Reflection

Within the SAQ we want to see you have truly engaged with and given thoughtful consideration of the experiences you have had. When engaging in any ‘experience’ we encourage you to consider a specific situation and reflect upon the lessons you have learned.

Questions you might want to think about:

• What will I learn on the programme?
• How will I learn on the programme and what attributes do I have which would support me on the programme?
• What challenges might I face on the programme and how might I over-come those?
• What career paths / job roles would be available to me post-graduation and what do I find appealing / less appealing about those careers/roles?
• What opportunities and challenges might I face as a vet/vet nurse
• How might I overcome challenges faced?

The RCVS has provided guidance on why and how to reflect: How do I reflect? - Professionals (rcvs.org.uk)

You might find it useful to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework to reflect on your experiences, considering the Situation you were in, what your Task was, what Action you took and what the Result was.

Example 1

S: I worked in a pub every weekend for a year with a group of about 6 other people.

T: I had to serve customers, clean tables and help in the kitchen with basic washing-up tasks.

A: I really enjoyed serving the customers, ensuring they received the top level of service. However not all customers were easy. There was an occasion where a customer was very unhappy with the meal they had been served, saying it was cold. I was able to get them a replacement meal quickly and was thrilled when they left me a £10 tip.

R: This experience taught me to be able to work as part of a team, to be efficient and hard-working. It also gave me confidence in my ability to deal with the general public, even when handling complaints.

Example 2

S: At school we had to do a big project together as part of our A level course in a group of 8 students.

T: We were all supposed to contribute equally to the work, looking up information to include in a presentation.

A: I worked really hard on the presentation but was disappointed that there were 2 people in my group who did not work as hard as everyone else. We worked hard together to encourage them to step up and do as they were supposed to do.

R: We got good marks for our presentation in the end despite what happened. I learned that it was difficult to force people to step-up in group work situations, that it can be difficult to share things exactly fairly but that with good communication you can still have a positive result.

Example 3:

S: I knew that it would be difficult to get a good grade in my GCSE Maths as it doesn’t come easily to me.

T: I had to ensure that I gave myself the best chance of getting an A that I could by prioritising Maths over other subjects that were not as important for my A level choices.

A: I made sure I missed as little school as possible and concentrated hard in maths classes. I also asked lots of questions if I didn’t understand a particular concept that the maths teacher was explaining. I contacted a student from the year above me and asked if I could have their notes from their A level year to help me understand even more. I committed to having a maths tutor outside of school which meant I had less time for social stuff.

R: I got an A*. On reflection that willingness to admit it would be difficult for me to get an A, and the commitment to working extra hard is something I am very proud of.

Example 4:

S: I recognised that vet students have to work with a range of different species including farm animals, but as I lived in a city I wasn’t very familiar with farming or farm animals.

T: I knew a better understanding of the farming industry and farm animals would help me gain a broader perspective on the contexts in which vets work.

A: I set aside time to learn more about farming: I watched two episodes of the Yorkshire Vet and looked at the DairyCo webpage.

R: By the end of looking at the resources I felt I had a better understanding of farming in the UK and the challenges faced by farmers. I was fascinated to learn about lameness in dairy cows, how big an issue it is, and the range of different factors including diet and housing that can be associated with lameness.