Applying to Veterinary Schools

[no-see-um]

I am a Biology major. I have always been a pre-med throughout college. I just graduated this week, so my coursework is completed. And I am thinking about applying to veterinary schools as well. I may want to be a veterinarian in the end. Are there any special prerequisites for pre-vet students that a pre-med would not have taken? I could take the GREs as soon as possible as well. They wouldn't happen to count MCAT scores would they?

In terms of experience, would my research with a tenured Professor over at a Veterinary School Laboratory be enough?? I have worked with birds mainly as an avocation/club activity as well, but not as much as I would have liked to. I mainly want to go into the academic aspects of veterinary medicine and to treat birds on the side.

Is this goal a realistic one? Thanks in advance to those people who reply.

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[CoffeeCrazy]

Each school differs... sometimes you need biochem or microbio. Check with the vet schools that you think you may apply to. Cornell, Louisiana, Ohio, and Michigan will all accept the MCAT.

Your goal is realistic but you could always change your mind, you know. See if you can work with a vet that specializes in birds. It's good to play up specific interests like that, but you should try to get as much experience as you can to prove your interest.

I'm no expert, but it's really hard to get in to vet school. The applicants I've met really show a dedication to veterinary medicine. Just about everyone has worked with practicing veterinarians, and not just small animals, but large animals and exotic animals too. The broader your experiences, the better. Schools like to see that you know what you are getting in to because you could always change your mind on what field you like after you're in vet school. Plus the hours and/or pay can suck... they like to know you're aware of that, too.

You'll need at least one recommendation from a vet, so if the professor you worked with was only a PhD and not a DVM, then you'll have to get to know a DVM.

Good luck!

 

[no-see-um]

Each school differs... sometimes you need biochem or microbio. Check with the vet schools that you think you may apply to. Cornell, Louisiana, Ohio, and Michigan will all accept the MCAT.

Your goal is realistic but you could always change your mind, you know. See if you can work with a vet that specializes in birds. It's good to play up specific interests like that, but you should try to get as much experience as you can to prove your interest.

I'm no expert, but it's really hard to get in to vet school. The applicants I've met really show a dedication to veterinary medicine. Just about everyone has worked with practicing veterinarians, and not just small animals, but large animals and exotic animals too. The broader your experiences, the better. Schools like to see that you know what you are getting in to because you could always change your mind on what field you like after you're in vet school. Plus the hours and/or pay can suck... they like to know you're aware of that, too.

You'll need at least one recommendation from a vet, so if the professor you worked with was only a PhD and not a DVM, then you'll have to get to know a DVM.

Good luck!

Thanks! Do you really need to show that you are interested in all types of animals? Can't people be interested in specific aspects of Vet med- kind of like how physicians specialize? I guess I could shadow a DVM to gain some experience. And I have a few friends who are attending Cornell Vet next year and I could ask them for a few pointers, but they are total animal people who majored in animal sciences. They have been doing this stuff for 4 years straight.

Would it be possible for me to make a vet school at this point, after college? Maybe I could do some large animal research too. I am willing to learn all aspects, and once I make my decision I never quit, so that's not even an issue- but I guess I have to be able to express that through work with animals.

Yeah the Professor is a PhD. That's messed up that it cannot serve as a valid substitute. This Professor teaches the DVMs lol, and it's all the same field in the end. I'm going to take the GREs at the end of the summer- they don't look hard at all. Academics won't be a problem.

Could a recommendation from a DVM/PHD after doing academic research be suffiencent too? I guess there's no substitute for animal work. What would you suggest I do if I only had a summer?

Also, I have microbiology lecture. I did not take the lab, but have a lot of experience in microbiology.

 

[bmischen]

So, I just finished applying for the second time...second time was the charm by the way...
I have learned many things from this experience, but I will stay on your original questions.
I would apply as early and as often as I could I were you! Persistence counts, too. The GRE is not hard, but you will probably take it on the computer and that was a new format for me, so I bought a book (with CD) on the GRE so I could take practice tests on the computer and get used to the format and the timing...because you want to do WELL (as well as you can possibly do! you will probably get at least the min of what schools are looking for, so don't sweat it, but try to get as high as possible!
It sounds like you have the research experience covered..that is good since you want to go into research...and get a letter from the PhD you worked with. If you want to go into avian medicine I would try to work with/shadow/volunteer do SOMETHING with that vet, and get a letter from him/her.
I have often said that diversity of experience helps get you into vet school, and this is true to a certain point....the more experience you have the more you will stand out from all of the rest of the 50%tile applicants. The same can be said for a really high GPA in a really tough courseload or a really high GPA. Some schools like high GPA and that will carry you through the process and others will want a lot of different animal experiences! It just depends on how their admissions "formula" is set up whether one will matter more than the other or if one will "carry" you through the whole process.
Even as you apply I would continue to get more experience or get a job that will count as experience because you may not get in on your first try and if you have not continued to work then you will be behind 9 months!
Like medical school the process is somewhat random (I know that word is thrown around a lot) but what I mean is you do not know for SURE what the ad comm is looking for that year or that day...
some HIGHLY qualified people have needed 5 years to get in while other slackers have gotten in on their first try...
perservere and try to fill in all of the holes in your app.
good luck!
also for more info. about.com has a pre-vet forum that is very helpful!

 

[CoffeeCrazy]

You don't need to show that you're interested in all sorts of animals, but it's good to show you have experience in many different areas. Like I said, the admissions committee likes to see that you know what you're getting in to, and you will have to study both large and small animals in vet school.

I used a recommendation from a DVM/PhD, so you can definitely go that route. It would probably be good for you to get to know a DVM/PhD so you can see if you want to pursue that route. But get some experience with a practice too... if you can volunteer with an exotics vet that possibly specializes in birds, that would be ideal. Another good place to volunteer is an animal shelter or wildlife rescue/sanctuary.

It never hurts to take an extra year off if you aren't sure what you want to pursue. Better to wait a year than waste 4 years of time and money doing something you aren't 100% about.