Factors when picking a school

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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whyrightmeow

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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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Updated list on UF, pwease pwease pwease. To my knowledge, I don't think you can receive IS after one year OOS, anymore. And the pet food prices. Maybe other things are different?

Thanks! :D
 
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cvanthof said:
Updated list on UF, pwease pwease pwease. To my knowledge, I don't think you can receive IS after one year OOS, anymore. And the pet food prices. Maybe other things are different?

Thanks! :D
Click to expand...

I'm just a first year so I'm not sure how much I have to share. You canNOT get IS tuition after one year, but the (sort of) good news is that your tuition is locked your first year and can't increase as an OOSer.
I surely hope pet food prices won't be a deciding factor in your school choice :laugh:,
but we have Hill's and Purina programs at ~$15 for 40lbs/ month. Rumor is we're going up to 120lbs/month but increasing the costs as well. We also have pocket pet, avian, and reptile food programs.
 
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I'm happy to write one for Penn after Friday... remind me if no one has done one by then.
 
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Emiloo4 said:
I'm just a first year so I'm not sure how much I have to share. You canNOT get IS tuition after one year, but the (sort of) good news is that your tuition is locked your first year and can't increase as an OOSer.
I surely hope pet food prices won't be a deciding factor in your school choice :laugh:,
but we have Hill's and Purina programs at ~$15 for 40lbs/ month. Rumor is we're going up to 120lbs/month but increasing the costs as well. We also have pocket pet, avian, and reptile food programs.
Click to expand...

I only used pet food as an example :oops:

Otherwise, just bumping ;)
 
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Sorry this took me so long, guys. I'm going to just describe it since what is a pro versus con depends on the person.

PENN

Curriculum:
-You start with 2.5 years of classroom work. During this time you do have a decent choice of electives, and start spending a significant amount of time in the hospitals second year. After the first 2.5 years there is a "large animal block" and "small animal block" that is all electives. You can take both blocks, or one block and do clinical rotations during the other one, or if you really want to and are really proactive with your schedule, you can skip both blocks and go straight to clinics.
-They really toss you off the deep end in your first semester. It is a rough transition for people without as much of a science background (and those with a science background tend to hit a wall later on when they can't rely on prior exposure anymore). It's a tough curriculum - I can't compare it to other schools, obviously - but it's tough and I wouldn't say the professors are wildly supportive. I get that it's grad school and we shouldn't need hand-holding, but it's very hard to get seen by the counseling center at all as a vet student, and most professors first year just tell you to study more if you're having trouble.
-The schedule is 9-5 first semester first year, then goes to 9-3 or 9-4 for a few semesters, then first semester third year is all over the place since half your schedule is electives.

Cost:
-It's expensive, and living in this city is expensive if you're used to a smaller city or basically anywhere that's not New England or California.

Hospitals/caseload:
-The large animal hospital is about an hour away from the main campus.
-The large animal hospital is gorgeous and has all the toys and then some. They see very expensive, fancy horses and if you want to work with show or race horses I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better place.
-They have a working dairy and pig raising farm, and a food animal field service that does farm calls. Our food animal clinicians are the nicest people in the world, pretty much, but it's an urban school and it shows. I think if you're 100% dead set on being a food animal vet you might be happier at somewhere with more of a food animal focus.
-The small animal hospital is fine... it's kind of weirdly organized and I don't think it's very pretty, but again they have all the toys and a ton of amazing doctors. They have specialists of every kind that I can think of... they do crazy stuff like kidney transplants and dialysis.
-Caseload is high... you will have your own patient or patients... perhaps more than you want... pretty much whatever service you're on.

Atmosphere/Social:
-The hospital clinicians are almost all very nice and good teachers.
-The classroom professors are a total mixed bag. Those that are also clinicians are usually nice. Some of the PhD's are super nice and some couldn't care less about us. There are a few seriously bad eggs.
-There is general atmosphere among the school administration specifically (not the hospital) of lack of accountability. If a professor is being unfair, or class materials are not being properly distributed, or professors are routinely running the class way overtime... people just kind of throw up their hands. The big-dean is way hands-off and won't even say hi to you or answer emails. The other deans are super nice, and they try, but they don't have any control over the course organizers or professors. Basically if someone is bringing in $$$ via research or clinical practice, they can't do anything about treating students terribly.
-As far as students, people are generally pretty cool. It's really not competitive like you might expect. Our class has a dropbox where we share study guides and old tests, and our class leader-people do a really good job. I have a few people that I love, a bunch of people that I get along fine with, and a few people that I don't like, but I think that's pretty typical when you're spending this much time with people.
-Early on people socialized more in big groups at bars... now it is mostly in smaller groups with an occasional class event. If you like pre-planned vet student events, they are definitely available. If you prefer to spend time in smaller, less drunken groups (like me!), that is totally cool and you won't be an outcast. Some people live with other vet students; most people study/socialize with other vet students.

Having pets:
-Pretty much everyone has pets. The landlords around the school are used to vet students and most let you have pets. If you have a pit bull (as many people do) it can be a little harder but still very doable.
-Right now our hospital discount is a flat 50% off (bear in mind the prices are high to begin with). That is currently under review... see SOV for details.
-As of now we get significant amounts of free Frontline, Advantage(tix), and Revolution. We still get a free bag of Purina once a month. The Hills program was discussed in the "beginning of the end of free food for vet students" thread.

Student support:
-Student health is wonderful, and free, and wonderful.
-The counseling center gives vet students the run-around since we're "too busy" to make it to appointments (you'd think that would mean we need counseling more?!). I know several people who really struggled to get psych help when they needed it.
-Our student affairs folks are cool and they help as much as they can. They can set up tutoring for you too.
-Individual profs... some are crazy helpful if you're having trouble. Others are really bad. It just depends on the person.

Philly:
-It's a big city. There's a lot of concrete, a lot of trash, and a lot of homeless folks sleeping on the sidewalk. There are also a lot of amazing restaurants and people and things to do. If you want restaurants and bars and clubs and museums and art and culture... it's awesome. If you need green spaces and peace and quiet... not so much. You really need to visit and spend a little time here to know if you'll like it.
-Prospective students tend to worry a lot about the crime. If you're going to be in Philly, the Penn campus is the safest place to be. For the most part, the bad things happening are not happening to students... unless you are involved in drugs or living in a really bad neighborhood it's unlikely that you'll ever have an issue. (Is it weird/sad to be living in a very protected neighborhood and horrible things are happening to people in your same city? yes) Things do seem to have gotten worse recently. I'll keep you posted on that.
-There is a popular shirt that says "I'm not angry - I'm from Philly." That says a lot. If you're coming from a very friendly area like I was, it's a culture shock to get used to people here. That said, I worked for a year in one of the city's worst neighborhoods and I can tell you with confidence that the people here are just people... most of them kind people who love their pets very much. It's just a different way of interacting sometimes.

That's all I can think of. If there's something specific you want to know, please let me know.
 
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bunnity said:
Sorry this took me so long, guys. I'm going to just describe it since what is a pro versus con depends on the person.

PENN

Curriculum:
-You start with 2.5 years of classroom work. During this time you do have a decent choice of electives, and start spending a significant amount of time in the hospitals second year. After the first 2.5 years there is a "large animal block" and "small animal block" that is all electives. You can take both blocks, or one block and do clinical rotations during the other one, or if you really want to and are really proactive with your schedule, you can skip both blocks and go straight to clinics.
-They really toss you off the deep end in your first semester. It is a rough transition for people without as much of a science background (and those with a science background tend to hit a wall later on when they can't rely on prior exposure anymore). It's a tough curriculum - I can't compare it to other schools, obviously - but it's tough and I wouldn't say the professors are wildly supportive. I get that it's grad school and we shouldn't need hand-holding, but it's very hard to get seen by the counseling center at all as a vet student, and most professors first year just tell you to study more if you're having trouble.
-The schedule is 9-5 first semester first year, then goes to 9-3 or 9-4 for a few semesters, then first semester third year is all over the place since half your schedule is electives.

Cost:
-It's expensive, and living in this city is expensive if you're used to a smaller city or basically anywhere that's not New England or California.

Hospitals/caseload:
-The large animal hospital is about an hour away from the main campus.
-The large animal hospital is gorgeous and has all the toys and then some. They see very expensive, fancy horses and if you want to work with show or race horses I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better place.
-They have a working dairy and pig raising farm, and a food animal field service that does farm calls. Our food animal clinicians are the nicest people in the world, pretty much, but it's an urban school and it shows. I think if you're 100% dead set on being a food animal vet you might be happier at somewhere with more of a food animal focus.
-The small animal hospital is fine... it's kind of weirdly organized and I don't think it's very pretty, but again they have all the toys and a ton of amazing doctors. They have specialists of every kind that I can think of... they do crazy stuff like kidney transplants and dialysis.
-Caseload is high... you will have your own patient or patients... perhaps more than you want... pretty much whatever service you're on.

Atmosphere/Social:
-The hospital clinicians are almost all very nice and good teachers.
-The classroom professors are a total mixed bag. Those that are also clinicians are usually nice. Some of the PhD's are super nice and some couldn't care less about us. There are a few seriously bad eggs.
-There is general atmosphere among the school administration specifically (not the hospital) of lack of accountability. If a professor is being unfair, or class materials are not being properly distributed, or professors are routinely running the class way overtime... people just kind of throw up their hands. The big-dean is way hands-off and won't even say hi to you or answer emails. The other deans are super nice, and they try, but they don't have any control over the course organizers or professors. Basically if someone is bringing in $$$ via research or clinical practice, they can't do anything about treating students terribly.
-As far as students, people are generally pretty cool. It's really not competitive like you might expect. Our class has a dropbox where we share study guides and old tests, and our class leader-people do a really good job. I have a few people that I love, a bunch of people that I get along fine with, and a few people that I don't like, but I think that's pretty typical when you're spending this much time with people.
-Early on people socialized more in big groups at bars... now it is mostly in smaller groups with an occasional class event. If you like pre-planned vet student events, they are definitely available. If you prefer to spend time in smaller, less drunken groups (like me!), that is totally cool and you won't be an outcast. Some people live with other vet students; most people study/socialize with other vet students.

Having pets:
-Pretty much everyone has pets. The landlords around the school are used to vet students and most let you have pets. If you have a pit bull (as many people do) it can be a little harder but still very doable.
-Right now our hospital discount is a flat 50% off (bear in mind the prices are high to begin with). That is currently under review... see SOV for details.
-As of now we get significant amounts of free Frontline, Advantage(tix), and Revolution. We still get a free bag of Purina once a month. The Hills program was discussed in the "beginning of the end of free food for vet students" thread.

Student support:
-Student health is wonderful, and free, and wonderful.
-The counseling center gives vet students the run-around since we're "too busy" to make it to appointments (you'd think that would mean we need counseling more?!). I know several people who really struggled to get psych help when they needed it.
-Our student affairs folks are cool and they help as much as they can. They can set up tutoring for you too.
-Individual profs... some are crazy helpful if you're having trouble. Others are really bad. It just depends on the person.

Philly:
-It's a big city. There's a lot of concrete, a lot of trash, and a lot of homeless folks sleeping on the sidewalk. There are also a lot of amazing restaurants and people and things to do. If you want restaurants and bars and clubs and museums and art and culture... it's awesome. If you need green spaces and peace and quiet... not so much. You really need to visit and spend a little time here to know if you'll like it.
-Prospective students tend to worry a lot about the crime. If you're going to be in Philly, the Penn campus is the safest place to be. For the most part, the bad things happening are not happening to students... unless you are involved in drugs or living in a really bad neighborhood it's unlikely that you'll ever have an issue. (Is it weird/sad to be living in a very protected neighborhood and horrible things are happening to people in your same city? yes) Things do seem to have gotten worse recently. I'll keep you posted on that.
-There is a popular shirt that says "I'm not angry - I'm from Philly." That says a lot. If you're coming from a very friendly area like I was, it's a culture shock to get used to people here. That said, I worked for a year in one of the city's worst neighborhoods and I can tell you with confidence that the people here are just people... most of them kind people who love their pets very much. It's just a different way of interacting sometimes.

That's all I can think of. If there's something specific you want to know, please let me know.
Click to expand...
Agree with everything said here... A fair assessment.

I would add that Penn is a great environment if you are interested in research. Not just the vet school, but the med school is among the top few in the country, and has a ton of funding (the med school, definitely not the vet school). It is not hard to find projects. I was NOT interested in research but have ended up doing quite a bit. There is also a ton of clinical research. There is really no place else that has the kind of resources as this place does. It is probably one of the few advantages to being at an Ivy league vet school.

Just want to add that if you get seriously ill (as I did), again this is a great place to find yourself. If you get the student Insurance you will get pretty good coverage at one of the best Health systems around. Hopefully you will never need it, but you never know. Free rabies shots, free vaccines (including flu), a lot of good services.

One last positive is that West Philly is actually a cool, older neighborhood. Personally I like the idea of living in an 1800s victorian house with all its quirks for a few years of my life. And it is pretty in some sections of W. philly.

On the minus side... this is not a very progressive place at all, and change is strongly resisted here. There is a new referral hospital opening in center city and they are going to eat Penn's lunch. The hospital is poorly run and losing money and slow and expensive... and I am guessing caseload is going to drop. My personal feeling is the school is on the decline and is oblivious to the need to change. That makes me :(, but i think it is true. Of course, once the problem is obvious, Penn, the university does a good job of turning around problems and the vet school personnel will not be happy when attention is turned on them.
 
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StartingoverVet said:
Agree with everything said here... A fair assessment.

I would add that Penn is a great environment if you are interested in research. Not just the vet school, but the med school is among the top few in the country, and has a ton of funding (the med school, definitely not the vet school). It is not hard to find projects. I was NOT interested in research but have ended up doing quite a bit. There is also a ton of clinical research. There is really no place else that has the kind of resources as this place does. It is probably one of the few advantages to being at an Ivy league vet school.

Just want to add that if you get seriously ill (as I did), again this is a great place to find yourself. If you get the student Insurance you will get pretty good coverage at one of the best Health systems around. Hopefully you will never need it, but you never know. Free rabies shots, free vaccines (including flu), a lot of good services.

One last positive is that West Philly is actually a cool, older neighborhood. Personally I like the idea of living in an 1800s victorian house with all its quirks for a few years of my life. And it is pretty in some sections of W. philly.

On the minus side... this is not a very progressive place at all, and change is strongly resisted here. There is a new referral hospital opening in center city and they are going to eat Penn's lunch. The hospital is poorly run and losing money and slow and expensive... and I am guessing caseload is going to drop. My personal feeling is the school is on the decline and is oblivious to the need to change. That makes me :(, but i think it is true. Of course, once the problem is obvious, Penn, the university does a good job of turning around problems and the vet school personnel will not be happy when attention is turned on them.
Click to expand...

Thank you for adding all that!
And I need to hear about this referral hospital thing!!
Edit: Is it a new VSEC location? Because you're right... that would be the best (and worst) thing to happen to Penn.
 
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Kansas Girl said:
Bumping to ask for updated thoughts/info on K-State and Missouri.
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My perspective on Mizzou from just a month and a half ago is on the bottom of page 6. If you want more opinions, I can ask others who used to be active on SDN to come give theirs...
 
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Some info on AVC would be wonderful! And perhaps an update on Minnesota? The last one is 5 years old...
 
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scb44f said:
My perspective on Mizzou from just a month and a half ago is on the bottom of page 6. If you want more opinions, I can ask others who used to be active on SDN to come give theirs...
Click to expand...

Sorry, I missed that when I was looking the thread over - thanks!
 
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dovelover said:
Some info on AVC would be wonderful!
Click to expand...

I'll do my best, but I'm sure I'll forget things. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions :)

Financial Stuff
- Ridiculously expensive tuition. ~$53k per year.
+/- Cost of living (apartments, housing) not too bad. I pay $500/mo rent to live in a little house about 15-20mins away from town, utilities/internet included. I come from the Washington, DC area where I paid ~$1500/mo (nothing included) for a 1bdrm apartment; if you come from a less urban area, COL may be comparable.
- Everything else is expensive. Fast food, groceries (milk is ~$7/gal), gas (currently ~$4.50/gal), etc
- No more free pet food
- No more vet hospital discount for students

School
+ The professors are awesome. A couple bad apples but by and large an amazing faculty that really care about the students and their learning
+ Active clubs, fun wet lab opportunities
+ Small class sizes! We're at 63 right now (~1/3 Americans) and I can't imagine being in a class of 100+
- Kind of isolated (being on PEI) and I think the case load is probably a lot smaller compared to some schools in the states. They still get stuff from the other maritime provinces but at an accreditation meeting I was apart of, I did hear a fourth year complaining about the case load being low/unpredictable in the hospital.
+ Mentoring system- you get a faculty member and a "buddy" from each of the years above you; mine is an active group and we meet at least once per semester.
+ Free peer tutoring. You can also sign up to tutor if you do well and earn some money:thumbup:

Island Life
- The people on the island are (to me) grumpy, terse and awful drivers, haha. There are a few people here and there that are nice (I love my landlord and the vet that I use- not through the school). My classmates are awesome though:thumbup:
- Overall a conservative and rather insular community.
- Not much in the way of different food. Coming from an urban center this was tough for me.
- Nothing opens until noon on Sundays.
+/- Weather is hit or miss. Last year the winter was mild- not that much snow, temperatures didn't go too far below freezing. This year there's been decent snow and it's cold as sht. The earlier months (end of August when you start until October or even November) are really, really nice.
+/- The touristy stuff is fun. But it all shuts down around (Canadian) Thanksgiving (second Monday of October?) so there's a lot less to do after that.
+ It's a beautiful place.

Other
- There are only a few flights per day out of the PEI airport and it's only seasonally international :)confused:) so you always have at least one stop (usually Toronto) before you can get to the US. Airfare is expensive but I think it's because it's an international flight.
- Extremely difficult for a SO to get work, even if they are Canadian. The islanders only want to hire islanders and the work is highly seasonal.
+ The international student affairs people are really helpful and nice.

There are a lot of negatives to the location, but I think that the school is great. I had a hard time adjusting to life in this type of community but the school and my classmates have really helped me tolerate it :)
 
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Mylez said:
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. :(
Click to expand...

I'm starting to think that I'm going to switch my focus to OSU rather than WSU. Thoughts?
 
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Definitely going to throw my hat in the ring for some pros/cons on Western, since it's the school I'm currently working towards getting accepted into!
 
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twelvetigers said:
Amen, sister.

P.S. The pros and cons for OKState are a lot like the ones alonepear just listed for Mississippi. I guess I'm not sure about 24hour access, terminal surgery options, etc. but the town and type of people in the town are quite similar. I can't/won't do an actual review since, duh, not a vet student... but if anyone's curious, it's fairly similar.

P.P.S. Why are northerners so damn scared of tornadoes? It's not like they happen all the time! Lol.
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I'm absolutely terrified of tornadoes because I was shown a video of their destruction when I was in 5th grade in North Carolina. Ever since then I've been scared to live in Tornado Alley.
 
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cloverbug said:
I'm absolutely terrified of tornadoes because I was shown a video of their destruction when I was in 5th grade in North Carolina. Ever since then I've been scared to live in Tornado Alley.
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I was also shown a video about tornadoes at a young impressionable age (4th grade?) We'd had a minor tornado in our city the previous year (which is kinda ridiculous in a place as hilly as western PA) and my mom made us sit in the basement since there was a tornado warning. I remember being terrified because my dad and brother weren't home with us. I had regular nightmares about tornados for years after, and every time the clouds moved in a slightly circular motion when I was outside (we're talking bright, sunny days with fluffy white clouds) I freaked out. When I drove across the country (I was 22 at the time, mind you), we drove through Kansas and skirted right below a storm that was producing tornadoes up in Nebraska. It was really windy (I don't think I've ever experienced wind like that before) and pretty much scared the freaking crap out of me. Thankfully when I drove back across Oklahoma, it was January and there were no thunderstorms in sight.

Needless to say, I will never be living in Tornado Alley unless I absolutely, positively have to in order to reach a major career goal. I'd much rather be in the path of a hurricane.
 
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I grew up in the woods in CO and my major disaster fear was wildfires. At least that was pretty reasonable for the area...

Everywhere has a signature disaster...some get two! I am pretty intimidated by hurricanes, but I think it's unfamiliarity. Tornado drills and wildfires are like, well, I know what to do...
 
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I think that the kids who grow up here get really saturated with information about tornadoes. I'm sure everyone has had to do quite a few fire drills as younger students... well, we did tornado drills just as often.

Anyway. It sucks if it's a big fear. Not much to do about it then. I always remind everyone though... lived here 27 years and seen one from quite a distance. Is definitely not some constant pressing threat, not even in April.

Dang, that must have been an old post...
 
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Bump for info on WCVM?

Interested in honest opinions of how Candian degrees are regarded/percieved in the US if you plan on ever working or doing a residency/internship in the US.
 
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Bump! I'm sure people would appreciate any school, but I would like to specifically request more recent reports on Michigan State, OK-State and Illinois.
 
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alonepear said:
Mississippi State :love:

:D My Pros:
-2 years class, 2 years clinical experience -- I didn't know how much I loved this until I reached my current (4th semester) and realized I don't have to sit in a classroom every single day after this spring!
-MDL (multi-disciplinary lab) - you get an assigned desk that's yours all year. It's a nice little place to call your own at the vet school
-Parking is right out front
-Starkville is small enough that I spend more time studying than I would were I in a larger town/city
-The weather can be nice, especially the mild winters. Downside is the HOT humid summers...
-Everyone is like a big, friendly family
-Good class size (76-80)
-Entire fourth year spent doing a few more rotations, externships galore and electives (to get experience that may not be offered here)
-Surgery lab during 2nd year
-Half the class is out of state, so easy to bond with others feeling displaced in the deep south
-Decent gym on the main campus
-Homeware Bound program -- we save hundreds of dogs lives each year by sending them to cities with far less of an overpopulation problem
-We use local shelter dogs for our spay/neuter lab -- so we learn and help the shelters at the same time, with no terminal surgery!
-Terminal surgeries during elective rotations and critical care lab are OPTIONAL
-Only referral and emergency clinic around, so get the majority of those cases
-Entire town knows and respects the vet school and it's faculty and students
-Counseling connections on main campus are made available to us
-Try really hard to prepare us for being money and business-savvy
-24 hour access, decent outdoor lighting
-Printing isn't free, but I've been told it's a very good deal; lots of computer access in our library
-Don't have to pay for notes. Some are provided in packets, most are provided online and you print on your own dime.
-Finally have an oncologist, and should soon have an oncology department like most of the other vet schools!
-Rent is cheap, property is SUPER cheap.
-Big sib/little sib program; interview mentoring program; pizza party before your interview
-Some really great faculty, and they make themselves very available to us
-Cafeteria in the vet school with Chic-fil-a offerings and other yummies



:mad: My Cons:
-Starkville is a small, southern college town. And I'm a northern-ish, big city kind of gal. But it's charming in it's own way, and bearable for 4 years
-The nearest Target is 1.5 hours away =(
-Have to agree to pay out-of-state tuition for all four years. No getting out of it.
-No exotics program, and they're rarely seen in the clinics
-No summer break after sophomore year -- but you get a break somewhere during the year, depending on your rotation
-A few too many pre-exam prayer sessions and conservative meanies for my taste...
-Surgery dogs are our responsibility for an entire week, every other week; that means walking, feeding, etc, which is a lot of work on top of all your studying sometimes...
-Small case load in some of the clinics
-Town is small, so you run into classmates and professors EVERYWHERE. Nothing like shopping at Walmart at 11pm on a Saturday night in your sloppy sweats and running into your Anesthesia professor...
-They "force" us to attend all guest lectures and things of that sort, and chastise us like little children if we skip out. I figure, I'm paying a heap of money for my education, why do I need to come to extra hours that mean nothing to me, and get chided for doing something better with what little free time I have?
-The classes here tend to have a younger average age than most schools, because the early entry program has a lot of people doing only 2-3 years of undergrad. At 26, I sometimes feel ancient compared to some of the 19 and 20 year olds in the freshman class...
-Half the classes/professors have banned computer use during class
-A few really good restaurants, but if you're a food snob or like a big selection, you're out of luck... (no Indian food!) (although my vegan classmate has managed to survive thus far...)
-TORNADOES
-Some "useless" classes; or more like, they could have been covered all together in one semester rather than being separate courses (ex: Professional development, preventative med)
-Start school a week or two earlier than most of the other vet schools (still get decent time off for the holidays and summer)
Click to expand...
Some of these are outdated, and I like to add a few things. If I think of anything else, I'll edit this post later.

Pros:
-Flexible Dual-Degree program (Usually students would start their PhD before vet school, but it's in the process of changing. Some students are now starting vet school first.)
-You can pursue a masters or PhD even if not accepted into the dual-degree program when you first begin- you just won't get the same benefits (such as scholarships, tuition waivers)
-Local Food Places (Sweet Tea and Barbeque are big)
-Awesome Gym on Campus
-Small Class Size (Now 85)
-We do have an Oncology department now – one of my classmates is working on her PhD through it.
-You can adopt the pets you do surgery on
-50% discount in the clinics for up to 5 of your pets (Does not include some testing/procedures. You drop them off before class and pick them up after, so it's really convenient for appointments)
-Attendance is not Mandatory (I don't know of any guest lectures we are required to attend yet)
-Parking Passes are Cheap (compared to my undergrad which was over $300)
-Computer Use is Allowed – Most students take notes on theirs & you are required to have a laptop for some tests. They recommend a Dell, but my friends have had bad luck with theirs.
-Great about setting up students with externships
-First and Second Years are allowed in the clinics at anytime to watch/learn & there is still 24 hour access to the building
-Easy Transition Into Courses (The difficulty builds up over time – the first few test averages are really high)
-Premier Imaging Center (A place with MRI and CT machines shared by both medical doctors and veterinarians. They just have separate hours for the two.)
-You get a personalized cowbell and lab coat when you start.
-Clubs for everything on the main campus.
-Summer Research Program
-You can choose your lap groups 2nd year.
-Professors are friendly and willing to help
-Early Entry Program (For those of you who are still in high school and currently applying to colleges)

Cons:
-Start Early (End of June, but it is a 2+2 curriculum- However, you do not get charged summer tuition.)
-Summer Financial Aide is offered, but you don't get it until mid-summer about a week after you start.
-Dress Code (I don't mind it)
-Not many banks
-Lack of many restaurant chains (No Chiptole or Steak and Shake)
-Diagnostic Center is small and located over an hour away, but they are working on improvement
-Lack of clothing stores
-You have to join SCAVMA to join other clubs
-You don't get to choose your lab groups first year
-One pet store in Starkville

As for exotic case load, we don't get very many, but we do get some. I've already met a few professors that work with exotics, and I've only been there a few weeks. My friend was able to study abroad in Africa this summer through the exotic animal club, and she was able to get tons of experiences with exotics. You can do an externship with exotics during your senior year. You also have opportunities to work with catfish since that's a big industry here.

Also, contrary to the last post, no Chic-fil-a offerings in the vet school (except catering for some club meetings), but it's really close by.

We also have some scholarships that you can apply for towards the end of your first year, but I don't know much about them yet.
 
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can somebody please write updated list for Wisconsin and one for Georgia? Thank you :) they are both from like 08/09
 
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Just wanted to bump this up for the class of 2018. This was extremely helpful when I was making my final decision!
 
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Another for NCSU. Class size, among other things, changed since the last posts, I hear.
 
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I'd like to bump this up if that's ok. We're all getting to where we are starting to hear back from schools and need to start thinking about decisions. Personally, I'd love to hear updated factors about UF, NCSU, Ohio State and Mizzou.
 
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I don't know a whole ton about student life at the UF CVM but I've lived here in Gainesville for 4 years for undergrad so I can talk about that for anyone interested:

Pros:
- there's one of everything here. Walmart, Target, Trader Joes, a million Publix stores (best grocery store ever for those who are not from the south), a mall, etc
- same goes for restaurants. Any chain you can think of we probably have
- fun midtown and downtown areas. Lots of bars, clubs... Any kind of scene you can think of. indie, country, rap/hip hop etc. there's a bar or club with what you'd want.
- Gator games. Although we sucked this past year the games are still amazing. The whole city shuts down and people get a little crazy about the Gators ;p. and we won't suck for long. The Gators always come back!
- small town/big city combo. It's definitely not a big city but it has a lot more going on than your typical small town too.
- lots of student housing. Soo many apt complexes to choose from. I pay $379 for a room in a 3 bedroom. Idk how that price compares to other cities so not sure if that's a pro or a con.
- we have a med school, dental school, vet school, nursing school, etc so lots of opportunities for research with other areas if you're interested in public health

Cons:
- traffic kinda sucks at 5pm
- don't even bother trying to drive anywhere on game day.
- parking isn't the best but I hear it's better in vet school once you can get a decal for those lots
- it's hot like 70% of the year. And then it's really cold. I think we have like less than 10 actually really nice days. It will go from 85 degrees to 40 the next day and then back to 85. Really annoying.

I really like Gainesville but definitely would love to hear students opinions about the vet school. :)
 
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chloehazel said:
I'd like to bump this up if that's ok. We're all getting to where we are starting to hear back from schools and need to start thinking about decisions. Personally, I'd love to hear updated factors about UF, NCSU, Ohio State and Mizzou.
Click to expand...

Still loving Ohio... lol. Is there anything specific I can answer for you? I think I wrote about OSU earlier in this thread...
 
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