Veterinary Webinar: Unanswered Question Follow-Up

[CaffeinatedSquirrel]

Thanks to all who attended our webinar this evening! If you asked a question but we didn't get to it, it's listed here. If you'd like to answer the questions, please jump in!

1. Do government agencies offer any type of loan forgiveness if you work for them after graduating?
2. Can anyone speak to having a long distance relationship while in vet school?
3. I struggled with organic chem and physics, and retook those classes, does that look bad? Also what do you think helped you stand out as an applicant or what can one do to stand out? Thanks!
4. How are grades in Vet school? Do you still need to get a "C" or above to pass a class? Do teachers care about grades in Vet school?
5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
6. What vet schools have good exotics programs?
7. What would you recommend for someone who wants to achieve a DVM/PhD? Vet school first, graduate school, or combined program?
8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
9. To conduct or publish research as a DVM, do you also need a PhD?
10. Are grades from a Study Abroad Semester looked at if the homes school does not accept grades but just a T for transfer credit?
11. How to transition from Vet tech school to vet school?
12. What are the benefits of completing an internship or residency after graduating from vet school?
13. Is traveling and getting vet/animal experience outside of the U.S. important and necessary? LIke for example working on safari animals in africa for 2 months?
14. Do the hours need to be documented in a formal manner? Is it an honor system?
15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
16. What are the most important traits admission committees are looking for in a candidate?
17. I fostered kittens every summer during highschool can that count for my resume?
18. Is there a better chance of getting in if applying directly out of undergrad or a after a couple of years?

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[dyachei]

Thanks to all who attended our webinar this evening! If you asked a question but we didn't get to it, it's listed here. If you'd like to answer the questions, please jump in!

1. Do government agencies offer any type of loan forgiveness if you work for them after graduating?
2. Can anyone speak to having a long distance relationship while in vet school?
3. I struggled with organic chem and physics, and retook those classes, does that look bad? Also what do you think helped you stand out as an applicant or what can one do to stand out? Thanks!
4. How are grades in Vet school? Do you still need to get a "C" or above to pass a class? Do teachers care about grades in Vet school?
5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
6. What vet schools have good exotics programs?
7. What would you recommend for someone who wants to achieve a DVM/PhD? Vet school first, graduate school, or combined program?
8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
9. To conduct or publish research as a DVM, do you also need a PhD?
10. Are grades from a Study Abroad Semester looked at if the homes school does not accept grades but just a T for transfer credit?
11. How to transition from Vet tech school to vet school?
12. What are the benefits of completing an internship or residency after graduating from vet school?
13. Is traveling and getting vet/animal experience outside of the U.S. important and necessary? LIke for example working on safari animals in africa for 2 months?
14. Do the hours need to be documented in a formal manner? Is it an honor system?
15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
16. What are the most important traits admission committees are looking for in a candidate?
17. I fostered kittens every summer during highschool can that count for my resume?
18. Is there a better chance of getting in if applying directly out of undergrad or a after a couple of years?

Here are some of the answers for you:
2. Yes, I had a long distance relationship for the first year of vet school. Luckily, we were only 3 hours apart and made plans to spend at least 1 weekend together a month. We also put aside 30 minutes for skype/phone every night. It was difficult. I had an anatomy professor tell me I should break off our engagement so I could devote more time to studying. Just make sure to communicate often.

3. I also struggled with chemistry. I think I ended up with Cs in everything but biochem. I got into vet school on my first application. Do your best and don't forget to reach out for help if you need it!

4. At UTK, you could get 1 D a semester (I think). Any more than that and you went to an academic board. This may have changed.

5. It depends on the school. Some track, some don't. Most still give you a foundation in each. Some schools are better at exotics/zoo than others. If that is truly an interest, check to make sure they have zoo/exotics rotations or at least faculty.

6. UTK and UF definitely have good programs. I believe Mizzou does as well. There are a few that are very good.

8. I would have taken a gap year. I was pretty burned out after undergrad.

11. I'm not sure what you mean by this question. You don't need to pursue vet tech degrees to pursue a DVM/VMD. If you do, it can sometimes be difficult to transfer credits to pre-reqs depending on individual vet school requirements.

13. You do not need to get experience outside of the US. However, you do want to present a somewhat unique application so that schools will remember you. I would recommend pursuing your interests. and conserve your money.

14. It is an honor system. But I recommend keeping a log for your own sanity.

15. I believe I had a 3.3-3.4 getting into vet school.

16. This is subjective to the school.

17. Fostering kittens would be animal experience, which would be included on an application.

18. If you use a gap year effectively, it should not hurt your chances of getting in to vet school. If you take a gap year to vacation, it probably won't help you.

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks to all who attended our webinar this evening! If you asked a question but we didn't get to it, it's listed here. If you'd like to answer the questions, please jump in!

1. Do government agencies offer any type of loan forgiveness if you work for them after graduating?
2. Can anyone speak to having a long distance relationship while in vet school?
3. I struggled with organic chem and physics, and retook those classes, does that look bad? Also what do you think helped you stand out as an applicant or what can one do to stand out? Thanks!
4. How are grades in Vet school? Do you still need to get a "C" or above to pass a class? Do teachers care about grades in Vet school?
5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
6. What vet schools have good exotics programs?
7. What would you recommend for someone who wants to achieve a DVM/PhD? Vet school first, graduate school, or combined program?
8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
9. To conduct or publish research as a DVM, do you also need a PhD?
10. Are grades from a Study Abroad Semester looked at if the homes school does not accept grades but just a T for transfer credit?
11. How to transition from Vet tech school to vet school?
12. What are the benefits of completing an internship or residency after graduating from vet school?
13. Is traveling and getting vet/animal experience outside of the U.S. important and necessary? LIke for example working on safari animals in africa for 2 months?
14. Do the hours need to be documented in a formal manner? Is it an honor system?
15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
16. What are the most important traits admission committees are looking for in a candidate?
17. I fostered kittens every summer during highschool can that count for my resume?
18. Is there a better chance of getting in if applying directly out of undergrad or a after a couple of years?

Some alternative/additional answers.

3. I would suggest reframing the thinking. It doesn't "look bad" in the sense that they hunt for specific classes and say "oooooo... bad student... you struggled in Orgo!" But in the grand scheme of things you are weighed against other candidates in every category and, to get in, you need to come out with more positives than the next applicant. So yes, struggling in those classes could/can/will negatively impact your application. But at the same time, excelling in other areas can make up for it. Unlike what you hear from a lot of people about how X is critical, or Y will make/break your application .... there's very few single items that will get you accepted OR rejected. Think of your application as an entire package.

4. I find grading to be done similarly to undergrad. At UMN almost every class syllabus spells out very specifically how the class will be graded. You don't need a C or above in every class to progress through the program (you are required to maintain a C average, though), but you cannot get more than one D per semester without triggering action (generally speaking, you are required to repeat that coursework, which means sitting out a year). No F's are allowed. I find most teachers really don't care about your grades. My worst grade came in a class taught by someone who has repeatedly told me she would love to write a recommendation. When I pointed out I got a C in her class, she rolled her eyes and said "I got C's in vet school. Who cares?" Each instructor is unique, of course, but I think more of them are like her than not.

8. Do it young. Don't be like me.

9. No. Many many journal articles have DVM-only authors (as opposed to DVM PhD or PhD). That said, I can't speak to how it would impact your chances of getting a research position to not have a PhD.

13. "Important and necessary"? No. Might it look good on an application? Sure. I'm with Dyachei: Pursue your interests. Your entire application should have a sense of trajectory that says "candidate has this experience, consistent with what they say they want to do, and they seem to know a lot about it" ..... the application should be one big consistent package.

14. Honor system. But I'd sure hate to be the person that lies on it and gets called out. They very well may ask you specific questions about items from your application. Don't even think about padding the #s .... that is one risk that is absolutely not worth taking. You wouldn't just get rejected that one time if you got caught; you'd be done for good.

15. Depends on the school. Most schools publish info on their most recent class, so you can check there. I had an overall craptastic GPA. Something south of 3.0. But for the purposes of my school (who only cares about pre-reqs and last-45) I had a 4.0. If your GPA is bad, you need to be thinking strategically about where to apply, which means digging deep into how each school evaluates a candidate. Most schools are very open about their application/evaluation process, so make use of that.

18. Whether or not time off after school gives you a better chance is completely dependent on how you use the time. Use it in a way that contributes to the sense of trajectory that your application should have and sure, it will obviously help you. Lounge around, work a job, and try and decide whether to apply to vet school? Probably not going to help.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Thanks to all who attended our webinar this evening! If you asked a question but we didn't get to it, it's listed here. If you'd like to answer the questions, please jump in!

1. Do government agencies offer any type of loan forgiveness if you work for them after graduating?
2. Can anyone speak to having a long distance relationship while in vet school?
3. I struggled with organic chem and physics, and retook those classes, does that look bad? Also what do you think helped you stand out as an applicant or what can one do to stand out? Thanks!
4. How are grades in Vet school? Do you still need to get a "C" or above to pass a class? Do teachers care about grades in Vet school?
5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
6. What vet schools have good exotics programs?
7. What would you recommend for someone who wants to achieve a DVM/PhD? Vet school first, graduate school, or combined program?
8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
9. To conduct or publish research as a DVM, do you also need a PhD?
10. Are grades from a Study Abroad Semester looked at if the homes school does not accept grades but just a T for transfer credit?
11. How to transition from Vet tech school to vet school?
12. What are the benefits of completing an internship or residency after graduating from vet school?
13. Is traveling and getting vet/animal experience outside of the U.S. important and necessary? LIke for example working on safari animals in africa for 2 months?
14. Do the hours need to be documented in a formal manner? Is it an honor system?
15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
16. What are the most important traits admission committees are looking for in a candidate?
17. I fostered kittens every summer during highschool can that count for my resume?
18. Is there a better chance of getting in if applying directly out of undergrad or a after a couple of years?

4. Grades matter more for residencies and post-DVM training than anything else. I don't think I have ever heard of a clinic requesting your transcripts from vet school. When I went to VMRCVM, if you failed a class you were out. Period. You could apply to repeat the year though. Also if you got >2 Ds in a single semester you were out.

6. I have heard good things about Florida. Texas A&M also has an active exotics/wildlife service.

9. This depends on what type of research you are talking about. If we are talking small-time clinical research/case reports in a teaching hospital, then no, you don't. But if want to get into "real" research (i.e. biomedical science, clinical trials, etc) then 99% of the time you will need a PhD. This is because the DVM is, let's face it, a clinical degree. It does not teach you anything about how to do research, grant writing, paper writing, data analysis, laboratory techniques, project design, etc aside from maybe, MAYBE an elective class in such things. No research institution is going to hire someone to do research with no experience - they want people who can produce results and bring in grant money. Tl;dr is, if you want to do research of any quality (as opposed to the little case report here and there) then yes, postgraduate research training is necessary.

11. Changing your mindset from a task-oriented one to a diagnostic one is probably the biggest hurdle. You will be doing more "thinking" and less "doing" in vet school.

12. The benefits of doing an intership or a residency vary depending on your ultimate goal. Internships are usually "rotating" and expose to to many different facets of vet med - kind of like fourth year clinical but very trimmed down (i.e. small animal only, large animal only) and very concentrated and in-depth. Many residencies prefer or even outright require you to have done an internship before applying, so there is that as well. I think internships are extremely useful because they are an additional stepping stone to get you confident to practice on your own. Doing an internship is becoming quite common. As for residencies and specializing, you will be able to focus even more in depth on one aspect (and get paid more for it). Yes, you have to forgo the first few years of what a vet in practice would make, but the financial gain often outpaces it after you finish and start practicing as a specialist.

13. Nope.

15. GPA is another one of those variable things. Obviously you want it to be high. But if you are a 4.0 student with little to no experience, that GPA is not going to save you. >3.5 is what you should aim for, but I do know people (including myself, I was about a 3.4) who got in with lower GPAs because they made up for it in other areas.

16. I think proven dedication to the field is a big one. They don't want to see an applicfant who is obviously just applying to this at the last minute and didn't think it through. That means that if you get on the bus late, you have to make up a good amount of ground in order to be competitive and prove to them that you want to be there.

18. I don't think there is any benefit one way or the other. Of course, you can use the time in between undergrad and applying to strengthen your application. But if you have everything ready in undergrad, apply away.

 

[that redhead]

2. Can anyone speak to having a long distance relationship while in vet school?
I've been in a long distance relationship (1200miles) throughout vet school. We got married between second and third year. It's a tough thing, and many relationships ended due to the challenges but with the right dedication to communicating, it can absolutely work.

3. I struggled with organic chem and physics, and retook those classes, does that look bad? Also what do you think helped you stand out as an applicant or what can one do to stand out? Thanks!
I did too. It's always preferable to have done well the first time around, but if you can show a noticeable improvement from the first try to the second, it can be a great way for you to show you've learned to be a better student.

5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
The majority of your studies will be small and large animal. As someone interested in something that is not traditional small or large animal med, it's frustrating not to see more exotics, zoo, lab animal, etc.

8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
Grades were really my weak point and it hurt me. I would have worked my butt off in undergrad to get better grades and be a better applicant.

12. What are the benefits of completing an internship or residency after graduating from vet school?
I'm not in a residency yet but will be applying to the match this year. It appeals to me mostly because I'll get mentorship from people in my field and a bit more "cushion" to build my confidence as a new vet.

15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
I don't think there's an ideal GPA. I had a 2.98 and got accepted.

 

[Coquette22]

4. How are grades in Vet school? Do you still need to get a "C" or above to pass a class? Do teachers care about grades in Vet school?
This will vary by school. AVC requires an average of 65% over all courses and at least a 50% in each individual course. If you fail a course, you can apply to retake the year, but usually have to do some other things as well (like a study skills course or something). If you drop below the 65% average, you go on academic probation and if you don't pull it up, you'll be dismissed from the program entirely.

5. Are all fields of animal practices offered in vet school? For example not just small and large but also zoological.
There's a lot of things covered, though some are pretty limited. We got very little specific zoological stuff, though we did have some animal welfare lectures and some elective exotics. If you're looking at a more niche field like zoological medicine, you'll be doing a lot of summer externships and external rotations to get the exposure.

8. What would you do differently on your path to becoming a veterinarian?
If I could have, I would have figured it out earlier. I didn't decide on vet school until I was 21 and then still had to do my pre-reqs, so I lost a couple years and wasted some tuition money doing other things.

11. How to transition from Vet tech school to vet school?
You usually can't. I know at least the tech program here is pretty highly specialized, while the pre-requisites for vet school are usually more traditional (ie you may not take a traditional Biology 101 and Chemistry 101 in a tech program, so you won't get credit for them as pre-requisites for vet school). You'd need to go back to standard university/community college courses and do your pre-requisites like everyone else.

13. Is traveling and getting vet/animal experience outside of the U.S. important and necessary? LIke for example working on safari animals in africa for 2 months?
No. If you want to and you can, sure! But plenty of people get in while never setting foot outside the country.

14. Do the hours need to be documented in a formal manner? Is it an honor system?
Basically honour system, but they may require a contant name if they feel they need to verify (at least AVC does). I'm not sure how often they actually check, but I wouldn't risk lying.

15. What is the ideal g.p.a to get into vet school? What g.p.a. did the panelists have before applying to vet school?
There isn't one. Sure, the higher the better, but like redhead said, lower GPAs don't eliminate you automatically, you just might not have the choice of school you want. And a perfect GPA won't get you in if the rest of your application sucks.

18. Is there a better chance of getting in if applying directly out of undergrad or a after a couple of years?
Not really. You might have a better chance with waiting depending on what you use that time for (ie getting awesome experience). Lots of people do both options.