Class of 2016 hopefuls: how are you doing?

[squirrelsrule]

I am pretty new to the forum and don't know many of you, so I thought it would be fun to have a thread for those of us that are hopefuls for the class of 2016. It's never to early to get to know eachother .

I am also curious how far along everyone is in the planning process... sometimes I feel like I am ahead of the game and other times like I am way behind.

I have just 3 prerecs. left to take: Organic Chemistry 2, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. I am taking O. Chem 2 and Biochem. this semester and Micro. in the Fall. I might also take animal nutrition so I can apply to Michigan.

I have taken the GRE already and got a 1280 which I am very happy with . My GPA is 3.99, which I am of course happy with as well.

I have over 7000 animal experience hours between wildlife rehabilitation, working in a boarding kennel over winter break one year, and volunteering at a petting zoo with exotics for 2 summers.

My vet experience hours are lacking, I have 33 hours with a small animal vet clinic and 9 hours with a traveling vet. I am hoping that some of my wildlife rehabbing experience will count as vet experience, I have an email out to OSU asking about it (I tried calling but the number on the site isn't working ). I will obviously continue my shadowing no matter what because I need more small animal practice experience hours.

I have not started my personal statement yet . I plan to within the next week.

I am an Ohio resident and hope to attend Ohio State. I will be applying to at least one other school probably 2 and right now my others will likely be between Tennessee, Michigan, and Cornell.

So, everyone else applying this year for the class of 2016 let's here from you. Where are you applying and how far along are you in the process?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NStarz]

Hey squirrels.

Don't fret about your PS yet. I wrote a rough half draft last year, and it sucks. I would definitely want to start it by June or July so you have lots of time for revision.

Me...
Senior biology major (taking a year off between undergrad and vet school), GPA 3.75. GRE's 1300, 4.5 writing
Four W's on my transcript (three from an acute-turned-chronic illness my freshman year, one from organic II, which I then retook and got a D+...finally retook again and got an A-). This is what I'm most worried about on my application
Vet experience: So-so. Planning to get much more between now and applications. ~200 small animal practice, ~6 shelter (will be working every Friday there this semester with the vets), ~120 emergency/specialty hospital these past few weeks (included GP, emergency, critical care, and specialty shadowing/assisting), ~500 hours research (a few poster presentations at regional/national/local conferences, thesis proposal and thesis)
Animal experience: ~3000 hours adoption counseling/dog walking/wildlife rehab/etc. at shelter, ~500 hours aquarium employee, ~100 hours wildlife rehab (more this summer--I'm now a sub-permitee!!!), ~100 hours dog training, ~100 hours kitten foster

I'm definitely trying to get some LA/Equine experience this summer, but my searching thus far has not been productive

I'm applying to 14 schools. I really want to get in my first cycle as I'm already taking a year off and would rather not take any more time off before my career
Schools: Penn, Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, VMRCVM, Louisiana, North Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Tufts



I will probably be taking this post down once the cycle starts, but it's here for now

 

[squirrelsrule]

Sounds like your vet experience is extensive! I'd be happy if mine was that good .

I didn't think to mention any withdrawls from classes or anything like that, I haven't ever withdrawn or retaken a class.

Way to go becoming a subpermittee for wildlife rehab. Don't get too hooked though, it will distract you! It's too late for me, but I can warn others, LOL. What all are you taking in? If you get into cottontail rehab, I have LOTS of tips for the tiny neonates, I have a 70% success rate with them . I am always open for suggesstions too, so if you find something that works well, be sure to share your secrets!

Why would you take your post down after the cycle starts?

 

[NStarz]

Sounds like your vet experience is extensive! I'd be happy if mine was that good .

I didn't think to mention any withdrawls from classes or anything like that, I haven't ever withdrawn or retaken a class.

Way to go becoming a subpermittee for wildlife rehab. Don't get too hooked though, it will distract you! It's too late for me, but I can warn others, LOL. What all are you taking in? If you get into cottontail rehab, I have LOTS of tips for the tiny neonates, I have a 70% success rate with them . I am always open for suggesstions too, so if you find something that works well, be sure to share your secrets!

Why would you take your post down after the cycle starts?

I'm mainly doing mammals this summer, as I don't have the time for birds, but I will be helping my rehabber at the shelter with the birds when I have time I'll probably be doing a lot of squirrels, some raccoons, and some bunnies. That's all we really get by me, though we have had a few possums (which are so cute when they're young!!).

My vet experience is really nothing considering what some people here have. I decided to pursue vet med late, which is the reason for the lack of experience. Some schools won't count research, either, so that knocks down my hours a lot.

That post may be a bit identifying, and I don't want to reveal my moniker to any lurking adcoms

 

[psilovethomas]

Squirrelsrule, your stats are frickin' amazing! I doubt you'll have a problem getting accepted to a school if you get some more vet hours!

I am a 2016'er at Michigan State (early accept), so if you have any questions about MSU, feel free to ask

 

[squirrelsrule]

I'm mainly doing mammals this summer, as I don't have the time for birds, but I will be helping my rehabber at the shelter with the birds when I have time I'll probably be doing a lot of squirrels, some raccoons, and some bunnies. That's all we really get by me, though we have had a few possums (which are so cute when they're young!!).

My vet experience is really nothing considering what some people here have. I decided to pursue vet med late, which is the reason for the lack of experience. Some schools won't count research, either, so that knocks down my hours a lot.

That post may be a bit identifying, and I don't want to reveal my moniker to any lurking adcoms

I see, do you think this thread was a bad idea? Maybe we can delete it in June or July before everyone applies? I don't think any lurking adcom will have a hard time figuring out which one I am though, even without this thread

 

[psilovethomas]

I see, do you think this thread was a bad idea? Maybe we can delete it in June or July before everyone applies? I don't think any lurking adcom will have a hard time figuring out which one I am though, even without this thread

I wouldn't worry about it. You haven't said anything incriminating.

 

[NStarz]

I see, do you think this thread was a bad idea? Maybe we can delete it in June or July before everyone applies? I don't think any lurking adcom will have a hard time figuring out which one I am though, even without this thread

Eh, some people probably won't care. I've written about some of my personal opinions on here that probably aren't considered mainstream in the veterinary community, so that's my reason for wanting to protect my privacy. However, it's up to everyone what information to post and how much info to reveal about themselves.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Squirrelsrule, your stats are frickin' amazing! I doubt you'll have a problem getting accepted to a school if you get some more vet hours!

I am a 2016'er at Michigan State (early accept), so if you have any questions about MSU, feel free to ask

AWESOME! So, you are guaranteed as long as you keep your grades up? That is amazing!

One question I have about Michigan... how far from campus is the nearest wildlife center? I didn't get a real good wildlife feel from the Michigan site, of course Ohio doesn't emphasize wildlife really on their site and they have a great center not far from campus and do have electives that are geared towards wildlife.

I am debating over how to get the hours. I will probably have to quit my job earlier than anticipated (I was hoping to keep working up until I actually left for vet school) and try to find a job at a vet clinic. I think with that and a decent personal statement I will be just fine.

 

[psilovethomas]

AWESOME! So, you are guaranteed as long as you keep your grades up? That is amazing!

One question I have about Michigan... how far from campus is the nearest wildlife center? I didn't get a real good wildlife feel from the Michigan site, of course Ohio doesn't emphasize wildlife really on their site and they have a great center not far from campus and do have electives that are geared towards wildlife.

I am debating over how to get the hours. I will probably have to quit my job earlier than anticipated (I was hoping to keep working up until I actually left for vet school) and try to find a job at a vet clinic. I think with that and a decent personal statement I will be just fine.

Yep, I just have to keep a 3.2.
There is a nature center in Howell- a 50 min drive from East Lansing- and there is a zoo that is about a 5 min drive from campus. There is also a Zoo, Exotic, and Wildlife Club in the CVM. http://cvmstudent.cvm.msu.edu/zwc/

 

[bee83]

Hi guys! I'll be applying first time this cycle, and I'm pretty excited about it.
I have 27 credit hours left to complete, including the animal nutrition class required for Purdue, and this semester's course(s).
I have about 800 hours animal experience at this point, not counting caring for my own pets, which some people include and some don't--I haven't decided yet. The bulk of that is from interning at a wildlife rehab clinic last summer.

My vet experience is actually more extensive, or will be by the time I apply. I shadowed at a small animal clinic for about 70 hours. I will have time to get in a lot more shadowing this summer, though I want to focus on things other than SA because I'm not too interested in general practice. I have about 300 hours working for a TNR program. And I'm starting an internship in a couple of weeks at a zoo veterinary hospital, which will give me about 500 hours. Also, just today I applied for a part-time job at a SA clinic, so if I get that then I can boost my clinic hours by at least a few hundred (please please please!).

I take the GRE at the end of this month. I'm planning to rock it.
I have about half of my personal statement rough draft written. It's slow going, and harder than I thought it would be. If anyone wants to trade personal statements I'd be happy to!

My acedemics are my lowest point. I have a previous degree from years ago, plus some crappy grades from back when I was 18. Right now my cum GPA is somewhere around 3.3, though since I returned to school to work on my pre-reqs I've maintained something like 3.6 or so in those classes. Probably my biggest setback is that fact that, due to shortness of finances, I've only been able to take between 4 and 10 credit hours each semester since I returned. I know this looks awful, but really the only thing I can do at this point is save all my money to load up on credit hours in the fall and hope that they take that into consideration.
I have two Ws on my transcript, and those are from tennis and karate, so I'm hoping they won't even regard those, lol.

I'm big on extracurriculars. I hold office positions in two clubs at my school, plus I'm active as a member in other clubs. I do random community service type thingies. I do leadership seminars and all that good stuff. I also have a lot of hobbies that I partake of whenever I have the time.

Overall, I feel decent about my status, but I know it could definitely use some improvement. That's why I'm not terribly worried about whether or not I get accepted this cycle. It would be a bit of a relief to have an extra year to beef up my application and feel more confident about my experiences.
That being said, I'm feeling impatient to get started with the application process, just to see what comes of it

 

[168135]

bee83: you and I have a lot in common!

My gpa is on the low side, but I'm into lots of extracurriculars too. I was only allowed to list 10 on my application, and they had to have been within the last five years. When I added up the hours... it was well over 3 000 I know if I get an interview, it will give me an edge and hopefully, it will for you too

Other than that... not feeling terribly stressed at the moment! I don't hear about interviews until the end of February. I think I've decided that if granted an interview, I will apply for a masters degree (my vet school doesn't look at grad courses, but doing a masters looks good if granted an interview). If not granted an interview, I think I'll take additional undergrad courses at the local agriculture college. Just figuring out my back-up plan has taken away a lot of my stress. If I'm not accepted, I won't be terribly disappointed. I think I'll be happy doing the masters or taking more courses!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Yep, I just have to keep a 3.2.
There is a nature center in Howell- a 50 min drive from East Lansing- and there is a zoo that is about a 5 min drive from campus. There is also a Zoo, Exotic, and Wildlife Club in the CVM. http://cvmstudent.cvm.msu.edu/zwc/

Awesome! Thanks for the link! Looks like the nearest wildlife center is kinda far, but there is a wildlife ward right on campus . That is one club I'd definitely want to be in . I think I'll be signing up for the animal nutrition course so I can apply to Michigan, I am liking it more and more. Only problem is that you can't establish residency after a year .

 

[squirrelsrule]

Bee, I'll gladly exchange personal statements with you after I get mine done. I haven't started yet, but will soon.

Does anyone have a link to a thread with sample personal statements from people who got in already? I just found threads where people offered theirs and said to pm them for them, and the posts are old so the people probably don't have them handy anymore and are busy with vet school! Maybe some successful applicants this year will post theirs soon.

 

[bee83]

Bee, I'll gladly exchange personal statements with you after I get mine done. I haven't started yet, but will soon.

Does anyone have a link to a thread with sample personal statements from people who got in already? I just found threads where people offered theirs and said to pm them for them, and the posts are old so the people probably don't have them handy anymore and are busy with vet school! Maybe some successful applicants this year will post theirs soon.

Excellent! Just let me know when you get yours done.
Yeah, I haven't been able to find much in the way of sample personal statements. I posted a thread a few months ago asking if anyone would share theirs, but nobody would

 

[twelvetigers]

When the time comes (during the summer) there will be lots of people wanting to trade personal statements to read, and lots of vet students willing to review personal statements as well. It's great to get started early, but you will have lots of time and opportunities to get some feedback on here if you just wait a bit.

 

[thaowey]

holy mother...my "competition" is pretty tough so far haha.

well i'm a Junior and am graduating in the Fall. I'm taking my last main pre-req now (biochem ughh), along with "optional" prereqs [physiology, anatomy]

and yeah...my grades kindaaa suckkk. didn't take this whole college thing too seriously in the beginning and am kinda regretting it...Overall GPA and Science GPA are about 3.0 as of right now. which is ehhh. not good enough. So hoping to get A's in the rest of my classes this spring, and if i take some courses, could raise it up to ~3.3ishh.

Experience wise...ehh too.
~350 hrs Vet experience [total of SA & ZooMed]
~25 hrs animal experience [volunteer at kennel place]
~[haven't calculated] hours of research assisting with horseshoe crabs
~[haven't calculated] hours interning at a nature reserve in South Africa & revising research

this month i'm continuing to volunteer at the ZooMed place, and hopefully this semester be able to get some LA experience as well.

what stresses me out the most are LORs. idk wtf to do mate.

planning on taking GREs summertime. and haven't even thought of what to write for a PS...

past weekend tried to narrow down some schools to thinking to apply to...and was just having a major brain hemmorage! ahhh

all i know since the beginning though was that i either want to go to UF or RVC. and both are ridiculously tough to get in to. FML.



but on a positive note...y'all seem to be doing really good! best of luck to ya mate ;]

 

[bee83]

what stresses me out the most are LORs. idk wtf to do mate.

I'm stressing about those as well. I'm very much the introverted, independent type, so interacting with the people who would be writing mine is not my strong suit. On top of that, I've heard that Purdue requires a LOR from a professor--I'm REALLY not the type to ask questions in class or go to professor's office hours or anything of the sort. I learn much better if I figure out problems and difficulties for myself. However, I'm in my last class that I will be taking before applying, so it's either do or die, I have to find a way to get this old nerdy physics teacher to know me well enough to say nice things about me.

On top of that, the idea of asking someone to do me that kind of favor feel really awkward and uncomfortable to me. But, I guess it's something I'm going to have to get used to doing!

 

[AuRevoirFinance]

On top of that, the idea of asking someone to do me that kind of favor feel really awkward and uncomfortable to me. But, I guess it's something I'm going to have to get used to doing!

Try not to feel awkward. It's part of these people's jobs, and it's a part of the job for everyone who hires people or teaches. Plus, I expect every one of the people you ask at one point had to ask someone else for a reference too.

Honestly, I think most people like to be asked, as long as you don't dump a "can you please complete these 10 different online evaluations for me by Friday" thing on them. It says in a way that you think their opinion is valuable.

 

[horselover06]

Alright, I will post here because I am totally stoked that I will be able to apply this year! I am applying to Auburn, Tuskegee and Missouri.. because of being military I am able to apply to Auburn and Missouri as IS.. which is great.. and even though Tuskegee is in AL with Auburn they have different rules regarding IS/OOS and I don't really know what they are...

Anyways, my GPA is around 3.2 which sucks but I am a non-traditional student and I have several reasons as to why I am a much better applicant now rather than 6 years ago. Plus, my science and last 45 credit hours are good and somewhere around 3.5-3.7. I haven't taken the GRE yet but will this summer.

As far as vet experience... I have 1000+ hours volunteering/working at an animal clinic under several veterinarians. I also currenlty have 350+ hours working with a large animal vet. I also volunteer 2-3 hours per week (200+ total so far) for our neighborhoods homeowners assocation and currently hold the position of Treasurer and a postion as a Board of Director. Lastly, I would like to try to squeeze in volunteer hours at the humane society, however seem to never have any available hours. I do have TONS of animal experience from horses, goats, dogs and etc.. I haven't added up the hours for that.

All of this while being a mother of 2 children, a husband who is in the army and trying to fit in my last pre-reqs! Good luck to all!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Thanks for sharing Horselover sounds like your stats are pretty decent. Your GPA isn't the best, but you have TONS of experience which is awesome!



I am hopeful I will get awesome letters of recommendation. I am quiet until I get to know people, but with being a post secondary student, the professors were always aware of me. Plus, they thought I was super smart (everyone tells me that I am, but I don't feel smart, just average intelligence with an awesome memory ) so they all knew me. One of my biology professors was a huge help when I was in school, fighting to get me into classes that were full because I couldn't register until everyone else had since I was post secondary. He was always telling me to go to grad. school and I kept telling him no I would be done after I got my bachelors degree! His wife was also a professor and I took her study of birds class and got into birding. The two of them lead the bird walks in the spring at the local metroparks, so I am going to ask him if he will write me a letter of recommendation when I see him at the bird walk. I already know he will and I know it will be awesome . I just gotta listen through the I told you so about going back to school. He told me I'd get bored and be back to school for something since he knew I didn't want to work at an electronics place forever. I told him no I was happy and would just do my wildlife on the side and that was enough. He was right, I am back for more. So, that letter should be really good.

One of my vets I shadowed will also give me a good letter I think. He has been telling me since I was 17 and he found out how far along I was in school that I should be a vet. Whenever I'd take my dog in, he'd explain everything to me and let me in the back to see slides under the microscope when my dog had mange and stuff like that. He is also one of my wildlife vets.

Not sure yet how good the 3rd letter will be from the vet I am shadowing for 80 hours. Hopefully good, but I am a little nervous because I am just shadowing and am not really the question asking type. I am kinda quiet and I think half the time he forgets I am following.



And I found somewhere to volunteer close to home that will count as vet experience! I got a hold of someone at Ohio State and the wildlife stuff is just animal experience since there was no vet on site, but I looked into it and the dog shelter 3 miles from my house has a vet on site. So, I should be able to get hours in easier there. The other vet I am shadowing with is half an hour away, so I waste an hour each time I shadow just in the driving. So, this will help me get in some more hours. Still not more than 500 for sure, but more than 150 . The lady I talked to at OSU said quality of the experience is the most important thing, not the length, so hopefully if I can get like 200-300 hours in it will be good.

I will also be looking for a job as a vet tech. or kennel worker, or something else that will help with the vet hours. How did everyone else go about getting a job, did you look in the help wanted, or call around and see if anyone would hire you? I will probably wait on that until Summer when I don't have class and have more flexible work hours available. My Biochem class is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9-10 AM and then O. Chem 2 is Monday and Wednesday from 6-10 PM, so it really messes up my available hours for working.

 

[kaydubs]

Try not to feel awkward. It's part of these people's jobs, and it's a part of the job for everyone who hires people or teaches. Plus, I expect every one of the people you ask at one point had to ask someone else for a reference too.

Honestly, I think most people like to be asked, as long as you don't dump a "can you please complete these 10 different online evaluations for me by Friday" thing on them. It says in a way that you think their opinion is valuable.

Agreed! Although I'm kind of shy, I always tried to keep a good prof-student relationship going throughout a semester. Even if you took a class a few semesters ago, it's nice to drop an email or a personal visit to a professor who's class you did well in or a professor you really enjoyed who would write you an awesome letter. From my experience of applying this cycle, I warned laugh my professors this semester (spring before the October deadline) about wanting a letter for vet school. At the latest, I would ask them right before/after finals. I asked my one prof to write my letter at the beginning of spring, and he barely made it for the deadline (I kept hounding him for it come September basically every few days).

I will be applying for the 2nd time this coming cycle if I don't get in this time around. Whether or not I get in, I would be more than happy to answer questions from anyone/review personal statements, etc. It's only my first round of apps so I may not be a *HUGE* help, but I like to help people when I can. I know what it's like to be "lost and confused" about many things

 

[EnvyPointers]

Hey!

Looks like I'm now an c/o 2016 hopeful.

I applied to just Purdue this cycle and got the evil rejection letter right before Christmas.

I have a 3.67 GPA, 1180 (eh) GRE, close to 5000 SA vet hours, a few hundred LA vet hours (including swine!! woot!!), Lots of SA and LA animal experience. Like bee, I hold 2 officer positions in clubs in my school and also am a County 4H Leader and Judge.

I think I got too cocky about Purdue, forgetting that they hate their in-staters. ;-) I'm re-taking the GRE, taking more classes, and now am working at a Swine Unit.

Round 2 for me, with lots of other schools added to my list this year!!

 

[jenngivitis]

The only pre-req that I have left right now is Biochem, but my undergrad gpa is a little above a 3.0 because of some personal issues (you know the deal). I think that I might enter into a Master's program because my chances of getting in are probably pretty slim. My GRE is at 1250, but I'm probably gonna re-take it.

As far as experience, I have ~4000 animal experience hours from a wildlife conservatory and volunteer hours, ~500 SA, ~500 research from an ophthalmology lab. I have some W's from my first degree, but I've been W free ever since.

Wish you guys the best of luck this upcoming semester!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Hey!

Looks like I'm now an c/o 2016 hopeful.

I applied to just Purdue this cycle and got the evil rejection letter right before Christmas.

I have a 3.67 GPA, 1180 (eh) GRE, close to 5000 SA vet hours, a few hundred LA vet hours (including swine!! woot!!), Lots of SA and LA animal experience. Like bee, I hold 2 officer positions in clubs in my school and also am a County 4H Leader and Judge.

I think I got too cocky about Purdue, forgetting that they hate their in-staters. ;-) I'm re-taking the GRE, taking more classes, and now am working at a Swine Unit.

Round 2 for me, with lots of other schools added to my list this year!!

Hopefully the second round goes better . Did you have a post interview meeting with Purdue to go over why you didn't get accepted so you at least know what to improve on? Your stats look pretty good to me .

 

[168135]

I think I wrote on this thread a year too early.

Meh.

Right now... eh... I don't have much of a chance getting in this year, but you never know!

 

[drwildlife]

My grades are on a low side too (in which I have a reasonable explanation) but, I still have this semester/summer and fall to bring it up enough. I'm hoping my experience and GRE brings up interest.

Overall GPA/Science GPA ~3.00
GRE - Haven't officially taken it yet, taking it at end of February, practice tests put me at ~1200

Experience

500 Hours at a local zoological institution - vet and animal experience
1000 Hours at a local mixed animal practice
400 Hours at an elephant sanctuary
1000 research hours which can count as veterinary experience as well.

RSOs
Name an RSO and I'm probably in it.

Awards
Student of the Year, 2008
Academic Challenge Recipient
ACT Scholarship Recipient
Published in Teen Ink

etc etc etc.

Hopefully this all puts me in the running.

 

[handydandyjake]

Hello! Hopeful C/O '16 also

I'm currently a senior and taking a year off because I had a rocky start grade-wise (working 50 hours a week and being a full-time student didn't go well, unfortunately) but my last 45 have been excellent so therefore, I wanted my senior year grades to be included before applying

I have thousands of hours in the LA field, but my SA experience is lacking so I'll be using the year off to tech, if everything falls into place the way I hope it will!

Good luck to everyone!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Hello! Hopeful C/O '16 also

I'm currently a senior and taking a year off because I had a rocky start grade-wise (working 50 hours a week and being a full-time student didn't go well, unfortunately) but my last 45 have been excellent so therefore, I wanted my senior year grades to be included before applying

I have thousands of hours in the LA field, but my SA experience is lacking so I'll be using the year off to tech, if everything falls into place the way I hope it will!

Good luck to everyone!

What school(s) are you planning to apply to handydandyjake?

 

[squirrelsrule]

I called about volunteering at the animal shelter near my house with the vet and got more bad news . They do NOT have a vet on staff, they just make it sound like that on the website. The vet comes in for 15 minutes twice a week, that's all . So, I am back to square one finding a local vet to volunteer with. This driving one hour round trip to get in 3 hours of vet experience is NOT going to work out! At least the emergency clinic associated with the same vet clinic is only 25 minutes away and I can get in a full 8 hours with them on Saturdays. Not sure how many full Saturdays I can commit to after classes really get rolling, though.

So, this summer I want to try for a job at a vet clinic. Hopefully a job that will last through the winter as well, but even just a summer job would be OK. I can't justify quitting my job without getting a paid job though. How did everyone that has a job at a vet clinic go about getting their job? Did you look for openings at clinics online? Or did you take in a resume and ask if there is an opening? Or ask your vet you're shadowing with? I have no clue? And do I start trying to line something up now or wait until summer?

So last week was the first week of class for me: Organic is awesome I love my class and professor, it is great! LONG class, but we have a good time (anyone else have a class that goes for 4 hours twice a week? Seems like a long time for a 5 credit class, usually my 5 credit classes are 2 hours 3 days a week). I like the class a lot though . I was surprised how much I missed it over winter break!

Biochemistry is another story. Everyone says that our professor is horrible and mean and really tough. She seems not so bright to me, but tries to make it like she is. I'm not sure what to think. Her lectures are kinda all over the place too, but I think part of the problem is that the class only meets for 50 minutes (I am used to 2 hour classes and this is the schools first time splitting the class into 3 1 hour blocks and a 2 hour lab block instead of just doing 2 2 hours days, so I think everyone is just adjusting) so she has a whole bunch of stuff she wants to cover and ends up seeming a little scatter brained. Not sure. So far we are just reviewing.

So, how are everyone elses classes going? Any you really like or hate? I am gonna really miss my O. chem class after it is over. I have loved the topic (I think because of the professor), the professor (although he tends to be scatterbrained and goes off on tangents, he is awesome), and my classmates.

 

[drwildlife]

So, this summer I want to try for a job at a vet clinic. Hopefully a job that will last through the winter as well, but even just a summer job would be OK. I can't justify quitting my job without getting a paid job though. How did everyone that has a job at a vet clinic go about getting their job? Did you look for openings at clinics online? Or did you take in a resume and ask if there is an opening? Or ask your vet you're shadowing with? I have no clue? And do I start trying to line something up now or wait until summer?.

I currently have a "job" at a spay and neuter clinic. It's technically just volunteer hours but, I still consider it a job It's run by the Humane Society and I found their information through the humane society's website/facebook. Before, I just went in person to veterinary clinics and asked to speak to their veterinarian. They're usually really helpful when you ask about positions or shadowing. I would still try lining something up now, just in case it takes longer than expected.

On the note of classes, I'm loving it so far. Organic II is so much easier than Organic I, I don't know if it's the professor or just the class in general. I'm also taking Comparative Anatomy and it's ah-mazinngggg as well. A real animal class! Woohoooo

 

[squirrelsrule]

I currently have a "job" at a spay and neuter clinic. It's technically just volunteer hours but, I still consider it a job It's run by the Humane Society and I found their information through the humane society's website/facebook. Before, I just went in person to veterinary clinics and asked to speak to their veterinarian. They're usually really helpful when you ask about positions or shadowing. I would still try lining something up now, just in case it takes longer than expected.

On the note of classes, I'm loving it so far. Organic II is so much easier than Organic I, I don't know if it's the professor or just the class in general. I'm also taking Comparative Anatomy and it's ah-mazinngggg as well. A real animal class! Woohoooo

Thanks for the tips! I'll check with the humane society to see if they have a spay/neuter clinic. They too are just over half an hour away , but it would be more fun if I could actually do something instead of just shadow. I'll check around with the vets too to see about paid positions, although not being a licensed vet tech it will probably be hard to find anything. I think I will just have to tell my boss that I can't work full time this summer and hopefully he'll understand and let me work mornings so I'll have the afternoon free to go volunteer with the vets. If I could work 6 until 10 at work I'd have 2 hours for feeding the creatures and lunch and then could head out to the vets and volunteer with them 12:30 until 4:30 or 5 and get 4-4.5 hours a day. That would work out to 320-360 hours on top of the 100 hours I will have gotten over the winter. That is still low, but not the worst. Plus I could do a few Saturdays as well to boost my hours. I think if I could do that, I'll be set. My boss will NOT be happy about it but I think if it comes to me quitting or dealing with me working part time, he'll keep me . Then in the fall I can try to go back to full time.

You have a different professor for Organic 2 than you did for 1? At my school the same professor teaches both. He's a riot and I like his class more and more. He has decided that we are gonna hammer through the bulk of the work while the weather is still cold and then focus more on lab (so there's less homework and tests) when the weather starts getting better come spring time. I like the plan since I will be busier come springtime when orphaned wildlife starts coming in (Can't wait ), but for now it is gonna be pretty fast paced. It's only the second week of class and we've covered 2 and a half chapters already and are doing 2 more next week! None of it is really hard though, it's just a lot to learn in a short amount of time. We are doing lots of synthesis questions now, which I love! I like that you can always get to the answer even if you forget a couple of the reagents. Plus I like puzzles so I treat them like a big puzzle where you have all the little pieces and need to put them together.

 

[tuckervet]

I think the most productive thing you can do right now (if you haven't already done this) is to figure out which schools you are going to apply to. I applied to very different schools the second time around, as compared to my first cycle. I made all kinds of graphs with school info, and it helped me a lot. I suggest looking at stats for previously accepted students (you can update this in the summer when they have C/O 2015 info, but it usually doesn't change much) to see what the average GRE and GPA cum/last 45hrs/science (and see if anyone mentions a minimum GPA), what percent of out of state students are offered an interview, and what percent are accepted. I would look very closely at the pre-reqs because they can vary a lot from school to school, and have different specifications (ex: does the biochem need to be upper level/require orgo as a pre-req, or does it just say biochem? when do pre-reqs need to be finished?). read about the application selection process (do they interview? do they give equal weight to all parts of your application?)
all of this will help you know where you are eligible to apply, and where you have more of a reasonable chance of getting accepted. If a school only accepts 10 out of state students, average gpa of 3.9, doesn't interview, and no supp app, that would be one i'd have no chance at because it gives me minimal chances to give them information about me, and I certainly do not have a 3.9gpa, so odds would be about 1 in a million that I would beat out several hundred applicants.

anyway, thats just my opinion of a good use of your time before the vmcas application is open. This was my second time applying, and I think working out this information really helped me. on a separate note, I'd be happy to read any personal statements and give feedback.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Very good tips Tuckervet . My original goal was to stay close to home so I was going to apply to cornell and Michigan, but now, looking at the costs of those two schools for out of staters . So, I am thinking of Wisconsin and North Carolina. I'd be happy going to North Carolina I think, not too sure about Wisconsin. Of course that is based solely on location. North Carolina has Calculus as a prereq though and I wasn't originally planning to take that. Or I might apply to Michigan and North Carolina. I really like Michigan's Wildlife ward right on campus, that would be awesome!

Of course my number 1 school is Ohio State and I really hope I get in there. I think I have a good chance if I can get more vet experience hours. That was another thing about North Carolina, you HAVE to have 300 or 400 hours to even apply!

For me, I need to look into schools that focus more on grades and GRE than on experience because even with a summer job, I am only going to have 600-800 hours max when I apply as far as vet experience goes. I have TONS of animal experience though. I think Michigan tries to admit people that are exceptional in one or more areas rather than being overall good in everything, so I think I stand a chance there because I have great GPA, pretty good GRE and excellent animal experience. Ohio State seems to want a generally well rounded applicant, so my lack of vet experience is more likely to hurt me there.

Did you get into vet school this year tuckervet or are you still waiting to hear? Which schools did you apply to?

I was talking to a vet tech in my Organic chemistry class last night and she knows a good equine vet that often takes assistants with him instead of actual vet techs and she said he was an awesome vet. So, I am gonna call him and see about shadowing and ask if he needs an assistant for the summer. Hopefully it will help me be more comfortable around horses too . I am not afraid of horses but they are really big and I don't really want to be the one to have to stick them or do anything else to them that they aren't fond of if you know what I mean.

Just looked up the requirements for Tennessee (one of my original choices) and it looks like I have a good chance there. I don't see anywhere where there is a number of hours required and phase one is 70% of the choice and is ONLY academic. Phase 2 is the interview and takes into account your motivation, experience with animals, and knowledge of the profession as well as letters of recommendation, etc. They are looking like a good choice for me. More expensive than North Carolina, but I already meet the requirements since they are the same as Ohio State and there isn't a vet experience requirement. I'll have to give this some more thought....

 

[tuckervet]

Last year I applied to 11 schools, interviewed at tufts and KSU, waitlisted at KSU and Michigan. This year I applied to 14 schools (here's the list, by state, not official name of school....Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio, Purdue, RVC, Ross, Washington, Western). Of those, only 5 were schools I had applied to last year. I was rejected from Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Purdue, and Washington (all in a row, it was a little disheartening), I've been offered interviews to Kansas, Illinois, RVC and Minnesota. I was accepted to KSU (still can't believe it!!!), so I've withdrawn my applications from Minnesota, Michigan, Ross and Western, but I did attend my RVC interview and I will go to my Illinois interview.

That equine vet sounds like a great opportunity. Sometimes you need to be persistent to get a position like that (maybe call first, and then follow up by visiting in person, or the other way around). I haven't done this, but I've seen other people mention continuing getting experience after your application is in, and then updating schools (so they'll be aware of all of the additional hours you've completed since october).

 

[that redhead]

They too are just over half an hour away

In my opinion, 30mins is nothing. I (or rather my mom) drove 30-45mins each way three times a week for three months to shadow an equine vet one summer. Last spring I drove almost an hour each way to volunteer at a wildlife rehab center. I considered the hour plus each way drive to shadow a livestock vet a couple of years ago but ended up taking summer courses instead. Currently, I work about 5mins from where I live so that's super convenient, but the point of this rambling reply is that it is WORTH it to travel inconvenient distances to get these experiences if your application is lacking. You'll kick yourself if you don't get in with stellar GPA/GRE and low experience since experience is basically drive there, observe/participate, drive home! It will definitely be worth it in the end.

 

[Niri]

In my opinion, 30mins is nothing.

I totally agree. I drove >50 min one way 2-3 days a week last summer to shadow a mixed/ mostly dairy practice. I had a connection from my undergrad school with one of the vets there. I later found out that there is also a practice 37ish minutes away that is 100% dairy, but I was able to make such good connections at the far practice that I wouldn't sacrifice if I were to do it again. I also think it spoke a lot to my interest that I was willing to drive that far.

 

[NStarz]

In my opinion, 30mins is nothing. I (or rather my mom) drove 30-45mins each way three times a week for three months to shadow an equine vet one summer. Last spring I drove almost an hour each way to volunteer at a wildlife rehab center. I considered the hour plus each way drive to shadow a livestock vet a couple of years ago but ended up taking summer courses instead. Currently, I work about 5mins from where I live so that's super convenient, but the point of this rambling reply is that it is WORTH it to travel inconvenient distances to get these experiences if your application is lacking. You'll kick yourself if you don't get in with stellar GPA/GRE and low experience since experience is basically drive there, observe/participate, drive home! It will definitely be worth it in the end.

So true! I commute to my undergrad as well, about 45 minutes away. Twice a day, 5 days a week.

 

[sunnex3]

the first vet clinic i worked for the summer after my freshman year, i commuted 90 minutes each way...bus + metro. although my experience there wasn't the best, it did help me get the job i have right now as a tech in the internal medicine + ICU/ER department at a specialty hospital, which is about 45 minutes away by bus + metro. the shelter that i work/volunteer at as a tech in DC is about 1 hour away by bus + metro. for me, anything takes a while because i don't have a car, so i have to take public transportation.

if this is what you really want to do, gotta be willing to travel long distances! i'm considering driving 45min-1hour away this summer to shadow/volunteer with an equine vet in virginia...for only about a month though, as equine is most likely not what i want to go into.

i know the travelling and commuting is hard, but trust me it's all worth it in the end!

 

[squirrelsrule]

I guess I have no room to complain! I really don't have an issue with the distance or time either, if only I could fit into my schedule more easilly. The main issue is that when you have baby creatures that need to eat every 4 hours it gets kinda hard to be far from home.

This IS what I want though, I want to be a vet more than anything and I won't let anything hold me back. I will just tell my boss that I can't do full time in the summer since I need to get experience and hopefully he lets me stay at part time and if not, I'll just have to quit. Getting the experience is more important than working somewhere I'm going to quit within the next year (hopefully) anyways.

Really hoping for the job with the large animal vet, that would mean I could quit my job without a second thought and can get the large animal experience as a job and continue shadowing the small animal vet in my free time.

 

[sunnex3]

where are you working now, squirrelsrule?

also where in ohio? i have a friend in ohio who just got accepted to OSU and depending on where she is in relation to you, she might be able to offer some connections to veterinary related jobs.

 

[ylrebmik]

This thread is incredibly intimidating.

To have almost a 3.7 and get REJECTED! EEK!

All of you have sooo many hours of experience! I can't imagine how I'm going to get that many by the time I apply!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Last year I applied to 11 schools, interviewed at tufts and KSU, waitlisted at KSU and Michigan. This year I applied to 14 schools (here's the list, by state, not official name of school....Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio, Purdue, RVC, Ross, Washington, Western). Of those, only 5 were schools I had applied to last year. I was rejected from Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Purdue, and Washington (all in a row, it was a little disheartening), I've been offered interviews to Kansas, Illinois, RVC and Minnesota. I was accepted to KSU (still can't believe it!!!), so I've withdrawn my applications from Minnesota, Michigan, Ross and Western, but I did attend my RVC interview and I will go to my Illinois interview.

That equine vet sounds like a great opportunity. Sometimes you need to be persistent to get a position like that (maybe call first, and then follow up by visiting in person, or the other way around). I haven't done this, but I've seen other people mention continuing getting experience after your application is in, and then updating schools (so they'll be aware of all of the additional hours you've completed since october).

Congrats on your acceptance to KSU

 

[squirrelsrule]

where are you working now, squirrelsrule?

also where in ohio? i have a friend in ohio who just got accepted to OSU and depending on where she is in relation to you, she might be able to offer some connections to veterinary related jobs.

I work at an electronics place- we build up circuit boards. I started out on the floor just placing parts and worked my way up to the front office doing production control. It's not a bad job at all, but definetely not what I want to do with my life (I am bored out of my mind at work, I do the same thing everyday and pretty much have stuck with it this long because it is close to home and allows me to rehab).

I am in Northeast Ohio- Lake County- near Mentor. Any possible vet experience type job connections would be very much appreciated!

 

[squirrelsrule]

This thread is incredibly intimidating.

To have almost a 3.7 and get REJECTED! EEK!

All of you have sooo many hours of experience! I can't imagine how I'm going to get that many by the time I apply!

It can be kinda nerve racking , I am worried about my experience hours, but all we can do is our best and hope we get in. If not this round, we try again, and again if needed!

Where are you planning to apply?

 

[NStarz]

It can be kinda nerve racking , I am worried about my experience hours, but all we can do is our best and hope we get in. If not this round, we try again, and again if needed!

Where are you planning to apply?

That's what I'm worried about as well. My GPA and GRE are pretty decent, but I'm definitely lacking in experience. I probably have around 300 hours right now--only in small animal (+ specialties + shelter) and another few hundred in research. I CANNOT for the life of me find an equine vet near me that will take me on. It's really discouraging after making cold call after cold call (too far for me to drive and drop in without knowing one way or the other).

Not to scare you all, but I was talking to a girl from my undergrad who is now in the class of 2014 at a vet school and she applied to >20 schools, ended up waitlisted at one and eventually was called off the WL. That freaks me out to no end. I'm not sure of her stats though. I'm applying to 14 schools, and I thought that was a lot!

 

[ylrebmik]

It can be kinda nerve racking , I am worried about my experience hours, but all we can do is our best and hope we get in. If not this round, we try again, and again if needed!

Where are you planning to apply?

I'm not sure yet. I have a couple years until I have to. I'm from Wisconsin, so definitely Madison. But I'm assuming my plan will be to apply until I can't look at applications any longer, because who knows where you'll get in!

I just changed my major this semester, so I can't even get into Chem I until next semester. So I definitely HAVE TIME to get in all those hours... but I can't imagine picking up that many hours! It just seems 1000s of hours is impossible unless you can find a part-time job-and that seems difficult to come by! I was just worried about making the grades... this is nerves on a whole new level!

 

[squirrelsrule]

I'm not sure yet. I have a couple years until I have to. I'm from Wisconsin, so definitely Madison. But I'm assuming my plan will be to apply until I can't look at applications any longer, because who knows where you'll get in!

I just changed my major this semester, so I can't even get into Chem I until next semester. So I definitely HAVE TIME to get in all those hours... but I can't imagine picking up that many hours! It just seems 1000s of hours is impossible unless you can find a part-time job-and that seems difficult to come by! I was just worried about making the grades... this is nerves on a whole new level!

Just take it one step at a time. You aren't in school now, right? You'll start in the fall? If that's the case, I'd start shadowing/volunteering with a vet at a shelter or small animal clinic, or whatever you are most interested in and get as many hours as possible.

 

[squirrelsrule]

That's what I'm worried about as well. My GPA and GRE are pretty decent, but I'm definitely lacking in experience. I probably have around 300 hours right now--only in small animal (+ specialties + shelter) and another few hundred in research. I CANNOT for the life of me find an equine vet near me that will take me on. It's really discouraging after making cold call after cold call (too far for me to drive and drop in without knowing one way or the other).

Not to scare you all, but I was talking to a girl from my undergrad who is now in the class of 2014 at a vet school and she applied to >20 schools, ended up waitlisted at one and eventually was called off the WL. That freaks me out to no end. I'm not sure of her stats though. I'm applying to 14 schools, and I thought that was a lot!

I wish I had as many hours as you! I wouldn't be too worried with your stats.


Oh, and we have our first test in Organic Chemistry on Monday . We have only had 3 classes and have covered 3 chapters already!

 

[drwildlife]

if this is what you really want to do, gotta be willing to travel long distances!

I'm the perfect example of this. The zoo closest to me ( ~20-30 minutes) does not accept volunteers year round in the animal departments. They only do summer internships. So...

I currently drive 2.5 hours one way to intern at a zoo in a neighboring state My coworkers and I always joke that I'm basically paying them for my experience (gas money).