So excited to be posting here!
About me...
First time applicant, WI resident.
Applied: WI
Accepted: WI!
Attending: Wisconsin!!!
BS in Microbiology from University of Wisconsin 2009
MS in Microbiology from University of Wisconsin- Summer 2012
Cumulative GPA 3.7
Science/ pre-req/ last 45 GPA: 3.6-ish
GRE: 800q, 770v, 5.0 writing
Veterinary Experience (at time of VMCAS):
~700 hours shadowing, then working as a vet assistant at a small animal clinic
~50 hours shadowing pathologists
~50 hours volunteering with ringworm infected kitties at humane society (I put it under vet exp but it's probably closer to animal)
~200 hours research on cardiac birth defects using mouse models
~500 hours working as a microbiologist at a veterinary diagnostics lab (the head of the lab is a vet so I counted it here, I was desperate for hours)
~18 hours shadowing a dairy vet
Animal experience:
~I think I put 6000 hours as a conservative estimate of all the time I have spent with equines, riding, grooming, giving meds, teaching, shoveling manure etc.
~A few hundred hours dog and cat sitting for various people
Work/Volunteer Experience:
~Countless hours in microbiology and engineering research at various labs
~Grader for engineering course
~Waitress at a pub in England, other random jobs
~Lots and lots of biology outreach stuff
Awards and honors:
~NSF GRFP Honorable Mention
~Deans list my freshman and sophomore years
~Undergraduate research awards
~YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award
eLORS:
-My academic advisor for my undergraduate and master's research
-The vet at the small animal clinic
-Two pathologists I shadowed and got to know fairly well
-The head of a microbiology lab where I worked
My personal statement focused on how I decided late int he game to apply to vet school, but once I did I realized it would be the best way to combine my passions for science, animals, and disease research and public health. I want to get a DVM/MPH and work for the government doing infectious disease research, or maybe be a pathologist
Basically I got almost all of my experience this past year, working two jobs and volunteering at the humane society while also working on my Master's degree, remodeling our house, and showing my horse. I worked my butt off all spring, summer, and fall without a break but in the end it paid off! And now, once I graduate with my masters, I am taking a loooong overdue vacation