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CLASSNOTES
Hannah Lacey’s RVC experience
Icame to the RVC as a mature student, so whilst I was excited to study, I was initially apprehensive about getting back into the swing of learning again. However, I needn’t have worried; the
environment was so welcoming and I got fully involved in extra activities, such as the anatomy club (great for dissections!) and occasional hockey.
I was on the Biological Sciences with Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics (ABWE) course, which I found to be
a really well balanced mix of subjects. Animal welfare can be a grey area and opinions are varied, so to have open discussions during teaching was a
huge benefit. I really enjoyed the active participation and debate. The practical sessions enabled me to have more hands on experience and bought the theoretical learning to life. During and since studying I have worked in veterinary practices and also created content for their websites, so the ethical side of things was a massive advantage to be able to engage pet owners.
In my final year, I chose my dissertation topic. My topic was on turkey welfare at slaughter and has gone on to be part of an important piece of research that looks to improve welfare guidelines across the board - as have many other dissertations in my year group, so I feel like I’ve produced work that makes a difference to science.
Since graduating in 2018, I have been involved in science communication and written articles for veterinary publications that have summarised and discussed current and important research; so the skills I’ve gained have been well used so far!
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