Food Animal + Small Animal?

[TheCattleman]

Hey all, I'm brand new here and also sorta-new to the Pre-Vet community. I'm looking to get into Food Animal Vet. Medicine, but unfortunately I live in Los Angeles and there is a huge shortage of those kinds of vets. I have called and called, but there are just none that are less than 3 hours away or more, and I can't make that drive consistently from where I am. However, I do work on my college campus farm/ranch getting experience working with the livestock, and I do that 3-4 days a week (not under Veterinarian supervision). My question is, should I use the college farm work as the "animal experience" and find some other practice such as Equine or Small Animal as the "Vet Experience"? I would just like most of my experience to be in Food Animal, namely cattle, but I'm not opposed to doing a different sort of practice such as the others to get my Vet Experience hours, and I know that for Vet School you need a well-rounded experience with many different animals. That's not to say I would switch my focus onto something else; I am 100% focused on Food Animal, but just can't seem to find a vet clinic or Veterinarian to shadow/intern for. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LetItSnow]

That's not to say I would switch my focus onto something else; I am 100% focused on Food Animal, but just can't seem to find a vet clinic or Veterinarian to shadow/intern for. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Who vets the animals at the farm you're at? Is there a reason you can't get hooked up with them?

I don't know how MUCH difference it makes, but put yourself in the shoes of an applications committee, and ask yourself what you'd think if you had an applicant with an expressed interest in large animal, but whose veterinary experience was all small animal. I think variety is healthy, but I think it also hurts your credibility to be claiming you want to go large/production but don't have any actual (vet) experience in it. In general, I think your application needs to tell a consistent, cogent story to give yourself the best chance possible.

 

[HappyCowsfromCA]

I agree with LetItSnow, you really need to get hooked up with some large animal vet. Having the animal experience is awesome, as is the small animal vet experience, but I don't think the adcom will see you as a true, well-informed large animal applicant if you haven't experienced the lifestyle (at least a little bit). Even if it's just a few hours here and there, I think that would be better than setting your sights on just small animal or equine.

 

[TheCattleman]

The vet that comes for the livestock on the farm runs an Equine-only practice, but he does cattle work once in a blue moon, our farm included. I've already contacted him and they aren't looking for volunteers/interns currently. As of right now I'm waiting to hear back from another practice that does mostly Equine as well, but also a little bovine/small ruminant work. I'm just getting desperate for vet experience with food animal; it seems I really can't get much without moving north or making a god-awful drive, but I will if I really have to. There are tons of Equine/Small Animal clinics out here, but like I mentioned before that's not where my focus rests, and I do have some small animal experience already from several years ago. I'd just like some advice on what to do in this type of situation...anyone in L.A. that wants to do Food Animal and having this issue?

 

[LetItSnow]

I'm just getting desperate for vet experience with food animal; it seems I really can't get much without moving north or making a god-awful drive, but I will if I really have to.

Well, there's "ideal" and then there's what you can reasonably do. Do you know anyone you could crash with for a week in the right area? Is your life situation such that you could pack up and be gone for a week or two? If so, maybe you could arrange a one or two week gig (paid, unpaid, whatever) with a farm vet. Two weeks with one of them would get you 100 hours to put on your app right there. Not much, but it at least is enough to be taken seriously.

You can always apply without, too. I just think your chances go down. Probably significantly, but I don't know enough to really assert that beyond it being my gut instinct.

 

[HappyCowsfromCA]

I went through this just about a year ago. Seriously, beg and plead for just a day or two of ridealongs with the vet that visits your school farm. Persistence usually pays off, though it can border on obnoxious. Explain that you simply want to experience a day or two of typical large animal medicine and that you will sign off on any waivers they want you to. One of the main reasons large animal vets don't allow shadowing/interns/etc is because of liability (large animals can kill you faster than a dog or cat can). It's very difficult to gain this experience (at least around here), and you may end up having to make the drive, but any hours is better than none, right?

I second LetItSnow's idea, too. If you have anyone in the area that you can stay with, that'd be great, rather than having to drive there and back. Once you find someone willing to take you, stick with it, because these vets are limited!

 

[TheCattleman]

Thank you both for all your help. I didn't think of doing 1-2 week gigs or even shorter just to get hours in, I was looking for long-term only, but that is a great idea. I am in the process of calling some cattle ranches not far from me and seeing who their vets are to get in contact with them. I definitely miss being at CSU in Ft. Collins where large/food animal vets were as common as Starbucks haha, but I'll just have to make due with where I am and what I have.

 

[RackingHorse]

I am driving 2 hours every Tuesday to shadow at a small animal clinic. And, I am planning on going into large animal as well. I do have a shadowing position lined up at an equine hospital this fall though, and it is only thirty minutes from where I am. In my opinion you should do some shadowing at a small animal clinic as well, as the admissions committee is looking for diversified experience. So, if you have to shadow some at a small animal clinic nearby, and then drive maybe once a week or something to shadow with a large animal vet. Hope this helps.

 

[sooprnova]

In my opinion you should do some shadowing at a small animal clinic as well, as the admissions committee is looking for diversified experience. So, if you have to shadow some at a small animal clinic nearby, and then drive maybe once a week or something to shadow with a large animal vet. Hope this helps.

I'd agree with this, but not only because it will diversify your application. From what I understand, the whole purpose of veterinary experience is to make sure it's a career that's right for you. You say you want to get into food animal medicine, but perhaps a week of shadowing at a SA clinic will blow your mind and help you to realize that SA is really where you want to be. If not for the diversity of your application, at least do it for yourself so you know that food animal medicine is absolutely right for you.

 

[RackingHorse]

I'd agree with this, but not only because it will diversify your application. From what I understand, the whole purpose of veterinary experience is to make sure it's a career that's right for you. You say you want to get into food animal medicine, but perhaps a week of shadowing at a SA clinic will blow your mind and help you to realize that SA is really where you want to be. If not for the diversity of your application, at least do it for yourself so you know that food animal medicine is absolutely right for you.

Well said. I have found by shadowing at a small animal clinic that I actually like it. Before, I started shadowing there I hated the idea of being a small animal vet. I still feel like I am more interested in doing large animal work though.