Equine - does it matter which school you choose?

[WishingnHoping]

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So ... I have three great schools to choose from (Purdue, Ohio State, and UPenn) and am waitlisted at Tufts. I keep going back and forth over what school to choose since I see pros (and cons) at all of them. My interest is equine and I've heard rumors on here that it *does* matter where you go.

My other concern are my horses. I am an avid eventer and riding is a big part of me. It's hard to decide where to go when certain places would make it easier to ride than others ($ and time wise). At UPenn, it costs a lot of money for boarding and I'd have to drive a long ways (about a hour). At Ohio State I could keep them (or just one, I'm willing to downsize 🙂) at a barn 20 mins away. Same with Purdue, but Ohio is closer to home so I'm leaning more towards Ohio than Purdue.

I am OOS at all of these schools, although Maine has a contract with Tufts for $12k a year loan forgivement for each year you practice large animal in ME. I'm not sure I'll get off the waitlist and if I do, I'm not sure I want to do that program. Anyways, my hubby and I are able to buy a house (we have one now that we are going to put up for sale) so at Ohio or Purdue we could buy a house and not pay rent every month (so just think of it as free housing). At UPenn we'd have to pay rent every month.

UPenn has a wonderful reputation and has a GREAT equine program. But, is it worth it to go to Ohio where I'd save money and be able to have my horse? Or will years from now I regret not going to UPenn? I wouldn't mind living in the city for a few years since I never will again but how much will I miss my horse? Or is it worth it for just the 4 years of vet school? I'm leaning towards UPenn since I really really liked it but ARGH!! 😱 This is terrible trying to make a decision!!!

Okay, so what it boils down to: will choosing one school over the other enhance my career as an equine vet?

 

[Angelo84]

This isn't really going to answer your question. Is going to UPenn and not having your horses there worth it to you? If you would be unhappy without your horses than no matter how good the program it is likely not worth it. Another option is to go to Ohio and then if you so choose do a residency at Penn.

Have you spoken with large animal vets you have worked with about their opinions?

Good luck!

 

[hoodle]

I think that Ohio has a great rep as an equine school, so I truly don't think it matters. That said, Penn probably has the best rep around. I think it depends on what you want to do as an equine vet.

1) you want to work locally on local horses, from competitors to backyard horseowners, from stone bruises to colic to prepurchase exams. In this case, I don't think anyone will give a second thought about your branding... what will matter is how good a vet you are, how reliable you are, how effective you are. If this is what you want to do, save $$, have your horses nearby, buy a house, and go to OSU!

2) you want to be a sporthorse/racetrack/reproduction vet, you want to be heavily involved in the highest eschelon on equine practitioners - you're dealing with clients who spent hundreds on thousands of dollars on a recent import from europe, who will hold nothing back on who's doing their orthopedic surgery or AI, who want to pay for a brand name. In this case, if this is what you're interested in, Penn might be the way to go.


No matter what you chose, everyone will be most impressed by your own skills and credentials, rather than the name of the school you went to. Going where you personally will be happiest will probably result in you being most successful in school, which will make you into a successful vet. If, though, you really do want to be involved in the hypercompetitive equine circuit, going to Penn could only help...

 

[twelvetigers]

Anyways, my hubby and I are able to buy a house (we have one now that we are going to put up for sale) so at Ohio or Purdue we could buy a house and not pay rent every month (so just think of it as free housing). At UPenn we'd have to pay rent every month.

Wouldn't you have a mortgage payment if you bought a house, which is, in my experience, usually more than rent? Of course it's better becase you can get a good bit back if you sell it later, but wouldn't you still have payments just the same?

I think that if I were in your shoes (which I'm not) that I would be leaning heavily towards UPenn. You can make equine your focus by actively seeking equine experiences while you're there. That's jusy my personal opinion, though! and I don't have any horses, so I don't know from experience how hard it would be to leave one behind fora while. If someone told me I could have my pets and go to The OSU, or not have them and go to UPenn, I'd be going for The OSU.

 

[WishingnHoping]

Thanks for your replies! Well, I haven't quite decided what I'd like to do but I'm almost positive I won't be working with local owners with local horses. I'm in it for working on the $$ horses doing repro or sporthorse medicine. I honestly haven't worked with these clients before so I wasn't sure if they cared where you'd gone to school, other than being a top notch vet.

Twelvetigers, we do not have a mortgage right now. Hubby's parents were very generous and we will pay them back when we have the means to but in the meantime we can just be very thankful!

 

[SillyFilly]

Okay, I guess I'll weigh in since I'm equine too! You have WONDERFUL options. 👍 Go you! While all the schools you got into were great (esp since I may go to Purdue this fall!), it seems like it is down to 2 for you - Ohio and Penn. Both great equine schools!

I worked for a vet that worked on the national scale in sport horse medicine - like, we went to World Champs for ASBs this year with top TOP notch clients. She went to NCSU. No one asked her where she graduated from. She gets the clients b/c she goes to shows, practices great medicine, and is easy to work with. Check out the staff pages at Rood & Riddle and Hagyard Davidson McGee. These are some of the top vets at a top clinic - and vets from there went everywhere!

Go where you want to live! You have to live there for 4 years. 🙂 If riding and competing will be something you will want to/have to, find a place that allows that. I think what matters most is where you intern, extern, and the experiences you get during school. You will get wonderful opportunities wherever you go.

Just my opinion! 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

Twelvetigers, we do not have a mortgage right now. Hubby's parents were very generous and we will pay them back when we have the means to but in the meantime we can just be very thankful!

We have a similar situation right now - we pitch in when we can, but mostly we can't help much. When the house sells, my parents will get their money back, or possibly a bit more (we are making improvments here and there, and trying to keep it nice looking overall) but wherever I end up going for vet school, my husband is adamant about NOT having help from my parents. I think it's cute that he wants to be all independent and stuff, but it's also a bit annoying since we both still need a little bit more time to get on our feet. Once we do, we will both have pretty good incomes and will be able to do great for ourselves and maybe even make it up to Mom and Pop, but for now... I have a couple years to talk him into letting them help. I'm not sure I could go back to apartment life... could you? And imagine the pet deposits with three pets. Ugh.

I think sillyfilly made some great points! You should listen to her! UPenn just has that initial "ooh, ahh" effect among us pre-vetters, but who knows how much the clients know/care about that? They just want you to be friendly and do a good job. 🙂

 

[hoodle]

I agree with twelvetigers and sillyfilly that what matters most is how good/friendly a vet you are, but I also think that when you get into high competition (with lots of $$ involved) people are more aware of names. Or rather, what I can say with certainty is that in the horse sports I was involved in, trainers knew quite a bit about each vet's background, and would make decisions accordingly. Of course, most important was "he handled Mickey's colic beautifully" or "she was super reliable at that last big show" or "she really bungled that last....blah". But still, when choosing for big elective procedures (surgery or repro stuff) or dealing with second opinions, people were interested in where they went to school. Perhaps more if the school was thought to have a weak program than if it were known to be strong (in which case, both ohio and penn have good reps, I think!) The really competitive horse people are not like the average client - there's too much money for decisions to always be rational... which is a shame!

I do feel like generally a vet who went to the local university didn't have anyone notice where they came from. It was always the vets who came from somewhere ELSE that had their resume somewhat scrutinized... which brings up another thing to consider - where do you actually want to end up practicing?

I just want to clarify: I'm really supportive of both OSU and Penn, and I think the OP has amazing choices and will be able to do whatever she wants! I might sound bitter about equine sports (or rather, the people involved) because I've become somewhat disillusioned with the competitiveness, name-dropping, etc.

 

[ri23]

I agree with twelvetigers and sillyfilly that what matters most is how good/friendly a vet you are, but I also think that when you get into high competition (with lots of $$ involved) people are more aware of names. Or rather, what I can say with certainty is that in the horse sports I was involved in, trainers knew quite a bit about each vet's background, and would make decisions accordingly. Of course, most important was "he handled Mickey's colic beautifully" or "she was super reliable at that last big show" or "she really bungled that last....blah". But still, when choosing for big elective procedures (surgery or repro stuff) or dealing with second opinions, people were interested in where they went to school. Perhaps more if the school was thought to have a weak program than if it were known to be strong (in which case, both ohio and penn have good reps, I think!) The really competitive horse people are not like the average client - there's too much money for decisions to always be rational... which is a shame!

I do feel like generally a vet who went to the local university didn't have anyone notice where they came from. It was always the vets who came from somewhere ELSE that had their resume somewhat scrutinized... which brings up another thing to consider - where do you actually want to end up practicing?

I just want to clarify: I'm really supportive of both OSU and Penn, and I think the OP has amazing choices and will be able to do whatever she wants! I might sound bitter about equine sports (or rather, the people involved) because I've become somewhat disillusioned with the competitiveness, name-dropping, etc.

FYI for everyone: The veterinarian that was in charge of Barbaro at Penn is an Ohio State graduate. Ohio is an amazing school, it is ranked 5th, whereas Penn is 4th. We have a fantastic equine program and a huge caseload. You will certainly not be at any disadvantage in the equine industry coming to Ohio, and you have all of the benefits of having your horses, house etc.

 

[lissette10]

Where can I find vet school rankings? Specifically equine programs?

 

[charismarl]

I think you will be hard-pressed to find rankings of equine programs. US News and World Report in 2007 ranked vet schools as follows; however, all of the vets that I have asked about this say that it is pretty much bullsh*t and based on stuff like endowment, alumni connections, student:faculty ratio, etc., and they all said the hard part is getting in anywhere and to go somewhere you'll be happy...not somewhere for a ranking:

Health Disciplines: Veterinary Medicine (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)Ranked in 2007*

Rank/SchoolAverage assessment
score (5.0 = highest)1. Cornell University (NY)4.52. Colorado State University 4.3University of California--Davis 4.34. University of Pennsylvania 4.15. North Carolina State University 3.9Ohio State University 3.9Texas A&M University--College Station 3.9University of Wisconsin--Madison 3.99. Michigan State University 3.810. University of Minnesota--Twin Cities 3.711. University of Florida 3.612. University of Georgia 3.513. Tufts University (MA)3.414. Auburn University--Main Campus (AL)3.0Purdue University--West Lafayette (IN)3.0University of Tennessee--Knoxville 3.0Washington State University 3.018. Kansas State University 2.9University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign 2.9University of Missouri--Columbia 2.9Virginia Tech/University of Maryland 2.922. Louisiana State University--Baton Rouge 2.823. Oklahoma State University 2.524. Mississippi State University 2.125. Oregon State University 1.826. Tuskegee University (AL)1.727. Iowa State University 0.0Western University of the Health Sciences (CA)0.0





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[Electrophile]

Okay, so what it boils down to: will choosing one school over the other enhance my career as an equine vet?

I'm in it for working on the $$ horses doing repro or sporthorse medicine. I honestly haven't worked with these clients before so I wasn't sure if they cared where you'd gone to school, other than being a top notch vet.

I'm only saying this because we hear this in one way or another about every other week... 🙄 But don't get sooooo 110% focused on what you think you want to do, especially if you haven't already done it and been around it. I know how that sounds, really, I do, so hear me out. 😛

We were given countless examples of how someone started out wanting to go into this one field because they had wanted to do it before they were conceived even! But they got exposed to other stuff and eventually either incorporated that in when they got out into practice or changed completely...sometimes multiple times! One of our epidemiology/biostats professors told us how he got a C in epidemiology and hated it almost as much as he hated swine work. Now he does both extensively. 🙄 Our associate dean told me how one of the recent grads came in wanting to do dairy production medicine because he grew up with that and that's what he came to vet school for. Took a class second year on lab animal medicine and then, seemingly out of nowhere, changed to that. Now he's in the middle of a residency in small animal oncology! 😀 One of my mom's physicians actually used to be a large animal vet until he got kicked square in the face by a bull to the point he didn't want to do (or couldn't do) large animal anymore, so he quit being a vet, went to and finished med school in his late 40s!

So point being, be flexible and open to different things. Absolutely nothing wrong with having a broad general interest in things, but if you get into something that tickles your fancy, don't be afraid to pursue it just cause you set yourself up to what you think you wanted to do for years. That's what's great about vet med! Good for us compulsive dabblers who love variety. 😎

 

[WishingnHoping]

FYI for everyone: The veterinarian that was in charge of Barbaro at Penn is an Ohio State graduate. Ohio is an amazing school, it is ranked 5th, whereas Penn is 4th. We have a fantastic equine program and a huge caseload. You will certainly not be at any disadvantage in the equine industry coming to Ohio, and you have all of the benefits of having your horses, house etc.

Wow, that is significant. He's (obviously!) a very well respected (!!) equine vet. So does that mean in the "equine world" that Ohio would be pretty much equivalent to UPenn?

Oh, I posted at the same time as Electrophile. I'm not offended at all, I think you make an important point. However, I'm completely open-minded! I have worked with lots and lots of equine clients but none as high dollar as what comes to mind when I think "elite" sport horse med or "elite" repro work. I'm a pretty well rounded gal who also likes cows and of course small animals. Who knows? Maybe I'll just like small animal work? 😀 But I just want to be at the right school for what my initial focus is because horses, really, are my life. 🙂

 

[dvm'08]

i haven't read all the replies - so sorry if this has been repeated...

where your DVM comes from is irrelevant. all the schools in the US and Canada are equivalent when it comes to undergrad DVM education. Your potential as an equine vet (if thats ultimately what you decide to do) will depend on post grad training, internships etc... one could argue that what internships you get are dependent on your undergrad school - but many people disagree with this, as i think it depends more on your individual performance and whether or not you can work well with others (ie: you have some people skills... and shocking or not, many vet students have absolutely crap-a$$ people skills).

My advice: go where you will graduate with the least amount of debt, and will enjoy the campus life!

 

[hoodle]

I have worked with lots and lots of equine clients but none as high dollar as what comes to mind when I think "elite" sport horse med or "elite" repro work. I'm a pretty well rounded gal who also likes cows and of course small animals. Who knows? Maybe I'll just like small animal work? 😀 But I just want to be at the right school for what my initial focus is because horses, really, are my life. 🙂

At either school, you'll be perfectly set to be an equine vet with a tremendously good education and good reputation. Don't worry!

If you were set on, and only willing to work with grand prix horses training for the olympics, or being a US Equestrian Team vet, or working on million-dollar throughbreds... I think Penn might be a smarter choice. But that's a pretty extreme scenario.

How about you go to Ohio, enjoy yourself, keep riding, and then do your intership or residency at Penn? You get the best of both worlds, then! 👍👍

 

[cupolovet]

I spent several summers shadowing/working with the head vet for the US olympic team and his associates. Several went to penn, others to Cornell, and one to Ohio State. I can tell you that no one ever asked for a diploma. In order to get a job working with high-priced performance horses you will need to excel and get great externships and internships. Certainly Penn has been in the press more because of Barbaro, but people in the horse world know Ohio State has a great program. If I were you I would focus less on where one vet went to school than on which school will make you happier. You cannot bank on doing a residency at penn later on either though, so if you think penn and new bolton center will make you happier then go there. I too have been struggling to decide between penn and several other top tier equine programs and would be happy to discuss this further so feel free to message me.

 

[lissette10]

I think you will be hard-pressed to find rankings of equine programs. US News and World Report in 2007 ranked vet schools as follows; however, all of the vets that I have asked about this say that it is pretty much bullsh*t and based on stuff like endowment, alumni connections, student:faculty ratio, etc., and they all said the hard part is getting in anywhere and to go somewhere you'll be happy...not somewhere for a ranking:

Thanks

 

[meadow36]

Have you toured all of these schools? Which one gave you the best impression, that warm "fuzzy" feeling? Where would your hubby like to live? You will receive an excellent education at all three. I know Penn is tempting and has an excellent rep for Equine (who wouldn't want to work with Doc Richardson??) but if it doesn't fit into your lifestyle then the other two are also excellent choices.

If your horses are far away then you will be miserable. I speak from experience. 🙂

 

[WishingnHoping]

Hi guys! Thanks SO MUCH for all of your information. It has been an AMAZING help! It's always so fun to look on this board after a busy day of school. 😉 Overall, this forum is a great resource.

I've talked with a bunch of people, pretty much anyone who would hear me out, and have tried to come to grips with my "horsey" expectations. I think I'd have a lot of fun going to Penn and would enjoy the city life and ultimately I really, really liked it there. It gave me the warm, fuzzy feeling. 🙂 I liked Ohio but Penn seemed to fit me the best of all the schools.

In addition, my hubby has looked for jobs both in Columbus and in Philadelphia and it looks like the job prospects are much better in Philly and that would help bring the debt level down for loans. We wouldn't be able to get a house but that's okay ... who knows when this one will sell! And if we got a house then we'd have to worry about selling again it in 4 years.

And, on the horse front, I've realized that my young horse who is extremely talented would probably be better off with someone else. I can use his sale money to help pay for tuition and can tell myself that in a few years out of vet school that hey! I can afford an xx dollar amount horse because geez, look what I saved myself in those four years of not paying for a horse! 😉 And I think it would be better for my studies if I were to just focus on school and spend time with some awesome friends (which I know I'll make! You guys are soooo cool!). My other horse is 14 years old and I don't know what I'll do with him yet but he'd be fine in a lease situation.

I would have been gung-ho about Ohio but it looks like hubby's situation is better in Philly and all-in-all, I think things work out the way they do for a reason. So, UPenn it is! At least ... for now. 😀 We still have to hear back from schools with him since he's applied different places too but he's leaning towards getting some work experience to beef up his credentials.

Okay, what a long post, but I'm glad I started this thread since hopefully it will be a help to someone else looking at these schools and thinking about the equine route. 👍

 

[2quick]

I think you have some great schools to choose from and won't go wrong with any choice.
A couple reasons I chose to go to OSU:

You become a resident after your first year- saving around 20,000/year your last three years- they also give you a good amount in scholarships your first year.

The large animal hospital is attached to the small animal clinic- a plus for me because I hate commuting.

Cost of living in Columbus is low compared to the east coast.

It has a good reputation.

Most importantly perhaps- I had a great feeling about the place when I visited.

UPenn is a great school though and if living in Philly is what makes you happy and that's where your husband finds a job, there's no comparison.

PM me if you have other questions.
Andrew

 

[TractorKid]

Hi guys! Thanks SO MUCH for all of your information. It has been an AMAZING help! It's always so fun to look on this board after a busy day of school. 😉 Overall, this forum is a great resource.

I've talked with a bunch of people, pretty much anyone who would hear me out, and have tried to come to grips with my "horsey" expectations. I think I'd have a lot of fun going to Penn and would enjoy the city life and ultimately I really, really liked it there. It gave me the warm, fuzzy feeling. 🙂 I liked Ohio but Penn seemed to fit me the best of all the schools.

In addition, my hubby has looked for jobs both in Columbus and in Philadelphia and it looks like the job prospects are much better in Philly and that would help bring the debt level down for loans. We wouldn't be able to get a house but that's okay ... who knows when this one will sell! And if we got a house then we'd have to worry about selling again it in 4 years.

And, on the horse front, I've realized that my young horse who is extremely talented would probably be better off with someone else. I can use his sale money to help pay for tuition and can tell myself that in a few years out of vet school that hey! I can afford an xx dollar amount horse because geez, look what I saved myself in those four years of not paying for a horse! 😉 And I think it would be better for my studies if I were to just focus on school and spend time with some awesome friends (which I know I'll make! You guys are soooo cool!). My other horse is 14 years old and I don't know what I'll do with him yet but he'd be fine in a lease situation.

I would have been gung-ho about Ohio but it looks like hubby's situation is better in Philly and all-in-all, I think things work out the way they do for a reason. So, UPenn it is! At least ... for now. 😀 We still have to hear back from schools with him since he's applied different places too but he's leaning towards getting some work experience to beef up his credentials.

Okay, what a long post, but I'm glad I started this thread since hopefully it will be a help to someone else looking at these schools and thinking about the equine route. 👍

Congrats WishingnHoping on making a tough decision! I too had to choose between OSU and UPenn so I know how hard it must have been for you. Both schools are great. Now get yourself over to that Final Decisions thread!