My Account
Please meet Molly, who is starting work as a vet, after being funded through her five years of veterinary studies by the Postal Family Fund University bursary. We spoke to Molly about her experience.
Why did you apply for the Postal Family Fund bursary?
I have wanted to become a vet since I was a little girl. I applied for financial support to help with the high costs of the five-year course (veterinary medicine and science). As part of the course, we’re required to complete 38 weeks of unpaid animal handling and clinical placements and we need to pay for our own transport and accommodation for these. These placements also decrease the amount of time you can spend working in the holidays. When i could, in my holidays I worked on farms milking cows and calf rearing to help towards the expenses of university- these could be 70-hour weeks.
What impact has the bursary had?
The bursary was a huge support during my veterinary medicine degree, particularly in helping with the travel and accommodation costs associated with placements. These placements must take place during the holidays and be organised independently without any financial support from the university. Without the bursary, I would have struggled to afford the costs involved, and it may not have been possible for me to complete all my placements. The financial support made a real difference and enabled me to make the most of these essential learning opportunities and I am now finally starting work as a vet after 5 long years of university.
What are your plans for the future?
I start work in July as a small animal vet in general practice and I hope to pursue further certificates in the future. My current interests are imaging and cardiology.
What would you like to say to postal workers thinking about applying for a university bursary?
I would absolutely recommend the bursary to other students. It helped put me on a more level playing field with my peers by easing the financial burden of completing unpaid placements. Without it, I would have found it much harder to afford the travel and accommodation costs involved, which could have limited the opportunities available to me. The bursary gave me the freedom to focus on gaining valuable experience rather than worrying about how I would fund it, and I’m very grateful for the support.
