Naive and seeking advice . . .

[Lady_Koolaid]

So, I was originally an English major at the local the junior college, but I dropped out for awhile due to some personal issues that I was having. When I did go back to school, I ended up enrolling in a CVT program, but it was at a private, for-profit, independently accredited, scam school. I was there for about a year before I figured out all of the corruption that was going on, and promptly finished the semester, completed exit counseling and dropped out. I did get a lot of hands-on experience with things like labs, and animals, surgical skills, and I did maintain a 3.7 while I was there. Veterinary medicine was the last place I thought I'd find myself, but I fell in love with the field. This is without a shadow of a doubt what I want to do with the rest of my life.
So I went back to the real school, changed my major to Animal Sciences, and decided to pursue being a DVM.

Big undertaking. I know. Changing my major tacked on a lot of science and math classes that I never would have had to take as an English major, placing me at the junior college a lot longer. I live in Gainesville, FL, and I'm so close to the University of Florida that I could walk to it. I wasn't exactly the most focused of students when I was an English major, so I have more than just a few C's on my record, but I came back with the intention of drastically improving my GPA, and I'll hire 100 tutors and study 24/7 if I have to. I've recently started volunteer work at the Humane Society, but I'm still trying to work out on how to come in contact with local Vets to eventually get recommendations.

I'm a long ways off from applying to Vet School. I still have to worry about getting into the pre-professional program, so I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this is ahead of me on the road to being a Veterinarian. I know most people who make it into Vet school have been preparing for it since the were 15, and have wanted it since they were kids. This may be a new revelation for me, but I know that I am good at it, and I know that this is what I want to do.
If anyone has any advice on how I can dig myself out of my poor GPA or how to balance the busy schedule, or how to go about this, or let me know if I'm just wasting my time before I spend the next 4-5 years aiming for what a lot of people seem to believe is an impossible goal, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

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[pwny__express]

So I feel like I could have written a very similar post a few years ago. I was in and out of community college classes for years before I finally called it quits and just worked full time. When I found my attraction to veterinary medicine it took another year to build up the nerve to get back and enrolled in classes. That was three years ago, and I'm applying for the first time this summer. I went from a 2.7 GPA at my community college to a 3.9 at my state school. I approached every course I took within the last 2 years with the understanding that anything but an A was a failure, because for my personal academic needs, it pretty much was.

As far as improving your GPA: advocate for yourself. Get the help when you need it. Don't fall behind, especially in your physics / orgos / biochems. That's all basic stuff that anyone can tell you. If you want to do this as much as you say you do, those things shouldn't be a problem.

The good thing is that some schools look at your last 45 credit hours heavily, and definitely look to see trends where you have improved as a student. So you have to do well from here on out.

As far as balancing schedules: school must be your first priority. I made the mistake too many times of trying to get extra hours here and there, and cutting into time I should have been preparing for class. If you have 4 or 5 years to go, that is plenty of time to build up experience when you can fit it in.

I realize I haven't written anything profoundly helpful, but my main point was that I was in a similar situation, and now I've reached the point where I can apply and feel like I have a reasonable shot. Don't let what seems like a long road ahead deter you. You'll be 4 or 5 years older either way, only you can decide where you'll be at that point in time.

 

[alpaperart]

You've come to the right place! There are a lot of people here with great advice - I'm just here to give some good advice and encouragement in the interim. =)

I decided I wanted to go to veterinary school when I was 22. I felt the same exact way you did - stressing out because I thought that everyone who applied to vet school have dreamed of it since they were 15 and they had thousands of hours to show for it. I was a senior at college when I realized I really didn't want to go into human medicine. I was lucky enough to get a technicians assistant internship at a spay and neuter clinic. It was a short internship and I did very basic things (drawing up vaccines, cleaning surgical packs) - but it made me realize I loved coming in to work with the animals and it was great getting to know people who were just as passionate about them as I was.

Browsing through the forum you'll see a lot of people - a lot of non-traditional students who are career changers. There are so many pathways to veterinary medicine and this forum made me realize that. You'll also see many people with varying GPA's getting into vet school. Vet schools have slightly different formulas for how they assess an applicant - so you can save yourself a lot of stress by looking into them!

I think because you're going for another degree, Animal Science, you'll definitely be able to increase your GPA, and you're 3.7 GPA from the CVT will help. The C's from your time pursuing an English degree I don't think should affect you too much if you complete your Animal Science degree.

I'm not sure what you schedule is, but I'm guessing if you're pursuing an Animal Science degree, with 12 to 16 credits per semester, I think you could definitely fit in some volunteering/shadowing time. And if not during the semesters, then definitely during the summer! If you could land a job during the summer as an assistant at a hospital then that would help a lot! I've gotten so much experience working as an animal care assistant at a hospital. It also allows the veterinarians to get to know you better such as your work ethic and how you work in a team environment - which is very helpful for when you think you've established a good relationship and want to ask them if they would want to write you a letter.

Approaching hospitals for volunteering and shadowing was challenging for me. I over-thought the whole process and ended up freaking myself out. Also my first shadowing experience wasn't great. haha I would say do research and see if any hospitals take volunteers. You probably won't be working directly with the vets when you do this, but if you stay there awhile, I'm sure you could make an impression and eventually get more one-on-one time with them. If they don't, then ask if you could shadow one of the veterinarians. When I went I brought my resume with me, not necessary but it helped! You could also maybe bring a short personal statement about your interest in veterinary medicine with your contact information. Ask to speak to a hospital manager - the veterinarians are usually busy. Or you can just drop it off with reception and they'll usually pass it on to one of the veterinarians.

There are so many ways to get experience and also one thing that's helpful to realize is that experience really can be challenging to get (for so many different reasons!) but as long as we're adamant we'll find something! I must have applied to over 20 jobs before I got my animal care assistant one - took me 2 months and I was starting to feel pretty low by the end of the second month.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Not even close to being an impossible goal.

Not all of us have wanted to be veterinarians since the moment we petted our first puppy dog. I didn't figure it out until 2 years ago. Before I started college, I was completely convinced that I was never going to make it through chemistry, let alone a science degree and would end up having to change my major...turns out I'm actually pretty darn good at chemistry.

My point is, the biggest mistake so many of us make is underestimating ourselves. We assume failure before we even begin.

If you want this, you CAN do it.

 

[Lady_Koolaid]

Thank you all so much for the advice! All of this was really helpful!

 

[Osudairy]

I agree with the others that have replied to this. Your overall goal is not impossible. However, you will need to really focus on getting good grades in your required courses and getting help when you don't understand the material. If you do this, you shouldn't have a problem improving your GPA. Don't doubt yourself before you even start. I personally know someone who received a degree in history before he decided he wanted to pursue vet school. You definitely still have the potential to do well in animal science and in veterinary school.

 

[Lady_Koolaid]

I agree with the others that have replied to this. Your overall goal is not impossible. However, you will need to really focus on getting good grades in your required courses and getting help when you don't understand the material. If you do this, you shouldn't have a problem improving your GPA. Don't doubt yourself before you even start. I personally know someone who received a degree in history before he decided he wanted to pursue vet school. You definitely still have the potential to do well in animal science and in veterinary school.

The thing is, I had almost completed my English degree when I left. So, a lot of these new math and science classes I have to take fall under categories that I've already met the requirements for. So, I'm not entirely sure they'll be factored into my GPA at all. Or if financial aide will cover them. These classes, however, are "required to transfer" to University.

 

[Osudairy]

The thing is, I had almost completed my English degree when I left. So, a lot of these new math and science classes I have to take fall under categories that I've already met the requirements for. So, I'm not entirely sure they'll be factored into my GPA at all. Or if financial aide will cover them. These classes, however, are "required to transfer" to University.

Veterinary schools require you to report on all of your classes taken in UG. They will look at your whole undergraduate GPA. The other GPA's (last 45, science courses, required courses, etc) depend on the school in which you are applying for. Not sure on financial aid, but if you are working towards completion of a Bachelor's degree, then you should receive aid I would think.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

...so I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this is ahead of me on the road to being a Veterinarian. I know most people who make it into Vet school have been preparing for it since the were 15, and have wanted it since they were kids. This may be a new revelation for me, but I know that I am good at it, and I know that this is what I want to do.

I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid. But then my life happened.

Long story short, it wasn't until I was in my late 30's and starting my bachelor's (again) that I decided to try and make it happen. I had a full 4 years of undergrad ahead of me, and a transcript full of bad grades from my early 20's to overcome. But I made a plan, stuck to it, and was accepted IS my first application cycle.

So, yes, it can be done. And no, it doesn't matter that you're just now deciding what you want to do with your life. Go for it.

 

[LetItSnow]

Veterinary schools require you to report on all of your classes taken in UG. They will look at your whole undergraduate GPA.

This is potentially misleading. There are some schools that do NOT look at overall GPA. UMN, for instance, looks only at pre-reqs and last-45, and I believe there are a few other schools that are similar.




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[Osudairy]

This is potentially misleading. There are some schools that do NOT look at overall GPA. UMN, for instance, looks only at pre-reqs and last-45, and I believe there are a few other schools that are similar.




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Ahh, yep. Meant to say VMCAS requires you to report all coursework attended in UG. Not necessarily veterinary schools.

 

[Lady_Koolaid]

I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid. But then my life happened.

Long story short, it wasn't until I was in my late 30's and starting my bachelor's (again) that I decided to try and make it happen. I had a full 4 years of undergrad ahead of me, and a transcript full of bad grades from my early 20's to overcome. But I made a plan, stuck to it, and was accepted IS my first application cycle.

So, yes, it can be done. And no, it doesn't matter that you're just now deciding what you want to do with your life. Go for it.

This is so reassuring, because this is exactly what happened to me. I'll leave Santa Fe (the junior college), and enter into UF's animal science program as a junior. I still have to take Bio 1 & 2, Chemistry classes, calculus 1 & 2, trig, etc. etc. So I still have plenty of the required to transfer in front of me, but all the electives and humanities are done. Plus, there is still classes I have to take at UF to complete the bachelors.
As an English major you have no require to transfer classes, you just complete your 60 credits, and move on. Go get a bachelors at Uni and then start working at Taco Bell, but when I enrolled in college for the first time, I didn't know that! I just knew I loved writing. I went to a high school in the middle of nowhere where they didn't expect you to go to college. They expected girls to get married, have babies, go to church, and that was your life.
I'm just a different person now than I was when I was 23. I'm over that, "I'm free! I'm free!" phase. I hate that this has to follow me everywhere. The student adviser said that a change looks really good, and they'll look for that sort of thing. But it's grad school. They expect angels...and I wasn't always an angel. Sadly, it shows in my transcripts.

 

[Lady_Koolaid]

Veterinary schools require you to report on all of your classes taken in UG. They will look at your whole undergraduate GPA. The other GPA's (last 45, science courses, required courses, etc) depend on the school in which you are applying for. Not sure on financial aid, but if you are working towards completion of a Bachelor's degree, then you should receive aid I would think.

Forgive my ignorance, what exactly are the VMCAS?

 

[twelvetigers]

Forgive my ignorance, what exactly are the VMCAS?

http://www.aavmc.org/Students-Appli...nary-Medical-College-Application-Service.aspx