Cornell vs. Tufts vs. VMCVM

[lovelyllama]

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Hey everyone! I was very fortunate to receive offers to Cornell, Tufts, and VMCVM this cycle, but I'm struggling to make a final decision. I've hit the limit of what objective stats and school websites can tell me, and I'm hoping to hear more personal experiences and opinions from current students in these programs. I'd also love to learn more about the culture and location of these schools (Ithaca, NY; North Grafton, MA; and Blacksburg, VA). I'd like to consider all factors besides cost, which I have already taken into account.

What I care most about:

- Small animal medicine (my pathway)

- Day-one clinical readiness and getting hands-on early

- A collaborative, welcoming culture

- Spectrum of care (general practice and specialties)

- Opportunities in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine

- Good location with activities and outdoor recreation

- Strong internship/residency placement if I end up going that route

Specific things I'd love honest answers on:

1. What's the culture actually like day-to-day at these schools? Is there real competition between students, or is it collaborative and rooted in teamwork?
2. For Cornell students, do you feel like PBL is structured and a good way to learn? Do you think it's preparing you well for clinics and real-life cases? Do you have to find all of the information on your own, or does Cornell provide some resources (e.g. lectures, modules, etc.) to explore to learning objectives?
3. What's the exam schedule like for first-years at these schools?
4. Are labs, specifically anatomy, self-guided or structured with plenty of input from faculty and other students?
5. For Tufts students, has anyone had experience in the Lerner Clinic or Tufts at Tech? What has it been like for you? How early were you able to get involved, and how hands-on is the experience?
6. Does the location and culture of the school help you have a life outside of veterinary medicine (e.g. outdoor recreation, social activities, restaurants)?
7. Do you feel like you're getting good experience in both general practice and specialty cases?
8. For VMCVM students, what do you consider highlights of the program? How does the Pass/Fail grading system impact your stress levels and studying methods?

Thank you all in advance! I wish you all the best in your pre-vet/veterinary journeys 🙂

 

[vetstudent9]

Hi! I am a current student at Cornell. To speak towards some of the things you care about most, we have a very strong small animal medicine department and club that provide you opportunities to shadow in the hospital, and there are even student jobs you can get after your first semester. We are definitely very hands on, as you will be working with animals from week 1 and other opportunities for hands on experience. Our curriculum is very hands on, especially due to the PBL style of learning. I find everyone to be really kind and there is a collaborative environment. We definitely have a lot of programs for spectrum of care. While we are a specialty hospital, we also have a general practice and various shelter medicine, low cost, and community outreach programs that students can easily get involved with. There are many opportunities regarding shelter medicine, including our shelter medicine club, spay day (day long spay/neuter clinic), Shelter Outreach Services, SPCA, classes, and more! Ithaca is a very pretty city, as there are a lot of waterfalls and hiking trails. Theres definitely a lot to do and see outdoors, especially when the weather gets nicer. No matter where you go, you will have opportunities for internship/residency.

1. What's the culture actually like day-to-day at these schools? Is there real competition between students, or is it collaborative and rooted in teamwork?
   1. I feel like our culture is very supportive and welcoming. I do not find there to be a lot of competition because of our PBL system. We are constantly working in groups with different classmates and I feel like this creates a sense of community. We all want to see each other succeed and will share resources, notes, etc. with each other.
2. For Cornell students, do you feel like PBL is structured and a good way to learn? Do you think it's preparing you well for clinics and real-life cases? Do you have to find all of the information on your own, or does Cornell provide some resources (e.g. lectures, modules, etc.) to explore to learning objectives?
   1. I was pretty unsure about PBL when I first applied because I like lectures and feel like I learn better individually. PBL is definitely an adjustment, but I found that I learned so much and retained a lot of information. I feel like you get really prepared for clinics as you work through real life cases on day 1. You start to think like a doctor, walk through the process of a case from start to finish, and learn so much along the way. There are a handful of lectures during Block 1, the anatomy course you take at the beginning of the curriculum. There are also imaging and histology labs that walk you through modules to learn the material. It is a little mix of both on where you find information as it depends on your learning objectives, but the majority can be found in lectures, modules, labs, and gross lab dissections/dissection guide. If you really can't find an answer in the class materials, you can use any textbook and online resource you want, but there are some recommendations.
3. What's the exam schedule like for first-years at these schools?
   1. Since we are on a block system, exams are different for each block that you are in. In terms of Block 1, there are usually 4 assessments, 2 being more heavily weighted midterms and finals with lab practical portions. Most other classes follow a similar format with a few quizzes and/or midterm and final. The block system covers a lot of classes in one, so there may be less tests than in other schools, but that are pretty heavy on material. For example, lots of schools have these classes as separate: Anatomy, histology, imaging, neuroanatomy, embryology, etc. but there are all incorporated into block 1 which has a single exam for all topics.
4. Are labs, specifically anatomy, self-guided or structured with plenty of input from faculty and other students?
   1. Labs are a mix. You will work in a group of three with your cadaver and professors will walk around and answer any questions that you have. There is a dissection guide that walks you through each dissection and highlights important anatomy you should recognize and know. The dissection guide is quite thorough with step by step instructions.
5. Does the location and culture of the school help you have a life outside of veterinary medicine (e.g. outdoor recreation, social activities, restaurants)?
   1. There is definitely time for life outside of veterinary medicine, but you also have to find time. You can easily make school consume your life as you can always study more. However, I never found that I was not able to hang out with friends, explore Ithaca, find places to eat, and go out on the weekends. Now there's definitely weeks were I am more busier than others, but finding time is important. Many of my classmates take a day off during the week to focus on things outside of vet school too. There are also so many ways to get involved with activities you enjoy.
6. Do you feel like you're getting good experience in both general practice and specialty cases?
   1. Cornell is focused on making us day 1 ready practitioners. This means we should graduate with all the skills and knowledge to directly enter general practice with confidence. In addition to this, we are a specialty hospital and have every specialty so there is great exposure to this. During your clinical year, you will rotate through a core group of specialties and general practice, with opportunities to take elective rotations that fit your interests.

Feel free to reach out with more questions!

 

[max_wildlife]

Hi 🙂 Tufts '25 grad here.

Specific things I'd love honest answers on:

What's the culture actually like day-to-day at these schools? Is there real competition between students, or is it collaborative and rooted in teamwork?

Every class is different. I'd say mine was somewhat competitive at the start, but everyone chilled out a *lot* by third year. I'm almost certain I graduated in the bottom quarter of my class, but never had issues making friends, or finding opportunities in the subjects I was interested in.

What's the exam schedule like for first-years at these schools?

There's been a curriculum change since I attended, but I think it's still pretty similar; we had one exam every Friday, with the exception of Finals, when we would have an exam every day or so, with maybe one day off in between to study.

For Tufts students, has anyone had experience in the Lerner Clinic or Tufts at Tech? What has it been like for you? How early were you able to get involved, and how hands-on is the experience?

We had Spay and Anesthesia weeks at the Lerner Clinic, and four weeks at Tufts at Tech during clinical year. They're both fairly accessible spaces; you can work or volunteer at T@T as a student, too.

Does the location and culture of the school help you have a life outside of veterinary medicine (e.g. outdoor recreation, social activities, restaurants)?

Location, yes; culture of the school, less so. I spent most of my weekends in New England either exploring Boston or traveling up to different cities up the coast -- eg, Salem, southern Maine, Rhode Island. We had pick-up soccer and ultimate Frisbee, and there were fun club activities -- birding hikes, etc. But overall, I'd say the focus of the school was academic.

Do you feel like you're getting good experience in both general practice and specialty cases?

I felt somewhat underprepared for both initially in the real world. That said, I think that's pretty normal; learning theory in school doesn't necessarily translate to being able to fluently apply that knowledge in the real world. Tufts did have roughly 1.5 years of clinics with like 16 weeks of elective time, which I chose to spend in wildlife and shelter. No regrets in that, as I do both now, but I think having some compulsory GP time outside of T@T would've been beneficial. T@T is wonderful, and I loved it, but in hindsight it was very different than the GP hospital I'm at now.

 

[lovelyllama]

Hi! I am a current student at Cornell. To speak towards some of the things you care about most, we have a very strong small animal medicine department and club that provide you opportunities to shadow in the hospital, and there are even student jobs you can get after your first semester. We are definitely very hands on, as you will be working with animals from week 1 and other opportunities for hands on experience. Our curriculum is very hands on, especially due to the PBL style of learning. I find everyone to be really kind and there is a collaborative environment. We definitely have a lot of programs for spectrum of care. While we are a specialty hospital, we also have a general practice and various shelter medicine, low cost, and community outreach programs that students can easily get involved with. There are many opportunities regarding shelter medicine, including our shelter medicine club, spay day (day long spay/neuter clinic), Shelter Outreach Services, SPCA, classes, and more! Ithaca is a very pretty city, as there are a lot of waterfalls and hiking trails. Theres definitely a lot to do and see outdoors, especially when the weather gets nicer. No matter where you go, you will have opportunities for internship/residency.

1. What's the culture actually like day-to-day at these schools? Is there real competition between students, or is it collaborative and rooted in teamwork?
   1. I feel like our culture is very supportive and welcoming. I do not find there to be a lot of competition because of our PBL system. We are constantly working in groups with different classmates and I feel like this creates a sense of community. We all want to see each other succeed and will share resources, notes, etc. with each other.
2. For Cornell students, do you feel like PBL is structured and a good way to learn? Do you think it's preparing you well for clinics and real-life cases? Do you have to find all of the information on your own, or does Cornell provide some resources (e.g. lectures, modules, etc.) to explore to learning objectives?
   1. I was pretty unsure about PBL when I first applied because I like lectures and feel like I learn better individually. PBL is definitely an adjustment, but I found that I learned so much and retained a lot of information. I feel like you get really prepared for clinics as you work through real life cases on day 1. You start to think like a doctor, walk through the process of a case from start to finish, and learn so much along the way. There are a handful of lectures during Block 1, the anatomy course you take at the beginning of the curriculum. There are also imaging and histology labs that walk you through modules to learn the material. It is a little mix of both on where you find information as it depends on your learning objectives, but the majority can be found in lectures, modules, labs, and gross lab dissections/dissection guide. If you really can't find an answer in the class materials, you can use any textbook and online resource you want, but there are some recommendations.
3. What's the exam schedule like for first-years at these schools?
   1. Since we are on a block system, exams are different for each block that you are in. In terms of Block 1, there are usually 4 assessments, 2 being more heavily weighted midterms and finals with lab practical portions. Most other classes follow a similar format with a few quizzes and/or midterm and final. The block system covers a lot of classes in one, so there may be less tests than in other schools, but that are pretty heavy on material. For example, lots of schools have these classes as separate: Anatomy, histology, imaging, neuroanatomy, embryology, etc. but there are all incorporated into block 1 which has a single exam for all topics.
4. Are labs, specifically anatomy, self-guided or structured with plenty of input from faculty and other students?
   1. Labs are a mix. You will work in a group of three with your cadaver and professors will walk around and answer any questions that you have. There is a dissection guide that walks you through each dissection and highlights important anatomy you should recognize and know. The dissection guide is quite thorough with step by step instructions.
5. Does the location and culture of the school help you have a life outside of veterinary medicine (e.g. outdoor recreation, social activities, restaurants)?
   1. There is definitely time for life outside of veterinary medicine, but you also have to find time. You can easily make school consume your life as you can always study more. However, I never found that I was not able to hang out with friends, explore Ithaca, find places to eat, and go out on the weekends. Now there's definitely weeks were I am more busier than others, but finding time is important. Many of my classmates take a day off during the week to focus on things outside of vet school too. There are also so many ways to get involved with activities you enjoy.
6. Do you feel like you're getting good experience in both general practice and specialty cases?
   1. Cornell is focused on making us day 1 ready practitioners. This means we should graduate with all the skills and knowledge to directly enter general practice with confidence. In addition to this, we are a specialty hospital and have every specialty so there is great exposure to this. During your clinical year, you will rotate through a core group of specialties and general practice, with opportunities to take elective rotations that fit your interests.

Feel free to reach out with more questions!

Thank you so much for the insight! I ended up committing to Cornell because I loved the program, area, and culture during my visit. Your post made me feel so much more at ease about the intensity of Block 1 and the work/life balance at Cornell. Good luck with the rest of your semester, and see you there! 🙂

 

[lovelyllama]

Hi 🙂 Tufts '25 grad here.

Every class is different. I'd say mine was somewhat competitive at the start, but everyone chilled out a *lot* by third year. I'm almost certain I graduated in the bottom quarter of my class, but never had issues making friends, or finding opportunities in the subjects I was interested in.

There's been a curriculum change since I attended, but I think it's still pretty similar; we had one exam every Friday, with the exception of Finals, when we would have an exam every day or so, with maybe one day off in between to study.

We had Spay and Anesthesia weeks at the Lerner Clinic, and four weeks at Tufts at Tech during clinical year. They're both fairly accessible spaces; you can work or volunteer at T@T as a student, too.

Location, yes; culture of the school, less so. I spent most of my weekends in New England either exploring Boston or traveling up to different cities up the coast -- eg, Salem, southern Maine, Rhode Island. We had pick-up soccer and ultimate Frisbee, and there were fun club activities -- birding hikes, etc. But overall, I'd say the focus of the school was academic.

I felt somewhat underprepared for both initially in the real world. That said, I think that's pretty normal; learning theory in school doesn't necessarily translate to being able to fluently apply that knowledge in the real world. Tufts did have roughly 1.5 years of clinics with like 16 weeks of elective time, which I chose to spend in wildlife and shelter. No regrets in that, as I do both now, but I think having some compulsory GP time outside of T@T would've been beneficial. T@T is wonderful, and I loved it, but in hindsight it was very different than the GP hospital I'm at now.

Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to send information about your experience at Tufts. It definitely helped me get a better idea of the student experience at the school. I ended up going with Cornell for PBL, but Tufts still sounds lovely.