Do Admissions Committees Dislike Pre-Veterinary Surgery?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Should I mention performing these surgeries to admissions committees?

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 80.0%
  • No

    Votes: 4 20.0%

  • Total voters
    20

SoundofMusic

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
76
Reaction score
2
Hey guys,

This semester in college I was involved in research where I was allowed to perform some surgeries on birds...I got to anesthetize them, cut them open, perform the surgery, sew them up, and then wake them up. I was shown how to do everything first by the main surgeon and then I was supervised during the surgeries. I also had lots of experience vet-teching/assisting surgeries in vet clinics and performing dissections in my anatomy classes, so I was pretty familiar with surgery techniques and tools.

However, am I allowed to talk about it on my veterinary application or in any veterinary school interviews? I was recently told my a scholarship committee that veterinary schools look down upon surgery performed by technically untrained students--they see it as a moral concern.

What are all of your opinions? I really appreciate your help.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hey guys,

This semester in college I was involved in research where I was allowed to perform some surgeries on birds...I got to anesthetize them, cut them open, perform the surgery, sew them up, and then wake them up. I was shown how to do everything first by the main surgeon and then I was supervised during the surgeries. I also had lots of experience vet-teching/assisting surgeries in vet clinics and performing dissections in my anatomy classes, so I was pretty familiar with surgery techniques and tools.

However, am I allowed to talk about it on my veterinary application or in any veterinary school interviews? I was recently told my a scholarship committee that veterinary schools look down upon surgery performed by technically untrained students--they see it as a moral concern.

What are all of your opinions? I really appreciate your help.


I'm not sure about all schools, but the interview feedback section for OSU alludes to this sort of scenario. There is a question that I prepped for that involved a pre-vet student traveling to a developing nation to spay/neuter cats and dogs and the moral/ethical implications of it. Just something to think about. Even if schools are okay with it, I would definitely be prepared to answer such a question about your experiences.
 
It's research, so I think it's fine. Really neat experience! No one would have any issues with that, I don't think. So talk it up! It sounds really cool.

I did a volunteer trip where the volunteers were allowed to perform spay and neuters - I think THAT is where the ethics get fuzzy for some people. So if you hear about adcoms being against pre-vet surgeries, I think that is the sort of thing those comments are directed at. Not research (on birds esp.).

And for what it's worth, no one said anything bad about my experience either.

So really, I think you are good!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I worked in a lab that did brain surgeries on finches and I didn't help with it, I only took care of the birds (at U of WA). At my WA State interview, they kept asking me about my lab experience and it seemed like they really wanted me to say I was involved with the actual research - I think if I would have said I was doing surgeries on the birds it would have been a huge plus. They seemed sort of unimpressed that I was just caring for birds. I ended up leaving the lab because I felt the surgeries were unethical, but I didn't mention that, I just said I got a better opportunity so I left.
 
Last edited:
Sorry that might have sounded like I was calling you unethical which I totally didn't mean (I have no idea what your research was for) - just meant my own experience. They will probably ask you a question about ethics of using animals in research so I'd be ready for that and prepare to defend it/discuss pros and cons
 
Thanks for the advice! Yeah I had moral concerns about this project too--but I think my answer would be that as long as 1) the animals aren't in pain, 2) the animals can heal and regain normal functioning after the surgery, and 3) they have a good life in the research facility, I don't see a problem with research.

I think the birds have a good life in our facility because they live with all of their birdie friends, they get exercise in a wind tunnel every day, and they get to bond with their trainer (aka ME! I love my birdies to death. <3)

The reason why I asked is because I had an interview for a scholarship for a veterinary Africa trip I'm taking this summer and the committee seemed almost shocked that I was talking so openly about the experience, and warned me not to mention it in any future interviews I might have. THAT was definitely shocking for me to hear...so I thought I'd ask fellow vets/pre-vets their opinion.
 
I had an interview for a scholarship for a veterinary Africa trip I'm taking this summer and the committee seemed almost shocked that I was talking so openly about the experience, and warned me not to mention it in any future interviews I might have. THAT was definitely shocking for me to hear...so I thought I'd ask fellow vets/pre-vets their opinion.

Wow I am really surprised to hear that. I don't think you will find that attitude from most places. Also it's adorable that your birds had a wind tunnel :)
 
I think most vets will see the benefit of research like that - just be able to talk about the good that has or could possibly come from the project.
 
Even if schools are okay with it, I would definitely be prepared to answer such a question about your experiences.

Yes, if you decide to put it on your application, I would definitely be prepared to answer questions regarding both techniques and ethics. My work involves research on mice and my interview at Ohio they grilled me on every aspect I thought about and even some I hadn't. They also asked how the research you do is different from/relates to surgery performed on an actual patient, etc. etc.

But a very cool experience :thumbup:
 
Hey guys,

This semester in college I was involved in research where I was allowed to perform some surgeries on birds...I got to anesthetize them, cut them open, perform the surgery, sew them up, and then wake them up. I was shown how to do everything first by the main surgeon and then I was supervised during the surgeries. I also had lots of experience vet-teching/assisting surgeries in vet clinics and performing dissections in my anatomy classes, so I was pretty familiar with surgery techniques and tools.

However, am I allowed to talk about it on my veterinary application or in any veterinary school interviews? I was recently told my a scholarship committee that veterinary schools look down upon surgery performed by technically untrained students--they see it as a moral concern.

What are all of your opinions? I really appreciate your help.

I've been doing surgery on monkeys for my graduate research for the last 5 years and I think if the surgery is research related and you are being supervised/training properly then it is not an issue with adcoms. I had 1 OOS interview in which I spent probably 25min talking about my research and they loved it. I got accepted into 2 vet schools, so I don't think it can hurt to put it on your application. I even talked about performing surgery in my personal statement, but I made sure to state in my application that it was conducted under the supervision of a veterinarian, I was properly trained (I had to take a lab animal surgery course, as well as other related courses through the university), and the surgery was for research purposes only.

I can, however, see how performing neuters/spays in another country could be a little controversial to talk about.
 
Agree with everyone else here. Surgery in research is not something that should be a problem for vet school admission committees. Be able to explain it, and be prepared to defend your ethical stance on it. If someone were to ask you, "Why do you think it's okay for you to perform surgery on research animals, when you're not allowed to do so on companion animals? What is the difference to you?" be ready to give a coherent response.

That said, I would be wary of bringing up your personal vivisection experiences to any animal organizations unless you're SURE that they are kosher with it. Most people outside of research (animal people and even many veterinarians) have absolutely no idea what actually happens inside a laboratory, and what's involved for the animals in a laboratory setting. A lot of their opinions on it are based on conjecture, which may range from too idealized to waaaay demonized.
 
Everyone else has summarized it pretty well, but to reiterate:

Your research holds you in a positive light and you shouldn't be afraid of mentioning it with the caveat that you were mentored under the direction of a veterinarian. There is a huge difference between doing surgery with questionable training/supervision (not to reignite the debate here: there was another thread awhile back that discussed it) in a foreign country when you can be helping animals in your local community and advancing the knowledge base of the veterinary profession.
 
Thank you everyone for your help! I'm writing up the paper for this research now after having done the entire data analysis by myself. It was super tedious at first, but now I'm SO excited because my professor says that I did so much work on the project that I'll be an author on the paper!! I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED! This is a dream come. Hopefully it will be published by the time I apply to vet school.
 
Top