Veterinary Medicine University of Cambridge

Overview

Succeeding as a veterinary surgeon requires many skills – scientific, practical, clinical, financial and social – and the Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge is designed to develop these skills.

A major strength of the Cambridge course is the extensive use of practical teaching. Our staff includes world leaders in their fields and our facilities offer state-of-the-art equipment (see Resources, below). 

Right from the start, Cambridge students receive intensive training in animal handling and practical clinical skills. In addition, Cambridge was the first veterinary school to introduce a hands-on lecture-free final year, in which students take full responsibility for cases under the watchful eye of senior clinicians. This allows you to develop your clinical, problem solving and client communication skills in a real clinical practice environment.

The emphasis on small-group teaching in all six years, with experienced teachers supporting and guiding your progress, is also central to our philosophy of producing the highest calibre veterinary graduates.

Resources

The modern facilities in the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital include:

• a five-theatre small animal surgical suite

• a fully-equipped intensive care unit

• an equine surgical suite and diagnostic unit, with an MRI machine capable of imaging standing horses

• excellent farm animal facilities

• a state-of-the-art post-mortem unit

We also have one of the leading cancer therapy units in Europe with a linear accelerator used for delivering radiotherapy to both small and large animals with cancer.

In addition, our new Clinical Skills Centre houses interactive models and simulators for students to practise and refine essential technical skills individually and as integrated clinical scenarios – excellent preparation for the case responsibilities you have in the later years of the course.

Small animals, farm animals and horses are housed on-site to provide continual opportunities to consolidate your animal handling skills. The nearby University Farm also allows all students to become involved in lambing and dairy management.

Career opportunities:

The Cambridge course equips you with the clinical skills and scientific understanding required to enter practice and other areas of veterinary work.

Many of our graduates subsequently enhance their clinical skills by obtaining further professional qualifications in a wide variety of clinical disciplines.