Medicine, Veterinary Science & Dentistry (MedVetDent) at Varndean College
Varndean College provides an extensive range of support and opportunities for students who wish to pursue careers in Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry. At their interview, students will have the opportunity to discuss the additional programmes and activities available to them.
Varndean is an excellent choice if you aspire to study Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry at university. Our specialist MedVetDent Programme gives students bespoke one-to-one and group support, from the beginning of your Varndean journey through to your first day at university. You will:
- work with specialist tutors and like-minded peers, and be able to take full advantage of our links with universities.
- take part in practice interviews with the admissions team from Brighton & Sussex Medical School, as well as former Varndean medical and veterinary students.
- meet regularly to discuss common issues, eg your personal statement, work experience.
- receive notification of local and national events, such as conferences and workshops, which will help you prepare with applying for medical courses.
- attend talks by external speakers.
- receive advice about arranging work experience and volunteering in your chosen career.
- receive support with writing personal statements for UCAS applications.
- receive advice on how to keep up to date with current medical/veterinary/dental ethics issues.
Subject-Specific Activities and Achievements
Additional activities are provided both within the normal curriculum and beyond.
- Our Chemistry students take part in the RSC’s annual Chemistry Olympiad each year and always finish with an impressive list of awards. In 2019 the College won 2 Bronze, 5 Silver and 2 Gold; in 2020 10 Bronze and 15 Silver; 2021 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 2 Bronze; and in 2022 6 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze.
- Students also take part in the RSC’s Annual Analytical Competition and have reached the National Final in two out of the last five years.
- Year One Chemistry students undertake the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge every June and always achieve Gold medals
- In Biology, two students recently won Gold Crest Awards and one student competed in the 2022 British Biology Olympiad and won silver.
- All Chemistry students attend the annual Varndean College Chemistry Conference at the University of Brighton. We have presentations ranging from talks on drugs to medical advances to energetics and the enigmatic 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.
- Students have competed and reached the finals in the University of Reading’s ‘Heroines in Science’ competition, as well as the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics and Responsibility competition.
- In 2022, one of our students came fourth in the national RSC/QMUL I&D ‘Chemists Across the Continents’ poster competition.