Veterinary Medicine
Pembroke is ideally suited for those reading Veterinary Medicine: although the Cambridge Vet School is a short cycle ride away, the back gate of the College leads directly into the New Museums Site where most of the pre-clinical lectures take place. In the same way as in all Universities, Cambridge is restricted in the number of places which can be offered in Veterinary Medicine: over the last few years Pembroke has been allowed to admit two vet students each year. Although the numbers are inevitably small, vets join up with the medical students for many of the first and second year courses. As in all Colleges, Veterinary Medicine at Pembroke is a very competitive subject. All students are offered College accommodation for their three pre-clinical years, and may continue to live in College houses during their clinical years if they wish to do so.
Admissions
The course is academically challenging, and we would expect those applying to have a very strong background in the appropriate sciences. For students taking A levels, we do not normally set offers to include a fourth A level (if taken) nor do we require STEP. Candidates are usually expected to take Chemistry and one of Biology, Maths or Physics. In practice, the large majority of our applicants take three sciences/maths at A level, Scottish Advanced Highers, (or equivalent).
The most useful combinations of subjects are Physics, Chemistry, Biology; Maths, Physics, Chemistry; or Maths, Chemistry, Biology. We have no preference between these combinations.
We are looking for students who are highly motivated and enthusiastic about Veterinary Medicine and have the academic ability to learn very fast in a demanding course. Candidates should have strong scientific interest: unlike many other Vet Schools, where the emphasis is placed very much on clinical practice, the Cambridge course is ideal for those who, while wishing to become practising vets, are also interested in the study of disease and in research developments. We expect our candidates to have had some practical farm and small animal experience, but not to the extent that excludes time for scientific reading.
Further Information
Gap Year
Most vets seem to want to get on with the course, but we are happy to offer a deferred place to a candidate who has something specific that they really want to do before coming to Pembroke. We particularly encourage those who are very young to defer.
Affiliated Students
If you wish to apply to read Veterinary Medicine as an affiliated student, then you should not apply to Pembroke. There is an agreement between all the Cambridge Colleges that quota places for such students are allocated to Graduate Colleges.
Further reading
For further information about the course, please see the page on the University website about Veterinary Medicine or a copy of our Undergraduate Prospectus.