Chances of an old guy getting accepted?

[Armymutt25A]

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I was a pre-vet student at Purdue about a decade ago. I didn't get accepted, went to grad-school for reproductive physiology, still didn't get accepted, ran out of money, and left school. I'm currently an Army officer in the communications field - radios, computer networks, etc. I have been in the Army since 2001. Since 1999, I haven't had any vet hours, non-vet animal hours, or even looked at a histology slide. My wife is currently realizing her dream and is in school to get her PharmD. This, of course, has got me thinking about trying to get into vet school in a few years (once she's done). Given that I have roughly 3 years to prepare, minus working, exotic vacations to the cradle of civilization, and military schools, what sorts of things should I be doing to make myself more competitive? Is it even likely that I would be successful in vet school after all these years away from academia?

 

[parietal]

I was a pre-vet student at Purdue about a decade ago. I didn't get accepted, went to grad-school for reproductive physiology, still didn't get accepted, ran out of money, and left school. I'm currently an Army officer in the communications field - radios, computer networks, etc. I have been in the Army since 2001. Since 1999, I haven't had any vet hours, non-vet animal hours, or even looked at a histology slide. My wife is currently realizing her dream and is in school to get her PharmD. This, of course, has got me thinking about trying to get into vet school in a few years (once she's done). Given that I have roughly 3 years to prepare, minus working, exotic vacations to the cradle of civilization, and military schools, what sorts of things should I be doing to make myself more competitive? Is it even likely that I would be successful in vet school after all these years away from academia?

Welcome! This probably should be moved to the pre-vet forum, although I don't know how to do that.

But three years absolutely is enough time to prepare. I finished my B.A. in 1997 and started thinking about returning to college for vet school in 2005 after a completely unrelated career (journalism). My situation was a little different since I had quite a few prereqs to do, but the best thing I did was to start shadowing and seeking out other pre-vet type activities as soon as I started to seriously contemplate vet school. It helped me solidify my decision and it looks good on my application!

Be aware that you may need to redo some of your prereqs. Some schools require science classes (especially biology and chemistry) to be taken within the last 8-10 years, and you may find requirements have changed since the 1990s. Few schools, for example, now require calculus, while it was standard back then. But the coursework will probably help you mentally prepare for vet school as well as improve your GPA, so it's not a bad thing at all.

Oh, and you'll probably also find that there's quite a few of us non-trads on the pre-vet path.

Best of luck!

 

[tanvet]

HI, I agree w/ last post, and would engage in calling the schools you are interested in applying too. I know that some vet schools only accept courses taken w/in the last 5 years, which may leave you a lot of work to do. In addition, a small part time job, or volunteer-ship would show great commitment to the profession. And lastly, unfortunately getting into vet school is a lot of who you know, and letters of recommendations. So you have 3 years to try to make contacts with board members of those schools or other well known vets or alumni in your area.

 

[catlover]

And lastly, unfortunately getting into vet school is a lot of who you know, and letters of recommendations. So you have 3 years to try to make contacts with board members of those schools or other well known vets or alumni in your area.

IMHO, it's not necessarily who you know, or I would not have gotten in anywhere. My recommendations were a private practice vet, a professor (at a non-vet school) and a former supervisor in another industry (I'm a nontrad also).

 

[blkjkvet]

Three years is a lot of time to prepare, looking in the pre-vet forum is also a good idea. I am also a non-trad and I have found it most helpful to talk to an adviser at the school(s) you are looking at applying to. They can tell you what pre-reqs will still be valid, what you may need to re-take, etc.

You said that you are military, there was a forum a while back about the veterinary corps through the military. I don't remember the details, but there was something about the military paying for all or a good portion of school... you would have to look into it more, but just thought I'd mention it.

 

[Armymutt25A]

Three years is a lot of time to prepare, looking in the pre-vet forum is also a good idea. I am also a non-trad and I have found it most helpful to talk to an adviser at the school(s) you are looking at applying to. They can tell you what pre-reqs will still be valid, what you may need to re-take, etc.

You said that you are military, there was a forum a while back about the veterinary corps through the military. I don't remember the details, but there was something about the military paying for all or a good portion of school... you would have to look into it more, but just thought I'd mention it.

This is pretty much my plan. I'm stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC, about an hour from NCSU. From their website, it looks like I'm good as far as course work is concerned - no expiration. Right now, I've got about 10 months left in the desert, so talking to an adviser is out. I'm going to contact my prof at Purdue and see if I can do the two classes that I left unfinished. They aren't labs, so doing them via distance learning is a possibility; just depends on whether they are willing to put in the effort needed to deal with me being so far away.
As far as the Army is concerned, that's something I will have to dig into. I'm a special case. If I could get them to pay for school, that would be great, but I would prefer to maintain my status and pay rate while going to school. If I could get both, all the better.

 

[Caninerepro]

It took me about 3 years to be ready to apply as well. Two to finish/retake many of my previous science classes/remaining prereqs, and then I did a MS program during my application year. I am a hardcore non-trad male. Not sure if I'm the oldest in my class, but probably close to numericaly. I'd save average age including those 20 year olds who did not even finish a 4 year program; @ 26-27. Go for it, you will just be the big brother to everyone else, and should not have any problem fitting in. Ad coms seem to like an "older" person or two in their class makeup, if just to provide a more seasoned voice in the class discussions.

 

[kangarooster]

I'll agree with previous posters that taking a few classes to train your brain for vet school is a good idea. Your first semester/year will go a lot smoother if you've got a good handle on cell bio, biochem, physiology, and anatomy. I was a non-trad too, and had a hard time with some of the subjects. Sounds like you'll have loads of time to prepare. Best of luck to you.

I had a classmate that had school paid for by the military. I think he was a military guy before vet school, but I know he wasn't able to maintain his pay grade through school (maybe he had taken a break before starting school?). Still, he got a free education. It was something that I looked into too, but I wanted to follow a specific career path and the post-school service requirement was too inflexible for my needs.

 

[DrDucati]

My advice is "Go for it". There were a number of older guys in the classes around mine. One was a retired Navy Chief. Admittedly that was a number of years ago but I think now is a better time than 15 or so years ago. You'd have never gotten in then unless you were "minority qualified". Most admissions committees recognize older applicants are not distracted by the same things as "traditional students" and give them a little more consideration. Most of the older students I've known have done very well unless they had some kind of family distress distracting them.
I knew one who graduated at 55 and started a practice that his daughter continues today long after his death.

 

[mrcows3]

Definitely go for it, it would be a good idea to take a systemic physiology class and an anatomy class as the first two years are steeped in it. Its just to get your mind going in that direction again. I have known several non-trad students at my school. If you need to take a course for the GRE, I used Kaplan and had success. Good luck

 

[Armymutt25A]

I've now learned that the assistant to the chief of the Army Vet Corp was a non-trad in a similar situation as me. She was 42 when she graduated, having previously been a pilot. Perhaps there is hope. At least there is motivation! Now to find a worthwhile class offered in the evenings. That could be difficult.