C/O 2023 Dilemma

[PinkMicroPipette]

Hello! I was accepted to C/O 2023 VMCVM and Edinburgh. I was also waitlisted for Tufts. I have been leaning towards UEdinburgh, for its cheaper tuition - not its COL-, vs VMCVM. I am curious as to whether foreign grads (UK degrees) encounter issues finding employment in the U.S.? And how expensive is the cost of living in Scotland (is it unbearable?).I also want to have alot of time doing small animal surgery but heard there was not much opportunity for it at UEdinburgh.

In summary I want to make sure I am making the correct decision in choosing UEdinburgh over VMCVM as a person wanting to pursue small animal? Thank you.

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[britzen]

Hello! I was accepted to C/O 2023 VMCVM and Edinburgh. I was also waitlisted for Tufts. I have been leaning towards UEdinburgh, for its cheaper tuition - not its COL-, vs VMCVM. I am curious as to whether foreign grads (UK degrees) encounter issues finding employment in the U.S.? And how expensive is the cost of living in Scotland (is it unbearable?).I also want to have alot of time doing small animal surgery but heard there was not much opportunity for it at UEdinburgh.

In summary I want to make sure I am making the correct decision in choosing UEdinburgh over VMCVM as a person wanting to pursue small animal? Thank you.

What's the cost of living difference? Blacksburg is dirt cheap, but I know OOS tuition is mad expensive. Not sure how it compares, but its worth figuring out the total cost you would have to borrow.

Also there may be a difference in the types of loans you can take out - you may not be eligible for some of the US government backed loans at a foreign school.

Also, paging @DVMDream for COL in Scotland thoughts

 

[SkiOtter]

Calculate the cost of moving out to scotland and cost of however many trips home you'd want to make (never, once, twice a year??) too. You also have to determine whether you would be okay with being that far away from home and possibly not seeing family or being able to go home often.
As far as getting a job in the US, you should be fine. It's an AVMA accredited school so you don't have to take any extra exams other foreign graduates from non-AVMA schools would.

 

[SkiOtter]

Also there may be a difference in the types of loans you can take out - you may not be eligible for some of the US government backed loans at a foreign school.

i think you should still be eligible for government loans since its avma accredited (someone else said that somewhere on here)

 

[ajs513]

i think you should still be eligible for government loans since its avma accredited (someone else said that somewhere on here)

That’s correct. I believe that applies to AVMA accredited schools, but I know for sure Edinburgh takes FAFSA loans. There’s a whole section for it on this website.
US loans

 

[ajs513]

As far as finding a job goes, I don’t believe that it really matters at all. It’s very different than med schools when it comes to employment. Some US med school hospitals make a point of not hiring grads of certain places (namely Caribbean schools). Vet hospitals aren’t really like that. It’s more about how good of a doctor you are rather than where you went to school. It also depends on what you want to do. If you just want to do general practice, you can find a job easily depending on where you live. My first job at a clinic was under a vet who was a foreign graduate from India. Lots of foreign graduates from non-AVMA accredited schools find work in the US. To my knowledge, grads of AVMA accredited foreign schools don’t have a problem finding jobs.

 

[PinkMicroPipette]

What's the cost of living difference? Blacksburg is dirt cheap, but I know OOS tuition is mad expensive. Not sure how it compares, but its worth figuring out the total cost you would have to borrow.

Also there may be a difference in the types of loans you can take out - you may not be eligible for some of the US government backed loans at a foreign school.

Also, paging @DVMDream for COL in Scotland thoughts

Approximate COL for Edinburgh is about 600 USD a month on average, this cost may not reflect utilities. Approximate COL for Virtgina tech is around 400-500 though I have seen cheaper and more expensive options, not including utilities. I have not gotten any financial letters but Virginia tech tuition is about 60,000 a year compared to Edinburgh 40,000 a year.

A flight to Edinburgh is about 500 but cheaper ones may be out there if found in advanced. I'm not planning on returning much. Maybe twice a year. Three times max. This would add on a max of 2,000 for travel.

I already live 5 hours from home and rarely visit. I hope this will make going overseas more feasible if I choose that route.

 

[britzen]

Approximate COL for Edinburgh is about 600 USD a month on average, this cost may not reflect utilities. Approximate COL for Virtgina tech is around 400-500 though I have seen cheaper and more expensive options, not including utilities. I have not gotten any financial letters but Virginia tech tuition is about 60,000 a year compared to Edinburgh 40,000 a year.

A flight to Edinburgh is about 500 but cheaper ones may be out there if found in advanced. I'm not planning on returning much. Maybe twice a year. Three times max. This would add on a max of 2,000 for travel.

I already live 5 hours from home and rarely visit. I hope this will make going overseas more feasible if I choose that route.

Sounds like Edinburgh will probably be cheaper overall!

The costs you quoted sound like just for housing? That's a big part of cost of living, but there are a lot of other factors that go into the overall cost of living for an area which is worth thinking about.

For Blacksburg, the estimated non-tuition expenses are about $13,500 (caveat that I don't remember exactly what they estimate) - that's for housing, utilities, transportation, etc for a year. You might want to email Edinburgh and ask what they estimate you will need to live on for a whole year.

UPENN for example, estimates expenses outside of tuition and fees for students as closer to $27,000. If Edinburgh is similar, suddenly the $20,000 difference based on tuition may only be a $6,000 difference because *everything* is more expensive, not just housing. (I'm not saying it will be for sure! But definitely ask!)

I throw this because I've lived a lot of places and everything seems so cheap here compared to urban areas! We make less money than we did when we lived in DC, for example, but have a better standard of living here and have to pinch pennies less often. Our housing is 50% less, real estate taxes are 75% less, the dog walker costs 66% less, even the Starbucks is cheaper! It all adds up.

You may also want to ask about health insurance requirements. If you're still on your parents insurance, no worries, but if you're buying insurance on your own it's about $3000 at Virginia Tech. Given that there's a public health care in the UK not sure if you'd need anything at all (maybe supplemental insurance for when you're in the US?).

 

[PinkMicroPipette]

Sounds like Edinburgh will probably be cheaper overall!

The costs you quoted sound like just for housing? That's a big part of cost of living, but there are a lot of other factors that go into the overall cost of living for an area which is worth thinking about.

For Blacksburg, the estimated non-tuition expenses are about $13,500 (caveat that I don't remember exactly what they estimate) - that's for housing, utilities, transportation, etc for a year. You might want to email Edinburgh and ask what they estimate you will need to live on for a whole year.

UPENN for example, estimates expenses outside of tuition and fees for students as closer to $27,000. If Edinburgh is similar, suddenly the $20,000 difference based on tuition may only be a $6,000 difference because *everything* is more expensive, not just housing. (I'm not saying it will be for sure! But definitely ask!)

I throw this because I've lived a lot of places and everything seems so cheap here compared to urban areas! We make less money than we did when we lived in DC, for example, but have a better standard of living here and have to pinch pennies less often. Our housing is 50% less, real estate taxes are 75% less, the dog walker costs 66% less, even the Starbucks is cheaper! It all adds up.

You may also want to ask about health insurance requirements. If you're still on your parents insurance, no worries, but if you're buying insurance on your own it's about $3000 at Virginia Tech. Given that there's a public health care in the UK not sure if you'd need anything at all (maybe supplemental insurance for when you're in the US?).

Hello!

Edinburgh estimates the high end for living would be 18,966.14 usd. Thats' including travel and domestic bills.

So the 20,000 i would save in tuition would basically be my COL. (Though i would spend less I hope)

Virginia Tech estimates a yearly living expense around 21,747 usd

I have been investigating curriculum and NAVLE pass rates. I like the curriculum at Virginia Maryland more and the NAVLE pass rates are amazing while Edinburghs have been dropping. Should I let this sway my decision? Cost vs chances of success/ satisfaction?

I think insurance is free for UEdinburgh. I believe thats what I saw on the webpage.

Also, yes everything is cheaper at Edinburgh!

 

[WildZoo]

Hello!

Edinburgh estimates the high end for living would be 18,966.14 usd. Thats' including travel and domestic bills.

So the 20,000 i would save in tuition would basically be my COL. (Though i would spend less I hope)

Virginia Tech estimates a yearly living expense around 21,747 usd

I have been investigating curriculum and NAVLE pass rates. I like the curriculum at Virginia Maryland more and the NAVLE pass rates are amazing while Edinburghs have been dropping. Should I let this sway my decision? Cost vs chances of success/ satisfaction?

Depends on how much those things matter to you. If costs are about the same overall, the curriculum and NAVLE pass rates are definitely something to take into consideration. It's hard to really know how much better a curriculum will be for you before you get there though. Remember $x a year is not just $x a year, you have to add interest and all that too. But if VMR is going to be ~60k more overall (I'm just basing this number on the VIN cost of education map, so adjust for your own personal calculations)...that's quite a chunk of money for something as subjective as curriculum structure. I don't know what their current NAVLE pass rate is so hard to say how concerned you should be about that.

 

[sheltermed]

@PinkMicroPipette - I'm assuming you applied for and were accepted into the 4-year program?

If so - they say that the requirement is "An Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) or an overall GPA of 3.4 (4 point scale) in an appropriate Biological or Animal Science subject" - is a BS degree from an American school considered equivalent to an upper second class honours degree? I don't have a 3.4, but I have a BS in animal science. Wondering if that would qualify me to apply, if you know.

 

[PinkMicroPipette]

@PinkMicroPipette - I'm assuming you applied for and were accepted into the 4-year program?

If so - they say that the requirement is "An Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) or an overall GPA of 3.4 (4 point scale) in an appropriate Biological or Animal Science subject" - is a BS degree from an American school considered equivalent to an upper second class honours degree? I don't have a 3.4, but I have a BS in animal science. Wondering if that would qualify me to apply, if you know.

Yes I am a senior in my Biotech degree and I was accepted for the 4 year program. A B.S. of science fits their requirement. They want you to graduate with a 3.4. I have heard that they deny people based on their GPA. They also may want certain grades in science courses. For example a B or above in Biochemistry.

I would contact them and hope that they are lenient about the GPA since they seem to be sticklers about it.

 

[PinkMicroPipette]

Depends on how much those things matter to you. If costs are about the same overall, the curriculum and NAVLE pass rates are definitely something to take into consideration. It's hard to really know how much better a curriculum will be for you before you get there though. Remember $x a year is not just $x a year, you have to add interest and all that too. But if VMR is going to be ~60k more overall (I'm just basing this number on the VIN cost of education map, so adjust for your own personal calculations)...that's quite a chunk of money for something as subjective as curriculum structure. I don't know what their current NAVLE pass rate is so hard to say how concerned you should be about that.

VMCVM had a 99% Navle pass rate compared to Edinburghs 84% rate. This was a bit worrying to me, but it is up to the individual to an extent.

The difference in cost of attendance and COL may only pan out to be around 6,000 give or take. But once multiplied and compounded it could end up to be 30,000 saved or lost. In that case it probably is not smart. I will definitely check out the VIN and AVMA maps again!

 

[WildZoo]

VMCVM had a 99% Navle pass rate compared to Edinburghs 84% rate. This was a bit worrying to me, but it is up to the individual to an extent.

The difference in cost of attendance and COL may only pan out to be around 6,000 give or take. But once multiplied and compounded it could end up to be 30,000 saved or lost. In that case it probably is not smart. I will definitely check out the VIN and AVMA maps again!

Ah yeah, that's hard. While the required NAVLE pass rate for AVMA accreditation is 80%, I honestly think it should be above 90, preferably in the high 90s. So for me that would raise red flags.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Ah yeah, that's hard. While the required NAVLE pass rate for AVMA accreditation is 80%, I honestly think it should be above 90, preferably in the high 90s. So for me that would raise red flags.

Yeah...that's a little worrying....

In my class of 90, we had one person fail that I know of (who then proceeded to pass the next time). 84% pass rate would mean 14 to 15 out of the 90 failing. That's quite a bit.

 

[PinkMicroPipette]

Yeah...that's a little worrying....

In my class of 90, we had one person fail that I know of (who then proceeded to pass the next time). 84% pass rate would mean 14 to 15 out of the 90 failing. That's quite a bit.

I agree. While retaking the test would be cheaper than going to VMCVM, I don't want to fail in the first place. Also which school would make me more marketable? Going to Edinburgh I wouldn't track and would be getting more variation in the focus of my studies, but I plan on Staying to work in the U.S. and may not need to know foreign ailments as much... And I am sure I want to do small animal at this point as well.

 

[SkiOtter]

I agree. While retaking the test would be cheaper than going to VMCVM, I don't want to fail in the first place. Also which school would make me more marketable? Going to Edinburgh I wouldn't track and would be getting more variation in the focus of my studies, but I plan on Staying to work in the U.S. and may not need to know foreign ailments as much... And I am sure I want to do small animal at this point as well.

You still would need to know it all for the NAVLE, whether you tracked or not.