Pre-vet programs

[jpriolo]

Where are ya'll from and what pre-vet program are you enrolled in? Is there anything unique about it?

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[HorseyVet]

Where are ya'll from and what pre-vet program are you enrolled in? Is there anything unique about it?

My school had virtually nothing special for pre-vet students. The pre-professional advisors didn't have a clue nor really seemed to care to. Schools that have an Animal Science program and/or have a vet school attached to them usually have a lot better of an idea of how to advise students.

At my school they told you to take the pre-reqs (which they didn't know what they were and/or which classes fullfilled them), get A's, and to visit the AVMA site regularly (which I didn't and which I think is sort of low on the things-you-should be doing list).

Depending on your situation you may have to do a lot of leg work yourself.
This forum probably will help a lot b/c a lot of people here I think had similar experiences to mine, and had to learn a lot of things the hard way.

My advise would be to plan like you're not going to get any special info from others, to sort of plan what schools you will apply to and contact them directly to see how you can become a better application, and obviously try to find some shadowing experiences that you enjoy and which will be able to speak well of you when it comes to recommendations time.

 

[mokadet]

I completely agree with HorseyVet. My school did not have a great support system for pre-vets. We were lumped in with the pre-meds, pre-dents, etc and labeled "pre-health."

However, the same group of pre-vets recognized the lack of good information and my third year about 6 of us re-organized (there had actually been one a few years back) a pre-vet "society." It was a great resource to collaborate information and organize trips to local clinics and wildlife rescues (sometimes it's easier to get a behind the scence tour if you call as the "president of the pre-vet society" then if you are Jane Doe pre-vet). Because I was a third year and everyone else involved in the organization was a second year, I was the first person to go through the application process. Now, I'm still trying to get in but another pre-vet this year was successful. I hope that our experiences that we have shared with the group will help others.

Returning to what HorseyVet said, because of the way the system is set up (each school having it's own requirements, etc) you will have to do a LOT of the leg work yourself. Start stalking the websites and talking to vets, vet students, other pre-vets find out what information is useful to you and figure out a plan that works for you.

On another note, it was unclear where in the process you are. If you are in high school looking for a undergraduate program you may be in a different boat. And then you have to examine what you want out of an undergrad school. If you are "vet school or bust" then you might want to look into programs like Colorado's VetStart (if you qualify) or other undergrad schools that have a vet school attached. This way you will have resources and guidance available to you. On the other hand, if you are like me, you want a good broad undergraduate education go you whatever school you like and know that you are going to be one of a very small crowd.

 

[2Bsure]

Jpriolo, by finding this site, you have already done yourself a great service.

To add to what mokadet and HorseyVet have said, I go to a school with a decent sized animal science program. Even with good advising, I found that other applicants are the best source of advice. If you go to a school where you are one of the only students applying, you can find plenty of info just by looking through the archives. There's a wealth of information here about getting experience, interview tips, needed stats etc.

The VMCAS and other vet applications are self-initiated in the truest sense of the term. Conferring with others who are working on them is the best help you can find.

 

[2Bsure]

Sorry, I just realized I didn't say anything to answer your question in my last post.

Because veterinary schools take people from such a broad background, an animal science program is not necessary. My feeling is that the best programs give you a tasted of the anatomy and physiology you get in vet school, but also provide a wide range of animal experiences.

 

[wishes]

I think choosing an undergraduate university with a veterinary school attatched is definitely worth considering. Keep in mind also that attending veterinary school is very expensive if you go outside of your home state so if you are fourtunate enough to be a resident of a state that does have a veterinary school you should seriously consider their program.
Something that I was told is to pick an undergraduate major that is useful just in case veterinary school doesn't work out or you change your mind and I think that this is really great advice. That is to say that putting yourself on a pre-vet only tract or majoring in something like animal science could be risky.
I was a chemistry major and I went to a very small private university that was non at all pre-vet oriented and I had no problem getting into veterinary school when I applied for the first time this year, so ultimately where you do your undergraduate studies and what you majored in is not going to make or break you for vet school, although they are things to consider.

 

[spikey]

i go to a liberal arts college. we dont have a pre-vet track, and im just majoring in biology (general). we do have a pre-health admissions advisor, and he is a vet. he also happens to be my advisor, so that helps. classes that im taking in our bio program i think will really help me in vet school, but my college has no real set track for pre-vet kids.

so i have no idea if that helped or not, but yeah :]

 

[kate_g]

Ordinarily I would not recommend Berkeley as an undergrad institution (it's the epitome of the big, impersonal state school). That said, they seem to have pretty good pre-vet support. There's no formal pre-vet major, but the Career Center has advice on which Berkeley courses satisfy the Davis prereqs (and a counselor who will read your statements/essays before you apply). There's a student-run club that meets in the evenings which discusses "what is vet school like" and "how to get in" (probably including what classes to take) and often has pizza (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~pvc/index.html). There's a class offered in the Integrative Biology department that has speakers from all different areas of vet med, and field trips to the Oakland Zoo, Berkeley's Field Station (hyenas!), and a top-notch local private practice. It's run by the vets who manage the campus' animal research programs. They seem to take a pretty active and supportive role in getting everyone as ready as possible to apply, and act really proud of "their kids" who get in each year.

 

[Mylez]

I'm from Wyoming.

There is a specific pre-veterinary program, and what is good about it is that the State Vet Lab works specifically to hire students to work in the lab to gain veterinary experience. (Necropsy, virology, laboratory animal husbandry)

We have a fairly good pre-vet club as well.

The CSU admissions lady told us at our conference call last week or so that we're one of the best undergrad schools for pre-vet in the nation because we have a very strong science based program. Beyond the program, though, you're often on your own to figure out what you need to do to get you where you want to be. The club has a great advisor who is wonderful at helping students with their application and requirements. So I think that Wyo is a good school to go to for pre-vet. Plus there's a lot of opportunity for LA experience you wouldn't get elsewhere normally.

 

[Boxsterluv]

I think an important addition to this is that regardless of whether you are in a pre-vet program or are an animal science major, you should check each potential vet school's pre-req's! At my undergrad, you can graduate with an animal science degree and not take organic chem!! Your advisors may not know what is required at each school so make sure you know exactly what is required ahead of time, that way you can plan accordingly throughout college. I also second what was said earlier about picking something that you can still use if you decide you don't like the whole vet thing later. With something like microbiology or BCMB or general biology, you can do almost anything! Good luck!

 

[lazyjayn]

Mylez- I agree wyoming is a great school for pre-vet, 'specially if you happen to snag one of the covetted 6 contract spots, but... Even with the library, and third street bar, and sweet melissas, and that creole-type place... It's still laramie.

Unless you're from wyoming, or someplace like it, it's a heck of a change. Even with ft. collins just 35-100 minutes away, weather depending.

 

[Quaggi]

You definitely can't rely on your school or department to make sure you are fulfilling vet school requirements, that's completely something you have to do on your own. even as an animal science major at cornell, with a "pre-vet" advisor, I still had to do lots of work on my own. sure, it may have been a little easier to get started, because they hand you a packet freshman year about vet school requirements and what courses at cornell to take, but those were only for cornell's vet school, not any others. you have to check online and also purchase the VMSAR. start planning freshman year so that you can space out the hardest prereqs, and take more fun classes towards the end of your undergrad career.

 

[Mylez]

Hey lazyjayn,

Yep, it's still Laramie, there's no doubt about that. And, actually, I think we had 8 spots this year. (Woo-hoo!) And you have to add in Vedauwoo and the Snowies in the bonuses. But, yes, it's an entirely different planet.