A Hello and some questions from a wannabe vet

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Hi,
I'm a 18 yo recent high school grad who is looking for direction which I lack very much. However I rediscovered the idea of being a vet.I dropped out of college recently but I plan to go back once I find myself and do some work both volunteer and paid. I just want some real world experience. I always thought about being a vet since I was young because I loved animals and was very good at science. I just have a few questions...

Does anyone think you need to have a certain personailty traits to be a vet?
Are their any traits that would cause problems?
Is there a main persoanlity that becomes a vet?
Would it matter that I didn't go to college right away? I do plan on volunteering with animals a lot.
Also I have Asperger's syndrome a mild neurological condition that cause problems with social and communication skills as well as motor skills and obsessiveness and rigidity and frequently sensory problems
Do you think the Asperger's would cause major problems?
Mine is pretty mild mostly

Well thanks in advance.

 

[are_jay]

Does anyone think you need to have a certain personailty traits to be a vet?
Are their any traits that would cause problems?
Is there a main persoanlity that becomes a vet?
Would it matter that I didn't go to college right away? I do plan on volunteering with animals a lot.
Also I have Asperger's syndrome a mild neurological condition that cause problems with social and communication skills as well as motor skills and
obsessiveness and rigidity and frequently sensory problems
Do you think the Asperger's would cause major problems?

Yes there are certain personality traits that cause problems, and admissions committees are aware of that, but I think they turn the question around and consider what personality traits make a good vet. Think interpersonal skills, determination, compassion, good character, etc. So no, there isn't a main personality, but a range--how boring if everyone were the same! (I personally don't want to hang out with 79 clones of myself. Yuck. 😱 ) I don't think they look to disqualify anyone just due to personality, but if they can't picture someone being at all pleasant, the app may go in the "maybe, but probably not" pile. After 4 years at their institution they will welcome those same people into the veterinary profession, so they must consider who they would want as colleagues. But don't discount yourself right off the bat.

I don't think it matters that you don't go to college right away, but they will expect an explanation of how you spent your time (and from what I've heard, "finding direction in life by getting involved in a variety of activities" is ok).

I am not that familiar with Asperger's, but they are not allowed to disqualify you on the basis of such things as per the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can disclose it or not in your application depending on what you feel the need to explain. If you have a story of overcoming hardship I believe there is space in VMCAS for that... explanation statement, maybe? I know some supplemental apps have section like that. IOW, I think they want to see what applicants have done with the cards they were dealt. On that note, when I got my acceptance packet, there was a list of "technical standards" that we had to agree to. It involved things like ability to hear a conversation and be understood while masked (such as during surgery), differentiate objects on an image (such as a slide or radiograph), feel heat (such as an inflammed joint), etc. They still must comply with ADA, so I don't quite understand how that works. If you think there may be an issue, call the dean's office and ask.

 

[HorseyVet]

Hi,
I'm a 18 yo recent high school grad who is looking for direction which I lack very much. However I rediscovered the idea of being a vet.I dropped out of college recently but I plan to go back once I find myself and do some work both volunteer and paid.

Would it matter that I didn't go to college right away? I do plan on volunteering with animals a lot.

Try to make sure the majority of your experiences with animals from now on are under the supervision of a vet. It will help make you more competitive, but more importantly, it will help you determine/make sure that you really want this feild. A lot of people (and I'm not saying if this is or isn't you) really like animals, but are better off helping/being with animals in a non-medical capacity. Reading the posts here can be helpful...especially when we get into little debates about the profession and its frustrations (for example the "am I getting ripped off thread in the veterinary section right now)

A lot of people really change a lot in college...or at least, as you mentioned "figure themselves out." You might want to make sure that you don't totally close off your options (I would say this not matter what feild you were thinking of going into). I forget the figure, but a ridiculous numbre of people change their major at *least* once.

Also I have Asperger's syndrome a mild neurological condition that cause problems with social and communication skills as well as motor skills and obsessiveness and rigidity and frequently sensory problems
Do you think the Asperger's would cause major problems?
Mine is pretty mild mostly

Your ability to deal/relate to cilents and other professional may be difficult depending on your severity. That's just the nature of the beast. The same is true for motor skills, but there are a lot of non- or minimally tactile oportunities in vet med.

About Asperger's....I have a fairly sizable psychology and neuroscience background, and Asperger's has somewhat become the fab diagnosis of the last few years....There are a lot of people that get the diagnosis that may not really need it....meaning that they are very mild, only have a very partial symptom list, likely have mild versions of other problems, have temporary issues (this is very true for younger people), or probably don't have it at all.

I'm not saying this is you, but I know enough people that got saddled with this diagnosis who were really affected badly by being labeled when the diagnosis was actually somewhat rash. I guess I'm saying that you should probably be pretty proactive about yourself and your treatment and not let the diagnosis get you down.

It would be good if you could find a vet that really wants to be a mentor. Inform them of your condition and let them know that you want to know where/when/if it looks like it might affect your performance and how you can work to compensate. Again, it will help you get a good feel for the profession as well as help you figure out any additional steps you might need to take.

Good luck.