Factors when picking a school

[whyrightmeow]

So I am in my first year and there are a few things I wish I would have considered before I made my final decision. These are only my opinion, and I won't be offended if yours varies. I am only posting this because I wish I would have read something like it before I made my decision.

I am at The Ohio State University right now as an out of state student.

Positives:
Can apply for resident tuition next year
Great school, nice facilities
Curriculum includes Professional development - basically a 1 credit course on a variety of topics including stress, time managment, finances, etc
Parking is right outside the building
Parking pass is a hang tag, so carpoolers can share 1 tag between several cars
24 hr access to building
Nice recreational facility/wall climbing
Social worker available 24/7 (for when you finally have that meltdown)

Negatives:
Quarter system (not semesters) - this complicates everything. Plus you don't finish until June.
Can only leave for 3 weeks over the summer - so any externship must be in-state unless it is HIGHLY unusual.
Lockers are tiny; a normal bookbag will not fit into them. It is also very crowded when everyone is trying to get to their locker at the same time. (seems minor, I know, but its the little stresses that are the worst)

Things I wish I would have asked:
Is anatomy lab structured, or do you just get a dog and a book? (Our canine anatomy lab is, in my opinion, poorly structured)
Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test? (At OSU vet school no tests are returned, EVER. This bothers me after every test, since I like to know what I got wrong and what the correct answer was - this may have been a deal-breaker for me)
How much (live) animal interaction is there for first year students?
Do you buy class notes or are they posted online so notes can be taken directly on a laptop? (I was amazed at needing to buy 80% of my notes, when I came from an undergrad school that I never once bought a course pack for)
Is the schedule set, or does it change from day to day? (Our schedule has a main theme, but basically changes a little each day)

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[sambone]

OSU has a climbing wall? SWEEEEET!

It would be great if more vet students add to this thread....In fact, if we don't get many we might want to move this to the Vet student thread b/c I'd love to see a LOT of this kind of feedback. I think all of us pre-vets would benefit greatly.

Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test? (At OSU vet school no tests are returned, EVER.

BTW, as frustrating as it is not to know what you got wrong, I would LOVE this policy. I'm doing my post bacc at a school where everyone studies from their friends old exams. The profs are really apathetic, and use the same ones every year even though its obvious people already know the answers. I was told that in the premedical fraternity, whole binders of old exams are available...SO frustrating!

 

[Mylez]

I'm happy to chime in. I'm a second year at Oregon state -

Positives -
Small class size, means you get to do more
Small class size - everyone knows everyone (faculty know you by name)
Parking close to the school (and LOTS of it)
90% of the faculty are dedicated to their students
Online notes! Yeah!
Some classes are hands-on with animals (labs, palpations, etc)
24 hour access
Incredible anatomy prof - makes the class fun and you learn a lot
Ah, heck, good profs in MOST classes, esp. first year
Good point for me - close location to many zoos, rehab centers, and the aquarium, all of which work with the school and many have adjunct faculty


Negatives
We don't get to do much in the clinic out of club time
Exception is foal/colic team and treatment crews
Game days = we lose our parking lot! (Positive: show your badge and you get in)
New school - curriculum still be organized and figured out
We also don't get our exams back, and I agree, this hurts the learning process
Quarter term - boo

That's all I have, brain fried from midterms.

 

[Optimistic 13]

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[ri23]

So I am in my first year and there are a few things I wish I would have considered before I made my final decision. These are only my opinion, and I won't be offended if yours varies. I am only posting this because I wish I would have read something like it before I made my decision.

I am at The Ohio State University right now as an out of state student.

Positives:
Can apply for resident tuition next year
Great school, nice facilities
Curriculum includes Professional development - basically a 1 credit course on a variety of topics including stress, time managment, finances, etc
Parking is right outside the building
Parking pass is a hang tag, so carpoolers can share 1 tag between several cars
24 hr access to building
Nice recreational facility/wall climbing
Social worker available 24/7 (for when you finally have that meltdown)

Negatives:
Quarter system (not semesters) - this complicates everything. Plus you don't finish until June.
Can only leave for 3 weeks over the summer - so any externship must be in-state unless it is HIGHLY unusual.
Lockers are tiny; a normal bookbag will not fit into them. It is also very crowded when everyone is trying to get to their locker at the same time. (seems minor, I know, but its the little stresses that are the worst)

Things I wish I would have asked:
Is anatomy lab structured, or do you just get a dog and a book? (Our canine anatomy lab is, in my opinion, poorly structured)
Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test? (At OSU vet school no tests are returned, EVER. This bothers me after every test, since I like to know what I got wrong and what the correct answer was - this may have been a deal-breaker for me)
How much (live) animal interaction is there for first year students?
Do you buy class notes or are they posted online so notes can be taken directly on a laptop? (I was amazed at needing to buy 80% of my notes, when I came from an undergrad school that I never once bought a course pack for)
Is the schedule set, or does it change from day to day? (Our schedule has a main theme, but basically changes a little each day)

Just wanted to address a couple of points that were brought up here.

1. The part about only leaving for three weeks in the summer is if you are trying to gain Ohio residency.
2. Yes the lockers are small. Most people only use lockers to keep their anatomy clothes in. Bookbags are typically kept in the classroom.
3. While tests are not returned, each instructor gives a sheet at the end of the exam to fill in multiple choice answers. The key is then posted online so you can check your grade. If you are concerned about how you did on a test you can go to testing services or your professor for that class and see the test; therefore, you can learn from your mistakes but people don't have continual access to old tests.

 

[HopefulAg]

Thought I'd post what I know of A&M.

Positives
Relatively small class size (~120)

Faculty will get to know you by name. Very friendly bunch. Also faculty are very involved as all organizations require two faculty members to sponsor that organization, which for animal related organizations leaves the obvious choice as to where people will look.

Parking close to the school. The main lot, 36, pretty much surrounds half the vet school. More on this in negatives.

Faculty are dedicated to their students

Mix of online and packets for notes. Prefer packets myself

Some classes are hands-on with animals (labs, palpations, etc)

Can get in any time if you go in through the small animal clinic

Rec center with indoor racquetball courts, rock wall, indoor walking track (loops around the third story of the rec center so you can look down on all the people/up at the people climbing the wall), indoor and outdoor swimming pools (Olympic size; indoor has lanes, outdoor is freestyle), indoor basketball/badmitton/archery ranges/etc. Only real problem is sometimes machines are full but I reckon that's everywhere.

In some classes you get your tests back. In fact, there's a couple classes that post the test key out in the hall so you can just go by whenever.


Negatives
Only real negative I can think of is that Lot 36, which surrounds about half the vet school, is open to anyone. So there's a wait list. As an undergrad I was on the wait list for two years and just now got my permit for that lot. But they may give priority to vet students, not sure. Also as said anyone can get a permit to park there, so you're competing with faculty, staff, and people who work at TVMDL (which is about 20 feet from the vet school). Also it's a PIA to get out of as there's two exits for such a ginormous lot.

 

[sofficat]

Auburn:

Pros:
-separate campus from main campus, we are in own own little world and I like it better that way
-amazing professors who really care and know you by name (most of them)
-parking is right there
-a lot of active clubs to join
-welcoming clinics that let you hang out in your 'spare time' to learn the practical things
-southeastern raptor center 1 mile away... really cool, vet students get to be on call when raptors come in
-never have to go on main campus (even if you want a book from the main library there is a carrier service)
-blackboard can be evil, but at least you have a copy of all of your notes online, and you can buy a lot of them from the local vet supply store
-AVESS (the local vet supply store) has donated Purina foods and we get a lot of perks out of them (we pay a discounted price on our pet food and AVESS gives the money back to the school/students... like putting computers in the histo lab and tv screens in anatomy so we can see what the prof are doing)
-many professors per class (can be annoying and confusing, but I generally like it and learn more)

Cons:
um..... we are located in Alabama
-we don't get a ton of live animals in our first 2 years in classes, but any club will allow you to do that
-not open 24 hours
- ok... I'm bad at this because I can't think of any more cons. I really do love this vet school!

I'll try to think of more!

 

[KittyRex]

i love this thread.
Keep it coming!!

 

[lailanni]

Is anatomy lab structured, or do you just get a dog and a book? (Our canine anatomy lab is, in my opinion, poorly structured)
Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test?

Huh. I wonder if other schools have a more structured anatomy lab. We just get a dog and a book. I thought that was pretty standard operating procedure. There are instructors milling around to help with questions during scheduled lab hours though.

How odd you don't get tests back. We always get ours back, even though it can take a while. And we get to keep them. And we store them in a test file! Everyone gets a big sib in the year above, and the big sib stores all the exams, quizzes and worthwile information and passes it along to the little sib. The school knows about this, they actually coordinate the big-little sibs!

Everyone gets into school with a nice big box of previous exams waiting for them. Now, instructors definately change the exams from year to year and the instructors will vary. And some styles of exams just aren't useful to study from. But it's a very helpful way of knowing generally what you can expect. Lots of studying is still very necessary.

Anyhoo, just off the top of my head. I really like it here and my dislikes aren't that vehement. Except the one about Pullman being...well...Pullman

WSU Likes
Very friendly, great staff, fun classmates
Lots of mentoring
Free printing, 24 hour access to buildings
Good feeding programs
Actually feels like a community
Excellent facilities (mostly)
Wide variety of clubs and educational lectures
People actually care about how you're doing in classes and in real life

Dislikes
Pullman WA isn't where I'd like to spend 4 years, but whatever
It gets really cold here
Good parking is only available before 8am, even if you paid for the expensive lot
Football makes getting to school on weekends a pain in the arse
Some professors have typed notes, some do not. But being flexible is good.
Very, very little hands on work
The cafe here is bad and doesn't serve good food. Come to think of it, you have to go a ways for decent food if you don't bring lunch.

 

[autumnmuse]

This is such great info guys!!! I'm absorbing.

 

[StealthDog]

Here's some input about Minnesota!

Pros:
-small class size (90 students)
-fabulous first year faculty- especially for anatomy (we definitely got way more than a dog and a book!)
-regular contact with live animals from first year on
-perform our first surgery (spay or neuter) during spring semester of second year
-lots of opportunities for people who want to be involved in research, from summer programs to DVM/PhD or DVM/MPH dual degrees
-we have one of the busiest small animal teaching hospitals in the country
-we have a brand new equine center and brand new 3 tesla MRI (the most powerful MRI at any veterinary hospital in the world)
-other fun toys- linear accelerator, CT, digital radiology, underwater treadmills for canine and equine
-notes available as online or paper versions (you can opt for one or the other)
-we are associated with the Raptor Center (on campus) and Wildlife Rehab Center of Minnesota (near campus), and also serve the Como and Minnesota Zoos
-we are also near the U of MN med school, which means occasionally we get invited to watch fancy surgeries like open-heart surgery in sheep
-lots of really active student clubs bring in great speakers and host fun wetlabs
-we're located in an urban center, but also less than half an hour away from rural MN (for those folks who keep or board horses), and less than a day's drive to wilderness areas like the BWCA
-international travel is encouraged for summers and externships- travel grants are also available

Cons:
-professors can be kept on/let go based on how much research they're involved in- so we have some lousy professors who publish prolifically, and some great professors have been let go because they don't publish enough
-it's Minnesota- it does get cold here, and it snows too
-the ruminant caseload is not very high
-the teaching hospital does not see any companion exotics
-aside from the new equine center and the building where the 3rd year classroom is, the facilities are fairly old and unattractive
-there are a lot of interns and residents here, which means a lot of people to learn from but also a lot of people that get to work on cases, do surgery, etc who aren't students
-if you get in a non-resident, plan on paying non-resident tuition all four years. You can apply for residency, but it's pretty arbitrary whether or not you'll get it. Rumor has it they are eventually going to take away the option to get residency during school altogether.

Hope that helps!

 

[twelvetigers]

The cafe here is bad and doesn't serve good food. Come to think of it, you have to go a ways for decent food if you don't bring lunch.

Food is junk at OKSU too. Yucko. Good for getting a pepsi or a hot pocket and not much else.

I don't know enough to rightfully post an all-out good/bad for OKState... Capella or one of the newer girls will have to fill you in perhaps!

 

[cozycleo]

I'm just curious, how much did you have to pay for your notes?

 

[Groominator]

I'm just curious, how much did you have to pay for your notes?

I thought it, you said it. How much do notes go for? I assume its different in each school?

 

[cateyes]

At Ohio, they tell you to budget $100/quarter and you wont be too surprised. Our first year/first quarter notes cost us a little over $60.

 

[HopefulAg]

Huh. I wonder if other schools have a more structured anatomy lab. We just get a dog and a book. I thought that was pretty standard operating procedure. There are instructors milling around to help with questions during scheduled lab hours though.

At A&M I can only speak about the undergrad lab but essentially we got a dog and a book. We could of course ask any of the TAs/teachers around the lab for help but it was not structured in the sense that the teacher is telling the class what to do with everyone on the same page. It was go at your groups own pace and be at a certain point by the end of the week. Can go further if you'd like.

I liked it much better that way.


The vet students use horses to learn on. Dogs are only for undergrad here.

 

[StealthDog]

I'm just curious, how much did you have to pay for your notes?

Ours are about $100 per semester.

Huh. I wonder if other schools have a more structured anatomy lab.

In our lab, we had a pre-lab lecture where we talk about what structures we're looking for, what they do, etc. Then we headed down to lab and did the dissection. Each lab had a list of structures we needed to dissect out and ID that day. The first half of the semester is spent on cat/dog, and the second half is pony (well, most groups had a pony- one group had a cow, one group had a sheep).

All our anatomy course information is available online- http://vanat.cvm.umn.edu/

 

[pressmom]

Pros:
Small class size (I've got you all beat--68 in my class!) There are 95 in 2012 and there should be 85 in subsequent classes.

Located in the same building as the teaching hospital, so you can (and are encouraged to) go down there at lunch.

Knoxville is big enough that it's a little more than just a university town. (Also, it doesn't get super cold here.) The mountains are close by and there are lots of opportunities for outdoor adventures.

The exotics program/hospital. (We have multispecies medicine third year, an exotics ward, and two zoo vets.)

Good feeding programs--Hills, Natura, and Purina free every month. We also do Oxbow and Lefaber. Dermapet as well.

Hands on with live animals from first semester--including horses, cattle, dogs, and cats.

Lots of practical labs second year. (Urinary catheters on cadavers, gen path specimens, running bloodwork and UA, sedating horses, etc.)

Some problem-based learning. (1-2 weeks every semester)

Clinical exposure in years 2 and 3. (We get to go down to clinics for a week and pretend to be a fourth year.)

Professors are friendly and definitely know everyone's name.

Great clubs. (I got to neuter 5 cats at a wetlab earlier this fall!)

Summer research opportunities here in Knoxville. (And they're paid!)

Brand new wing on the small animal hospital. (Bigger oncology, exotics, and PT.)

Lots of toys: MRI, CT, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine (large and small), hyperbaric chamber for horses, digital radiographs.

Semester system.

Cons:
Parking! The lots around the vet school are commuter lots, so undergrads can park there too. It's usually hard to find parking after nine. We also lose the lots on game days. (RV parking)

Large animal hospital needs updating, but we heard it from accreditation and have 2 years to fix it, so it will be brand new by the time some of you come through.

The classrooms can be cramped.

Clinic isn't paperless. Come on--it's the 21st century people!

 

[laurafinn]

I wish I could say that I recommend Massey to North American students considering vet school, but I can't.

 

[enchantingme2]

Hey Everyone!!! I was really excited to see this thread and read about other schools. I am a first year at Ohio State and I absolutely love it out here in C-bus. I wanted to post my pros and cons too about OSU, since I know that different perspectives are always helpful!

PROS

1. Faculty willing to go out of there way to help you... office hours, appointments, or even to discuss cases with you at the teaching hospital even if you are a first year and miles away from clinics. They are also very motivational.
2. Plenty of interesting opportunities for work study, research and summer programs (totally thinking of Thailand this summer....elephants = cool)
3. Gaining residency after one year. I went to the residency meeting too and it seems pretty easy to get. I do not think I should have any problem
4. Lots and lots of clubs to get a little more focused education/hands on experience
5. Parking = super awesome
6. Columbus is a pretty nice city! It's not overwhelmingly big or crowded and there is always somewhere to go. Plus there is the zoo and The Wilds
7. Jane Woodland, our Financial Aid counselor is really really helpful for anything (before getting in with FAFSA and after with managing your loans)... and extra funds are easy to come by
8. Facilities seem pretty top notch
9. We have a kick ass football team
10. Lots of free food opportunities and really interesting lunch lectures
11. I like the packet of notes... Def. makes it easier to keep up in class.
12. One time only microscope fee
13. Online histology slide sets and procedure videos (in case you always wanted to watch a step by step chest tube placement)
14. Academically challenging (as I am sure all veterinary programs are).
15. Low cost of living (at least compared to my home in NJ)
16. OSU as a whole is huge (can be a con if you get lost I suppose), but the facilities and resources are fantastic (gym, climbing wall, etc, etc)

Cons
1. No easy access to the school on home football games... and Saturdays in Football season are crazy in Columbus (in a fanatical and awesome kind of way)
2. No live animal contact for first years (but clubs give you extra opportunities with some pretty cool wetlabs)
3. Gets a bit cold in the winter
4. Vet-med library closes at 8pm (there is a petition to stretch it to 10pm)
5. Class of 140...not too large but necessitates splitting up histology labs (and obviously someone always gets the early shift or has to stay later)
6. Quarter system...though besides getting out in June I don't have much of a problem with it.

I do want to point out that it is only my first quarter of my first year. I think that a lot of things will change or present themselves as the years progress. Thus, I can only give my opinion as a Buckeye newbie and don't know what other classmates or upperclassman think. Overall, I love it here. I was hard pressed to come up with cons that were legit and not something like the coffee line is too long in the morning (I mean why complain when we have our own Starbucks?) Even the cons I did post are minor and easy to become accustomed too. Also, if you haven't noticed... I am a little biased hahaha.

I hope this helps! Go BUCKS!!!!

 

[critterfixer]

Lots of practical labs second year. (Urinary catheters on cadavers, gen path specimens, running bloodwork and UA, sedating horses, etc.)

Don't forget, we do actual surgery in the first semester of our second year, too! And we act as anesthetists for the 4th year repro labs several times during the semester, too.

I also like how our second year curriculum is well-coordinated, so we are learning about the same body system in multiple classes. It makes you study for everything all the time.

I love UTK. I HATE the classroom our class is stuck with, but otherwise, I think it's faboo.

 

[Mylez]

Nope, we have the smallest class size at OSU (45-50 students).

I LOVE it!

Except, haha, drama x 100 when it does happen because if you do something, EVERYONE knows it.

 

[enchantingme2]

I don't think that any school will be free from drama! With a 140 students...its still unavoidable!

 

[bovine]

I just wanted to echo all the Pros that people have listed about Ohio State.

Also I just wanted to say that I don't view the quarter system as a con, I did 2 years on both quarters and semesters in undergrad and definitely like quarters much better.

 

[Moonpaw]

I love UTK. I HATE the classroom our class is stuck with, but otherwise, I think it's faboo.

Heh...sorry, guys! If it helps any, even we're too big for our classroom.

I would also like to add a few pros to the UTK list:
-amazingly helpful and supportive upperclassmen (especially the second years)
-a large cat sanctuary, Tiger Haven, less than an hour away, and they usually have animals here about once a week. I got to help out with a tiger this week, and it was totally random. I saw them wheeling it into the building during my lunch break, so I grabbed a few friends and headed down. The doctor invited us in and put us to work. I may have been an hour late for anatomy lab, but it was so worth it.
-We don't just have great professors; we have really great administration and staff too. Our dean knows (almost) all of us by name, although he has this slightly annoying habit of patting me on the head like a dog on occasion (at least he doesn't punch us like he does the menfolk!), and he's really friendly and is available if you ever need him. He was also totally down with someone dressing as him for Halloween All the secretaries are really friendly too.

Cons:
-They take a REALLY LONG TIME to get back to you with admissions. I know it's frustrating, but just be patient! It's totally worth it
-Anatomy lab is, essentially, a dog and a book, with one professor for 95 students. I really think they should get (and pay) second years who got an A in anatomy and use them as TAs or something, because it's really not helpful to be waiting around for fifteen minutes while the professor works his way towards you.
-um...the other stuff that Pressmom said.
-Oh! Also: I do all my stuff on computer, and they make lecture powerpoints available, but they work from their printed notes, which are only available on paper. I mean, they're typed, they should be digital, right? I don't understand the hold-up here.

Like I said in the interviews thread, you can be sure that one year ago, it wasn't even a thought in my mind that I would be in Tennessee. I just applied because it accepted a fairly high percentage of OOS students, and the supplemental wasn't really difficult (your name and a check). I didn't even consider it until February, when I was accepted to RVC and considered withdrawing my UT app. Boy, am I sure glad I didn't! I'm definitely really glad that I ended up here, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[critterfixer]

Moonpaw, you can indeed hire an upperclassman to tutor you. You just need to see Dean Brace about it and he arranges for a tutor. You could probably also ask your Big Sib for some one on one help from time to time.

I've never actually looked on the CD-ROM you can get with your notes, but I think it is indeed an electronic copy.

 

[tealamutt]

Huh. I wonder if other schools have a more structured anatomy lab. We just get a dog and a book. I thought that was pretty standard operating procedure. There are instructors milling around to help with questions during scheduled lab hours though..

Lailanni, I thought it was funny that you said this, cause I read the other post and thought "our labs are quite structured". Just funny how different people's perceptions of the exact same situation can be huh? I guess I'm comparing to undergrad where we had a semester's worth of expected learning objectives given the first day and were set loose to learn it with exams smattered throughout.

Anyway this is a great thread.

 

[dyachei]

Moonpaw, about the notes, it gets better next year. Most of our classes have electronic copies of the notes that are identical to the handouts, even in surgery, though he gives you the notes after the class to make you write/type. I think the real issue there is that nothing is consistent between classes.

other pros:
-the knoxville zoo has a contract with UTK for all of its veterinary needs. So we get a lot of opportunities there.
-a lot of the clinicians teach classes second and third year, which means that they at least recognize you when you go into clinics.
-microscope labs are done with computers, not microscopes - i get so tired of looking through the microscopes, and this just makes it so much easier. You can zoom at the click of a button.

Cons:
-we are transitioning to larger class sizes and currently, the infrastructure isn't really there. For instance, we didn't have enough mailboxes for the first years until after the first week of classes this year. little things like that.
-first year classroom needs updating but current budget cuts mean that's probably out.
-parking just because I feel like it needs to be said again. They apparently sell twice the hang tags that they have the spots for every year (for the school) and if you come in after 9 you can tell. Also the RV parking on the weekends of games means its difficult for us to come in and study.

 

[ylrebmik]

This is such a great thread!

I have quite a while left but my top choices right now are Tennessee, Western, Florida, and Penn in that order. Facinating information, thanks!

 

[lailanni]

Lailanni, I thought it was funny that you said this, cause I read the other post and thought "our labs are quite structured". Just funny how different people's perceptions of the exact same situation can be huh? I guess I'm comparing to undergrad where we had a semester's worth of expected learning objectives given the first day and were set loose to learn it with exams smattered throughout.

Anyway this is a great thread.

Lol, paradigms and whatnot The very few times I've dissected things in undergrad it was really organized. We had a pre-dissection lecture where they showed us everything we would do and pointed out all major ID points. Then in the lab we'd go step by step with the instructor, everyone doing the exact same thing at the same time. Guess I just got spoiled

 

[ri23]

At A&M I can only speak about the undergrad lab but essentially we got a dog and a book. We could of course ask any of the TAs/teachers around the lab for help but it was not structured in the sense that the teacher is telling the class what to do with everyone on the same page. It was go at your groups own pace and be at a certain point by the end of the week. Can go further if you'd like.

I liked it much better that way.


The vet students use horses to learn on. Dogs are only for undergrad here.

That seems odd. How do you learn dog anatomy? We do dogs first quarter, horses second, and cows/goats/sheep/pigs third.

 

[sambone]

OhSU students - Is it true that Columbus has a pitt bull ban? heard that somewhere, but can't verify....(that would be bad for me )

also, people keep saying a small class size is good...but don't you kind of get tired of the same people all the time? what makes it good, aside from it being a little easier to get to know your teachers?

 

[ri23]

-Anatomy lab is, essentially, a dog and a book, with one professor for 95 students. I really think they should get (and pay) second years who got an A in anatomy and use them as TAs or something, because it's really not helpful to be waiting around for fifteen minutes while the professor works his way towards you.

Our anatomy is a dog and a book, but we have 3 veterinarians, an anatomist, and radiology residents to answer questions during lab. We also do just that - the school pays 2nd years who did well in anatomy to tutor the first years for free and offer study sessions.

 

[Mylez]

You DO get tired of the same people year after year. (And I'm only in my second year!)

The benefit is more hands on time. You get to know almost all of the students in classes ahead and behind you. It seems like, for the most part, we work as a team to get through the vet school experience (Yes, there's competition, but we also share study guides, note taking, etc.)

I also think (and maybe I'm wrong) being at a smaller school I'm more likely to be involved with other activities. I'm only beginning my second year and I've been able to palpate a horse, complete an entire ultrasound, and perform necropsies on cool things (mtn lions, for example). I know at other schools certain activities are reserved for students that are higher up so they can obtain more clinical skills...but I have yet to run into this problem here.

Reading these threads I realize there are lots more perks (eg, our hospital is in our school too, and we can watch surgeries between classes downstairs)...but you get the idea.

Ohio really has a gym at the vet school? I was thinking that having one here would be AWESOME....but wouldn't we be spoiled to have our own gym? LOL. Lucky!

 

[VeganChick]

This is a great thread! Maybe we should post in the Vet Student thread for folks to stop by and respond?

I have a question...everyone keeps mentioning "clubs" to get animal experience. Could someone explain this? In what I would refer to as a "club," it doesn't seem that a club would give more on-hands experience than classes. I am confused.

Thanks!

 

[pressmom]

This is a great thread! Maybe we should post in the Vet Student thread for folks to stop by and respond?

I have a question...everyone keeps mentioning "clubs" to get animal experience. Could someone explain this? In what I would refer to as a "club," it doesn't seem that a club would give more on-hands experience than classes. I am confused.

Thanks!

Clubs at vet school usually have wet labs where you learn to do things on real animals or cadavers.

For example, we have one this weekend on bovine and equine reproductive palpation. We also had a declaw cadavers lab. And last year we had a bring your own dog and learn accupressure. Pathology usually puts on some necropsy labs. I also got to neuter 5 cats at a lab earlier this fall.

 

[Moonpaw]

Cons:
-parking just because I feel like it needs to be said again. They apparently sell twice the hang tags that they have the spots for every year (for the school) and if you come in after 9 you can tell. Also the RV parking on the weekends of games means its difficult for us to come in and study.

I do want to clarify, however, that while the vet school lot is often full, the commuter lot (which many vet students choose to park in because it's closer to the actual classrooms) will have parking, so I've never actually been in a scenario where I just had nowhere to park and drove in circles waiting for someone to leave.

 

[VAgirl]

I do want to clarify, however, that while the vet school lot is often full, the commuter lot (which many vet students choose to park in because it's closer to the actual classrooms) will have parking, so I've never actually been in a scenario where I just had nowhere to park and drove in circles waiting for someone to leave.

I don't really have the attention span to post a full list of factors on Davis right now, but in response to this I just wanted to say one thing...biking!!! One of my favorite things about living in Davis is biking everywhere. No parking issues for me! Of course, the fact that it's 66 degrees outside right now (in the middle/end of November, seems to be totally typical) does help with that.

 

[BayleeVet2B]

This is a great idea! Thanks so much vet students! This will be really helpful if we can get more students to post

Any UGA folks out there???

 

[ShelterGirl]

Pros:
- Nearly new facilities, including awesome anatomy and histo labs, class homerooms (lounges), and classrooms
- Podcasting of most lectures so you can replay bits that you miss when the professors talk too fast
- Nearly everything is online - schedules, lecture notes, etc. so you don't have to buy and lug around lots of course notes
- Bike-friendly, as VA Girl said
- Lots of student clubs with cool activities and field trips
- Faculty and staff are super-supportive, providing review sessions and tutoring sessions. You can also get student tutors.
- Free counseling service
- The student rec center rocks! It's got all kinds of gyms, courts, equipment, a climbing wall, and exercise classes, and it's a pretty new and clean facility.

Cons:
- It's expensive, even for in-state people
- You have to buy their prescribed laptop - either a specific Tablet PC or MacBook model (not really a con for me but I know a few classmates who hate that)
- The first 2 years have limited hands-on experience unless you get a job at the teaching hospital or volunteer for foal/calf/colic teams. There is a clinical skills course, but it consists of short labs that aren't very challenging.
- Davis is a small town with a rural feel and not-so-great restaurants (but it is reasonably close to SF and Sacramento)

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[Kat0303]

I typed out this whole list of pros and cons, and then realized that people from my school already wrote pretty much everything I was going to say!

So, I'll just put in my opinion that I love being at UTCVM.


Some of the coolest things about my first semester which is about to end:

-I would say at the top of my list is getting the opportunity to neuter around 30 cats at a 1 day feral cat spay/neuter clinic (set up by people/vets in the community abotu 2 hours from Knoxville-we participated through our Feline Club). It was great experience, even though I was really nervous at first since I have no neutering experience. They just quickly showed me how to do it, and then I started on my own. It was awesome.

-I love going down to the clinics (large and small) during off time. That's a good thing about UT is that they are very welcoming and often let you help. It's a good study break, and you get to see a lot of cool stuff (i.e. tigers in surgery, baby zebras, lots of exotics)

-Physical Diagnosis is a really cool class, and we've learned how to do a lot of stuff like handling techniques, how to do physical exams, pilling, etc.

-I'll repeat what the others have said that our faculty is really involved with us, and we have a great associate dean.

-lots of opportunities to get involved in cool clubs that have speakers, wetlabs, etc

-loooots of free food (people food) from food and drug representatives and others. Some weeks there will be 1 lunch meeting, sometimes 4 in one week. You just have to sit through the hour long lecture about the drug, but they cater some really good food at those things.


I've never had trouble getting a close parking spot, but I'm usually at school before 9. We normally have class at 8 every morning, so parking has never been an issue for me. Even game days haven't been a problem, because I just tell them I'm a vet student and they let me park wherever.

I like having an agricultural/vet medicine library right in our building. I don't know if other schools have something like this, but it's nice to just step right outside of our classroom and be at the library.

My cons were pretty much the same as the others. I was spoiled with free printing in undergrad, so paying for printing the library is a con I guess (it's only 2 cents a sheet, but it can add up if you're printing power points).

We also have a canteen style place in our building to buy food (sandwiches, chips, drinks, coffee, snacks)-i'm not sure if this was mentioned


I guess that's all I've got. Come to UT, it's great.

 

[fargeese]

Vegan Chick suggested I post over here, sorry if it is incomplete, it is only my first year.

Pros:
Parking is no problem, though 114$ a year.
Class size (90)
You can palpate cows every Sat. morning though the Food Animal club
The cafe is pretty good, I like the biscuits and the soups
People are really nice about posting study guides
Va Tech has lots of clubs, sports to get involved in, if you had time to go
Professors nice enough
The scenery is very nice (the mountains) and skiing is nearby
Blacksburg is very artsy fartsy (we were the only blue county in the last election for miles and miles). More interesting restaurants/world food markets than you would expect for a town of that size.
The cross country course is behind the school, so you can go for a walk in the woods with dogs from the teaching hospital

Cons:
First year classroom is a dungeon in the basement
SCAVMA holds you hostage and you are forced to join if you want to join any of the other fun, useful clubs. Also forced into "volunteering" for SCAVMA. And they wonder why none of my class wants to run for office!
Fall Break is now, rather than in actual fall. There were 12 exams in October, and a break then would have been better.
Can't go to any conferences your first year
One of the professors I had this year couldn't speak comprehensible English.
If you are buying, Blacksburg is out of range unless you want a 400 foot condo. I had to buy in Christiansburg, but that's only 10-15 min. away
Lose parking lot for football games
Orientation was irritating and lasted a week!
The 2 pools on campus suck, they are just 25 yards long.
No available men.

Despite the long list of cons, I do really like the school in general, and would be happy to answer any specific questions.

 

[banditalfi]

it's been a while... and no one has posted about cornell yet... and i just made tea... so here it goes...

pros:
- small class size
- block I is AMAZING: excellent structure, fully integrated, great profs, tutor group is wonderful (and there's still lectures and labs)... can't say enough good things about it
- animal contact regularly - twice a week for class and isaac (teaching horse) and the teaching cows are available for you to practice on whenever you are not in class... dogs and cats are a little harder to come by, but most students have one or the other
- parking is available (more in the negatives)
- lots of opportunities to get involved - clubs are really active - trips to SPCA, trips to dehorn cattle, trips to castrate pigs, trips to slaughter houses, etc
- many opportunities to get more vet experience via a job (more in the negatives)

cons
- this block is not as structured or organized and not as pleasant
- block VII - where we get most of our animal contact and runs concurrently with other classes for 2.5 years - is scheduled at the WORST times... frequently will have three hour blocks of free time and then we have to go back to class... it's a pain, but i'm happy we get to play with the cows
- parking is EXPENSIVE - ~$800/year... though you can have a carpool pass, it's still a pain in the butt
- the job opportunities on campus are REALLY hard to get... ex1) colic crew for emergency large animal surgeries - 21 people applied for 5 spots... ex2) SA emergency Sx tech - requires a 2.5 year commitment and essentially makes you promise that you wont get another job, etc etc etc... that being said - i did get one of the jobs (i'm on call tonight) but everyone is qualified, so it seems like a real pain to be begging for these jobs and be back on the bottom of the totem pole and earning little to no money... and then not even get the job...
- snow - last night i was driving home at 12:30 from a four hour long torsioned c section on a cow five days past due... sooo messy... anyway, my car+hills+black ice=scariest night of my life and i got snow tires today...

ok so there are more pros and cons, i'm sure, but i really can't think of them now... i LOVE it here and most of my friends do... and just an FYI - i was really not into going to cornell at first (i wanted to be in a city for a few more years). i love my class, loved tutor group, LOVE that we had a disney movie marathon at school today, love it love it love it.

anyway... ithaca is nice, downcampus is nice... i guess... but i've been there... TWICE. we stay in the vet school all day.

if you have more questions feel free to ask or PM me, but i've been completely neglecting this site for a few months...

and now back to luda, t pain, and tim mcgraw...

 

[twelvetigers]

Cons: No available men.

Lol. We have men in Oklahoma... and some of them wear Wranglers and boots... yee haw.

Is that a selling point for the school?

 

[jstar71115]

anyone from mich state?

 

[alliecat44]

I'm a second-year at Kansas State. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head:

Pros:
-Parking is rarely a problem, though does cost $150 a year. On gamedays, we sell spaces as a freshman fundraiser, but vet students don't have to pay and can park no prob.
-Probably the most dedicated faculty I can imagine. They are all teaching for the right reasons! I've heard of some places where research is the main focus of faculty, but not here--they have genuine respect and affection for their students and are dedicated to helping them succeed.
-free tutoring if you need it
-If you're a large-animal person, you're in good company here! About half of each class is large-animal focused.
-the Biosecurity Research Institute just opened and is a Level III biocontainment facility--we've got a close relationship with them and the building is next door to the vet school
-finalist location for the next Plum Island (calling all Public Health people!)
-our curriculum is now "paperless"--school issues tablet PCs, all notes are online, we use Microsoft OneNote. this is a pro and a con for too many reasons to be detailed here...but interesting. No note packets!
-the people--I'm from the east coast and am continually amazed at how kind, polite, and just plain NICE the people are in Manhattan, KS.
-anatomy lab: 5 "floating" instructors to help groups with a dog and a book.
-good-size lockers and study carrels
-library is in the same building as our classrooms, and the classrooms are directly connected via an elevated walkway to the teaching hospital
-compared to where I'm from, the cost of living is very low!

Cons:
-as an out-of-stater, it is a pain in the butt for my boyfriend to visit me for the weekend or for me to go home--the nearest major airport is a two-hour drive away
-the classrooms are FREEZING cold, even to the point of distraction (numb nose + numb toes=short attention span)
-not too much live animal stuff the first two years
-pharmacology is taught in a single semester (supposedly changing the curriculum to have it over 2-3 semesters in time for the class of 2013, but who knows when it'll actually happen?)
-not terribly much to do in Manhattan--which is kind of a pro, because you don't have much time anyway--but even the nearest Olive Garden is 45 minutes away
-if you're politically/socially liberal, you have to be a bit more careful about how openly you express your views--this is a very conservative area of the country--also, some things you overhear may be surprising (!)
-the tablet PC thing (see above)
-even though we're in tablet PC/modern mode, the teaching hospital's records are largely paper-based (!) and kind of a pain

That's about all I can think of...other pros and cons are more vet-school-in-general pros and cons that I'm sure people experience everywhere.

 

[Hopeful07]

St. George's University

PROS:
Lots of fantastic clubs to join
Lots of hands on experience available
Good professors that want you to succeed
Tutoring sessions available for every class weekly
Everyone supports everyone here
Powerpoints/notes handed out for classes
Free printing
Administration is great (The NY office is awesome)
Stunning campus
It's in the Caribbean. We get to bask on the beach when we're not up to our eyes in exams.

CONS:
Private loans. blegh.
Not accredited (But has a final AVMA site visit in Spring '09).
Expensive.
Flying here is expensive and a long way for some of us. (Don't take Liat!)
Extremely difficult for spouses/partners to find jobs here.
If you go out to eat, expect to wait a few hours for food
The gym is... sucky.

 

[InfiniVet]

Huh. I wonder if other schools have a more structured anatomy lab. We just get a dog and a book. I thought that was pretty standard operating procedure. There are instructors milling around to help with questions during scheduled lab hours though.

How odd you don't get tests back. We always get ours back, even though it can take a while. And we get to keep them. And we store them in a test file! Everyone gets a big sib in the year above, and the big sib stores all the exams, quizzes and worthwile information and passes it along to the little sib. The school knows about this, they actually coordinate the big-little sibs!

Everyone gets into school with a nice big box of previous exams waiting for them. Now, instructors definately change the exams from year to year and the instructors will vary. And some styles of exams just aren't useful to study from. But it's a very helpful way of knowing generally what you can expect...

At A&M we have "sibling" program too, identical to what you described, except we call it the "Mentor/Mentee" program.
The previous class puts together a copy of not only their old tests/quizzes/charts/notes...but also some that go back to 1994!! lol

Most of the classes hand back exams, some don't, some used to and then stopped...but its irrelevant because you can ALWAYS swing by the prof's office to look at it and go over it with them. Me personally, I cant tell a difference in my grades between classes that hand back stuff and those that don't.

Of course we use a dog in 1st year anatomy, lol
1st semester anatomy is dog & cat. Second semester is horse/goat/pig/avian. In that order. We also have a teacher horse, and we cover anatomy through palpation of live animals. We even have an A&M palpation team!

Pros:
- LOTS of clubs, wetlabs, activities, class events, organized parties. There is always something going on, times to get hands on experience, always free food somewhere, always organized "socials" where you meet clinicians, and of course organized "stress relief" = bar hopping & parties. So much so that they actually have to put a cap on how many clubs you are allowed to join per year.
- There are 2 parking lots, so parking is always easy.
- 24 hour access with your swipe card
- Profs will bend over backwards for you, drop everything for you, come in during a hurricane to set up labs for you.
- Mentor/Mentee program that will hand you down books/equipment/notes. You also have a faculty Mentor assigned to you, who takes you out to lunch and commiserates with you.
- The large animal/equine facilities are sooooo sexxxxy! I mean, they are just simply phenomenal, state of the art.
- We have the end-all say-all guys of cloning: Dr. Duane Kraemer, & Dr. Katrin Hinrichs...both of whom will teach you in 1st year.
- Free printing.
- Free pet food.
- Discount card for local businesses (its called a VIP card - so posh!)
- Free counseling...and he stays up here til 9pm during the week, and has hours on the weekends
- You are supported/encouraged to go to conferences/clinics etc., that interfere with classes, and we have a travel fund that will pay for it.
- Annual trips to the Corpus Christi aquarium where you can do a dolphin necropsy.
- There are more bars per capita than anywhere else in the USA.
- Weather is fantastic.
- 2 hours from Austin, 1 hr from Houston, 2 hours from the beach
- Real estate and rent is DIRT cheap. 2bed/2bath apt 5 mins from the vet school costs $450/month
- Plenty of boarding facilities that are reasonably priced

Cons:
- A&M seems to be scared of "the internets" so some profs wont let you bring a computer into class. Do they think I'll be surfing porn?! I cant even get online in most of the classrooms...ugh.
- Have to share the library with med students. Our library can get a bit crowded.
- The cafeteria exists but the menu is limited, expensive, not very healthy, and repetitive.
- The small animal clinic is dungeon-like. Tiny, crowded, not very sexy at all. They're fixing this soon. Everything other than large animal is not quite state of the art.
- There are plenty of clubs, wetlabs, etc...but the competition for small animal hands on opportunities is fierce. Spaces fill up super fast. You are not allowed to speak during small animal rounds. Large animal however is super friendly, laid back, we practically do rounds with a beer in one hand and pizza in the other its so casual. Small animal clinicians tend to be...uptight. And I'm on the small animal track so I can say this.
Is this universal?

 

[enchantingme2]

You DO get tired of the same people year after year. (And I'm only in my second year!)
Ohio really has a gym at the vet school? I was thinking that having one here would be AWESOME....but wouldn't we be spoiled to have our own gym? LOL. Lucky!

Just to clarify! The vet school at OSU doesn't have its own gym, but since we are nestled right near main campus the main gym (R-PAC), and then the smaller gym with the large climbing wall (ARC), are both within walking distance of the vet school. I was just trying to point out that OSU is huge and has a lot to offer and that vet students are able to reap the benefits! Its very awesome btw!

 

[VAgirl]

One thing for pre-vet folks to keep in mind is that a lot of the factors being listed (both pros and cons) are true for many vet schools, even if they didn't make it to the list that was posted for that given school. So I wouldn't assume that the absence of a pro or con from one school's list should be interpreted as the school not possessing that factor. It could just be an omission.

Probably the best thing for you guys do to (those who have applied this cycle) is use these lists as guides and get ideas from them. Note the factors that people have listed (either pros or cons) that sound important to you. Then, when you go to your interviews be sure to ask the current students those specific questions about their school. You should have student led tours or mingling opportunities with current students. Some schools will also assign you a current student as a POC and you can also communicate with them via email. (You could also ask those of us from a given school on SDN specific questions about the school we're at to see what the deal is re: anatomy lab, parking, etc.)

Anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there. I've seen so many pros listed for other schools that are also true for UCD (e.g. free tutoring, free printing, free pet food, big sib program, tests returned for all classes, great town, etc.), but maybe they didn't make it to the short that list was posted for us. So keep that in mind.