Summer Internship vs. REU

[AcreWoods]

So I looked for a thread about this, but couldn't find much about my specific predicament. I'm wondering if anyone knows about vet school admissions and research experience. I am planning on doing something with my summer. My advisor here is suggesting I apply for REUs (Research Experiences for Undergrads) for the summer of 2015. I know that they are hard to get into, so having a spot would be rather impressive. However, I also know that vet experience is valuable and having a summer long internship may be very important. I work at a veterinary hospital now, but do not work closely with the vets, and am about to start shadowing once a week at a clinic. Would you guys say that taking an REU for the summer would be valuable to my application, or should I stick with gaining more veterinary and animal-specific experience? (I'm a sophomore in undergrad if that helps)

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[AcreWoods]

Sorry for posting the thread three times guys! My computer...

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

Research is usually viewed faborably. I did a summer research grant/fellowship with primates and I think it's one of the standout features of my application. That being said, I also assisted in the primate lab all four years of college.

It's important to show diverse interests and challenging experiences, but continuity is a big factor as well. I would encourage you to try for the research experience though - those opportunities are not always available, and if you do get it, you have the potential to learn so much. Even if it you decide afterward that it's not really your thing, you tried it.

Keep up with your veterinary shadowing/working as well. I don't think vet schools expect you to devote 100% of your time to clinical experiences - they just want you to get enough to truly understand what you're signing up for and that you've looked into the different fields. And also, the best way to start getting close to the vets is to ask them questions - anything from simple how was your to weekend to things that are going on in the clinic. They likely won't reach out to you until you show that your curious, engaged in what their doing, and receptive.

Hope that helps!

 

[AcreWoods]

Thanks!! Yeah, the place I'm shadowing at is a regular private practice, so I ask tons of questions and they teach me a lot! However, I work in an emergency room/critical care center, so the vets are often too busy to walk me through what they're doing. You gave me some great input!

Also, did you happen to do the fellowship with Alpha Genesis? I know they have a primate veterinary research program of sorts.

 

[sorasea]

Now that you already have a foot in the door at your vet clinic, vet experience will be much easier to come by whether you do it this summer or next (assuming you're applying as a senior, in 2016). I would go ahead and apply to the REUs this summer just to see if you get into a program you really like. If you don't, your decision is made for you, and you can apply again next year! (Also add the summer internship program at NIH to your list if it isn't there already...I've known lots of people who did this, and it's fantastic. And paid.)

A summer research thing would look great depending on the schools you plan on applying to (e.g. Penn, NCSU). But if you're pretty sure you're going to hate it, don't make yourself do 400+ hours of it. Find a prof at/near your college who takes undergrads in his/her lab, and volunteer for long enough (50 hrs?) to convincingly explain on your VMCAS essay why you're not into research. Easily done during the school year.

 

[Shepherd Lover]

A handful of vet schools offer paid summer research programs to undergraduates. It would probably be a good idea to look and see if any of the schools you'd like to attend have one. That was you could earn research experience, meet people that are important for selecting veterinary students, and get a feel of whether or not you'd like to study at that school.

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

Thanks!! Yeah, the place I'm shadowing at is a regular private practice, so I ask tons of questions and they teach me a lot! However, I work in an emergency room/critical care center, so the vets are often too busy to walk me through what they're doing. You gave me some great input!

Also, did you happen to do the fellowship with Alpha Genesis? I know they have a primate veterinary research program of sorts.

That's great! I think you working in an ER center is actually a real bonus too. Not everyone can do that. I wonder if maybe you can catch the vets in the break room or something and ask if they'd be willing to talk to you about what their doing after the fact? I know it's definitely hard to balance doing your job versus trying to learn as much as possible. I went through a similar thing when I teched at a small/exotics clinic. You kind of just have to catch the vets during their downtime... which I'm sure is very hard in an ER! You might also consider just catching them on their way out one day and just mention your vet school ambitions and if they might be able to show you things in more details sometime? It's awkward at first, but it'll get easier!

As for my research, I did it through my undergrad school. It was great, but doing research through an external source like the NIH or whatever would be really awesome too. Another thing, depending on how much you enjoy it, is that you should try to find venues to present your research at. I was required to present my project at a symposium, but a lot of undergrads actually get opportunities to go to conferences (especially if you work closely with a professor's main project).

 

[thecatastrophist]

Just to add my two cents, I'd definitely suggest to at least try for an REU this summer. It sounds like you're already well underway with your vet hours, so getting experience in another area that can be applied back to veterinary medicine could be very helpful to your application. Unless you're really hurting for hours (like, if you're applying to vet schools next fall) I don't see why you can't continue your experiences through next year and just do a research program this summer.

Beyond the serious bonus that they're paid experiences, REU stuff looks great on applications to graduate schools and vet schools alike. It won't just impress admissions staff, but will look good on your resume. It might very well open doors elsewhere, which could also lead to further experiences that would make you a unique and well-qualified applicant to vet school.

 

[AcreWoods]

Looks like we're all in agreement here! I do find research interesting, so I'm willing to apply. Thanks for suggesting NIH, soresea! I'll definitely check it out. I'm planning on applying to REUs that have something to do with animal behavior probably, which I find very interesting and applicable to my future endeavors. Thanks for all the positive advice. I'm definitely going to at least try for them this year. And if not, no harm done! I'll continue interning and working

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

Looks like we're all in agreement here! I do find research interesting, so I'm willing to apply. Thanks for suggesting NIH, soresea! I'll definitely check it out. I'm planning on applying to REUs that have something to do with animal behavior probably, which I find very interesting and applicable to my future endeavors. Thanks for all the positive advice. I'm definitely going to at least try for them this year. And if not, no harm done! I'll continue interning and working

My major was Animal Behavior! Let me know if y

Looks like we're all in agreement here! I do find research interesting, so I'm willing to apply. Thanks for suggesting NIH, soresea! I'll definitely check it out. I'm planning on applying to REUs that have something to do with animal behavior probably, which I find very interesting and applicable to my future endeavors. Thanks for all the positive advice. I'm definitely going to at least try for them this year. And if not, no harm done! I'll continue interning and working

My major was Animal Behavior (primarily primates), but if you have any questions about that, let me know!