research involvement in vet school?

[bluesails]

Hi all,

I've gotten a little more interested in research in the past year of undergrad and I was wondering if any vet students would like to tell me more about what kind of research involvement you can have in college. I like wildlife and ecology related stuff but also microbiology and immunology and it would be cool to hear from some people about their specific schools. Also, is it just almost impossible to get involved because of how much time you already put into academics? I'm anticipating the answer is no, but would like to hear how people have balanced that.

For the part about specific schools - I'm very interested in (and have applied to) Tufts, CSU, and Penn. Also, to clarify, because I am asking about comparisons between schools - money is not as big an issue in this case because I am OOS everywhere.

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[shortnsweet]

I did 3 research projects in undergrad ( snake behaviour, human runner physiology, and bacteriophage genome) and one in vet school(equine colic) during the summer between 3rd/4th year. The ones in undergrad were for credit and unpaid, but I was paid a hefty sum in vet school and got to present at a few conferences. It's def possible to jump on projects with profs in addition to academics.


Edit: I would also like to think I have a pretty solid social life, so you can still be involved!

 

[BlackDog17]

During my interview at AVC I had asked about this, and was told that it really isn't possible to do research during the regular school year. However, many professors will take on 2-3 students to assist with their research projects during the summer break. I would guess that other schools have a similar system.

 

[Lissarae06]

Here the NIH sponsors student research in the summer. I spent a rotation doing parasit research and I know other classmates did research for elective credit during the school years. The opportunities are there, you just have to look for them.

 

[bluesails]

I did 3 research projects in undergrad ( snake behaviour, human runner physiology, and bacteriophage genome) and one in vet school(equine colic) during the summer between 3rd/4th year. The ones in undergrad were for credit and unpaid, but I was paid a hefty sum in vet school and got to present at a few conferences. It's def possible to jump on projects with profs in addition to academics.


Edit: I would also like to think I have a pretty solid social life, so you can still be involved!

Is it to my disadvantage that I wasn't super involved with research (unlike some of my friends) in undergrad? I went on one field research trip that was a study abroad class by my school, and I worked for a few months in a professor's lab, but never got to finish off my own projects with a professor.

 

[CanHardlyWait]

I did this program at VMRCVM over the summer.

http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/research/svsrp/index.asp]
The research topic you can do varies, dependent on which mentor you choose. I did developmental and reproductive toxicology. The summer program is offered at many schools, and even if you don't get into to the one at your school (or don't want to do it there) you can apply to the programs at other vet schools. It's funded by NIH and/or Merial and there is a symposium at the end. It was a really great experience, paid well and could have turned into more research in my lab if I was interested in pursuing it (which I'm not). Also-at VMRCVM they wanted students without past research experience to apply.

 

[shortnsweet]

Is it to my disadvantage that I wasn't super involved with research (unlike some of my friends) in undergrad? I went on one field research trip that was a study abroad class by my school, and I worked for a few months in a professor's lab, but never got to finish off my own projects with a professor.

Guess that depends on the grant you apply for, the clinician/researcher you work with, and the school you go to. I'm sure you can find something that meets your fancy regardless of prior experience.

 

[david594]

I had zero research experience prior to veterinary school and I had no issues getting on a summer research position while in school. So I don't think a lack of experience will rule you out. It was all about approaching a faculty member to get involved in a project.

 

[Jamr0ckin]

I am currently part of a research project, unpaid though. But it's great experience.

 

[JaynaAli]

I worked in an animal nutrition lab one year in undergrad. I got a scholarship for my efforts, but mostly did prepwork and washed dishes. It really wasn't anything very special.

I agree with shortnsweet and David594 though...it is really about figuring out what will work, making the connections and finding a faculty mentor you have a good relationship with. Sometimes someone dependable can be almost as valuable as someone with lots of experience, depending on the situation.

 

[Fireflysushi]

CSUian here. There are tons of research opportunities here! The options and frankly the likelihood of you getting paid for research goes up when you get into vet school. You can easily pic a lab whose research you are interested and ask if there are any projects for you. Many first year vet students here take advantage of the Merial Program where you work in a lab for the summer and get paid a fairly hefty stipend. There are many labs that participate in this and also quite a few of those are wildlife based- coyote urine studies, harbor seal parasite studies, chronic wasting (Fort Collins is actually the epicenter for this!), etc. Many researchers will also fund your project. If you come up with an idea they will help you find the funding for it. I have quite a few vet student friends who work about 10hrs a week in a lab, and do just fine. Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[pooter]

I'm not a research person, but there's always a lot going on here at Penn as far as clinical and basic science research. You'd have no problem finding a promising immuno or micro project if you wanted to go that route. It always seems like there are more PIs in need of students than there are students with the time and energy to do research. We have an excellent hematologist who this year was barely able to find a student to help with his grant-funded research. You'll have more trouble if you really want to do wildlife; our exotics vets are awesome, but we don't have a wildlife hospital, and all our patients are client-owned. Still, I know quite a few people who've done wildlife research, usually over summer breaks and so forth. (Not sure whether any of those were arranged through the school or not; someone less intimidated by research in general might be able to tell you).

 

[bluesails]

Thanks for the replies, guys! Super informative.

Any Tufts people want to sell me their school?

 

[T_Rose]

In undergrad, I participated in Parasitology research. The professor said I could do as much or as little research as I liked, but that turned out to be false. What I was assigned to do was time-consuming and too much for me with all the other stuff I had going on. I was finally able to get a helper during my second semester of it and sometimes we felt it was too much for the two of us. I did enjoy it, though, and the research experience greatly improved my application.

At my veterinary school, they encourage us to get involved in research (and to study abroad) all the time. Most first year students interested in research go through the summer research program. It's designed for those who want to give research a try. I plan to participate this coming summer, and I have heard very good things about it. They try to match you up with a mentor and research area that interests you. As for research experience during the fall/spring semesters, I would not even try. Our schedules are very busy. However, there are one or two of my classmates (dual-degree students) who still do a little research during the weekends/breaks, but they started their research two years ago.

 

[CanHardlyWait]

In undergrad, I participated in Parasitology research. The professor said I could do as much or as little research as I liked, but that turned out to be false. What I was assigned to do was time-consuming and too much for me with all the other stuff I had going on. I was finally able to get a helper during my second semester of it and sometimes we felt it was too much for the two of us. I did enjoy it, though, and the research experience greatly improved my application.

At my veterinary school, they encourage us to get involved in research (and to study abroad) all the time. Most first year students interested in research go through the summer research program. It's designed for those who want to give research a try. I plan to participate this coming summer, and I have heard very good things about it. They try to match you up with a mentor and research area that interests you. As for research experience during the fall/spring semesters, I would not even try. Our schedules are very busy. However, there are one or two of my classmates (dual-degree students) who still do a little research during the weekends/breaks, but they started their research two years ago.

We had an awesome Mississippi vet student in our program this past summer at VMRCVM , just in case you know her....

 

[T_Rose]

We had an awesome Mississippi vet student in our program this past summer at VMRCVM , just in case you know her....

I think I remember seeing a presentation from a student who did summer research in Virginia. Us first years were required to attend the poster presentations. I also know some of your classmates.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Also, is it just almost impossible to get involved because of how much time you already put into academics? I'm anticipating the answer is no, but would like to hear how people have balanced that.

It all depends on your priorities/strengths/weaknesses. I invested a ton of time throughout vet school doing research, and there are definitely stretches throughout first, second, and third years that I spent more time doing research than I did vet school. If you're a go-getter who will get things done without relying on faculty to move you along, and are capable of handling the research objectives you have on hand, it shouldn't matter where you go to school.

The way I got really involved into research during vet school was that I never really attended school other than to take exams so that my schedule was really flexible. I pretty much prioritized my research first, and did school second. The only exception to that was if I had a major exam in the next 24h, then I did nothing but cram for it. My adviser from my first project gave me an initial project goal (funding wasn't an issue since she was providing it), but essentially let me run wild with it. I had money for research, and I even got paid by the hour to boot. I convinced her in the beginning that I was capable of designing and executing basic molecular biology experiments, and then she was pretty content to let me execute my ideas. I'd meet with her once a month or so, show her my data, ask for permission to spend money, and then ordered whatever I needed to. It was kind of a dream come true

Then I switched gears for my second and third years with a different adviser. This time, I came up with my study idea from scratch (clinical study this time). The big caveat was that I was responsible for funding everything. So I spent a lot of time applying for funding and dealing with the logistics of getting a clinical study going, (IACUC, enrolling subjects, etc...). My adviser was amazing and helped me with the process, and in the end, we collected close to $60,000 for the project. I scheduled everything such that a bulk of the actual work for data/sample collection and analysis could be done over the summers. We collected well over 1000 samples from over 100 subjects, and got them all analyzed. Currently just working on finishing up the manuscript for it It was a loooooot of work, but I really loved it! I got to meet a bunch of cool people through the process, and bonded with a lot of people who got involved too, which was great.

Of course I missed out on some things because I was so involved with this stuff. Since I was never at school, I never got the inside jokes about lecture material and stuff. Academically, I probably could have done better had I not done research, but I'm pretty content with my academic performance. I spent a good 6-8 hours weekly in some sort of clinical setting to improve my clinical skills too, because I didn't want to be the "good in the classroom but sucky in clinics" type of person. That was really important to me, and I think it's really really helping me out big time during 4th year. I also made it a point after my first year to leave one whole day/night every weekend, if not the whole weekend, completely free of school or research to have some work-life balance. I also made it a point to spend the night after a big exam doing nothing but catching up on TV shows I'd missed. So that pretty much accounted for every waking moment of my life. This meant that I really did not get involved in any school committees or clubs, other than an occasional wet lab. I never had time for review sessions or dinner talks. I for sure had 0 involvement with SCAVMA or student government of any sort.

Anyhoos, I hope that helps. I'm going to go into GP and will be going cold turkey with research, so in a way it was a complete waste of time, but I loved every minute of it! If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I've been suuuuper busy with clinics and don't spend much time on SDN now... so that's probably your best shot at getting any kind of response. I haven't emailed back my family in like 2 weeks, so they probably wonders if I'm alive... Seriously, some rotations are soooo intense!

 

[StartingoverVet]

Is it to my disadvantage that I wasn't super involved with research (unlike some of my friends) in undergrad? I went on one field research trip that was a study abroad class by my school, and I worked for a few months in a professor's lab, but never got to finish off my own projects with a professor.

of course it depends.. but i had zero research experience, zero lab time, and I fell into a position.. could do a lot more lab -related research if I want, but I wasn't that interested (lab work doesn't suit my personality).