anybody working full time doing pre-reqs part-time??

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Maddiegirl

Maddiegirl

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Unfortunately, I still have to work full time and squeeze in my pre-reqs around my work schedule. I'm taking two lab sciences a semester and working 40 hours a week. Think that will be considered rigorous enough for the adcom ??

Anyone else in a similar boat? How are you staying sane? 😳
 
Been there. Done that.

Took 2.5 years that way. Really didn't have much free time which is actually good practice for Vet school.

As for keeping sane, couldn't answer as I lost my sanity a long time ago.

Whoops... gotta go back to histology...
 
yerp. It's pretty common to do that for a lot of us. I did that for about 5-6 years, took pre-reqs and just went ahead and got a second degree in bio. I am now finally in my first year of vet school at Illinois, so I think it depends on the school whether they consider it rigorous enough. I know that MIssouri pretty much told me I shouldn't bother applying cuz I hadn't had a fulltime courseload of classes in too long and they want to be sure you can handle that....
 
It is so wonderful to hear from those who have been in my shoes and made it through! Thanks for your posts!!

I am loving the challenge of getting through this process and I can't wait until I open that admission letter to vet school!

I'm hoping to get into A&M, but honestly I'll be happy just about anywhere they let me in because in the end it doesn't matter to me what school name is on my diploma. Maybe it should, but at this point I just want to be a vet and will do whatever it takes to get there!
 
I am a full time student/full time worker (40 hours a week), plus I volunteer. It kicks my butt, but I have to pay my house payment while I'm getting my requirements for my dream job 🙂 I have been doing both full time for about 2 years now... before, I was working full time and doing part time school... it took me far too long to get the units I got, so I decided to go full time when I changed to a Cal State.
 
How do you do that? With my full time work schedule atm I could never be in class
 
I am in the same boat, too. while I run my own business from home, I work like 40-60hrs a week plus taking 8 credit hrs. a semester. I have to say I was pretty disappointed in Missouri when they said I would need to take 3 semesters of 15 plus credits, before applying. Are you kidding me!?!? So in other words they only want kids who havent reached the point in life where they have other commitments? I was almost offended. OK I was offended. 😱
 
DVM2016--

What is your work schedule like? When do you find time to study and do homework? Just curious because I would seriously like to go full time.

I work 8:30-5:30pm - M-F and taking the lab sciences eats up 2-3 hours per night, 4 nights a week. Unless I could find an early morning class the scheduling would be near impossible to add anything else during the week.

I also volunteer on Saturdays at a therapeutic riding center.

Look forward to any further advice you can offer.

Thanks!
 
Yes, currently I am taking only 4 credit hours while working full time and trying to fit in around 4-10 hours of shadowing/volunteer work at a vet clinic. I really hope that ISU considers this rigorous because it is honestly the hardest thing I have done; absolutely no free time. On top of it I graduated from my university last year and they want me to take the university pre-req for ISU to have the "best consideration" and it costs 200 dollars per credit hour because its considered graduate tuition😡.
 
I work full time as a researcher at a biotech company. So my hours are 40+ every week, I also work part time on weekends at a vet clinic, I have been taking 4 credits a semester.
 
Maschka1-I was offended by Missouri too! I thought it was quite 'ageist' of them to exclude those of us who have been working full time instead of being in school full time. whatever. their loss! U of I accepted me and I love it there so nyaaaah.
 
Ya I am missing a pre-req for U of I, but I plan to apply there next cycle if I dont get in this year. My grandmother lives close to the school and I think it would be nice to be close to her and help her out. Glad to hear you like it and they accepted you without taking full time courses! out of curiosity, how many semesters of 4 credits/working did you have under your belt, before applying? I have 3 and I am hoping it is enough to prove to them that I am ready for this.
 
When I was in undergrad, I worked nights FT as a CNA, went to school FT during the day, and worked PT every weekend (two 12 hour shifts) as a security guard. It wasn't fun.

When I decided to go back to vet school, I took FT classes for 2 semesters while working 42-48 hours at a vet clinic. Classes were sciences, business classes, all without labs and distance programs.

You can only do what you are able to. You do your best, and then you put it out there as selectively as you can. Make sure the other life experiences that are relevant (and most are) shine through.
 
I've been working almost full-time (~30 hrs) while taking classes/labs full-time (summers and 12-14 hrs/semester) for the past year and a half. I also commute an hour each way and have been volunteering 4 hours/week at each a horse stable and the Natural History Museum's wildlife dept. I'd be quite upset if anyone told me I wasn't doing enough!! You know what you've been doing...stand tall and as long as you can make your case, I'd like to think you shouldn't have a problem.
 
I work 35 hours per week, take 12-15 credit hours at school, volunteer 4 hours per week and I am married with 3 kids. I work at a vet clinic which is very flexible with my hours, and end up working all the weekends. I am in my fourth semester of doing this, and I am applying to vet school currently. Hopefully that is "rigorous" enough.😀
 
Ausrural said:
How do you do that? With my full time work schedule atm I could never be in class

Maddiegirl:
DVM2016--

What is your work schedule like? When do you find time to study and do homework? Just curious because I would seriously like to go full time.

I work 8:30-5:30pm - M-F and taking the lab sciences eats up 2-3 hours per night, 4 nights a week. Unless I could find an early morning class the scheduling would be near impossible to add anything else during the week.

I also volunteer on Saturdays at a therapeutic riding center.

Look forward to any further advice you can offer.

Thanks!
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Sorry I havent been on in a couple days for enough time to read back and reply to those who have replied to me... I work nights (12 hour shifts). I've been doing it for 8 years, so my body is finally used to it... it took me about 3 years to turn myself into a vampire :scared: lol... Since I work such long shifts, I only work 3-4 days a week... so I work on the weekends when school is in session... I go to school during the week. The only days that are difficult are Mondays (after working all night on Sundays) and every other Friday (when I work on Thursday nights)... Thankfully I have been fortunate enough to get classes that start at noon or later on those "tough" days, so its not horrible 🙂 Then I volunteer for about 4 hours one day a week.

The really hard part was when I got my part-time clinic job ON TOP of all that. I was VERY honest and up front during my interview and my supervisor totally worked with me with scheduling around my classes AND my primary job hours. I did all 3 for about a month and a half, then worked the two jobs plus volunteering during the summer. My last day at the clinic is in 2 weeks (for now), then I start school a week later. I will more than likely work 2 jobs again next summer. I generally get 4-6 hours of sleep on average... depending on the day 😴

Trust me, my life is not a cake walk... and I'm tired ALL the time. My friends and family constantly tells me to slow down. Sometimes, even my pre-vet friends even tell me to slow down (I usually heed the advice when its so much that THEY say something haha). Thankfully, my boyfriend makes his own hours for work, so he *makes* time for me and he is extremely supportive, so I never feel guilty about my commitments 😍

Basically... to put it bluntly... I just work my a** off, and I don't think about the "tired." I WANT IT!! lol! It's almost robotic now... 😎
 
Question for those that are talking about Missouri.. who said you had to have full time for 3-4 semesters. I did have full-time way back during my 1st trip around in school but now with 2 kids, an often deployed husband, working 16-24 hours a week, being a volunteer 6-10 hours a week and taking 9 credits this semseter.. I just don't have the additional time to take another class.. was this for out of state applicants? I am considered instate but I want to bump up my classes if I have to now.. I am a non-traditional and I am aware I will not be the full time student only that they are looking for but I was hoping the rest of my life would compensate? Any ideas on this.. now I am super worried! ( I thought my total hours of 45-60 hours a week plus studying would be enough.. I know that 20 hrs of class plus 30-40 hours of study is around 60 hours.) I don't need to work but want the experience.. Lord.. I am working myself up now!

Thanks
 
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Futuredvm- I really admire your tenacity! And, I totally agree with you, I want it and I'll do whatever I have to to get there! I'll be glad when it's robotic for me! I'm still struggling a little bit, but I like to think of it as getting back in shape....my brain hurts from all the use lately, but it's a good sore! Now, if I could only make some time for the treadmill before my backside gets any bigger....
 
Maddiegirl said:
Futuredvm- I really admire your tenacity! And, I totally agree with you, I want it and I'll do whatever I have to to get there! I'll be glad when it's robotic for me! I'm still struggling a little bit, but I like to think of it as getting back in shape....my brain hurts from all the use lately, but it's a good sore! Now, if I could only make some time for the treadmill before my backside gets any bigger....
Click to expand...

Oh my gosh, it is SOOO funny that you say that, because I almost added the gym in there....

"it makes it hard to find time to go to the gym, but I'll take the extra poundage for a couple years"

hahaha... I decided not to add it... we must have telepathy hahaha

---

Seriously though... you just have to make yourself believe you can do it... push yourself close to the limits (KNOW YOUR LIMITS), and go for it! It takes some getting used to, but you can do it... a lot of people don't KNOW what they can do until they do it 🙂
 
Horselover-here is what I got from Missouri:
I asked:
"Hello,
While reading through your application evaluation procedures for potential veterinary students I can across a few questions. my first question is in regards to your statement about full time course load for the last 3 semesters. I am a non traditional student and I am working full time while also attending classes. the college is very far from my home and takes 3 hours in travel. As a result my course load is half time. would those courses not be considered in my evaluation as a potential candidate? or do you figure work load into the calculation?"

Here is their response:
"
We use students cum GPA, last three full-time semesters GPA while working toward an undergraduate degree and courseload carried, also while working toward undergraduate degree….to award admission points. The Adm. Comm. thinking is that you won’t be as prepared for the courseload you carry the first two years in our program if you don’t complete the course pre-reqs going full-time. And it’s not an easy thing to access your grade in a semester unless going full-time, so is difficult to say if you’d be successful if enrolled here. And the average courseload carried by prevets is 15.5 hours a semester..not the usual 12 sem. hours many students enroll in. Your first year here in our Vet program students take 18 to 22 hours each semester or higher level science courses…no decelerating.

So if you don’t average above 13 hours, you would not receive any courseload points….and if you don’t have three full-time semesters you would not receive those points either. Left is cum GPA points and GRE/MCAT points which is only a total of 25 out of 40 available to you."




hope that helps
 
Maschka1 said:
Horselover-here is what I got from Missouri:
I asked:
"Hello,
While reading through your application evaluation procedures for potential veterinary students I can across a few questions. my first question is in regards to your statement about full time course load for the last 3 semesters. I am a non traditional student and I am working full time while also attending classes. the college is very far from my home and takes 3 hours in travel. As a result my course load is half time. would those courses not be considered in my evaluation as a potential candidate? or do you figure work load into the calculation?"

Here is their response:
"
We use students cum GPA, last three full-time semesters GPA while working toward an undergraduate degree and courseload carried, also while working toward undergraduate degree….to award admission points. The Adm. Comm. thinking is that you won’t be as prepared for the courseload you carry the first two years in our program if you don’t complete the course pre-reqs going full-time. And it’s not an easy thing to access your grade in a semester unless going full-time, so is difficult to say if you’d be successful if enrolled here. And the average courseload carried by prevets is 15.5 hours a semester..not the usual 12 sem. hours many students enroll in. Your first year here in our Vet program students take 18 to 22 hours each semester or higher level science courses…no decelerating.

So if you don’t average above 13 hours, you would not receive any courseload points….and if you don’t have three full-time semesters you would not receive those points either. Left is cum GPA points and GRE/MCAT points which is only a total of 25 out of 40 available to you."




hope that helps
Click to expand...

That is the most rediculous thing I've ever heard...
 
So apparently Missouri doesn't want any non-trad students? That is ridiculous.
 
That is slightly on the rediculous side... especially considering I have all of my pre-reqs except the sciences done. I am taking 12credts this semester and I will bump it up to 12 next and 12 over the fall. I don't know about 15 credits. So I guess I wouldn't receive the "courseload points or the full time points".. which doesn't seem fair.. anyways, they may not let me in time 1, 2 or 3 of applying but eventually they will.. they will get tired of seeing my face! (LOL) Hopfully, I can get into one of the others I am applying to...Thanks for responding back Maschka1
 
This makes me want to apply to Missouri (even though I am already in vet school), get rejected, and then send them a copy of my degree in 4 years.

What a crock of canine defecation.

I still have 20 or so days to send in my application...:idea:
 
StartingoverVet said:
This makes me want to apply to Missouri (even though I am already in vet school), get rejected, and then send them a copy of my degree in 4 years.

What a crock of canine defecation.

I still have 20 or so days to send in my application...:idea:
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BAHAHAHAHA!!! This totally made me LOL... 🤣

Thank you for that!
 
I am currently in that boat as well. I work 40 hours/week 3-11:30 p.m. as an MT and am re-taking pre-reqs during the day. On my day off, I shadow a veterinary surgeon. I also dance on Sundays. I don't sleep, or see my friends :'( but I work very hard and hope it pays off. Besides, when you work hard for what you want, the reward is so much greater.
 
I'm still laughing at the idea of sending an application to get rejected to Missouri and then forwarding a copy of your degree!!
 
Oh dear, I see others have hit the Missouri 'wall' as I like to call it. I call it that because every time you hang up the phone the only thing you want to do is find a wall to bang your head against to try to make sense of the stupidity!! :bang:

I've spoken with them because that's where RADIL is and I'm looking to go into lab animal or international government med (which pretty much means lab animal). Anyway, first time out, many moons ago, they were only interested in whether or not I had any experience with beef cattle and food grade swine. :wtf: Uh, no - I'm a lab rat. So, they made it quite clear that I wouldn't be accepted. OK.

This time out, I decide what the heck, let's see if they've changed anything... They proceed to tell me the gist about the 'full time for three semesters' nonsense and I try to explain that would be impossible for me as I've completed all of their prereqs already. Then they have the nerve to tell me that I should just sign up for upper level biology and chemistry classes. Hello? I then make another attempt to explain to them that I have a 50+ hour a week job that requires me to work weekends and need to keep said job in order to pay the bills that have accrued while being a masochist. She then apologizes in that marvelous way these people do and said in so many words that it would be very difficult for me to obtain acceptance. That's when I said, screw 'em!

I've thought of calling them out on ageism, but Startingover - your idea is beyond genius!! LOVE it!!! Mu-wah-ha-ha-ha-ha!! :meanie:
 
Wow, for a second I was considering adding Mizzou to my list of schools, but after hearing about their attitude toward older applicants, forget it! 😡
 
I am just astounded by Missouri's attitude on this. How idiotic. A full-time job while taking 11 science credits is somehow less rigorous than taking 12 credits and doing nothing else?

Maschka1 said:
"We use students cum GPA, last three full-time semesters GPA while working toward an undergraduate degree and courseload carried, also while working toward undergraduate degree….to award admission points. The Adm. Comm. thinking is that you won't be as prepared for the courseload you carry the first two years in our program if you don't complete the course pre-reqs going full-time. And it's not an easy thing to access your grade in a semester unless going full-time, so is difficult to say if you'd be successful if enrolled here. And the average courseload carried by prevets is 15.5 hours a semester..not the usual 12 sem. hours many students enroll in. Your first year here in our Vet program students take 18 to 22 hours each semester or higher level science courses…no decelerating. So if you don't average above 13 hours, you would not receive any courseload points….and if you don't have three full-time semesters you would not receive those points either. Left is cum GPA points and GRE/MCAT points which is only a total of 25 out of 40 available to you."
Click to expand...

I'm also highly amused that Missouri appears to have confused access and assess in their reply to Maschka1...
 
WOW!! How did I miss/misunderstand all the Missouri nonsense before? Any why couldn't I have figured this out BEFORE I decided to apply there... since I haven't sent my big ol' package of transcripts to them yet, I am seriously wondering if I should swap them out for one of the other schools I was seriously considering...

I already had qualms about their possible GPA cut-offs, but now I have serious qualms about my last full time course load being so long ago (although most pre-reqs were taken full time then). I KNEW I shouldn't have procrastinated so much on applications... now I am in full panic mode!

I wonder if Washington would give me more love than Missouri...
 
This seems absurd. How is working a full time job and being financially responsible for oneself while gaining veterinary and volunteer experience AND taking classes ANY LESS RIGOROUS? Frankly it's a little insulting to us non-trads who stopped living off our parents' money years ago and have to like, pay rent and buy groceries.

Good thing I didn't want to apply there anyways. Cause I'd have had to be really mean to the person who told me I didn't have a shot due to a small course load. Then they definitely wouldn't have let me in! :laugh:
 
Whyever -

Fear not, they got the sharp side of my tongue. :slap:
I think my blood pressure lowered about 50 points after that. 🙂

OK then, I've gotta get out of the office so I can buy cat litter and then make an attempt to finish up some supp apps tonight.

Hope everyone has a lovely evening!!
 
i totally know how you feel! i am doing a master's program part-time, plus working full time 45-50 hours/week. most days i am just SO exhausted!! i agree with what someone else said, i think it will be good practice for me for vet school. the only thing i'm worried about is that my full-time job is not in the veterinary field - i'm working at a credit union in the e-services department. i got the job mostly because i was having a hard time finding a full time job in the vet field that would pay enough for me to live on my own. plus it helps me pay for my master's program, and hopefully i can save a little for vet school too once i get in.

the other downside is that most people i work with don't understand why i don't want to go to the bars on weekends, or why i don't watch much tv...because i'm too exhausted and i don't have the time!
 
Hey, Gone2dogs, I'd forget about Mizzou and go with Washington. I get the feeling WSU is much less rigid in their analysis of an applicant's potential. They even mention on their website that they factor in extenuating circumstances like extensive work commitments.
 
LivestockDoc said:
Hey, Gone2dogs, I'd forget about Mizzou and go with Washington. I get the feeling WSU is much less rigid in their analysis of an applicant's potential. They even mention on their website that they factor in extenuating circumstances like extensive work commitments.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, WSU wasn't on my list but perhaps it deserves some investigation!! 🙂

I can't wait to get further along in this process! First semester of pre-req classes and I'm :scared: so scared I'll get to the application stage in a couple of years and the AdComs will just laugh at me and I will absolutely:boom:
 
Hey everyone - can I start by saying that "PHEW - there's others out there like me!"

I'm working full-time and taking 2 classes/12 credit hours this semester. On top of that I'm volunteering at a dog shelter and working at the aquarium. I have yet to get shadowing/vet experience and am currently working on getting that.

I get so discouraged some times because I'm afraid that none of what I do will appeal to the schools :scared:
 
Man, you guys make me feel like a slacker! Since I went back to school to start my pre-reqs for vet school, I've averaged 15 credit hours and 25-30 hour workweeks. I was on easy street until I started my upper division courses (biochem, physiology, histology, etc). 🙁 My grades took a hit so I ended up moving back in with my parents to cut back on expenses and cutting down on my work hours. This is my first semester working only 10-15 hours a week and I swear, I don't know what to do with all my free time!

I've done 18 credit semesters without working and trust me, they were a breeze compared to balancing 15 hours and work. Mizzou's thinking is wack!
 
just thought I'd bump this thread and see if we have any new members in the same situation, or any old members with updates to share.

🙂
 
Maddiegirl said:
just thought I'd bump this thread and see if we have any new members in the same situation, or any old members with updates to share.

🙂
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I did! I am/was fortunate enough to have a job, a boss, and a team that weren't so concerned with what hours I was in the office as much as they were with me getting my work done. So in spite of having a pretty demanding job in the telco/internet industry, I still managed to take a couple classes per semester, and even was able to do it during the day for the most part.

Really, the toughest time was when I took orgo in a 7-week summer session (class every morning). It got pretty hard to keep up at work, get my orgo homework done, be in class every day etc. I didn't find the *class* all that horrible ... just balancing everything. I'd come home at 6 and have to choose between playing with my kids for a few hours, doing orgo homework, or catching up at work.
 
deciding on changing my schedule for the fall at work and going pt at work and ft at school

most i could do was ft work and 2 science /lab courses

it was very tiring ontop of volunteering on saturdays

if only i had a chance to go truly ft 15 credit hours and volunteer hah what a joke

that'd be a breeze imo
 
Hey Maddiegirl... I haven't been on in a while... I'm still truckin' along with all my craziness... I finished off spring quarter with As and Bs carrying 15 units. I was volunteering at an equine hospital two nights a week, and working my regular full time position on the weekends. I am now taking two back to back 5 week ochem classes with labs this summer... hoping to finish the series in August so I can start biochem in the fall 🙂 I am on track to graduate with my B.S. in animal science in June!!

I'm finally applying to schools this year!!! 😀 I'm soooo excited/nervous at the same time! Pray for me hahaha! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

How is your schedule going?? Used to the madness yet?
 
LetItSnow said:
I did! I am/was fortunate enough to have a job, a boss, and a team that weren't so concerned with what hours I was in the office as much as they were with me getting my work done. So in spite of having a pretty demanding job in the telco/internet industry, I still managed to take a couple classes per semester, and even was able to do it during the day for the most part.

Really, the toughest time was when I took orgo in a 7-week summer session (class every morning). It got pretty hard to keep up at work, get my orgo homework done, be in class every day etc. I didn't find the *class* all that horrible ... just balancing everything. I'd come home at 6 and have to choose between playing with my kids for a few hours, doing orgo homework, or catching up at work.
Click to expand...

Very similar experience as mine (sans the kids). I kind of miss those halcyon days of yore.
 
StartingoverVet said:
Very similar experience as mine (sans the kids). I kind of miss those halcyon days of yore.
Click to expand...

Gotta admit, that's the part of vet school that scares me the most!

I remember how much of an annoying time management puzzle it was to work full time, do pre-reqs, and keep life manageable, and you and everyone else tell me that was easy compared to what it will be like.....

OTOH, if it works out correctly I'll be getting laid off from my job shortly before school, so at least that removes one very huge time sink.....
 
I was a full-time employee while taking 2-3 prereq classes at a time (I could not take more or others...b/c well they were during the day when I was working my full-time salary job 😉). Often I would have to leave work to go to a class such as Biochem, etc (b/c the upper level courses seemed to be only during day at the university...but community college like for Gen Chem or Physics they offered them in the evening) and come back to work.

And on the weekends I was acquiring veterinary/animal experience and doing the extracurricular stuff (for some of the animal things I drove to a wildlife center or farm ~3 hours away). I would have hardly considered myself a slacker. My first application to Prince Edward this scenario (that I was not a full-time student while taking pre-reqs) was fine I just provided my supplemental letter asking them to still consider my application. They did, and I was interviewed and waitlisted. My second application to them, I was disqualified for not being a full-time student while taking pre-reqs. First application not an issue, second application it was an issue....very disappointed by all of this...seemed really unfair.
 
LetItSnow said:
OTOH, if it works out correctly I'll be getting laid off from my job shortly before school, so at least that removes one very huge time sink.....
Click to expand...

Had a couple of people whose jobs pre-vet didn't quite finish at the start of vet school and they did not seem very happy to have a foot in 2 different worlds. That was cleared up pretty quickly though. My boss wanted me to continue with some stuff and I was like "no freakin way", but said a little harsher!
 
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