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- Thread starter y2j123
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You're not in trouble yet. Luckily for you, you're just in your first quarter and you have a lot of time to get your crap together. I'll try to address your concerns one by one.
1.) The classes you should take depends upon what school(s) you're hoping to apply to. Some schoools have a very extensive and specific list of pre-reqs and some have a shorter, more general list. Every vet school has a website that lists its pre-requisite course requirements, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what you need to do. But in general, every school requires a year of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and a math of some sort (pre-calc will do it for some schools, some schools require calculus). Other than pre-req's, doing well in upper-level science courses and electives in whatever interest you are a good idea.
2.) If you were to continue on the rest of your undergraduate journey and get no better than a 2.55 you'd be in trouble, generally speaking. Most schools require a GPA of at LEAST 2.8, some won't consider you if you have less than a 3.0. In general, >3.5 is considered competitive. Science GPA also matters and should be taken into consideration.
3.) Yes, in general, you should worry about grades. Should you worry about the grades you've gotten so far? Not necessarily. The biggest issue is WHY you got those grades and you seem to have a pretty good grasp on that. Having a bad first quarter isn't a death sentence as lots of students have a bit of a hard time adjusting to living on their own and not having someone breathing down their neck making them study. The important thing is you seem to recognize the issues at hand. Now you just need to take steps to correct them. Perhaps you need to spend an allotted amount of time each evening at the library to avoid the distractions of your dorm, or maybe you even need to consider changing dorms if it's interfering with your sleep and study time. Also, retaking those courses that you got C's in is not a bad idea, assuming you're relatively confident that you can do much better in them the second time around.
4.) As for extracurriculars, right now I think you should focus on pulling up your grades and developing a set of study skills. However, extracurriculars can help strengthen your application and you should definitely have some. Does your school have a pre-veterinary medical association? Maybe there's something else you like to do that has nothing to do with vet med; that's awesome too-vet schools love a well-rounded applicant. Volunteering at an animal shelter or shadowing a vet are also great ECs to have. If you don't have any hours working with a vet, I'd suggest getting a start on that immediately. Most vet schools require at least some clinical experience and in some schools, competitive applicants have thousands of hours of veterinary experience. Again, check out the school's your interested. Some value depth of experience in one area (Davis, for example), and other schools value breadth of experience over a lot of areas of vet med. This is important not only for application purposes, but also to make sure this is really what you want to do.
5.) I'm not really sure what you mean here. Just make sure you're on track with your pre-req's, study hard for your GREs, get some extracurricular activities (preferably leadership positions), and get as much veterinary experience as possible. Also try and take some time out for yourself and have fun! Undergrad is four very short years, so make the most of them!
6.) Your major does not matter as long as you fufill the pre-requisites. I'm an Animal Science major and I wouldn't say it's "easier," I would say the material is easier for me to absorb because I'm thoroughly interested in the subject matter. Often times vet schools like to see people with majors outside the sciences for diversity purposes. It makes for more well-rounded and interesting applicants.
I hope that starts to answer some of your questions. Feel free to ask anything else, we're a pretty friendly bunch!
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Just as a side note, your gpa is important, yes, but whoever advised you to take an "easy" major was short sighted. vet school is not easy, and if you learn to handle hard things in undergrad you'll have a better chance of making it in vet school.
And that's part of what the admissions committee looks for - someone that has proven they can handle heavy class loads and hard classes too.
And that's part of what the admissions committee looks for - someone that has proven they can handle heavy class loads and hard classes too.
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Well let's see...
First off, as I'm sure more people will ask and want to make sure, have you also gotten plenty of animal and vet experience. Loving animals is important (maybe even vital), but you have to love being a vet too.
But that's not what your asking.
1.) The classes you should be taking should be the requirements for whichever vet schools you hope to apply to. These differ slightly from school to school and can usually be found on their website. Since this is your first year, you should find a balance of classes that show you can handle a course load, but don't make sure you can make good grades in them. Don't overload! I took less classes than I probably could have each semester so that my grades would be good. Also, take classes that interest you.
2.) Should you worry about your grades? Well, it's probably best if you wait for another post, but my opinion is not to freak out, just understand that you need manage your time better, and do it! One mediocre quarter isn't going to sink any dreams. You should check out the average GPA's for acceptance so you know what you need to shoot for (or above). The Acceptance threads for 2014 should give you an idea.
3.) Extracurriculars? I would imagine Davis has a pre-vet club, so get in with them. Volunteering at a vet office, horse barn, zoo, animal shelter are all tried and true extracurriculars. You might want to check out the VMCAS (which is the application used to apply to almost all vet schools) to see what extracurricular experience they ask for. Diversity is usually good.
4.) What to look out for? That's a big question. My main piece of advice is to do your own research about vet school and the admission process (or anything). Pre-vet advisors can be helpful, but in my experience can be misinformed. Best way to find out is to look it up yourself. You should ask for advice of course, but still check it out yourself.
5.) It doesn't matter what major you take, as long as you fulfill the vet school pre-requisites. As has been said before, you can major in Pottery with an astronomy minor as long as you fulfill the requirements. I would recommend to do a major that you enjoy, that will prepare you for vet school (take anatomy!🙂), and one that might have a job at the end of it.
As to the socializing, I'd wait for someone with more experience. My undergrad school had nil social life and neither did the town.
p.s. My dad had the same sentiment. I think that a person with no interest in the medical field is going to logically think that you should go with the higher paying one. If my future child wants to be an engineer, I'm probably going to think the highest paying engineer is the way to go. This was just my experience with my family and career paths.
Edit: Sorry for posting another long post too. Me and Elliegirl must have been posting at the same time
First off, as I'm sure more people will ask and want to make sure, have you also gotten plenty of animal and vet experience. Loving animals is important (maybe even vital), but you have to love being a vet too.
But that's not what your asking.
1.) The classes you should be taking should be the requirements for whichever vet schools you hope to apply to. These differ slightly from school to school and can usually be found on their website. Since this is your first year, you should find a balance of classes that show you can handle a course load, but don't make sure you can make good grades in them. Don't overload! I took less classes than I probably could have each semester so that my grades would be good. Also, take classes that interest you.
2.) Should you worry about your grades? Well, it's probably best if you wait for another post, but my opinion is not to freak out, just understand that you need manage your time better, and do it! One mediocre quarter isn't going to sink any dreams. You should check out the average GPA's for acceptance so you know what you need to shoot for (or above). The Acceptance threads for 2014 should give you an idea.
3.) Extracurriculars? I would imagine Davis has a pre-vet club, so get in with them. Volunteering at a vet office, horse barn, zoo, animal shelter are all tried and true extracurriculars. You might want to check out the VMCAS (which is the application used to apply to almost all vet schools) to see what extracurricular experience they ask for. Diversity is usually good.
4.) What to look out for? That's a big question. My main piece of advice is to do your own research about vet school and the admission process (or anything). Pre-vet advisors can be helpful, but in my experience can be misinformed. Best way to find out is to look it up yourself. You should ask for advice of course, but still check it out yourself.
5.) It doesn't matter what major you take, as long as you fulfill the vet school pre-requisites. As has been said before, you can major in Pottery with an astronomy minor as long as you fulfill the requirements. I would recommend to do a major that you enjoy, that will prepare you for vet school (take anatomy!🙂), and one that might have a job at the end of it.
As to the socializing, I'd wait for someone with more experience. My undergrad school had nil social life and neither did the town.
p.s. My dad had the same sentiment. I think that a person with no interest in the medical field is going to logically think that you should go with the higher paying one. If my future child wants to be an engineer, I'm probably going to think the highest paying engineer is the way to go. This was just my experience with my family and career paths.
Edit: Sorry for posting another long post too. Me and Elliegirl must have been posting at the same time
I'm currently a Davis Vet School student, and while I did not go to Davis for undergrad, I've heard about so many levels of support for pre-vets on campus. There is a huge pre-vet club (I think it's called the Vet Aid club) - you would probably benefit from talking to upperclassmen who know what classes to take specifically as a Davis student. There are also a bunch of advisors that work specifically with pre-vets. Like I said, I don't know any of this from first-hand experience, but poke around a bit and I'm sure you'll get tons of advice from people who (at least) know all of the Davis School of Veterinary Medicine admissions info . . .
You should know that Animal Science and Animal Biology are two very different majors and you should research both if you are considering changing. As others have said, as long as you complete the pre-requisites, major doesn't matter too much. GPA is what you should be focusing on now so you don't have to make up for it later. An important step in succeeding in college is learning how to study. Professors, fellow students, and advisers can help you form a functional study habits. Davis science courses are tough, but if you stay focused and determined, you can do really well!
I would suggest not adding on extra-curricular activities until you have a solid footing in your classes and are managing the classwork better. You still have a lot of time to gain experience before you apply to vet school.
Meet with an adviser from either the Animal Science or Animal Biology department. They will be able to help you in your academic goals.
I went to Davis for my undergrad and although I was a transfer, I understand how hard it can be to transition to college. I think if you have the motivation, you have the resources to succeed here. No need to freak out yet 🙂.
I would suggest not adding on extra-curricular activities until you have a solid footing in your classes and are managing the classwork better. You still have a lot of time to gain experience before you apply to vet school.
Meet with an adviser from either the Animal Science or Animal Biology department. They will be able to help you in your academic goals.
I went to Davis for my undergrad and although I was a transfer, I understand how hard it can be to transition to college. I think if you have the motivation, you have the resources to succeed here. No need to freak out yet 🙂.
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Thx to everyone who replied 🙂!!
I'll start looking into the vet school requirements so i have a better understanding of what classes I have to take 🙂!
And also PreVet experiences, should i start now?
During highschool I had about a Summer worth of volunteering at the Oakland Animal Services, that should count right?
And also how many hours minimum (About how many) would be decent for applying?
thx again 🙂!
I'll start looking into the vet school requirements so i have a better understanding of what classes I have to take 🙂!
And also PreVet experiences, should i start now?
During highschool I had about a Summer worth of volunteering at the Oakland Animal Services, that should count right?
And also how many hours minimum (About how many) would be decent for applying?
thx again 🙂!
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Just wanted to add that this is a good site to look at for the different requirements:
http://aavmc.org/vmcas/College_Requirements.htm
Its a good idea to start getting as many diversified experiences as possible, but not at the expense of your grades of course. The summer with Oakland Animal Services would also count. If you want to get an idea of the types and amounts of experiences people had, look at the successful applicants threads.
http://aavmc.org/vmcas/College_Requirements.htm
Its a good idea to start getting as many diversified experiences as possible, but not at the expense of your grades of course. The summer with Oakland Animal Services would also count. If you want to get an idea of the types and amounts of experiences people had, look at the successful applicants threads.
As far as average number of experience/vet hours go, and GPA comparisons, etc., here are my class's stats:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studentprograms/class_2014/pdfs/app_stats_2014.pdf
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studentprograms/class_2014/pdfs/app_stats_2014.pdf