Advice for career-changer?

[greenhorn]

Hi all, I graduated 8 years ago with a BA in studio art... I've run a small farm since then, and am now revisiting the childhood dream of vet school. Am I crazy? What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? (I am 30, I would probably be 32 or 33 by the time I started school.) Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? Any thoughts from folks in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[BlacKAT33]

Am I crazy? No

What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? It's really hard to say. How was your GPA before? I know studio art isn't close to sci but it is still important that you were a good student then. I've personally known someone who started vet school after she was 30. Just do well in prereqs and make sure to get some experience under your belt. Since you don't have a ton of time to get lots of experience (unless you bust your butt doing school and clinical) make sure to do really well in sci prereqs!

How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? surprisingly the avg age of applicants is around 24-25 (not right out of college) and there are many older people on this forum who are in vet school now or are applying this cycle. hopefully once i post this and the thread is bumped they will still see it tomorrow because i know they are out there!

Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? just my opinion, but i would think that if you have good grades and some experience they will hopefully look at you longer if they know you just accomplished this in the last 2 years and time is not on your side. You can write about it in your PS. I think they understand since time isnt on your side you wont be able to get a TON of experience in the diff areas of ved met but just make sure your grades are good so they know you can handle the courseload and get some clinical experience so you know the basics

 

[DickVetPlease]

There was a guy at my Penn interview day who looked around 40, and several others around 27-30.

 

[flyhi]

It is not as uncommon as you think. I will be 39 (holy schmokers) when i start vet school in the Fall. It's a 5 yr program, so i'll be a whopping 44 (holy crapola) when i graduate. It's been said a zillion times, but so true....i'm going to be 44 anyways (God willing), and i'd rather be a vet at 44 than anything else.

GOOD LUCK! this board is a great source of information and support.

 

[Fenlie]

You're not crazy I quit a professional career to go back to school and fulfill science requirements. I am over 30 and was accepted for next fall. I will be 37 when I graduate from vet school. I don't really think age matters as long as you have the desire to see it all the way through. Good luck!

 

[BrumleyVet]

Older students are no longer uncommon. I am 42 and went after my dream job after working for the State for 20 years and raising my children. IM me if you have specific questions/concerns.

 

[Jakesmom]

I'm 30 years old and will be applying next cycle. I decided to forego a career in teaching to become a Veterinarian. I'm in school full-time and work evenings at an animal hospital. I'm hoping that my age and life experience will work in my favor. The major advise I have gotten while I head back to school is to make sure you do the best you can in your science classes, it'll show what you can do NOW verses what you did years ago. Get a good score on the GRE and do the best you can to start shadowing/working with a veterinarian. You obviously can't be expected to have the same number of veterinary hours as someone who has been shadowing at a clinic since high school.

 

[lunajett]

Hi all, I graduated 8 years ago with a BA in studio art... I've run a small farm since then, and am now revisiting the childhood dream of vet school. Am I crazy? What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? (I am 30, I would probably be 32 or 33 by the time I started school.) Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? Any thoughts from folks in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

30?! HA! You're still a kid! Well, it's all relative, I guess. I'm sure you don't *feel* young compared to all the 22 year olds who are pursuing this, but hey, I'm stinkin' 42 here, so to me you're still way young.

Only you can decide if this is worth it for you, and with how uncertain you sound, I'd advise you not to commit yourself without getting some serious experience to help decide if being a vet is really right for you. I bet 99% of us had the "childhood dream," but obviously that alone in no way qualifies any of us. You gotta get through some hardcore science classes before even being considered (and then the REAL hardcore science classes begin, for 4 solid years!), you gotta make incredible sacrifices of time, money, personal life, etc. Not for the faint of heart.

The BA in studio art won't help, and I'm guessing you took little or none as far as hard sciences? So I'd say you've got a lot of ground to cover to "prove yourself" before you could be seriously considered. But, like I said, you're still young. If you did decide to go for it, you could spend 2-3 years doing pre-reqs and getting experience, apply (maybe a couple times), start vet school by mid-30's, and be done before you're 40. Some people would call that crazy, but hey, I guess I'm even crazier - if I get accepted this time, I would be graduating at 46. Not many people are game for starting over at the bottom of a new profession at that age. But the way I look at it, this is what I love. I'm gonna be 46 (or 50 or whatever) someday, might as well be doing something I love. And I figure I could still have a decent 20 year career, so to me, it's worth it. And hey, isn't 40 the new 30 or something?

But you should really think about what you want to do with the rest of your life, too. Do you want family, kids, travel, buying a home, a nice cushy retirement? Starting this journey late can seriously hamper all those things, as becoming a vet can easily suck up the next 10 years of your life, and that's before you even start working as a vet and making any money. Not that those other things are impossible - certainly there are many examples of amazing people who somehow manage to "have it all." But it's got to be a LOT harder. Myself, I'm childfree and staying that way, so in some respects I can "do whatever I want." I'll have some moderate inheritance some day, which will hopefully allow me to pay off the massive loans I will need to do this and maybe tuck some away for a retirement so I don't actually have to work until the day I die. But seriously think about your own personal/financial/relationship circumstances and decide just how bad you want this.

I think it is uncommon for people to pursue this past 30, but many do it. If you look at age ranges of most starting classes, they are usually like "22-40ish" with a mean of about 24. I've heard of people even starting school in their 50's. As far as advantage vs. disadvantage, it depends. I've had school reps tell me both. On the one hand, yes, I think anything over 30 raises eyebrows. On the other hand, schools do claim to want more diversity - a class of all 23 years olds would be pretty scary. Maturity, responsibility, life experience are all great things in a vet, and an older person *should* have an edge over the youngsters there.

And I think a lot depends on what you've done with your life prior. You're going to have to explain why you are so late to the game, but that explaining can give you a great chance to rise above all the 23 year olds. If you farted around, traveled, worked a series of dead-end jobs and suddenly now at 30 or whatever decide you want to be a vet, good luck. But like in my case, I've had a serious stable successful career before this. I've got my BA in psych, completed an MBA, earned my pilot's license, worked my way up in my field. I haven't been wasting my time, and I've got my isht together. But when it comes to applications, I think I've had to prove myself more, that I am really serious and not just going through a midlife crisis, and that has something to do with why I didn't get in my first time. I had to give up my well-paying former career, take an entry level assistant job in an ER, accumulate thousands of hours clinical experience (plus thousands of hours volunteer shelter experience), all while completing some pretty difficult pre-reqs.

I'd say your first steps should be getting yourself hooked up with a couple vets to get experience, either as a volunteer shadowing thing or maybe a part-time paid assistant, whatever you can do. You've got to see what they do to see if it's even worth considering further. If it is, start taking the basic pre-reqs you'll need, probably some lower level bio classes with labs. Those classes are not really too hard, but can start to give you a feel if you can handle the sciences and getting back into school.

Sorry for the ramble. But bottomline is you shouldn't be deterred just by your age. You can certainly still do this, IF you want it bad enough. Are you crazy enough to want it that bad?

 

[lunajett]

It is not as uncommon as you think. I will be 39 (holy schmokers) when i start vet school in the Fall. It's a 5 yr program, so i'll be a whopping 44 (holy crapola) when i graduate.

Awesome! I usually feel like the grandpa around here, in my classes, at the hospital, and I am still a few years older than you, but it is very reassuring to see someone at least close to my age doing this. Go us!

It's been said a zillion times, but so true....i'm going to be 44 anyways (God willing), and i'd rather be a vet at 44 than anything else.

Exactly, I said the same thing above! When we look at it that way, age really shouldn't matter at all.

Oh, forgot to add this, maybe a little advantage for us older folks: I'm a vet assistant at an ER/specialty center. It's amazing how often I am doing intakes with clients and they call me "doctor." Just because of my age, they assume I must be the doctor - little do they know I'm a glorified janitor! And then they meet the actual doctor, who often is clearly 10-15 years younger than me, and they're a little thrown for a loop. Some people even refuse to work with certain doctors who are "too young." So sometimes our age can give us the advantage of kind of an implied or assumed credibility. If you think about it, all other things being equal, wouldn't you rather have your animal worked on by a vet who at least *looks* like he/she has some experience, as opposed to one who looks like he snuck out of the house with dad's white coat and stethescope?

(Nothing against you 20somethings, I would gladly swap ages with you if I could! But us old folks have to try to put a positive spin on the age question when we can.)

 

[BlacKAT33]

If you think about it, all other things being equal, wouldn't you rather have your animal worked on by a vet who at least *looks* like he/she has some experience, as opposed to one who looks like he snuck out of the house with dad's white coat and stethescope?

(Nothing against you 20somethings, I would gladly swap ages with you if I could! But us old folks have to try to put a positive spin on the age question when we can.)

lol if i get in this yr ill be 25 when i start and 28 when im done, but i STILL feel SO young. and i wonder if i will even LOOK like a doctor once im out haha i am also kind of short so i do feel like i may look like i snuck outta my rents house with my dad's white coat! haha maybe once im 28 ill have more wrinkles that will help? lol

 

[DogTyred]

Just to reiterate what everyone else is saying, it is never too late to follow your dream. I am going to be nearly 41 when I start this fall but it's definitely better late than never. I have never been so happy as I am right now. Good luck to you in your endeavors.

 

[flyhi]

Awesome! I usually feel like the grandpa around here, in my classes, at the hospital, and I am still a few years older than you, but it is very reassuring to see someone at least close to my age doing this. Go us!

There are quite a few of us hangin around here Caninerepro is a first year at MN and he's also 'mature' like us, if you need a guy's perspective.

Oh, forgot to add this, maybe a little advantage for us older folks: Just because of my age, they assume I must be the doctor. So sometimes our age can give us the advantage of kind of an implied or assumed credibility.

i have actually thought of this and also thought...geez, all of my clients are going to expect me to know EVERYTHING based on my age . LOL.
Other thing too, is i think i will FEEL more confident just because of life experiences and compared to how awkward i was as a 22 year old

 

[BenjisMomma]

Hi all, I graduated 8 years ago with a BA in studio art... I've run a small farm since then, and am now revisiting the childhood dream of vet school. Am I crazy? What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? (I am 30, I would probably be 32 or 33 by the time I started school.) Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? Any thoughts from folks in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi there,

I just posted a similar thread -- also about how it panned out with all the loans that go along with restarting a career.

I'm kind of in the same boat -- journalism/english major, good grades (magna cum laude), have had a stable career since then, just it isn't doing it for me, and i still spend all my free time doing animal things (working at shelters, fostering, volunteering with animal rescues). And I wanted to be a vet when I was young, and my friends have started asking me why I didn't become a vet. My reason was because my family life was in such turmoil during my late high school/early college years it's no wonder I didn't really sit down and think about it. The one thing I did know for sure was I knew I wasn't ready to pick a career path, and I felt like I was being propelled by society to go to college and pick a career path when I wasn't ready to do so.

Anyways.... I guess I like the idea of, you're gonna be (x) age someday anyway, at least be doing something you love! lol.

My dad said, it's your life, you should do what you want with it, but do consider that it will seriously change when you'd be able to afford a house and so on.

I think I still want to do it. It's just a massive undertaking at this point. Then again, nothing worth having ever came easily as the old adage goes, and I could peddle along in this career and not love it and not hate it, and hope my life is exciting outside of my career.

But since most of our waking lives are spent on our career..... hmmm.

So basically, I need to find a rich boyfriend and make him my husband and THEN go to vet school! haha, jk...if only.

 

[lunajett]

I think I still want to do it. It's just a massive undertaking at this point. Then again, nothing worth having ever came easily as the old adage goes, and I could peddle along in this career and not love it and not hate it, and hope my life is exciting outside of my career.

Yes, it is massive undertaking, even just getting to the point where you can actually apply. Let alone if you get accepted, then the REAL fun begins! But it seems more massive and time-consuming when you're looking at it from the beginning. I remember when I first seriously started researching this about 3 years ago, and then plunged into taking the classes and all. I thought, "dang, it's gonna take at least 2 years to get all these pre-reqs done, that's sooo long..." Now I look back, and I can't believe how quickly the almost 3 years have flown by. Like the saying, time flies when you're having fun... as tough as this has been, I've loved it. The challenge, learning new things, feeling like I am really working toward my dream, it really does make the time fly by.

For me, it helped drawing out an actual timeline of what classes I could take and when. First I had to figure out the pre-reqs for my #1, and what classes I could take locally at my community colleges and universities that would meet those. Then gathering catalogs and schedules for my local schools, and really figuring out the order of things. For me, with almost no science classes, the vet school pre-reqs weren't enough - often the pre-reqs had pre-reqs. Like for chemistry, I had to take Intro Chem before I could take the pre-reqs Chem I and II. So the chem series for me would be at least 3 semesters. Some classes are only offered spring or fall. So it is very complicated, but I had to really draw out a plan for the next two years to be sure I could get everything done and didn't trip myself up somewhere. And then you have to have backups, in case you can't get into a needed class - can you take an equivalent at another school, crash the course, move something around on your schedule. I eventually put the whole plan on a big whiteboard on my wall, so I could track my progress and have the pleasure of crossing off a few pre-reqs each semester. Then once you have the overall plan, you just focus on each semester, taking little "bite-sized pieces" at a time.

Also, I know when I look back at my life, it's the things I HAVEN'T tried that I regret, rather than the things I have done. Whether this works out or not, I knew I'd regret it if I never tried. I didn't want to be sitting in my Depends in a wheelchair some day and muttering under my breath "dang it, I shoulda, I coulda..."

 

[DogTyred]

Yes, it is massive undertaking, even just getting to the point where you can actually apply... Then once you have the overall plan, you just focus on each semester, taking little "bite-sized pieces" at a time.

That's right. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I'm also reminded of Shawshank Redemption when I get discouraged by the massive undertaking. Anything is possible with time and patience.

 

[lyndaelyzoo]

Yay for the Nontrads!!! I am also a non-traditional applicant and am going to be 40 this year!!! I have been teaching zoology and forensic science at a public high school for ten years and have decided to follow my dreams and applied to vet school this year. I was so confused as an undergrad (changed majors from art to science), so I think in my case it is an advantage because now I really know what I want, whereas when I was twenty-one, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And after teaching for ten years, believe me, I know I want this!!!! As far as nontraditionalism (??) in vet schools, I am sure that the ad coms will wonder what we (as nontrads) have been doing our whole lives, but I think we have the chance to show them that our real world experience has made us even more dedicated and determined than if we applied directly out of college (also no offense to recent grads..just trying to find some "positives" in nontrads).

 

[Magical Realist]

For me, with almost no science classes, the vet school pre-reqs weren't enough - often the pre-reqs had pre-reqs. Like for chemistry, I had to take Intro Chem before I could take the pre-reqs Chem I and II. So the chem series for me would be at least 3 semesters.

You were in the exact same position I am in right now. From where I'm standing, making up all that neglected science and math looks like such a mammoth undertaking. So thanks for reporting from the other end of it!

In my 30s (I'm 42 now), I had to do pretty much the same thing in order to get a BA in history; it took me two years of remediation at a community college before I could even consider applying to a 4-year school. And I remember doing the shuffle, trying to work out the schedule that would get me where I needed to be. I never thought I'd have to do it again, but here I am... Fortunately, I now live in a city where there are half a dozen community college campuses within easy commuting distance (probably more), and I live three blocks from a Research I university, so at least I have more options this time.

I eventually put the whole plan on a big whiteboard on my wall, so I could track my progress and have the pleasure of crossing off a few pre-reqs each semester. Then once you have the overall plan, you just focus on each semester, taking little "bite-sized pieces" at a time.

Ha! This is my task for today! I'm using 4x6 index cards on a bulletin board; each contains the university course, its CC equivalents, what quarter(s) it's taught at each school, and prereqs. That way, I can move them around to see what different schedules might look like, and all the information on each class is right there.

Also, I know when I look back at my life, it's the things I HAVEN'T tried that I regret, rather than the things I have done. Whether this works out or not, I knew I'd regret it if I never tried. I didn't want to be sitting in my Depends in a wheelchair some day and muttering under my breath "dang it, I shoulda, I coulda..."

YES. I've regretted not going for this long enough. And if it turns out that I don't get in, or that I really can't hack the math and science involved? I'll be disappointed for a while, but at least I'll be able to say I tried, rather than continuing to tell myself I couldn't do it.

 

[lunajett]

Ha! This is my task for today! I'm using 4x6 index cards on a bulletin board; each contains the university course, its CC equivalents, what quarter(s) it's taught at each school, and prereqs. That way, I can move them around to see what different schedules might look like, and all the information on each class is right there.

Hey, even better than my way! I ended up having to redraw my whiteboard plan a couple times, but having each class on an index card tacked to a bulletin board would have been much simpler.

 

[dgm]

Only you can decide if this is worth it for you, and with how uncertain you sound, I'd advise you not to commit yourself without getting some serious experience to help decide if being a vet is really right for you. I bet 99% of us had the "childhood dream," but obviously that alone in no way qualifies any of us. You gotta get through some hardcore science classes before even being considered (and then the REAL hardcore science classes begin, for 4 solid years!), you gotta make incredible sacrifices of time, money, personal life, etc. Not for the faint of heart.

I'd think the OP might be a cocky, overconfident fool if she came in sounding 100% certain before she even starts in on the prereqs. It's a pretty big undertaking, and there's nothing wrong with sounding "uncertain" and seeking reassurance from others who might have some insight! I'm in vet school, and while I'm thrilled to be here and can't wait to be a vet, I'm STILL uncertain about how on earth I'm realistically going to pay all this off. It'll probably take the OP about 2 years to take her pre-reqs and get experience, during which she can mull over ad nauseum whether this is the right move for her.

Greenhorn, it's scary as hell to me to be changing careers like this (I'll be 30 in a few months and worked as an engineer previously), but I wouldn't say it'll be a disadvantage to your application. (Disclaimer: My evidence for my opinion is mainly anecdotal and based on the fact that I got in on my first try and that there are other people my age and older in my class. I don't actually have any stats on the acceptance rates of applicants by age). Being older can help your application stand out a bit from all the 22 year olds coming straight out of college with bio degrees. The big question you'll need to answer for the admissions committee will be "Why vet med, and why now? If you didn't pick the right career the first time, how can we know that you are now?" Provided it doesn't mean quitting your day job, I'd say it can't hurt to just get started on your prerequisites, get some experience and continue evaluating whether you want to take the plunge. Good luck!

Oh and don't be afraid to contact the admissions offices of vet schools you may be interested in, and talking to them about how best to prepare. I did this before I even started taking prereqs, basically to see whether they just laughed me out of the room. Instead, the guy helped me make a list of prereqs, suggested the preferred schools to take them from, and even offered to hook me up with a vet clinic to get experience at.

 

[NoRSquared]

Hi there -- I, too, am a career-changer. In addition, my undergrad institution did not have distribution requirements, and thus I didn't have ANY of the vet school pre-reqs when I decided to go this route. My practical advice would be to choose the vet schools to which you want to apply BEFORE you start the pre-reqs. I know it seems a bit premature, but the pre-reqs vary so much by school that you can potentially save yourself a lot of time if you pick a handful of schools that don't have a ton of pre-reqs (for instance, if you want to apply to NCSU, you're going to be taking pre-reqs *forever*).

Also, I have found that my non-traditional background has been a plus in the admissions process. The only caveat is that you need to really PROVE that you're committed to this new career path -- i.e. you should try to accrue a whole lot of experience in the veterinary field before applying.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[ColoradoDVM]

Hi all, I graduated 8 years ago with a BA in studio art... I've run a small farm since then, and am now revisiting the childhood dream of vet school. Am I crazy? What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? (I am 30, I would probably be 32 or 33 by the time I started school.) Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? Any thoughts from folks in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I went back after many years working as a professional artist. You are a youngster compared to me. I had most of the prereqs, but had to show recency in my grades. I earned an MS at at CSU, 100 miles from my home. I worked the whole time and continued with my volunteer work. I was accepted into CSU's 2014 program.
One of the AC's told me that I was really brave to come back and take a chance. That comment really floored me. I had to come back and give it my best. Bravery had nothing to do with it.
As far as advantage? Your life experiences and how you could apply it to your new career might set you apart, but there are plenty with more vet and animal experience, so it might be a wash.
I think your chances would be as good as your application. Grades, vet and animal experience, life experience, all would factor in. It really would be up to you.
If you want it, you should go for it. As lotto says, you can't win if you don't play.

 

[HopefulAg]

lol if i get in this yr ill be 25 when i start and 28 when im done, but i STILL feel SO young. and i wonder if i will even LOOK like a doctor once im out haha i am also kind of short so i do feel like i may look like i snuck outta my rents house with my dad's white coat! haha maybe once im 28 ill have more wrinkles that will help? lol

I've thought that same thing. If I get in this year I'll be 23 when I start, and 27 when I graduate. Additionally, I look young. I'm 22 and get carded all the time, which is understandable when buying alcohol, but I get carded to buy spraypaint, glue, etc (18) and once got carded when I bought a knife sharpener (had to be 16 to buy it...).

I can imagine a client going "Are you the doctor? Are you sure?"

 

[ADM1220]

Hi all, I graduated 8 years ago with a BA in studio art... I've run a small farm since then, and am now revisiting the childhood dream of vet school. Am I crazy? What are my chances of successfully getting into a program, assuming I complete necessary prereq courses and get some clinical experience? How uncommon is it for older folks to enter vet programs? (I am 30, I would probably be 32 or 33 by the time I started school.) Is this a disadvantage for my application, or possibly an advantage? Any thoughts from folks in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am a non-trad too, currently in the process of getting pre-reqs finished. I have a BS in Marketing and Management, and I am almost done with my pre-reqs. I decided to go back to a small, private school, which has turned out to be a huge mistake. Course listings (days, times, semesters offered) were so limited that my science classes conflicted with each other. I guess they don't think a student would be taking a semester of only science classes. My spring semester schedule was so limited that I would've had to cut my work hours back or quit my job all together. I've decided to not go back in the spring, transfer to a larger, public university and finish up over the summer and fall semester.

My advice: make sure the school can meet your needs. Check course listings from previous semesters to see when certain classes are offered, especially if you plan on holding down a job while you go back to school. And dont apply as a non-matriculating student because the school probably wont consider you for grants and scholarships. Definitely apply as a bachelor's candidate and you can always not graduate. School was a lot cheaper for me this way.

I think schools value non-trads, especially people with different degrees (like art). You have life experience and, assuming you get good grades in pre-req courses, I think that gives you an edge. I also feel more stable and ready to deal with the debt I will incur in vet school. I've had time to pay off undergrad loans and begin saving for vet school. I will still have to take out loans, but atleast I have some money put away to live off and I am much better at budgeting than when I was fresh out of college.

 

[sumstorm]

I've thought that same thing. If I get in this year I'll be 23 when I start, and 27 when I graduate. Additionally, I look young. I'm 22 and get carded all the time, which is understandable when buying alcohol, but I get carded to buy spraypaint, glue, etc (18) and once got carded when I bought a knife sharpener (had to be 16 to buy it...).

I can imagine a client going "Are you the doctor? Are you sure?"

LOL. I am over 30, and had the 'fun' experience of a Dr. saying 'you can't be more than a year out of school.' Um....yeah, a decade ago.

 

[elephantgarden]

Go for your dreams, but be realistic and very very sure. It's tough. As an older student you have a family, retirement fund, a job, dreams of owning a home, etc that are all a much bigger part of your life than the average 23 yr old applicant. I've been at the pre-reqs for 4 years now and this is my first cycle. I'm working in low paying jobs to get experience for the dream of becoming a vet (being a tech or animal care worker don't pay well). It's not easy. My wife and I are considering moving (we live in CA and the only in state school is damn near impossible to get into) just so I can have a chance at my dream. These are tough calls to make when you have sig other, kids, careers and pets in tow and you know you could be contributing more to the household if you didn't pursue the veterinary field.

You prob have years of schooling behind and ahead of you (since you prob have to work full time & your science courses are too old to count) and additional competing priorities on your time, which can lead to lower GPA. Lastly, most schools have academic screens that mean they won't even read your essays with all that great life experience or consider how much you work if you don't have a 3.6 (all feedback I've received directly from schools for OOS-- some will literally say "we have no comments on your essays or any other part of your application since we only looked at your GPA"). BTW I don't have a horrible GPA, but over 8 years it's in the 3.2-3.4 range depending on what you count. Still, it's not a 3.6. Something I wish I had realized prior to making this decision (not that I regret it) is as an older student that life and work experience doesn't count until at least round 2 (for most schools) and even then not sure how much it does for you...but then again I haven't gotten that far in the US yet.

Practical advice:
-Figure out how easy or hard it is to get into your "in-state" school and devise a strategy to address that if it's an issue
-Get the best grades you can and/or score extremely well on your GRE (avg won't help you OOS, what I've seen is OOS is 3.6 GPA and 1225 or so GPA)
-If you have time constraints put more emphasis on the above than experience, just make sure you make the minimums, get some variety and show dedication
-Don't attempt to meet the pre-reqs for too many schools it will take forever, look in-state or private first
-Know that your "life experience" and/or previous career helps you only if you can get past the initial academic screen
-petition to disqualify your undergraduate if you have a low undergrad GPA
-look in detail at your pre-req plan, depending on your schedule, the school options and the order in which courses have to be taken it will take at minimum 2 years of your life. Get ready.
-Be ready to apply multiple times and/or have a safety school outside the US
-Be ready to convince the schools, if you should be lucky enough to get past initial screen, that you are dedicated to the career
-Get your family ready financially for the pre-reqs & program itself

Good luck with whatever you decide!