2+2 vs. 3+1 curriculum

[chloehazel]

I apologize if this was already posted somewhere - I looked but couldn't find anything!

Those of you who are in vet school, can you compare the 2+2 (2 years class, 2 years clinicals) to the 3+1 style curriculums? My top schools are UF, NCSU, Mizzou, OSU and Wisconsin, and I know that NCSU and Wisconsin are both 3+1 and UF, Mizzou and OSU are 2+2.

Which style is preferred by students? For the 3+1 schools, is there animal contact throughout the first 3 years? Any opinions would be appreciated

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[adams30]

For the 3+1 schools, is there animal contact throughout the first 3 years? Any opinions would be appreciated

Can't comment on the other schools you listed but each school will be slightly different. At Illinois we start off our first year in clinics for the first quarter of school, with the other 3 quarters class. We are in clinics again for a quarter second year too. Fourth year is clinics. So clinical skills for us is kind of spread out.

I think it depends on the school. I personally like the idea of having clinics spread throughout the span of vet school. I think with 2+2 your summers might be shorter than a 3+1. No matter where you go however it is still a good idea to be getting involved and trying to get clinical experience before 4th year rotations.

 

[kakurubird]

I think it depends on the school. I personally like the idea of having clinics spread throughout the span of vet school. I think with 2+2 your summers might be shorter than a 3+1. No matter where you go however it is still a good idea to be getting involved and trying to get clinical experience before 4th year rotations.

Can't say this is true for everywhere, but summers at Mizzou are only 6 weeks or so, with the trade-off that clinics start October of 3rd year (but you still get a summer after surgery classes). I'm happy with that trade-off, but it's something you should be aware of.

Definitely at interviews, ask lots about how the schedule works. It is something that could play into your decision.

UF, for instance, does classes, clinics, classes a bit more, then clinics again, I'm pretty sure. Basically, everywhere does things slightly differently, so if you think you may have strong preferences, look through these things on the schools' websites.

 

[variegata]

Animal contact in the curriculum is a bit limited for the first two years at Wisconsin, second year in particular. It gets a little better third year since you have junior surgery, so there are 3 weeks a semester where your group has an animal its responsible for. There's absolutely animal opportunities outside of school though, you just have to look for them. Friends of Ferals has monthly spay and neuter events that I've been participating in since my first year, for example. The way our curriculum is built, I can't imagine having to cram it all into just two years!

 

[orcagirl]

At NSCU there is a good amount of hands-on experience in the curriculum. First year you used to spend a day each week learning how to palpate the live animal equivalent of the animals you are dissecting. We also have our teaching animal unit (TAU) class every semester for the first three years. You get a two hour experience each semester with goats/sheep, pigs, cows, horses, and poultry (chickens in the spring and turkeys in the fall). Then second year you do your canine spays and neuters, and you have physical exam skills where you learn how to perform a physical exam on many different species of animals. I'm not sure about third year other than TAU, but I'm sure there is something. Also as a student, as long as you have another student with you, you can go out and play with the animals pretty much any time. It's a lot of fun in the spring time when there are babies everywhere. There are also two week elective classes at the end of each semester and some of those can be really hands on. I've gotten to assist on koi surgeries and shadow lab animals vets, which was totally cool.