Undergrad student questions about gpa

[cannr]

I am currently two semesters (after the current semester) away from completing my undergrad, BSc major in biology. Throughout my undergrad I have been unsure about what I want to pursue post graduation but I for sure want to continue my education. I very recently got the idea of going into veterinary medicine and I think it might be a good fit but I have concerns about my likelihood of getting accepted. My overall gpa is 3.4 and my pre-requisite courses (for vet programs) are inconsistent (range: C+, B-, B, A). Most of my other courses are As and Bs (As in some lower and upper level courses, e.g. Zoology, evolutionary biology, research methods) and still have to complete three semesters before i graduate. I am currently working on a research project in environmental toxicity, specifically in vertebrate development which involves animal care of my study subject (zebrafish). I was in 4H a child/teenager for 7 years (dog and rabbit projects). I grew around farms and currently live with my parents on our hobby farm and always had pets growing up. I have always loved animals and had an interest in them but for some reason never seriously considered going into veterinary medicine. I live in Canada but there is no vet school in my province. I have worked pretty consistently during my undergrad, mainly as a caregiver. My questions are:
1. Will my inconsistent/low grades in my pre-requisite courses prevent my chance of getting accepted?
2. What would my best school options be for increasing my chances of getting accepted? Resources for researching schools? I am open to non-Canadian schools.
3. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to decide if this is a good fit for them career-wise? If I decide I want to pursue this career I will be looking into working in a vet clinic this summer.
Thank you in advance!

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[Red147]

Just to give you a bit of hope I guess (and I only applied to US schools) I had a cum gpa of 3.4, prereq gpa of 3.0-3.3 depending on the school and a 3.7 last 45. I had 5 Cs in prereq classes! I also didn’t decide on vet med until after I graduated. I’ve been accepted to 4 schools so far! (minn, CSU, WSU,-all out of state) and LSU (instate)I’d suggest focusing on making sure your last 45 was strong and applying to schools that focus on your best aspects. So schools that more heavily weigh last 45, experience etc. also make sure you kill the GRE if you end up taking it and writing strong essays. I think the best way to see if vetmed is right for you is to work at a clinic and even get variety in that experience. It’s always good to question if it’s right for you and to make sure! It’s expensive and you have to know you want to do it! Feel free to pm me if ya need. You’ve got this!

 

[cannr]

Thank you! My plan going forward is to gain as much experience as possible so I'm sure I will get a better idea. Hope everything goes well when you start school!

 

[Mattcj]

I am currently two semesters (after the current semester) away from completing my undergrad, BSc major in biology. Throughout my undergrad I have been unsure about what I want to pursue post graduation but I for sure want to continue my education. I very recently got the idea of going into veterinary medicine and I think it might be a good fit but I have concerns about my likelihood of getting accepted. My overall gpa is 3.4 and my pre-requisite courses (for vet programs) are inconsistent (range: C+, B-, B, A). Most of my other courses are As and Bs (As in some lower and upper level courses, e.g. Zoology, evolutionary biology, research methods) and still have to complete three semesters before i graduate. I am currently working on a research project in environmental toxicity, specifically in vertebrate development which involves animal care of my study subject (zebrafish). I was in 4H a child/teenager for 7 years (dog and rabbit projects). I grew around farms and currently live with my parents on our hobby farm and always had pets growing up. I have always loved animals and had an interest in them but for some reason never seriously considered going into veterinary medicine. I live in Canada but there is no vet school in my province. I have worked pretty consistently during my undergrad, mainly as a caregiver. My questions are:
1. Will my inconsistent/low grades in my pre-requisite courses prevent my chance of getting accepted?
2. What would my best school options be for increasing my chances of getting accepted? Resources for researching schools? I am open to non-Canadian schools.
3. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to decide if this is a good fit for them career-wise? If I decide I want to pursue this career I will be looking into working in a vet clinic this summer.
Thank you in advance!

I got into 3 schools on my first round of applying and had a cumulative GPA of 3.2, and a science GPA of like 2.8 or something. I failed a class, two withdrawals and five C's in chem/physics. I just ended up writing solid essays and had 6,000 hours at veterinary technician which really balanced it all out. Virginia-Maryland, Midwestern, and Michigan State all look at the actual applicant instead of just grades.

 

[sbrider12]

1. Will my inconsistent/low grades in my pre-requisite courses prevent my chance of getting accepted?

No, my undergrad gpa was 2.90 when I completed my B.A., including some low grades in Biology and Gen Chem. I ended up working in a different field for 3 years, then going back to school and maintaining a 4.0 this time around. Accepted to multiple schools this cycle (my first attempt). I would check out the Successful Applicants c/o 2024 thread , as I did years ago to find inspiration as a low GPA student (before going back to school in 2016).

2. What would my best school options be for increasing my chances of getting accepted? Resources for researching schools? I am open to non-Canadian schools.

Do well on the GRE, possibly take some post-baccalaureate science classes you're interested in (and confident that you'll do well in), research projects/positions/volunteering is always useful (and can lead to a great letter of rec).

3. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to decide if this is a good fit for them career-wise? If I decide I want to pursue this career I will be looking into working in a vet clinic this summer.

Definitely volunteer, shadow, or work with and around veterinarians. Having a sense of the realities of the field is important not only for your own career choices but is also something schools will be looking for. There are many people who have dreams of becoming a veterinarian from a young age, but exposure to the realities and making the "adult decision" to pursue the field of vet med is far more important to most schools, at least in my opinion.

 

[cannr]

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[cannr]

Thanks! That my plan - to get as much experience as possible before I apply