Applying to international vet schools

[pirateslayme]

I am interested in applying to international vet schools, esp Australia and New Zealand, and am just wondering if anyone has a good idea of how much more competitive it is than getting into a US school. I just heard that schools, like Massey U, don't accept many international students.
Also, does anybody know much about how getting a DVM degree at these schools might translate to the US in terms of licensing?
And...I can't figure out which degree at University of Sydney would translate to a DVM. It seems like many of them are for undergrad. Does anybody know about this?

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[jellyfishing]

the vet degree in australia is an undergrad degree, we go in straight from high school
its called the BVSc, or bachelor of veterinary science

 

[sunshinevet]

It depends where you go. The actual degree title doesn't matter, more whether or not the school is NAVLE accredited. Australian students do pretty much all of their tertiary education as undergrad degrees.

I think for American students, its a bit less competitive (though still more competative than the caribbean. Given most of the schools that are NAVLE accredited specially set aside spots of international students (at some unis its more than half the class ) you're only competing against the other internationals who apply, not the locals as well.

Murdoch was the first NAVLE accredited school, and they award a double degree - Bachelor Veterinary Biology/Bachelor veterinary medicine and surgery: BSc(Vet.Bio)/BVMS

Sydney awards the BVSc, and I think this years class will be the first with NAVLE accred?

Melbourne, starting next year, will be awarding a DVM (just so its familiar to you guys ) and the 2010 starting class will be the first with NAVLE accred.

UQ awards the BVSc, and next years class should be the first with NAVLE accred.

As an international, you're not eligible to apply to CSU, JCU or Adelaide.

(if it doesnt make much sense, schools with NAVLE accred mean that graduates get treated the same as graduates from Nth American schools as far as practice in Nth America goes, ie, we just have to take the NAVLE)

Hope this helps!

 

[Harumph]

So if we applied to vet school in Australia, would we be going right back down to the bottom of undergrad? Or would we come in partway through? I can't imagine that our 4 years of prerequisites chalks up to "fresh out of high school" in Australia. Does it work the same way in Europe (ie Dublin, Glasgow, Royal)?

Sorry about all the questions, but I'm interested in applying outside the US, too and I just can't quite wrap my head around it from looking at the websites.

From looking at their system, though, I can't help but feel like all this "undergrad" stuff I'm doing now has been for naught.

 

[OtakuVet]

Im in the midst of the application process for Melbourne and Murdoch. Currently, Melbourne is offering a BVcs(?) but starting next year will be offering the DVM. Murdoch offers that double degree and is in sweet perth. Both of which are fantastic schools. But there are several AVMA accredited plus thensome accredited schools in Australia. You haev Sydney, Murdoch, and Melbourne and I think queensland is getting there too. And then you have in New Zealand, Massey. It all translates the same thing, the only difference I believe is that you cannot write DVM at the end of your name since that is where your actual degree goes. But you are still called Doctor in the US. Now elsewhere I dont believe MDs or DVMs are called doctors.

 

[sunshinevet]

So if we applied to vet school in Australia, would we be going right back down to the bottom of undergrad? Or would we come in partway through? I can't imagine that our 4 years of prerequisites chalks up to "fresh out of high school" in Australia. Does it work the same way in Europe (ie Dublin, Glasgow, Royal)?

Sorry about all the questions, but I'm interested in applying outside the US, too and I just can't quite wrap my head around it from looking at the websites.

From looking at their system, though, I can't help but feel like all this "undergrad" stuff I'm doing now has been for naught.

Lol, I would feel the same way about your undergrad studies, lol.

For instance, at Murdoch, straight out of school with high enough marks you get into "vet entry". This is one year of stats, chem, cell biology, ethics, basic basic basic anat and phys and then if you pass this, you enter the vet program. Though for most people, they have to compete with their university marks these days. Because vet here is undergrad, there isnt really any pre-reqs - Murdoch made vet entry so that stats, cell bio and chem could become pre-reqs instead of having them in the course, as is previously.

Once in, the course is exactly like an american one. So, probably the only thing you would skip in the vet curriculum may be biochem. (You wouldnt apply for vet entry)
Anatomy, Physiology, Biochem, animal systems, pathology, nutrition and toxicology, immunology, virology, mircobiology, parasitology, clin path, chemotherapeutics and pharmacokinetics, and then 1 year clinical lectures + 1 year clinical placements.

IMHO, all the pre-reqs you guys do aren't necesserry. The fresh-out-of-schoolies do just as well as the mature age americans in our class.

And I'm not really sure what you mean by "right down to the bottom of undergrad". We don't really have a differentiation between "undergraduate" and "graduate" courses here in Aus - I mean, a few unis offer grad med, but pretty much every single course in Australia is undergrad.

 

[Friggarina]

Hi!

I'm starting at Sydney in the spring. There are three schools in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney and Murdoch) and one school in New Zealand (Massey) that are AVMA accredited:

http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/about_accred.asp

http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/colleges_accredited/allcolleges.asp

This means (among other things) that we can take the NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Exam) and practice in the USA

I'm not sure about competition for the schools though... There is a website called www.VSNA.com (Veterinary Student Network Abroad). There might be someone on there that can help out too

 

[Harumph]

IMHO, all the pre-reqs you guys do aren't necesserry. The fresh-out-of-schoolies do just as well as the mature age americans in our class.

And I'm not really sure what you mean by "right down to the bottom of undergrad". We don't really have a differentiation between "undergraduate" and "graduate" courses here in Aus - I mean, a few unis offer grad med, but pretty much every single course in Australia is undergrad.

Soooo... my university's president made a million dollars this year. On a degree I could've skipped had I lived in Australia. Damn, I feel like a sucker. Ah well.

Thanks for all the info though! You definitely cleared things up for me.

And Friggarina, thanks for the VSNA link! It looks perfect.

 

[GellaBella]

I'm not sure if this is 100% accurate so someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but another thing to consider is that going to school abroad means you will not be able to take out federal loans to cover schooling.

Just something to think about.

 

[laurafinn]

going to school abroad means you will not be able to take out federal loans to cover schooling.

Nope. For the AVMA-accredited schools you can take out Stafford loans and GradPLUS loans, as well as private loans. Only $20K/year or so in Staffords though. (I think the amount is higher in the US.)

 

[168135]

I'm still really confused about the BVSc stuff and where a North American student fits in when they apply... can someone dumb it down for me?

 

[sunshinevet]

BVSc = DVM

Nth American students would usually start in first year, depending on the first year subjects of the uni. You might get exemption for like, 3 units (chem, stats, biochem) depending on the syllubus of the vet school.

 

[Nexx]

Nope. For the AVMA-accredited schools you can take out Stafford loans and GradPLUS loans, as well as private loans. Only $20K/year or so in Staffords though. (I think the amount is higher in the US.)

And the remainder of tuition should be able to be covered by GradPLUS loans (as long as you have at least the equivalent of an Aust Bachelors already (3 years of uni under your belt usually) -- at least that's the rough rule at murdoch.

Sunshine, just to clarify for others.. it's AVMA accred (Navle is the test you take to get your licensing after your degree. I know they were just talking about NAVLE this week at uni so that's probably why it's fresh in your head )

 

[sunshinevet]

I remember a few weeks ago, when the AVMA accred committee was coming, walking into the anatomy mueseum and seeing ken richarson trying to scrub stains out of the carpet... bahahaha

 

[Nexx]

I remember a few weeks ago, when the AVMA accred committee was coming, walking into the anatomy mueseum and seeing ken richarson trying to scrub stains out of the carpet... bahahaha

Lol that would have been, too funny to see! Good luck on your Kenatomy exam coming up. It was better than the midsemester exam IMO.

 

[168135]

BVSc = DVM

Nth American students would usually start in first year, depending on the first year subjects of the uni. You might get exemption for like, 3 units (chem, stats, biochem) depending on the syllubus of the vet school.

Thanks