career change to Veterinarian

[fanye]

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Hi everyone,
Well I am thinking about changing my career to become a Vet. By "thinking" I mean:
I have researched and researched about becoming a vet, salary, school costs and requirements, etc.
I have talked with a close family friend who is a vet (graduate c/o 2004 from NC state)

Here's the problem: I am 24 and already have my undergrad in Psychology. I work in accounting now (hate it) and would need to get a post-bac in science because I have no science background besides general bio and marine bio.

I also have no volunteer experience. I have, however, contacted a bunch of places and keep getting the same response: I need experience to work there!!

I'm getting discouraged because I can't find anyone to cut me a break. Any suggestions? Anyone with any experience switching careers and getting all of the pre-reqs and experience needed?

I REALLY wish i had decided this when i was 18 and a freshman! 🙁

 

[DVMorBust]

I REALLY wish i had decided this when i was 18 and a freshman! 🙁

First off, it might be a bit harder to get started, but coming back to veterinary medicine as a second career can actually be an asset. You learn things and have life experiences that can't be taught in a classroom, and that's definitely something to bring to light in essays and personal statements.

Don't freak out! You're definitely not alone. A lot of us on here returned to school after getting a degree in something unrelated (linguistics for me).

As to your specific questions, where in the country are you located? Urban/rural area? I found that it was easier to find clinics willing to let a less experienced person on board outside of major cities - although it did mean more driving time to get there. Also, you don't have to jump right in to clinical work or volunteering - try contacting some vets to see about doing some shadowing first. Many people have had luck with shadowing turning into assistant positions or other work around the clinic, because if you follow a vet around for a while they get to know you.

So I'd suggest trying to get some shadowing under your belt, and also looking at things that are more animal experience than veterinary that might get you an 'in' with a vet - humane societies, shelters, etc. Making contacts can absolutely never hurt, and you need veterinary and animal experience (separate things on the application) so you can kill two birds with one stone.

 

[twelvetigers]

Also, just a little tiny bit of advice from me - be persistent! Not annoying, just... persistent. 🙂

 

[4paws]

Have you tried volunteering at a shelter?

You can also try asking places if they are willing to let you just observe for a few hours a week. That way, you can start getting some kind of experience until you find a place that's willing to let you be hands-on.

 

[Truth74]

Hi fanye,

I was in the same situation, and then some, when I started to apply for jobs. You have to understand that some clinics have a lot of employee turn over, and they don't want to take the risk on someone without experience, especially if it is in a city with a vet school.

It does take a bit more effort to get that first job when you don't have any experience. I would recommend volunteering at the local shelter, rescue, or other place where they will let you volunteer. Build up your network, and eventually, you'll hear about an opening at a clinic from them. Also, if you are on good terms, you can use the shelter, et al... as a reference for the clinic job. You may even be able to volunteer at a clinic, if they are agreeable.

You should also talk to your vet (if you have one) about options.

You have to be persistent in the pursuit of your goal and think unconventionally. It can definitely be done. You may not have the thousands of hours that some have, but you should be able to rack up hundreds.

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

Welcome Fanye!

Don't despair! You still have plenty of time. I decided during spring break of my senior year to become pre-vet and definitely starting vet school next fall- 2 academic years after I switched. There are a lot of angles to be a post-bac from: full-time will get you there a lot fast and prove that you can handle a full-time course load, but you'll also be piling on the debt. I did my post-bacc at Penn, and I think the same goes for most of them, you can only get a $5,500 federal loan, no work-study, no grants from etc, unless you find private scholarships. I have no idea where you are geographically, but if you are near/around Philadelphia you can volunteer without experience at either Penn's small animal hospital or foal watch at the New Bolton center. It can definitely be hard to get your foot in the door- if you can't volunteer with your family friend, I would ask him if he knows anyone in his network that will take you. I found this website about shadowing equine vets
http://www.aaep.org/shadow_a_vet.htm#SEARCHA
I have no idea if its legit or not.

As far as being a Psych major, I think you have a great opportunity to capitalize on that in your application- for example lots of experience understand the brain (lots of structural similarities carry over), ability to interact with people who are stressed/anxious, can explain things to people who don't have a strong scientific background etc.

Best of luck!!

 

[LivestockDoc]

You can do it, fanye! My undergrad degree didn't require sciences either, and it's almost 20 years old!

Just get going on those pre-req's, and realize that some schools don't have as many pre-req's as others, so check into those schools you are particularly interested in.

Wildlife rehabs are a great place to get some experience that will make you stand out, and they always need more help. You can check your state department of wildlife website for organizations.

 

[fanye]

Hey! thanks for everyones quick responses:

I live in the Boston area, without a car (which i know is a major downfall) . I have filled out online volunteer apps to two no kill shelters and to the MSPCA, and I haven't heard anything from them yet. I was thinking about doing my postbac at either Umass or Harvard ext.

Shadowing is a great idea, and I'm going to be flying out to Chicago to shadow my friend for a few days. Do you think I could call up the local cat clinic down the road and see if I could shadow a vet?

 

[fanye]

Welcome Fanye!

. There are a lot of angles to be a post-bac from: full-time will get you there a lot fast and prove that you can handle a full-time course load, but you'll also be piling on the debt. I did my post-bacc at Penn, and I think the same goes for most of them, you can only get a $5,500 federal loan, no work-study, no grants from etc, unless you find private scholarships.

Well thats discouraging.. I'd need much more than that if i want to go full time! I was thinking i could work part time as a vet receptionist or if im REALLY lucky maybe i could find an animal research position at harvard or mit (but once again they want you to have the science degree already). Id need money for rent and whatever else. ahh!

 

[pressmom]

I came back at about your age. I went to my dog's vet and asked to shadow. I started out at 1 day a week. Soon they let me come in whenever I wanted. After about 6 months I was hired on. The best thing is to do whatever needs to be done. Ask questions. Help them fill prescriptions, clean cages, run urine dipsticks, etc. Prove that you're an asset and a team player. I also started volunteering at the shelter several days a week around the same time. I went through a short orientation then started working with the dogs. I also worked with some of the pocket pets. There was a wildlife rehab hospital nearby, and I started volunteering there too. Once you prove you're comfortable around animals and a hard worker, they may hire you when the next person leaves. (Most vet hospitals have pretty high turnover.)

 

[Malhi]

When I was thinking about changing careers, I started volunteering evenings and weekends at a shelter in patient care. After a few months, I was able to start assisting the vets with physical exams and helping with post-op procedures. I think volunteering at a shelter will help you get experience and if you mention that you want to be a vet, they are pretty nice about helping you out anyway they can. I think vet schools like the community service aspect of it. Plus, you get to see some aspects of veterinary medicine in a shelter and that will help you determine if you can definitely handle it.

Job-shadowing vets in different areas of veterinary medicine is a nice supplement to whatever main set of experiences you may have.

Research is another option. I would suggest looking for research opportunities in the school that you decide to do your post-bacc at.

And like twelvetigers suggested, be persistent. Let people know that you are interested and are dedicated and hardworking. Keep checking back for updates, if they don't have something for you at that time.

Good luck!

 

[david594]

Hey! thanks for everyones quick responses:

I live in the Boston area, without a car (which i know is a major downfall) . I have filled out online volunteer apps to two no kill shelters and to the MSPCA, and I haven't heard anything from them yet. I was thinking about doing my postbac at either Umass or Harvard ext.

Shadowing is a great idea, and I'm going to be flying out to Chicago to shadow my friend for a few days. Do you think I could call up the local cat clinic down the road and see if I could shadow a vet?

I would say do whatever you can to get in at the MSPCA.

You sound like me actually. Two years ago I decided to pursue veterinary medicine and have had to do all the pre-reqs and gain the experience. I actually currently volunteer at the MSPCA in Springfield(for fun) and just finished up the last of my pre-reqs at Umass amherst. I'll be starting Vet school in the fall.

 

[guppy73]

Welcome, Fanye!

I'm at the MSPCA at well, up in Methuen. You may want to call/e-mail/stop by the Boston shelter--sometimes, they do get a ton of applications & take a while to go through them. They've also had problems with misdirected applications in the past; for example, we've had potential volunteers touch base because they hadn't heard back, and it turned out that their applications had ended up in Boston! I've worked in the Boston shelter clinic as well (filled in for a tech who'd went on leave a while back), and they did have pre-vet volunteers. So go for it--they're a great group!

You may also want to look into feral cat clinics. A group called Commonwealth Cats usually holds them once/month at the shelter's hospital. I volunteer for a different feral group (MRFRS), and such groups tend to take people of varying levels of experience. Definitely a good way to get started.

PM me some time if you might be in the Methuen area. I'd love to show you around our shelter! Best of luck with everything!!!

 

[fanye]

I would say do whatever you can to get in at the MSPCA.

You sound like me actually. Two years ago I decided to pursue veterinary medicine and have had to do all the pre-reqs and gain the experience. I actually currently volunteer at the MSPCA in Springfield(for fun) and just finished up the last of my pre-reqs at Umass amherst. I'll be starting Vet school in the fall.

Really? that does sound similar, i was looking into UMB program

http://www.uac.umb.edu/premed/postbac/

What did you do for work when you were taking your prereqs? Did you live at home? I have NO family up here (im from florida!) and live in an apartment so living is ridiculously expensive. I was actually thinking of relocated to colorado so living could be more affordable, and they have a state vet school! what vet school did you get into?

 

[david594]

Really? that does sound similar, i was looking into UMB program

http://www.uac.umb.edu/premed/postbac/

What did you do for work when you were taking your prereqs? Did you live at home? I have NO family up here (im from florida!) and live in an apartment so living is ridiculously expensive. I was actually thinking of relocated to colorado so living could be more affordable, and they have a state vet school! what vet school did you get into?

I had initially intended to do the UMB postbac program(applied and accepted), but decided that Umass Amherst had more to offer. The biggest issue I had with the UMB program was that you got no registration preference for classes so before the first semester I was getting emails saying general biology was full and that all post-bac students would have to get on a waiting list for it.

I was living at home which made things a lot easier(cheaper) for me. But I was working two part-time jobs as a vet tech doing ~20 hours during the week at a wellness clinic and ~20 hours on weekends at a 24 hour emergency hospital.

 

[sambone]

What did you do for work when you were taking your prereqs? Did you live at home? I have NO family up here (im from florida!) and live in an apartment so living is ridiculously expensive. I was actually thinking of relocated to colorado so living could be more affordable, and they have a state vet school! what vet school did you get into?

I think relocating for residency/in state preference at a vet school is a little risky, but I'd definitely consider it if you are really interested in living in CO. I used to be a PA resident, but really wanted to be instate at a cheaper school than Penn. When the opportunity to take a job in NY came up, my decision to take the job was influenced by wanting to est. residency here, and it paid off.

BTW if money is tight you should look into jobs at universities. I paid for the majority of my prereqs by working fulltime for a school that paid for up to 8 credits/semester for employees. Saved thousands!

 

[fanye]

BTW if money is tight you should look into jobs at universities. I paid for the majority of my prereqs by working fulltime for a school that paid for up to 8 credits/semester for employees. Saved thousands!

thats a great idea, thanks!

 

[fanye]

I had initially intended to do the UMB postbac program(applied and accepted), but decided that Umass Amherst had more to offer. The biggest issue I had with the UMB program was that you got no registration preference for classes so before the first semester I was getting emails saying general biology was full and that all post-bac students would have to get on a waiting list for it.

oh... I was thinking about HES as well but i heard the curve gets pretty crazy!

What vet school are you going to? Also, what upper level bio classes did you take?

 

[fanye]

Welcome, Fanye!

I'm at the MSPCA at well, up in Methuen. You may want to call/e-mail/stop by the Boston shelter--sometimes, they do get a ton of applications & take a while to go through them. They've also had problems with misdirected applications in the past; for example, we've had potential volunteers touch base because they hadn't heard back, and it turned out that their applications had ended up in Boston! I've worked in the Boston shelter clinic as well (filled in for a tech who'd went on leave a while back), and they did have pre-vet volunteers. So go for it--they're a great group!

You may also want to look into feral cat clinics. A group called Commonwealth Cats usually holds them once/month at the shelter's hospital. I volunteer for a different feral group (MRFRS), and such groups tend to take people of varying levels of experience. Definitely a good way to get started.

PM me some time if you might be in the Methuen area. I'd love to show you around our shelter! Best of luck with everything!!!

Thanks for your response! Thats very helpful... I'm looking into commonwealth cats now! Maybe I'll stop by the mspca tonight and just ask them in person if I can help out.. But by looking at the website it seems that they are just full of volunteers.. haha.

 

[NotAngie]

I'm in almost the exact same position you are:

* Mid twenties (I'm 26, so a little older)
* Psych degree
* No experience
* No science classes
* No car.

I'm not giving up.

I enrolled in a "sciences in the evening program" and am taking my pre-reqs there. I'm continuing to submit volunteer applications and I'm getting my stuff together to start going to vets offices and asking if I can shadow. I'm just going to keep asking everyone I can think of until someone gives me a chance.

 

[fanye]

oh... I was thinking about HES as well but i heard the curve gets pretty crazy!

What vet school are you going to? Also, what upper level bio classes did you take?

just curious to see if you were still out there!

 

[david594]

oh... I was thinking about HES as well but i heard the curve gets pretty crazy!

What vet school are you going to? Also, what upper level bio classes did you take?

I am accepted at Ohio, but still waiting to hear from Florida.

I didn't actually take any upper level bio courses. All I had were the core requirements.

From undergrad I had my gen chem and physics series. In 2008 at umass I took a total of 37 credits comprised of Bio 1/2, Orgo1/2 + labs, Cell&molec, genetics, biochem, microbio, microbio lab, english writing, and statistics with a 3.76 GPA all while also working 1700 hours that year. I think this was the biggest asset to my application in demonstrating my ability to succeed under a heavy work load.

 

[LivestockDoc]

From undergrad I had my gen chem and physics series. In 2008 at umass I took a total of 37 credits comprised of Bio 1/2, Orgo1/2 + labs, Cell&molec, genetics, biochem, microbio, microbio lab, english writing, and statistics with a 3.76 GPA all while also working 1700 hours that year. I think this was the biggest asset to my application in demonstrating my ability to succeed under a heavy work load.

Wow! I'm impressed. You rock! I hope I can do as well this Fall when I load up on advanced science courses. Obviously you had no life last year, but I bet making it into vet school made the sacrifice VERY worth it. Congrats!

 

[hopenpray]

Hey Fanye, I too am changing careers. I have been a nurse (RN) for 9 years and for the last 4 years I have worked to get my biology degree with the pre-reqs required for Vet. School. I also earned my BSN degree in case I needed to advance my nursing career while applying to Vet School. It has been rough. I started volunteering at my dog's Vet, and then I started working with them each week. I still work as a nurse 36 to 48 hours a week and go to school 3 days a week. I am not doing as much vet clinic time at this moment, because as it stands now I only get one day off every two weeks. I have maintained my GPA above 3.7 and hope to keep that going this semester. It can be done and determination looks a lot better than giving up on an application. I interview at Mississippi next month so I hope all of this hard work will pay off. You will be tired, and discouraged at times. Do not loose sight of your major goal, because that will get you in trouble.

 

[Mama070609]

Hey! thanks for everyones quick responses:

I live in the Boston area, without a car (which i know is a major downfall) . I have filled out online volunteer apps to two no kill shelters and to the MSPCA, and I haven't heard anything from them yet. I was thinking about doing my postbac at either Umass or Harvard ext.

Shadowing is a great idea, and I'm going to be flying out to Chicago to shadow my friend for a few days. Do you think I could call up the local cat clinic down the road and see if I could shadow a vet?

It's a bummer that you don't have a car. Nevens Farm in Methuen is a nice place to volunteer at. I think the shelters in Boston have a high number of volunteers, so it's not as easy to find a spot with them.

Remember when looking for shadowing opportunities to look all the way out as far as the T will take you. You might even consider looking for a place that required you to use the commuter rail.

Another thing that you might be interested in is the open house that Cummings/Tufts has. It's a bit of a commute (nearly out to Worcester...you would need to have the use of a car in some way), but it could give you more insight into the field and you might be able to some more opportunities to gain experience.

 

[Dr Turk]

I am 23 and i have been a vet tech for about 5 years now. All ihave to say is make sure you know thats is exactly what you want to do- especially if you havent been a science mojor yet. And working as a vet dosent always mean you are going to be in small animal practice.

I started working for a vet because my friends mom was a vet and she needed a lil help- plus I needed a job- I began workig in the kennel just like everyone else who starts working at a vet and worked my way up to vet tech. At that time I started college as a jazz music major- which i thought was going to be easy- which it some what wa.- I loved it- but I didnt want to study it!-😳 lol ifound myself more intrested in wondering if i missed any emergencies from work while at school.

I switched majors into pre vet because I felt like I being a vet is what i really wanted to do- but then i noticed its just the field of study i liked more- i loved being in the surgury room wondering what would/could happen next. And then i noticed in small animal practice- animals are a luxury not a nessecity. If someones dog dies they will go out the next day and buy a new one if they like. I like to feel needed and i want to feel secure in my profession- so i switched to premed- I an NO WAY disguraging you going into pre vet but just realize that is something you REAALY want- Find veterinarians and talk to them- i say find a very buys placesuch as a animal shelter or humane society and see if they need help--- either way i hope all goes well and stay positive 🙂



whew that was a lot! lol-

 

[wordsyouwant]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has participated in this AAEP Shadow a Veterinarian Program?

 

[Solidgun]

You are in the same boat as I am.

I got my psyc degree 3 years ago (27 now) and now I work as a supervisor for purchasing computer related hardware at a large corporation.

My job is actually very relaxing and secure, but I need a challenge in life so I have decided to go back to school for another undergrad degree before beginning application process for vet school. This will give me time to add some experience to my life as well since I have no formal experience other than owning pets.

Luckily, I am married and my wife is a nurse so I won't be financially challenged as much but I am on track.

 

[sumstorm]

My job is actually very relaxing and secure, but I need a challenge in life so I have decided to go back to school for another undergrad degree before beginning application process for vet school. This will give me time to add some experience to my life as well since I have no formal experience other than owning pets.

Oddly enough, I just left the clinic where I work, and the associate vet said she's been really cranky and grumpy lately. I asked her what is going on (she is 1 year older than me, but has lead a relatively sheltered life compared to mine) and she said she doesn't have anything left to work towards and there isn't any regular challenge in vet work for her (small animal practice.) I asked if she would consider trying to get into a specialty, emergency med, or possibly research and teaching. And she said she is bored with all of it (she does weekends at the emergency clinic, said she isn't suited to research or teaching, and thinks if she does specialty she will feel the same way...just as a specialist.) Another downer for her is her SO is in business so his students loans are a lot less, he makes a lot more, and he didn't have to go to school for as long (and consequently started on his career path earlier.) I think part of this is 'grass is greener' but I think another part of this is she didn't really explore life before going to vet school or consider the repetitive parts of the job (all her siblings are also professionals such as MD, OD, JD, etc). She is a really great vet, but I have observed her dissatisfaction over the past year....I think she is only really figuring it out herself (or being able to express it in words now.)

 

[gone2dogs]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has participated in this AAEP Shadow a Veterinarian Program?

Well, not yet. But after seeing this link a few weeks back I figured what the heck and contacted a vet who is nearby from the list for my state. Since I have very few (read no real) contacts with equine or large animal vets I was feeling a little desperate so figured I had nothing to lose by contacting them. She seems very nice and I am scheduled to ride along with her ("in the truck") in a few weeks. I am hoping it could lead to a more regular shadowing opportunity over the summer, but we'll have to see how it goes. I am tempted to contact one of the other mentors as well who works for what looks like a very impressive equine hospital, even though it is about an hour away.