"Choosing" a veterinary school?

[AniSci]

I know they tend to choose you, but I've been compiling a list of schools that I'm able to apply to (based on the prereqs they require---I'm not willing to take STATS...).

But I have no idea where to go from there.

What should I be looking at, aside from the sort of program they're known for? I know Cornell (although it's a long shot for getting in) offers a good equine program, and I'm thinking about specializing in that area.

School websites tend to over inflate themselves anyway, so where else should I go to find information about them and honest opinions?

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[Gwenevre]

There's a pros and cons thread somewhere around here. Lemme try and find it really quick.

 

[Gwenevre]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/factors-when-picking-a-school.580221/

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

#1) Cost

#2) Is the school geographically in an area where you could be at least somewhat happy - you're going to be there for 4 years and you do your best work if you are happy where you live

#3) Perks such as a good equine program, good exotics coverage, etc.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Aside from everything mentioned above, I also looked at schools' average GPA stats for recent accepted classes to see if mine were anywhere close, and at how many OOS applicants they accept vs. how many OOS applicants they tend to get. I have average to below-average stats, so applying to schools such as Texas A&M, which only has I think 6 OOS seats, would be a waste of my time and money.

Also make sure you read their admissions eligibility policies THOROUGHLY, not just their list of pre-reqs, to make sure you aren't going to get rejected due to something in the fine print (been there, done that, and it sucks).

ETA: I thought of more to add! For myself, considering I was just last week trying to narrow down a couple more schools to apply to for this cycle, I eliminated any that required a lot of extra work on my part, e.g. Tufts which doesn't use VMCAS, Ohio which this year is requiring an ETS PPI thing from evaluators, any that have a ton of essays on their supplemental. I don't mean to sound lazy, but it's already August so I didn't want to add too much more to my to-do list, and I'm primarily hoping to get into my IS.

You might also look at whether or not schools do interviews if that's something that matters to you. Some people love interviews because it's a chance to see the school and prove themselves in person, some people hate interviews because they freeze up, or just don't have the money to travel to them.

 

[MouseWrangler]

I personally think it's really important to interact with the schools you are thinking about attending. When I was applying for my master's program, one school I talked to was really responsive and pleasant to deal with - it really made me feel like they care about their students - that's the school I ended up at. I also applied to another graduate school close by and they hardly ever returned calls or emails and from talking to some of the students that chose to go to that school's program really regretted it. I've taken the same approach in the schools I want to apply to. So far, Kansas and Florida seem really interested in their students and they're both on the top of my list.

Look at cost to some degree - you'll be in debt no matter what school you choose so don't make that your #1 factor.

And like others said, look at the geographical region. I went to undergrad up north and it was REALLY cold, like colder than I could have ever imagined. I'm not sold on doing that EVER again, which puts the northern schools a little lower on my list.

I have to respectfully disagree with LyraGardenia, though. Not applying to schools that require just a little extra work like another essay or 12 seems like a waste to me. I would really hate to not get a spot in this cycle because I didn't feel like writing a couple paragraphs. But I suppose that opens up more spots for the applicants that do the extra essays and such.

 

[WillowLeaf]

Look at cost to some degree - you'll be in debt no matter what school you choose so don't make that your #1 factor.

That really depends on each person's financial situation and residency. In some cases, choosing an OOS school over an IS (or more expensive OOS over less expensive OOS) can result in an extra $100,000 or so* of debt by graduation. That's enough of a difference that it's reasonable for someone to make that their #1 factor. Also fine for someone to not make it their #1 factor if they're okay with taking on that extra debt.

*Estimate is based on this: http://aavmc.org/tuitionmap.aspx.

 

[bluesails]

I personally think it's really important to interact with the schools you are thinking about attending. When I was applying for my master's program, one school I talked to was really responsive and pleasant to deal with - it really made me feel like they care about their students - that's the school I ended up at. I also applied to another graduate school close by and they hardly ever returned calls or emails and from talking to some of the students that chose to go to that school's program really regretted it. I've taken the same approach in the schools I want to apply to. So far, Kansas and Florida seem really interested in their students and they're both on the top of my list.

I agree with this. I had my own opinions about the schools I applied to and they changed pretty dramatically as the admissions process went on just because of how they treated me as an applicant. I tried to think more objectively about the situation, but I also took it as a sign of how they would treat me as a student when I had any problems I needed help with.

Also, I want to say that specialties that a school is 'known' for aren't really the best criteria to follow sometimes - you can become any kind of vet by going to any vet school, because your externships and then your internship+residency will matter more than the three electives you took that you couldn't take anywhere else. Sure, you will be able to take more classes in something you are specifically interested in, but don't write off a school just because it isn't "well known" for the specialty you want. PLUS, people change interest in vet school all the time. Don't get sucked in.

 

[MouseWrangler]

That really depends on each person's financial situation and residency. In some cases, choosing an OOS school over an IS (or more expensive OOS over less expensive OOS) can result in an extra $100,000 or so* of debt by graduation. That's enough of a difference that it's reasonable for someone to make that their #1 factor. Also fine for someone to not make it their #1 factor if they're okay with taking on that extra debt.

*Estimate is based on this: http://aavmc.org/tuitionmap.aspx.

Fair enough. That is quite a bit of a difference. I would hope there are other reasons for choosing a school than just the money - a differing opinion I suppose.

 

[LyraGardenia]

I have to respectfully disagree with LyraGardenia, though. Not applying to schools that require just a little extra work like another essay or 12 seems like a waste to me. I would really hate to not get a spot in this cycle because I didn't feel like writing a couple paragraphs. But I suppose that opens up more spots for the applicants that do the extra essays and such.

Fair enough, I was just explaining how I made my decisions in narrowing things down, considering it's a little late in the game. If it were my first-choice school I would stand on my head and sing the alphabet backwards if they wanted me to, but I already have my IS and one other school that I'm primarily aiming toward. I wanted to choose a couple others to apply to to widen my net, and I was honestly looking for reasons to eliminate schools once I got past things like location, pre-reqs, etc. because I can't really afford to apply to more than 4.

 

[LetItSnow]

As an aside, I am super glad I took an undergrad stats course. One of the best moves I made.

 

[DVMDream]

As an aside, I am super glad I took an undergrad stats course. One of the best moves I made.

Me too. Even though I still dislike stats, really helps to have had that when going over some of the EBVM stuff in vet school. Also helps with evaluating journal articles as well.

 

[Kpowell14]

Im gonna agree with you both! OP- if you have time / can fit it in your schedule, it will not be a waste of time...I bet most Vet schools have a public health / epidemiology class in the curriculum which can be stats heavy. I would've done poorly in Epi without previous stats knowledge... Our class set up was less than ideal but having that in my pocket saved my tail!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Look at cost to some degree - you'll be in debt no matter what school you choose so don't make that your #1 factor.

I only ever see pre-vets saying this.....

Not trying to be snide. But I don't think a lot of people fully appreciate how important cost is until they are done and having to pay it back. Advice like this always ruffles my feathers a bit.

Edit - yes, it is unfortunate that cost should be #1 or at least #2. I'm not saying it's a good situation or how it should be. But right now that's honestly the most sensible way to approach it from a career perspective unless you have a lot of disposable income, a rich wife/husband, or some other uncommon situation.

 

[AniSci]

Aside from everything mentioned above, I also looked at schools' average GPA stats for recent accepted classes to see if mine were anywhere close, and at how many OOS applicants they accept vs. how many OOS applicants they tend to get. I have average to below-average stats, so applying to schools such as Texas A&M, which only has I think 6 OOS seats, would be a waste of my time and money.

Also make sure you read their admissions eligibility policies THOROUGHLY, not just their list of pre-reqs, to make sure you aren't going to get rejected due to something in the fine print (been there, done that, and it sucks).

ETA: I thought of more to add! For myself, considering I was just last week trying to narrow down a couple more schools to apply to for this cycle, I eliminated any that required a lot of extra work on my part, e.g. Tufts which doesn't use VMCAS, Ohio which this year is requiring an ETS PPI thing from evaluators, any that have a ton of essays on their supplemental. I don't mean to sound lazy, but it's already August so I didn't want to add too much more to my to-do list, and I'm primarily hoping to get into my IS.

You might also look at whether or not schools do interviews if that's something that matters to you. Some people love interviews because it's a chance to see the school and prove themselves in person, some people hate interviews because they freeze up, or just don't have the money to travel to them.

WHOA. Some schools don't have interviews?! Call me naive, but I thought that was a rule for vet schools to require an interview before being admitted...

Which schools are they? I HATE interviews lol!

"So, why do you think you might want to be a vet?"
"Uhhh. (*shaky voice*) Scarlett red?"

 

[AniSci]

I only ever see pre-vets saying this.....

Not trying to be snide. But I don't think a lot of people fully appreciate how important cost is until they are done and having to pay it back. Advice like this always ruffles my feathers a bit.

Edit - yes, it is unfortunate that cost should be #1 or at least #2. I'm not saying it's a good situation or how it should be. But right now that's honestly the most sensible way to approach it from a career perspective unless you have a lot of disposable income, a rich wife/husband, or some other uncommon situation.

St. Matthew's in Grand Cayman has been rolling around in the back of my mind---not only is their pre-clinic tuition about $14,000 (clinical is about $21,000), they don't require a GRE score.
If I ever start getting really lay-zee or desperate....

Cost is a really good factor to go by, though. Some states OOS tuition is cheaper than my own IS tuition. -_-

 

[Ashgirl]

WHOA. Some schools don't have interviews?! Call me naive, but I thought that was a rule for vet schools to require an interview before being admitted...

Which schools are they? I HATE interviews lol!

"So, why do you think you might want to be a vet?"
"Uhhh. (*shaky voice*) Scarlett red?"

Yep, there's quite a few that don't have interviews. Here's a list on the top of my head (feel free to add/correct any I forgot):

Cornell
Wisconsin
Oregon State (OOS only, IS interview)
Oklahoma State (OOS only IS interview)
Colorado State
North Carolina State University
University of Georgia

 

[AniSci]

Me too. Even though I still dislike stats, really helps to have had that when going over some of the EBVM stuff in vet school. Also helps with evaluating journal articles as well.

I've had experience with STATS; one of my bio lab TAs was OBSESSED with it & my genetics professor adored it & tried to sucker people into taking it at every chance she got. It's not like I've never taken a class that involves it, and I think I've gotten enough experience to feel reasonably comfortable with anything I might encounter later.

I'm just trying to be cautious because A) I'm terrible at math & anything involving it, and B) I don't want to risk lowering my GPA, even though it's sitting at about a 3.9... I'm secretly hoping it'll make up for any flaws the admissions board finds in other areas of my undergrad life. Wishful thinking... : /

 

[AniSci]

Yep, there's quite a few that don't have interviews. Here's a list on the top of my head (feel free to add/correct any I forgot):

Cornell
Wisconsin
Oregon State (OOS only, IS interview)
Oklahoma State (OOS only IS interview)
Colorado State
North Carolina State University
University of Georgia

That makes me happy! Cornell & UGA are two of my top first-choices, granted they'll let me in lol!

 

[DVMDream]

WHOA. Some schools don't have interviews?! Call me naive, but I thought that was a rule for vet schools to require an interview before being admitted...

Which schools are they? I HATE interviews lol!

"So, why do you think you might want to be a vet?"
"Uhhh. (*shaky voice*) Scarlett red?"

What would really help you the most would be to do some of this research on your own. Go to google and type in veterinary schools. Look at the school websites. Read up on what they require, what their school is about, what their tuition costs are, if you can get in state status after a year of out of state, look up their average stats, etc. Having a bunch of people on here tell you these things, does not really help.

St. Matthew's in Grand Cayman has been rolling around in the back of my mind---not only is their pre-clinic tuition about $14,000 (clinical is about $21,000), they don't require a GRE score.
If I ever start getting really lay-zee or desperate....

Cost is a really good factor to go by, though. Some states OOS tuition is cheaper than my own IS tuition. -_-

Sure, St. Matthew's might have a "cheaper" tuition than some other US schools, but they are not accredited. Therefore, you have to take PAVE and ECFVG in addition to the NAVLE to become licensed as a vet in the US. These exams are very rigorous and can cost you upwards of an additional $10,000 and some people never pass them.

I suggest that you do a lot more research. And drop the "lazy" now, because it won't benefit you in vet school or as a vet. You will have to do and take classes and exams that you don't want to take while in vet school and you best get over it now.

 

[DVMDream]

I've had experience with STATS; one of my bio lab TAs was OBSESSED with it & my genetics professor adored it & tried to sucker people into taking it at every chance she got. It's not like I've never taken a class that involves it, and I think I've gotten enough experience to feel reasonably comfortable with anything I might encounter later.

I'm just trying to be cautious because A) I'm terrible at math & anything involving it, and B) I don't want to risk lowering my GPA, even though it's sitting at about a 3.9... I'm secretly hoping it'll make up for any flaws the admissions board finds in other areas of my undergrad life. Wishful thinking... : /

Stats is much different than your average math class and there is no class that will compare to taking a straight up stats course. You are fooling yourself if you think that stats involved in EBVM and in reading journal articles or even if you end up doing your own research at some point in the future is "easy" or that what you have "heard" is going to be "comfortable" enough. Stats isn't something you can just "hear" in a few lectures here and there and really understand. I would say even one stats course isn't even enough, but at least you will know some of the terms and exactly what at p-value is. Or why sample size is important. Or the various different statistical analyses that can be run and why some are better than others.

 

[AniSci]

What would really help you the most would be to do some of this research on your own. Go to google and type in veterinary schools. Look at the school websites. Read up on what they require, what their school is about, what their tuition costs are, if you can get in state status after a year of out of state, look up their average stats, etc. Having a bunch of people on here tell you these things, does not really help.




Sure, St. Matthew's might have a "cheaper" tuition than some other US schools, but they are not accredited. Therefore, you have to take PAVE and ECFVG in addition to the NAVLE to become licensed as a vet in the US. These exams are very rigorous and can cost you upwards of an additional $10,000 and some people never pass them.

I suggest that you do a lot more research. And drop the "lazy" now, because it won't benefit you in vet school or as a vet. You will have to do and take classes and exams that you don't want to take while in vet school and you best get over it now.

Whoa. No need to be rude or pushy.
I'm not lazy or opposed to "doing my research" (which I've already done, btw), just a person with a sense of humor.

I've had countless family members go through dental school, med school, and nursing programs so I know what hard work, challenges, and what the attitude of "just getting over it" is.

 

[AniSci]

Stats is much different than your average math class and there is no class that will compare to taking a straight up stats course. You are fooling yourself if you think that stats involved in EBVM and in reading journal articles or even if you end up doing your own research at some point in the future is "easy" or that what you have "heard" is going to be "comfortable" enough. Stats isn't something you can just "hear" in a few lectures here and there and really understand. I would say even one stats course isn't even enough, but at least you will know some of the terms and exactly what at p-value is. Or why sample size is important. Or the various different statistical analyses that can be run and why some are better than others.

If STATS is truly as important as you think it is, why don't all schools require it as a prereq, then?
Maybe it's just your school that pushes it.

 

[DVMDream]

Whoa. No need to be rude or pushy.
I'm not lazy or opposed to "doing my research" (which I've already done, btw), just a person with a sense of humor.

I've had countless family members go through dental school, med school, and nursing programs so I know what hard work, challenges, and what the attitude of "just getting over it" is.

Not meaning to come off as rude. But you have asked some rather basic questions that can be found on websites by researching the schools. Also, trying to help you with the St. Matthews thing by saying it is not the best option. If you think it is "rude" to recommend basic research of simple things, well .

Another thing, I see you mentioned UGA as a top choice. Is UGA your in state? If not, they don't accept many out of state applicants, you have a really good GPA now at 3.9, but it will still be a long shot applying there as out of state.

What you need to do is sit down and go through all the schools and make lists of what they are looking for, what your stats are, how your grades/experiences/etc compare to their admitted classes and determine from there where to apply and any additional classes you might need.

 

[DVMDream]

If STATS is truly as important as you think it is, why don't all schools require it as a prereq, then?
Maybe it's just your school that pushes it.

Honestly, I don't remember which schools require it anymore and which do not. I know quite a few schools have added it in as a requirement. My saying stats is helpful is coming as a current vet student in which having that knowledge prior has really been of help in certain vet school courses. You can choose to believe me or not, but LetitSnow also stated the same thing in this thread about stats that I did. Completely up to you if you want to believe a couple vet students or not. I don't really care what you decide. We are just here to help give advice to pre-vets, since we have kind of been there before.

 

[orca2011]

If STATS is truly as important as you think it is, why don't all schools require it as a prereq, then?
Maybe it's just your school that pushes it.

I just went through the pre-reqs for the US schools...counted around 13 that required Stats and many required more than one semester of math. I'd recommend taking it, not only to be able to apply to more schools, but it is helpful in several classes.

 

[AniSci]

Honestly, I don't remember which schools require it anymore and which do not. I know quite a few schools have added it in as a requirement. My saying stats is helpful is coming as a current vet student in which having that knowledge prior has really been of help in certain vet school courses. You can choose to believe me or not, but LetitSnow also stated the same thing in this thread about stats that I did. Completely up to you if you want to believe a couple vet students or not. I don't really care what you decide. We are just here to help give advice to pre-vets, since we have kind of been there before.

I do understand what you're saying, and I'm definitely not ignoring it. I'm just trying to keep in mind that I've got a year-and-a-half left of undergrad (I'm awkward & behind everyone else, I know...) and quite a bit left to accomplish before then. Adding STATs into the mix (which for me is like adding another o-chem class) would just complicate it.
If I can find a school/get into a school that doesn't require STATS & doesn't put much emphasis on it in its own program, I'll go for it.

 

[AniSci]

Not meaning to come off as rude. But you have asked some rather basic questions that can be found on websites by researching the schools. Also, trying to help you with the St. Matthews thing by saying it is not the best option. If you think it is "rude" to recommend basic research of simple things, well .

Another thing, I see you mentioned UGA as a top choice. Is UGA your in state? If not, they don't accept many out of state applicants, you have a really good GPA now at 3.9, but it will still be a long shot applying there as out of state.

What you need to do is sit down and go through all the schools and make lists of what they are looking for, what your stats are, how your grades/experiences/etc compare to their admitted classes and determine from there where to apply and any additional classes you might need.

Like I said originally, a lot of school websites tend to over inflate themselves & their program. So I decided to come here, and try to get some honest personal experience-based opinions.

I do realize that St. Matthew's is not at all a good choice. I realize it's expensive & challenging to take the alternative licensing exams. I've looked all up & down the wonderful World Wide Web to get a feel for this foreign veterinary program that's practically broadcasting it's worthlessness by being insanely cheap & not requiring a GRE score.
Once again, I was joking.
It's like saying, "Well, I didn't get into Harvard. I might as well go to my community college with all the losers I just graduated high school with."

Again. Joke.

I have looked at IS vs. OOS applicants/acceptance rates. I'm keeping those in mind as I compile my spreadsheet of schools that I even have a slim chance of getting into. I'm also asking questions on websites like SDN in order to find out the opinion of those in my position and those who have already been through it.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Like I said originally, a lot of school websites tend to over inflate themselves & their program. So I decided to come here, and try to get some honest personal experience-based opinions.

I do realize that St. Matthew's is not at all a good choice. I realize it's expensive & challenging to take the alternative licensing exams. I've looked all up & down the wonderful World Wide Web to get a feel for this foreign veterinary program that's practically broadcasting it's worthlessness by being insanely cheap & not requiring a GRE score.
Once again, I was joking.
It's like saying, "Well, I didn't get into Harvard. I might as well go to my community college with all the losers I just graduated high school with."

Again. Joke.

I have looked at IS vs. OOS applicants/acceptance rates. I'm keeping those in mind as I compile my spreadsheet of schools that I even have a slim chance of getting into. I'm also asking questions on websites like SDN in order to find out the opinion of those in my position and those who have already been through it.

Maybe schools do tend to exaggerate that their program is the best and brightest, but school websites are still the best resource for finding factual information like prerequisites, admissions procedures and policies, stats for previous accepted classes, etc. I understand that you've got a ways to go before applying, and you've certainly got more of a jump on things than I did at the point you're at, but DVMDream is right that this is research you should be doing on your own. SDN is a great resource for asking questions about opinion-based matters or things you're confused on, but you shouldn't expect us to do your research for you.

The VMCAS website also has some great resources such as college descriptor pages, a prereq chart, a supplemental app chart, etc. Sometimes those are easier with everything in one place than slogging through school websites, some of which are very poorly designed.

And if you really were joking about considering St. Matthew's, it didn't come across in your previous post.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

And if you really were joking about considering St. Matthew's, it didn't come across in your previous post.

Good thing he/she was, my initial response was

 

[DVMDream]

Like I said originally, a lot of school websites tend to over inflate themselves & their program. So I decided to come here, and try to get some honest personal experience-based opinions.

I do realize that St. Matthew's is not at all a good choice. I realize it's expensive & challenging to take the alternative licensing exams. I've looked all up & down the wonderful World Wide Web to get a feel for this foreign veterinary program that's practically broadcasting it's worthlessness by being insanely cheap & not requiring a GRE score.
Once again, I was joking.
It's like saying, "Well, I didn't get into Harvard. I might as well go to my community college with all the losers I just graduated high school with."

Again. Joke.

I have looked at IS vs. OOS applicants/acceptance rates. I'm keeping those in mind as I compile my spreadsheet of schools that I even have a slim chance of getting into. I'm also asking questions on websites like SDN in order to find out the opinion of those in my position and those who have already been through it.

Sorry, really did not come across as a joke.

First you didn't want to take stats in your original post. Then you ask about which schools don't interview because you "hate" interviews. Then you say St. Matthews has been "in your mind" as well in case you become "lazy" or "desperate". Then you are happy to see two schools you are interested in don't do interviews. Sorry, didn't really see any of it as a joke, did not come across that way. Seems to me you want to get to vet school by going through the least amount of hoops possible, based upon your posts. Which is kind of sad, because if you have a GPA of 3.9 (would also need to know science GPA, and experience hours, but provided those are fairly good) you have a decent shot at getting accepted.

I understand trying to get some honest opinions on the schools, however your best source of general information is going to be the school websites. Information on when GRE scores are due by, when supplemental applications are due, etc, etc. Also, while schools will to some degree "toot their own horn" generally the information you find about the school on their website is fairly accurate.

WTF, gave a really good, short, concise list at the beginning of this forum as to what you consider. Another suggestion would be to look up the schools and let the forum know which ones you are considering and ask if anyone at the schools wants to give their opinions. That would possibly get you more personal opinions based upon specific schools.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I'm surprised at the number of school that don't interview. I though it was 1 or 2 max.

Being able to carry on intelligent conversation, being professional and presentable, being able to explain things and answer questions....these are essential skills when dealing with clients.

Now before the flamethrowers start up - yes, no one enters vet school as a perfect negotiator and you should not be expected to be. We perfect these skills over time. But I would think they would want to make sure that applicants can at least interact in a professional manner. No one wants an asshat vet, no matter how good their grades were or clinical skills are.

 

[DVMDream]

I'm surprised at the number of school that don't interview. I though it was 1 or 2 max.

Being able to carry on intelligent conversation, being professional and presentable, being able to explain things and answer questions....these are essential skills when dealing with clients.

Now before the flamethrowers start up - yes, no one enters vet school as a perfect negotiator and you should not be expected to be. We perfect these skills over time. But I would think they would want to make sure that applicants can at least interact in a professional manner. No one wants an asshat vet, no matter how good their grades were or clinical skills are.

Not to mention that no one gets a job without an interview once they do graduate.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Not to mention that no one gets a job without an interview once they do graduate.

Even worse is the lack of education on "soft skills" in vet schools. I mean yeah, everyone has to do that one silly professional foundations class or whatever it is, but students are very, very sheltered from communication skills.

As a resident, I was honestly appalled sometimes at how bad some of them were at being professional. Not that they were behaving badly or anything, they would just go completely deer in the headlights when confronted with ANY uncomfortable situation regarding communicating with me, other clinicians, clients, etc. They couldn't direct or delegate (and yes, I know they were students and I was in charge, but I try to treat fourth years as clinicians because that is what they will be in a short amount of time, and they need to learn how to run teams) either.

And I don't say this in a humblebrag way either, because I was the same way coming out of school. It took residency (even yes, a path residency) to beat it out of my system and train me to interact properly and confidently with both clients and other clinicians as well as manage technicians/students/etc.

 

[DVMDream]

Even worse is the lack of education on "soft skills" in vet schools. I mean yeah, everyone has to do that one silly professional foundations class or whatever it is, but students are very, very sheltered from communication skills.

As a resident, I was honestly appalled sometimes at how bad some of them were at being professional. Not that they were behaving badly or anything, they would just go completely deer in the headlights when confronted with ANY uncomfortable situation regarding communicating with me, other clinicians, clients, etc. They couldn't direct or delegate (and yes, I know they were students and I was in charge, but I try to treat fourth years as clinicians because that is what they will be in a short amount of time, and they need to learn how to run teams) either.

Yeah, I am glad I have had some experience with directing before and delegating tasks. However, I can be shy/quiet at first when in a new place, but once I do get comfortable I am usually ok.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Actually, that would be a really GOOD requirement. Have a Communications class prereq or something of the sort.

 

[WillowLeaf]

The VMCAS website also has some great resources such as college descriptor pages, a prereq chart, a supplemental app chart, etc. Sometimes those are easier with everything in one place than slogging through school websites, some of which are very poorly designed.

That website is very useful.

It's a good idea to double check the info directly on the schools' websites, once you narrow down the list of schools you're interested in. Last year I found a few inaccuracies on the VMCAS website because of pages not being updated yet, so I wouldn't completely rely on those charts for planning your prereqs and such.

Actually, that would be a really GOOD requirement. Have a Communications class prereq or something of the sort.

Some schools require it. Or at least they do for people without a bachelors degree. I guess they assume that most bachelors degree programs require some sort of communications class. Mine didn't but I took public speaking anyway because I'm terribly shy, and it was a very helpful class.

 

[DVMDream]

Actually, that would be a really GOOD requirement. Have a Communications class prereq or something of the sort.

Some do have a public speaking requirement. I took a public speaking class, but to me public speaking is much different than client communication. Public speaking helps for big presentations and things, but not so much for one on one client interaction.

 

[Kayden]

Some do have a public speaking requirement. I took a public speaking class, but to me public speaking is much different than client communication. Public speaking helps for big presentations and things, but not so much for one on one client interaction.

This was my first thought. I was required to take an Oral Communications course for my BS, and while it was helpful in building confidence for presentations/conferences, it didn't do much in the way of one-on-one interaction.

Actually, that's why I'm so thankful for my previous work as manager of customer service at a restaurant. While it seems like a random job, it did more for me in sharpening communication skills with clients than anything else I had done previously; it taught me not only how to "sell" products and services, but also how to resolve issues and customer complaints. Even shadowing in veterinary clinics, I've found that particular skillset to be immensely helpful.

 

[crazycatlady]

..

 

[Trilt]

I'm surprised at the number of school that don't interview. I though it was 1 or 2 max.

Being able to carry on intelligent conversation, being professional and presentable, being able to explain things and answer questions....these are essential skills when dealing with clients.

Now before the flamethrowers start up - yes, no one enters vet school as a perfect negotiator and you should not be expected to be. We perfect these skills over time. But I would think they would want to make sure that applicants can at least interact in a professional manner. No one wants an asshat vet, no matter how good their grades were or clinical skills are.

I've been told that when NCSU used to interview, they found that it made very very little difference in the class outcome (2-3 people different) and was really a lot of time and money for such small "improvements" to the class. Having good LORs should be enough to make sure people are competent at basic social interactions...

 

[Frozenshades]

I've been told that when NCSU used to interview, they found that it made very very little difference in the class outcome (2-3 people different) and was really a lot of time and money for such small "improvements" to the class. Having good LORs should be enough to make sure people are competent at basic social interactions...

That was UGA's conclusion as well. However, one of the vets I worked for told me that supposedly a number of years ago Ok-State changed from interviews to no interviews and weren't happy with the results and went back to them after only a year or two (not for OOSers though).

I'd be interested in seeing a comparison at a school like VMR that scores the applications and interviews entirely separate. I'd be curious to see how much the rankings of all the applicants who are selected for an interview change; maybe the MMI highlights different attributes more so than a traditional interview (or maybe not), but still.