciences course can also join the society.”

Another unique element of the BVMS course within the University is the fact all students have Development Coaches – someone who can help them learn to the best of their ability. Liam explained that students have regular meetings with their coach, as well as having at least two one-to-one meetings with course tutors a term to check up on how the students are coping with work, advise them on study techniques and offer additional support.

As a mature, second-degree student, Liam was unable to access funding for his study, but coming to the University of Central Lancashire has allowed him to complete his BVMS degree, where he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. He explained “the accommodation at the University is much more affordable than at any other vet school I looked at. It meant that I was able to afford to pay for the course fees without having to worry too much about the accommodation.” The School of Veterinary Medicine also has a number of funding options which students are able to apply for, including scholarships and bursaries which can help in these situations.

Liam has a part-time job in order to help with the financial element of his degree and while working alongside such a time-intensive course isn’t for everyone, he said it can be done, you just need to be careful. He said: “You can juggle study with work – some people have to, you just need to be mindful about it. Time management is absolutely essential, and this is another huge positive to having the development coaches because they are there to help you with managing your own time and ensuring you are studying in the most efficient way possible.”

Liam explained that he and his fellow students are lucky to have access to such a wealth of knowledge and experience in the tutors of the School. While a lot of the tutors are, or have been, vets, many are registered veterinary nurses which Liam said is a real benefit. He said: “All our lecturers have such incredible knowledge of the industry. It’s brilliant to be able to have access to the knowledge of vet nurses who have different experiences and deal with different elements of the profession than vets; their knowledge can sometimes outweigh that of a vet.”

When Liam graduates in 2028, he hopes to undertake some postgraduate training and residencies to become more specialised. He said “at the moment I like the idea of specialising in emergency and critical care, but with three and half years left of study, this could all change!”

For students who are considering studying BVMS at University Liam has this advice: “Get out into a veterinary practice for some work experience before you apply. This is an intense course, but it is also one of the most rewarding, so you need to know what you will be working with before you commit. Many people go into this and think ‘I’ll work with animals because I prefer animals to humans’. And yes, you do work with animals, but there’s a lot of grafting to do as well. And animals come with owners – so you have to be able to work with people as well as animals to succeed in this course, and ultimately in the profession. Make sure you do your research into the profession and go into it with an open mind – if it is right for you, it will be the most challenging and rewarding experience of your life.