Advice for undergrad?

[sie_kath]

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I'll be attending a pre-veterinary program in the fall with a major in animal science or bio (possibly both). I also hope to take some history classes as well. Can anyone give me advice on undergrad and how to make the most of it? Any advice on how to stand out in future veterinary admissions or to possibly increases chances of acceptance, besides good grades and experience hours (however advice on those would also be nice)

thank you

 

[LetItSnow]

Besides good grades and getting experience?

Be an involved, mature person who gives back to your community in concrete ways instead of spending every free minute indulging in self-serving things.

So take on a leadership role in a student club. Work at a food shelf. Volunteer somewhere else. Get on some political campaign committee. Whatever. There are countless possibilities. Just don't sit on your butt playing video games* every minute you aren't doing homework. 🙂

In short: give them concrete evidence of real character. That plus grades plus experience is a good recipe.

I kinda suspect that if you're the type of person who asks this question so early in the process, you probably don't have much to worry about. G'luck! 🙂

*I love video games. I'm just saying don't make it your life.

 

[sie_kath]

Besides good grades and getting experience?

Be an involved, mature person who gives back to your community in concrete ways instead of spending every free minute indulging in self-serving things.

So take on a leadership role in a student club. Work at a food shelf. Volunteer somewhere else. Get on some political campaign committee. Whatever. There are countless possibilities. Just don't sit on your butt playing video games* every minute you aren't doing homework. 🙂

In short: give them concrete evidence of real character. That plus grades plus experience is a good recipe.

I kinda suspect that if you're the type of person who asks this question so early in the process, you probably don't have much to worry about. G'luck! 🙂

*I love video games. I'm just saying don't make it your life.

Thanks! I just know how competitive it is and it's enough to already have me stressing out.

 

[Skimble]

I'd also recommend developing a skill and having hobbies outside of vet med. Travel and do fun stuff!

 

[ResoluteMike]

Thanks! I just know how competitive it is and it's enough to already have me stressing out.

Develop the stress handling skills and ask for help when you need it. Also, take care of yourself and have a life, there is more to the world than school. 🙂

 

[battie]

Thanks! I just know how competitive it is and it's enough to already have me stressing out.

@ResoluteMike beat me to it! lol. I would like to second that opinion. Figure out healthy coping/stress mechanisms now so you don't crash and burn when something goes wrong. Designate a day where there is nothing school related and you can do what you want to do. I paint/draw/make stained glass windows for fun. When my science classes were bugging me or making me want to cry (which happened more than once), I would simply walk over to the art building and spend a few hours making my stained glass windows for the glass classes I took. Those glass classes saved my sanity (and resulted in some pretty awesome Christmas gifts for my parents, sister, and grandma 😉).

After a few hours to de-stress, I would go back to my room, look at the assignments I had again, and then work on the ones that made sense after being away from them. I wish I had figured this out before my upper classmen years.

 

[that redhead]

Veterinary medicine can be your career goal, but don't let the pursuit consume your life. Take time to do things outside of vet med.

 

[mcm5892]

This kinda reiterates what everyone else said already, but definitely make an effort to develop yourself as a person, and develop good communication skills. I don't know how other people feel about this but I wish I had thought about this before: don't sacrifice good grades for "experience." I worked A LOT in undergrad and my grades suffered at times. I wish sometimes I had worked less and focused more on grades. I think once your grades are good enough, even if you don't get in the first time you apply, it's "easier" to make up and get some experience - I think it'll be harder to make up low grades than little experience.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Make a good impression in classes, and converse with your profs, so they will remember you and want to write you an LOR.
Doing things that are memorable really helps; go out of your way to engage them and demonstrate your intellectual curiosity.

 

[battie]

This kinda reiterates what everyone else said already, but definitely make an effort to develop yourself as a person, and develop good communication skills. I don't know how other people feel about this but I wish I had thought about this before: don't sacrifice good grades for "experience." I worked A LOT in undergrad and my grades suffered at times. I wish sometimes I had worked less and focused more on grades. I think once your grades are good enough, even if you don't get in the first time you apply, it's "easier" to make up and get some experience - I think it'll be harder to make up low grades than little experience.

Ditto. I worked too much too. The up side is that I had no debt after undergrad. But you're right, it is easier to fix issues with experience than grades.

 

[Aegolius acadicus]

Ditto. I worked too much too. The up side is that I had no debt after undergrad. But you're right, it is easier to fix issues with experience than grades.

I definitely agree with you and mcm5892. I worked a lot and my grades have ended up suffering. I can't say that it was entirely because of working, but having some extra time to study couldn't have hurt, you know? That being said, I've had some great learning opportunities (there are some wacky student jobs out there!), and I was able to cover the costs of rent and food that way. It's a trade off. But I do agree that I think it's easier to make up that experience than it is to drag your GPA back up.

I also agree with SOV with getting to know your profs. A lot of vet schools ask for a letter of recommendation from someone in an academic position and if you go up to your prof at the end of term for a letter, and they have no idea who you are, that's not a good situation. I wish I had known that sooner. If you really want to make yourself stand out, you can try for a research position or a position as an undergrad TA for a professor. In my experience, those jobs don't require too many hours per week (though they can be very variable in that, some researchers and TAs work a ton), and you would make a good impression that way.

Good luck!

 

[drbd]

Get varied experience. Don't wait because actually landing a good opportunity can be hard to come by. I had to send soooo many cover letters/resumes to many different animal hospitals before I got even a couple of offers, and they were all volunteer. Go in person and hand them in. Write emails to research labs at your college asking to volunteer - doing anything from washing their dishes (if a research assistant position opens, they'll likely choose you), to assisting them with their research. Look for different rehab places - they'd gladly take volunteers! Get experience in many different fields, but show commitment and passion in one or two. As far as letters of rec from professors for vet school - I was told that it's better to get letters from profs in your 3rd or 4th year, because these professors know you in your more current state (I guess unless you really kept in touch with a professor from first year?). I don't know. Just get varied experience, and expect to get many rejections but keep trying! Once you get that first opportunity, other ones will come easier because you'll have had experience. Leadership is also a good way to stand out. Start a new club at your campus, be active in your school community. Become a member of the pre-vet club and you may have an "in" with admissions directors if you can get them to come to your campus for a club meeting and you make a good impression on them, keep in contact with them, etc. Sorry for the ramble, I could go on and on. haha good luck!

 

[Country_roads]

Networking. It is the most necessary evil. Obviously you'll do this through your work/intern/shadowing expereinces, but developing a good rapport with your bosses is crucial. Their references are very necessary.