Advice for Non-traditional!!

[Koukla18]

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Hello,
I really need some advice, so any help would be greatly appreciated! (24 years old- New York resident)

My undergrad experience was a bit of a disaster grade-wise, but I have a BS in psychology and have finally decided to focus and begin the long journey to becoming a vet. I have gen bio, but need all the other sciences. Since I have to take gen chem, then orgo, then biochem/physics in sequence, my debate is whether to take each class (in addition to bio classes i.e. micro, genetics, mammalian physio,...) during the fall/spring semesters, which will equal to 3 years (between 7 and 12 credits per semester) or take chem over the summer, cutting the timeline down to two years and taking between 10 and 15 credits per semester. I have to work (my job is 45 minutes away) regardless of what I do with school, but I've heard vet schools look down upon taking a small number of credits per semester.

Also, does anyone have any information concerning taking calculus and physics vs algebra-based physics?


Thanks for your help!

 

[HopefulAg]

I took algebra based and the vet schools don't seem to care. Much easier too.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Vet schools are "generally" only concerned about a light credit load for full-time students. I took 3 years to fulfill my science requirements and it didn't seem impact me negatively at all. They realize that 2 courses plus a full time job is more work than most any undergrads. I occassionally only took one class as the scheduling didn't work out.

Of course, they will expect you to do extremely well in those courses, especially considering your mixed performance as an undergrad.

Good luck.

 

[nyanko]

I took algebra based and the vet schools don't seem to care. Much easier too.

Math crew chiming in to say that if you are at all comfortable with math & calculus then calculus based physics is actually 1000x more intuitive and easy than algebra-based.

But if you are not, then memorize your way through algebra based. 😉

 

[HopefulAg]

Nerd!

Ok fine I'll admit in Calculus we did cover several applications to physics. Mostly having to do with derivatives of various equations to get your answer, which is much easier. That requires a working knowledge of calculus though, so if you don't have that, do algebra based, as you don't want to be learning two subjects at once.

 

[parietal]

My debate is whether to take each class (in addition to bio classes i.e. micro, genetics, mammalian physio,...) during the fall/spring semesters, which will equal to 3 years (between 7 and 12 credits per semester) or take chem over the summer, cutting the timeline down to two years and taking between 10 and 15 credits per semester. I have to work (my job is 45 minutes away) regardless of what I do with school, but I've heard vet schools look down upon taking a small number of credits per semester.

I highly recommend summer classes. My path was basically the same as yours (prior degree in psychology among other things with a very mixed performance). I finished my prereqs (also needed everything but gen bio) in two years although I took another year to get more experience and take a few other fun science classes.

I had a couple full-time semesters and/or summers, but also a couple where I only took two classes. I made it clear on my application that I was also working full time. I have not had anyone question my workload and have done very well in my first round of apps (applied to three schools: still waiting to hear from one, in at another and waitlisted at the third).

Just make sure your grades are VERY strong no matter what. Admission committees seem willing to overlook prior bad grades as long as you can explain what went wrong and you drastically improve your performance.

Also, prepare your boss for a potentially crazy class schedule and let him/her know there will times when you're going to be stressed with school. It helps a ton to have an understanding boss and a flexible profession.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if I can help you with anything in this process. It can be done!

 

[WIDVM]

I suggest calling any schools your interested in and ask their opinion. When I went back to school the advisor recommended taking at least 15 credits at a time to show that I was capable of handling the heavy academic load if admitted.

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Adcoms want to make sure that you can handle the academic rigor of veterinary school. If you take less credits, they want to see that you were also volunteering, working, and/or researching. I would strongly recommend summer classes. If your school has two summer sessions like mine did, it's a good way to knock out classes fairly quickly.

I took the algebra-based physics course and nobody seemed to mind. Though, I was told by a few people who ended up taking both courses that the calculus-based course was easier because you were able to see how the formulas were derived, thereby making it easier to understand. Just a thought! 😉

 

[August West]

For the last year and a half, I have been working full-time as a graphic designer at a publication company, taking 2 pre-req's per quarter at local state college extension program, shadowing a small animal vet once or twice a week and still finding time to foster countless cats and dogs, many with illnesses or recovering from injuries, and volunteering at a mobile adoption every Sunday.

I have earned pretty good grades, in my opinion, with a GPA of slightly over 3.6 and As in many of the more difficult classes like Orgo, Physics and Molecular Bio. I am also taking Animal Science classes at a local community college to help diversify my resume and gain more hands-on experience with large animals and build upon my knowledge of a wide number of subjects, from animal nutrition, ethics, nursing, anatomy and so on. My goal is to leave my full-time in the next couple months and transition to a full-time class schedule. I am in discussions with the vet that I am shadowing and working with in hopes of obtaining a paid position to help with my bills while I attend school. I am, however, not sure how I will be able to balance a job with a full course load, but will do my best. I realize that even with strong grades, I will need to exponentially increase and diversify my clinical experience. Doing so with a full-time job in an unrelated field is just not possible. And as I plan to apply to DVM programs two cycles from now, I realize that waiting to make such a move is probably not in my best interest.

I have often wondered whether or not I was choosing the best approach and path to this career change and help me become a competitive applicant. Any further insights, suggestions and anecdotes on this topic would be welcome. Thanks. 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

For the last year and a half, I have been working full-time as a graphic designer at a publication company, taking 2 pre-req's per quarter at local state college extension program, shadowing a small animal vet once or twice a week and still finding time to foster countless cats and dogs, many with illnesses or recovering from injuries, and volunteering at a mobile adoption every Sunday.

I have earned pretty good grades, in my opinion, with a GPA of slightly over 3.6 and As in many of the more difficult classes like Orgo, Physics and Molecular Bio. I am also taking Animal Science classes at a local community college to help diversify my resume and gain more hands-on experience with large animals and build upon my knowledge of a wide number of subjects, from animal nutrition, ethics, nursing, anatomy and so on. My goal is to leave my full-time in the next couple months and transition to a full-time class schedule. I am in discussions with the vet that I am shadowing and working with in hopes of obtaining a paid position to help with my bills while I attend school. I am, however, not sure how I will be able to balance a job with a full course load, but will do my best. I realize that even with strong grades, I will need to exponentially increase and diversify my clinical experience. Doing so with a full-time job in an unrelated field is just not possible. And as I plan to apply to DVM programs two cycles from now, I realize that waiting to make such a move is probably not in my best interest.

I have often wondered whether or not I was choosing the best approach and path to this career change and help me become a competitive applicant. Any further insights, suggestions and anecdotes on this topic would be welcome. Thanks. 🙂

It depends on a little on the program but you are probably in pretty good shape. I shadowed a small animal vet for 2 years, once a week and took classes for 2.5 years (1-2 per quarter), had similar overall GPA (although higher in science) while working full time. Applied to 4 top programs, got 3 interviews + 1 school didnt interview. Have one acceptance, one will hear next week, and one next month. The 4th I was waitlisted.

Waitlist advice was for more diverse vet experience but that was a school that let very few OOS students in (Colorado State).

My only advice is to try to shadow a large animal vet in lieu of small animal vet for at least a couple of months to have it on your application. Also, some schools like some more upper level science classes beyond requirements and some don't care. You might want to take a few extra classes if you have the time.

Also, absolutely get Veterinary Medical School Admission requirements book (at least from the library) and read what the schools have to say and then visit their webites. They are usually very clear about what they want.

Penn for example says to get experience in the area you are interested in. UC Davis says to get experience in as many different areas as possible. That can help you decide where to apply or what you need for the school you are planning on attending.

It is great that you are doing your research early. I waited a little too long before figuring it all out (but it did work out in the end).

Good Luck.

 

[August West]

It depends on a little on the program but you are probably in pretty good shape. I shadowed a small animal vet for 2 years, once a week and took classes for 2.5 years (1-2 per quarter), had similar overall GPA (although higher in science) while working full time. Applied to 4 top programs, got 3 interviews + 1 school didnt interview. Have one acceptance, one will hear next week, and one next month. The 4th I was waitlisted.

Waitlist advice was for more diverse vet experience but that was a school that let very few OOS students in (Colorado State).

My only advice is to try to shadow a large animal vet in lieu of small animal vet for at least a couple of months to have it on your application. Also, some schools like some more upper level science classes beyond requirements and some don't care. You might want to take a few extra classes if you have the time.

Also, absolutely get Veterinary Medical School Admission requirements book (at least from the library) and read what the schools have to say and then visit their webites. They are usually very clear about what they want.

Penn for example says to get experience in the area you are interested in. UC Davis says to get experience in as many different areas as possible. That can help you decide where to apply or what you need for the school you are planning on attending.

It is great that you are doing your research early. I waited a little too long before figuring it all out (but it did work out in the end).

Good Luck.

Were you working a full-time job in an unrelated field throughout the duration of the process? I have been advised that this is not a good move as it appears to adcom boards that I might not be completely serious or absolute in my decision to become a vet. I tend to agree and I am currently planning on quitting my job (hoping to get a voluntary layoff perhaps) and taking on as many hours of paid work at an animal clinic while finishing up my pre-requisites and taking animal science classes within a pre-vet program. This program actually includes several large animal classes conducted under the supervision of a veterinarian, which will also count towards applicable experience hours.

Thank you for your feedback and suggestions. This whole process has been exciting and fulfilling, while often bewildering. Trying to navigate my way through this new journey has been made easier only through the kind advice of peers, instructors and individuals like you on this forum. Thanks again and good luck to you as well with your pursuits.

 

[StartingoverVet]

My job was in a COMPLETELY unrelated field but I have been in that field for many, many, many, many, many years (ok, it was quite a few). If you are a more recent grad then I would agree with you that perhaps it sends a mixed message but otherwise as long as you have a good reason for why suddenly you are changing fields then you should be able to maintain your current job and not have to quit.

In the end, what brought you to vet medicine is the key. Keeping a job for income is just a rational and understandable approach and not a single person on the adcoms had any negative feedback about that.

Non-traditional apps are giving a lot more leeway than traditional/recent grads.

 

[August West]

My job was in a COMPLETELY unrelated field but I have been in that field for many, many, many, many, many years (ok, it was quite a few). If you are a more recent grad then I would agree with you that perhaps it sends a mixed message but otherwise as long as you have a good reason for why suddenly you are changing fields then you should be able to maintain your current job and not have to quit.

In the end, what brought you to vet medicine is the key. Keeping a job for income is just a rational and understandable approach and not a single person on the adcoms had any negative feedback about that.

Non-traditional apps are giving a lot more leeway than traditional/recent grads.

Interesting. I have been working as a professional graphic designer for almost 10 years now. There are two main reasons aside from the suggestion of the head of the Pre-Vet program at a local college that adcom boards might question the move, why I am set upon leaving my job. For starters, I feel that I am already playing catch-up with other applicants when it comes to my experience within the animal health care industry. I realize that many other prospective vet students have been working towards this goal for years and will have accumulated thousands of experience hours by the time of application. On the other hand, I made this decision less than 2 years ago and feel that it is in my best interest to put myself in a position of being able to spend as much time possible within clinical settings, both in the name of accumulating necessary hours to make myself a more competitive applicant and to bolster my own understanding of the field I am striving to join. The other element is more personal. My decision to change careers was partially premised in an acknowledgment of what seemed to be a natural progression of interests and how I chose to spend my time. I became more and more involved with working with local rescues, shelters and animal clinics in my spare time and less and less interested in my current chosen profession. Tho two entities started to conflict and my desire to involve to work on improving the health and welfare of animals eventually won out. I am at the point where all hours spent at my current job is time that would be better spent garnering clinical experience and furthering my applicable skill set. Now if I can only convince my bosses to lay me off so that I can leave with severance pay and eligibility for unemployment to help pay some of my bills while I move forward towards my goals. 😉

 

[parietal]

If you can afford to quit your job, I'm sure it makes it easier. But many non-trads can't, at least not until we actually get to vet school. And considering how much debt vet school entails already, I don't think it's really fair to expect us to do so.

I too was really worried about whether it would affect admissions decisions, but I explained myself fully in my interviews and essays and worked my butt off to volunteer and shadow in a variety of fields in my spare time. My interviewers, at least, seemed very positive about my decision. One ad com member actually said that they do realize that balancing a full-time career plus academics is as tricky or more so than a full-academic load, especially since many of us have nothing but science classes remaining.

 

[adunastella]

You sound a lot like me when I started... I have a BM in vocal performance but totally crashed and burned my last semester (I actually failed a class). I worked full time at an animal ER and then decided to return to school. Each semester I worked around 30 hours and took two courses and the corresponding labs. My commute to school was 50 minutes... ugh. I took some over the summer as well. It took me two years to finish and during this time I got some good volunteer experience in.
I was worried about not having a heavy courseload but everything worked out- I'm accepted at NCSU and I have an interview at Florida. This is my first time applying and I was really not expecting to get in. I am sure it depends on what the schools are looking for but it definitely can be done.

Good luck!

 

[sumstorm]

Math crew chiming in to say that if you are at all comfortable with math & calculus then calculus based physics is actually 1000x more intuitive and easy than algebra-based.

But if you are not, then memorize your way through algebra based. 😉

I am with Nyanko on this one. calc makes physics easier if your decent with calc. schools don't care.

 

[August West]

If you can afford to quit your job, I'm sure it makes it easier. But many non-trads can't, at least not until we actually get to vet school. And considering how much debt vet school entails already, I don't think it's really fair to expect us to do so.

I too was really worried about whether it would affect admissions decisions, but I explained myself fully in my interviews and essays and worked my butt off to volunteer and shadow in a variety of fields in my spare time. My interviewers, at least, seemed very positive about my decision. One ad com member actually said that they do realize that balancing a full-time career plus academics is as tricky or more so than a full-academic load, especially since many of us have nothing but science classes remaining.

Excellent. These are the things I really was hoping to hear. I still plan to leave my job and dedicate my time to garnering experience in a variety of clinical setting (i.e. small animal, large/farm animal, wildlife rescue, research) and hope to find a paid position at a clinic performing a multitude of duties from answering phones, cleaning cages, assisting on surgeries, intake administration, vaccinating, setting up IVs and such) to help alleviate the loss of income I will suffer. I also have accumulated a nice size 401k account that I am prepared to withdrawal from for my continued education needs. I will be able to do so without incurring all of the early withdrawal penalties so long as it goes towards my tuition and other related expenses. Hopefully, this move will prove beneficial in the long run. Thanks for you feedback, my friend.