) before I am home free. After the holidays we can all start collectively stressing about interviews! What a joyous time. . Oh, and don't forget to send your transcripts once your grades come out! I think I sent mine on Christmas Eve last year because I forgot 
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Unfortunately it's my 3rd job I have right now lol (I get really attached and can't bear to quit any of them)
I'm just in the eternal battle of school and getting as much experience as I possibly can. Just starting a new job at a new vet clinic this weekend though
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Wow, congratulations on the new job! Are all three of your jobs at vet clinics? How do you balance three jobs and school? I'm having it rough with just one job and school. Very impressive
This is my second time applying. I didn't really expect an interview last time, so the fact that I got one was a nice surprise. Hopefully I get one again this time. May can't come fast enough. What about you, @BeautifulBritishColumbia ?
Throw in some volunteering here and there and it isn't really that bad. I find if I just stay on campus after class and work there, I can power through studying/projects a heck of a lot faster than at home.
@BeautifulBritishColumbia
Wow you are incredible to balance that much!! :O good for you! My friend who got in a year ahead of me definitely impressed her interviewers when she told them how much she worked while she was doing her pre-reqs...so as long as you keep your marks high enough to get an interview that will be really good for your interview!!!
I got in 2 years ago now and minimum marks change a bit from year to year. But knowing roughly what to aim for is a big help! It's a bummer WCVM won't share the most recent mark pool....the only reason I managed to get in was my friend got in a year ahead of me so I knew roughly what I needed based off her marks. My averages were 80, 81, and 88 (remember your best year counts the most) so my admission average was about 83.8 and that put me near the bottom of the 40 interviewed from BC 2 years ago.
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Are you liking it?
Sip and Noodle, thanks so much for the grade averages. It is more dire than I realized lol. I was hoping 82.5-83 could get you to 40. Oh well, the bad first semester comes back to bite. Noodle are you done your degree or what year?
So Sip, what do you think so far?
Good point! I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Oh, that's awesome about your mom! What type of practice does she do, and what one are you wanting to do for that matter? That is a nightmarish amount of exams. Do you guys have the time for social lives occasionally? Haha. What sort of things are you getting into for the "practicals"? I apologize for the interrogation lol, it is just really interesting to talk to someone who is in the program right nowDon't let it get you down!! Remember, minimums fluxuate a bit every year depending on number of applicants. Also, I was super discouraged my first time applying (80 and 81 after 2 years ranked me in the 70s) and my "best year" put me up a huge way. So depending where you are in your schooling taking a year of "Mark boosters" can definitely make a big difference. Mostly just keep at it and don't get down on yourself.
I really like it for the most part. I was lucky in that my mom is actually a WCVM grad so I knew a lot of what was coming at me. Second year is a slog for sure (we wrote 22 exams last semester!) but we are finally starting to get into more practical stuff which is super exciting.
Where are you guys going to school?
Sip and Noodle, thanks so much for the grade averages. It is more dire than I realized lol. I was hoping 82.5-83 could get you to 40. Oh well, the bad first semester comes back to bite. Noodle are you done your degree or what year?
So Sip, what do you think so far?
Don't let it get you down!! Remember, minimums fluxuate a bit every year depending on number of applicants. Also, I was super discouraged my first time applying (80 and 81 after 2 years ranked me in the 70s) and my "best year" put me up a huge way. So depending where you are in your schooling taking a year of "Mark boosters" can definitely make a big difference. Mostly just keep at it and don't get down on yourself.
I really like it for the most part. I was lucky in that my mom is actually a WCVM grad so I knew a lot of what was coming at me. Second year is a slog for sure (we wrote 22 exams last semester!) but we are finally starting to get into more practical stuff which is super exciting.
Where are you guys going to school?
Hope you don't mind me jumping in on this conversation. I am in a similar position to you, Heather Mandeville told me I could do 1-2 more years of undergrad and likely get an interview (so long as my grades are similar to my last 3 years of university). What kind of classes are you taking? Was WCVM strict regarding the types of classes you could take for your booster year(s)? I'm hoping to get into UCVM this year (didn't make the cut last year) but if I don't, more undergrad may be my best option. The thought of doing even more undergrad (I also took 5 years) feels mentally and emotionally draining (not to mention financially, eek!)
Hi Noodle3
Also has anyone heard from UCVM yet? I know last year they didn't send out interview invites until Feb 27th but I thought maybe they would do it earlier this year as interviews are scheduled for earlier
of course I don't mind. The more the merrier!
Hey Squishes
Last year I had to take courses that were restricted to my degree, but this year I'm honestly taking courses that have a reputation for being GPA boosters. If I can offer any advice, it would be to do your research on the courses before you sign up for them. Ask around for good GPA boosting courses that you think you will excel in, and stack up. I'm taking a little bit of everything. This year, all of my courses are distance ed which is allowing me to work (it helps when you are taking an unplanned year of undergrad). They don't care about the content of the courses, or that they are all distance ed, as long as only one or two of them are first year level and that they are completed within the 8 month timeframe that traditional undergrad courses are completed in. Heather was really helpful and I emailed her my course list for last year and this year for her to approve before registration (provided my grades were up, of course). I do have to admit- it is really mentally draining haha. But to be honest I'm more relieved that I have this opportunity to improve academically and personally. WCVM would be out of the picture for me if I couldn't do this; it has boosted my admission average by over 5%. Very worth it.
When are UCVM interviews scheduled? I asked Heather about WCVM interviews and she said that first round will be the first two weeks of May, and second round will be the last week of May. The first round interviews seem late to me this year. I thought they were always the last two weeks of April?
You were pretty close to making the cut last year at UCVM, right Squishes? Are you currently taking undergrad courses?
As for WCVM's interview schedule, to be honest, I have no idea haha. Hopefully a WCVM'er can weigh in on this?! Last year I ranked pretty low on my MMI score as well as 10 pre-requisite course score but scored high on the essay and last 4 full time semesters. I finished my degree last spring and have been working at a small animal clinic since. I'm hoping that having done the interview last year and having been out of school and in a veterinary setting, I'll be better prepared this time around... Plus I've been working through ethics scenarios everyday and took the advice from this forum to help structure MMI answers. But if this doesn't work out, it's back to undergrad in the fall! Either way I just keep telling myself that it will happen, one way or another! (originally from Alberta). So once you finish up in April does that mean you've substituted year 1 and 2 of university?
If you upped it by that much you've basically guaranteed yourself another interview.
. Good to hear that WCVM isn't too strict on the types of courses you can take during booster years! If I decide to go this route I'll be sure to double check with Heather. That's awesome you've been able to boost your admissions average by that much!! Very impressive, I admire your perseverance
UCVM interviews are scheduled for March 12th, 18 days!! I got an offer today so here we go again, gahhh the MMI
I see you mentioned you're at UBC, I'm a hop over the water in Victoria
. I'm not sure how UCVM works, though.
I see you mentioned you're at UBC, I'm a hop over the water in Victoria
(that banana is first and second year)!
. I've had a lot of people share their interview questions with me and I was starting to get paranoid so I didn't specify. How is your first year going, Sunny?
That's nice to know there is no contract to keep you on your toes regarding confidentiality. It's incredible how valuable these forums are for extra info and moral; it would really suck if they were something you had to be careful about sharing on. Also Sunny I second Noodle, how is this year going?!
Ahhhh stranger things have happened. Though I'm sure my chances are good for an interview, you never know how the applicant pool can change from year to year. There was someone on this forum a few years ago who was waitlisted one year and then didn't even get a second round interview the next year. I don't want to get my hopes up too high in case this year is unusually high.
And to answer your other post, I don't think it would hurt our applications in any way. I haven't seen anything too specific on here, and there are far more comprehensive lists of actual questions that people have been asked out there. Saying stuff like "they asked me about my experience at ___" is pretty much a given. The universities themselves even say what to generally expect in the interviews. While I have never been a part of one, I'm sure that many pre-vet clubs have huge lists of questions that have been asked at interviews (whether or not they came from WCVM or UCVM or another vet school). Just don't go posting play-by-plays of your interview and you will be fine
First of all- AHH! Congrats on the interview offer! That is very exciting! Did anyone else here get an offer from UCVM today? Your experience sounds like it will really help you out this time around- best of luck to you!
Hey, you are really close! You are currently in Victoria without going to school? You should keep an eye on your residency. If you have been here for a year without going to school, WCVM will consider you a BC applicant instead of Alberta for the next round (in the unlikely event you are not successful this year). Trust me, this is not a club you want to join
Sunny and Noodle, thanks for the opinions
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) But most of the interview content will really vary so much, which is probably the biggest reason why they don't need a confidentiality agreement, you never know what they are going to ask you!
) it's a stressful month but I guess after a while you just sort of get used to the increased work load and learn to push through it. Everyone is in the same boat as you so there's always a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear you can rant to 
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Hey Squishes, at UVic did you go through the Co-o program for your internship?I've been a "non student" in BC for about 2 months now. When I graduated, I picked up a post study internship at a vet clinic so was still considered a full time student as the job was set up through UVic. But the clinic that I'm working at now is not through the university so yes I have to be careful! If I do end up going back to school in Sept I won't have to worry about losing my Alberta residency. And yay for year 1 & 2 in the trash!! That must be an amazing feeling
Hey! Yah I definitely found it to be a load off my mind to know I didn't have to worry about breaking confidentiality with WCVM. It also has the added advantage of allowing you to compare interview questions afterwords, which can be fun as some of the ones you hear out there are pretty interesting/funny (Can't speak for the other provinces, but I know me and a lot of other Alberta first rounders last year were asked how we felt about terrorism and if we knew of any terrorism organisations in different specific countries, it was definitely quite the question to try and answer on the spot
First year is still going pretty well. We have a few finals coming up within the next couple of weeks so I'm trying not to actively procrastinate for those (and failing miserably
Hi everyone! I seem to be joining a bit late in the forum! Everyone here seems so incredibly motivated and positive and I think it's great we have this platform to use as a support network for all things pre-vet related! This will definitely be my go to place for those nights when the only thing keeping me warm is my degree (http://en.musicplayon.com/play?v=485610 <=== literately how I try to defend myself when my mom asks what I'm doing with my life right now lol!)
I think everyone in our class gets along pretty well for the most part. They really push you to socialize a lot at the beginning of the year, and there are a bunch of mandatory events and get-to-know you type things that help as far as familiarizing yourself with people and making friends. Even without stuff like that though, you get comfortable with your classmates really fast by just being together all day, every day. Still, when you stick 80 people together (especially a lot of perfectionist type A people in high stress situations) there's always going to be individuals that don't get a long, or just people that have really strong personalities. I think that's probably inevitable with any group of people though.
I'm originally from Ontario but moved out to Calgary a year and a half ago to accept a full-time T.A. position at an emergency animal hospital and to be eligible to apply for UCVM&WCVM. I just recently got an offer to interview with UCVM and I am so nervous! It's my first time applying and at this point, I'm just grateful that I'll come out of it with some interview experience regardless of whether I get in or not. Congrats to those who posted that they've been offered an interview at UCVM as well!
How is everyone coping with interview prep. so far AND waiting to hear back from WCVM? I have been living and breathing MMI since I found out about UCVM! If anyone else is in Calgary and would like a practice MMI buddy, let me know since I'd be super down to meet up! It is coming up so soon!
That sounds like a really interesting job, how do you like it? Also, if you don't mind me asking why didn't you stay in Ontario and apply to OVC? CONGRATS on the UCVM interview though!!!
Fair point haha, you cannot really expect every single person to be BFF's with everyone. But that's good to hearThanks for the exam well wishes!
Hi @BeautifulBritishColumbia! Thanks for the warm welcome and congratulations! I thought it would be a strategic move to become a resident of Alberta so that I could apply to UCVM and WCVM, but since I was born in Ontario, I can also apply to OVC as well so I have applied to all three for the first time this year! Like a lot of the people here that have posted, my first and second year wasn't particularly good so I thought moving to Calgary and applying to UCVM, where they lean more towards the interview and essay, would be more to my benefit. I also went back to school this past September to upgrade my first year marks and I'm happy to say that I ended up with a 4.0 GPA for the Fall semester! I wasn't sure really what my plans were when I moved out here (literately told my mom I'd be going to Calgary the summer I graduated and then left two weeks after!) but I'm glad I'm here! It's only been a year and a half since I've moved here and I can't see my life without the mountains anymore!Anne, welcome!
I remember how nervous I was last year in the weeks leading up to the BIG DAY. All I can say is practice practice practice those questions from the veterinary ethics book. If anyone wants to practice with me, or just chat about the school and you live in Calgary I would be more than happy to meet you after school - we don't have any exams this week (crazy!) so its a perfect opportunity to practice (even if you still live further away I'd be happy to answer questions about the interview day). I can't wait to see everyone on the 12th, despite all the nerves its a really fun day. There were a lot of first time applicants in our class so don't let that discourage you - you can get in on your first try Everyone in our class is so excited to meet the new first year students - this is like our sneak peak One last piece of advice - dress professionally. First impressions are so important and you will be meeting a lot of people on the 12th. Congratulations again for making this far!
. While it is hard watching most of my friends move on with their lives, I feel so fortunate to have found my passion in life (something that many of them missed out on). When I think about how badly I want this, it all seems OK. . It's really nice of you guys to come back to the forums with advice even after getting in. The pre-vet/ vet med community is so awesome .
I think that adding your own personal touch is a great idea. @annejoyi Some women wore fancier ballet slipper shoes, and others like myself wore shoes with a modest heel. A chunky necklace like what is currently in style would be perfectly acceptable. Others wore it and it really made their outfits pop. Make sure that whatever you wear its comfortable so you are not fidgeting with the clothes and that you can walk in the shoes. I don't think the school's colours really matter since you are going to be interviewed by members of the community (most of whom graduated elsewhere)...you should however wear colours that suit your complexion.
As always, thank you everyone for all your support and input!
@capucinus1, thanks for the MMI and outfit tips! It's all super helpful! Knowing what to expect, just logistically, the day of really eases my nerves!
Like you've suggested, I've started compiling a list of essay topics. I've been trying to gear many of the questions towards the four areas of emphasis that UCVM has. I'm finding it difficult to think of any questions pertaining to equine and production animal medicine, mostly due to the fact I have very little to no experience in both fields. I've been doing some Googling and have come across the issue of using hormones in dairy cows on various sites so that will definitely be something I'll practice writing about.
@LeilaFay @DPolaris @capucinus1 @SunnyAntia @sip011 + any other veterinary students I've missed, I would love to hear your guys' suggestions on what equine and large animal issues there are that pre-veterinary students should be aware of.
@annejoyi @SARdoghandler @capucinus1 I would really like to meet up with you guys as well! Unfortunately I'm not in Calgary at the moment but maybe if you guys are able to meet up on the days leading up to the interview? I'm thinking of flying out there a few days early. I would even be up to discuss scenarios/questions via email, Skype, FaceTime, anything!
@annejoyi, I've also been recording myself and talking through scenarios with people. I find that I'm very wordy and repetitive as well! I've always been a really wordy person so this is a tough habit to break. I've just been focusing more on using simple words and being concise. Last year I feel as though I didn't have a great structure when it came to answering the questions i.e. I just walked in the room and discussed my opinion/how I would proceed. This year I've made an outline on how I would like to approach the scenarios. I find this has helped me to formulate a more thorough answer and keep my train of thought clear. As for what to wear, I would go with something that you'll be comfortable in for most of the day. I wore a peach coloured blouse, black blazer, pencil skirt, tights and low black heels. Others were dressed more or less the same. I saw one guy dressed top to bottom cowboy style, hat and everything! (I wouldn't be able to pull that off hehe) I think this year I will go with a more "spring" coloured outfit i.e. a cream blazer, pastel blouse and maybe dress pants with nice flats. I felt that writing the essay in a skirt last year was a bit uncomfortable, maybe because I'm used to writing papers in sweatpants hahaI think that adding your own personal touch is a great idea.
fingers crossed for all of us in the forum interviewing for UCVM/WCVM! There's a lot of great support and advice here! We'll have to pay it forward by coming back and posting on this site when we get into vet school!
@noodle3, you are the sensei to my grasshopper. Those are great starting points for me. Thank you for sharing! Now to read up on all things large animal related in two weeks!
How was your first interview with WCVM? Is there anything you would do differently if you get an interview offer this year?
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I think that adding your own personal touch is a great idea.
