For those that didn't get in 1st try...

[littlehooves]

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This is a long one🙂

I've sent my applications in and I should start hearing back around the beginning of May through to the rest of the summer. I'm from Canada- and I applied to one school here and 2 in Australia, so my time scale is a bit different then the people who applied through VMCAS. Anyways.... lately I've had this bad feeling that I won't be accepted anywhere. I don't feel confident with my marks, but I do feel I am well rounded everywhere else. Either way this could be just a bit of anxiety creeping up on me... anyways needles to say I've started thinking about plan B's and I want to know your opinions, and also to those of you who didn't get in your first try- what you did, and how it worked out.

I'm in the 3rd year of my BSc in Bio (3 year program) and alot of my friends are finding profs to supervise their research for next year (to get their honors). Although many of their projects sound really interesting, it helped me to realize that I really don't want to persue that route. I'm interested in medicine- and I love biology, but more stuff related to physiology, anatomy and behavior, not stuff like molecular genetics, ecology or cell biology. My school is very research oriented, so I don't really have much choice in courses to take (mycology...? no thanks...). As I said before, I'm interested in medicine, and so I've been looking into a nursing program (human nursing) at another university close to here. It offers a 2nd entry for people who have degrees, and sets you up to write the exam and you get a BSc in Nursing at the end. My thoughts were that nursing is closer to what I'm interested in then what I'm doing now, and at the end I would basically be left with alot of job opportunities. However, after I finish the program, I would be applying for vet school again. Does anyone have any opinions on this? Would vet schools look down upon this, or does it seem like a bad idea/route? What are your thoughts, or what did you do when you didn't get your acceptance letter the first time you applied?

Long post I know... 🙂 thanks to anyone who survived it 🙂 ...gotta go read about Alzheimer's disease now, but I'll check back often! 🙂

 

[GellaBella]

Ok, I haven't yet applied to vet schools but I was wondering if you've looked into doing any sort of clinical research? You say you're not interested in molecular genetics or things like that and are more interested in physiology etc. Maybe you could look into research going on at a vet/medical school? MDs often (but not always) do clinical research which might interest you more than the pure science lab work. I'd imagine DVMs are involved in clinical research as well which might help you out.

If you're really not up for research (and as someone finishing their PhD, I can totally relate to that), then I guess the nursing degree sounds interesting..but i can see pros and cons to it.

Pro: you get your nursing degree and are able to pick up shifts while in vet school and make good $$ (at least here in the USA, not sure about canada). you have more coursework to increase your GPA

Cons: you're in school for another..year? two years? for something you don't really want to do.

Can you work in a veterinary clinic? Do you have all of your small/large animal experience? Would you still be doing something veterinary related while going to nursing school?

I'm reluctant to suggest anything that would keep you from vet med completely until your next application cycle. Who knows, maybe you'll get in this time and have nothing to worry about, but if you don't and you do have to apply again, they'll want to see a strengthened application. just something to think about.

 

[littlehooves]

Hm, no I haven't looked into clinical research actually, thanks- thats a great idea.

In terms of nursing, the program from 2nd entry is a 2 year program....but I have to also check to see that those courses will be transferrable to OVC... OVC is very particular about what courses you take, how you take them, how many you have in a semester, and what level its at. Not to point fingers, but thats partially why I feel I got stuck with these courses I hated (molecular genetics!), sucked at, and thus did poorly in. OVC requires you to take all your pre requisite courses in full time semesters, so while trying to fill my semesters up, I find out a week or 2 in that the course sucks- and it was impossible to get into 2 other courses I scrambled to find as a replacement. I had a look at the course list for nursing, and the courses do seem like things that I am interested in (I also like neuroscience type stuff too), and could potentially do well in. But I'm worried becuase alot of the upper year courses arne't so much courses as they are placements ....

I guess also to confound everything I'm also in the middle of exams right now which makes me feel worse then I normally would on a regular day. 😛

 

[bunnity]

I would advise against the nursing program. Nursing is one of those jobs that if your heart's in it, it's great, but if your heart's not in it, it's hell. Kind of like vet med, there is very hard work, crazy people, and lots of poop involved. If it's not what you really really want to do, it would not be fun. I say this as someone who has worked in a people hospital for four years, and my job is way less intense than a nurse's job.

I know you're just thinking of taking the classes, but nursing classes have a lot of clinicals, and the classroom portion might not be theoretical enough to fulfill your love of medicine. I also think that it would look like you were less committed to vet med if you were trying to get your nursing degree (not saying that's the case, but I think on paper it would look that way).

Haha so that's my ten reasons not to get a nursing degree I guess.

 

[littlehooves]

you bring up a good point...about poop.

I've been doing alot of thinking (over the past 30 hours... lol) and was considering maybe doing a masters after I finish this BSc... has anyone else done their masters, and does it really matter what you do it in, as long as you do well, and can talk about how it can relate/help you be a better DVM?

 

[nyanko]

If you're considering doing a thesis-based MS, you really need to be enjoying what you're doing. A thesis-based MS is a research degree primarily, with coursework second. You will have to basically immerse yourself in your research for about 2 years, and write a long, scientific manuscript about it at the end. I mean I suppose you could finish it without caring about the topic but I think that's doing a disservice to yourself and to the research community and the lab you're in.

A coursework-based MS is basically like undergrad with harder classes and maybe a little bit of research on the side, so I could see finishing a coursework-based one without caring much about the topic.

 

[aretoo]

Maybe if you are interested in clinical research, look into transferring to U of G to finish your undergrad? There is TONS TONS TONS of clinical research going on here that you might find really interesting. YOu can do a 4th yr research project (counts as one course per semester) and take 4 others - but there's tons of animal courses if you switch into Animal Bio or Animal Sci or biomed or something like that. It might be something to look into...

I'm not sure how transferable nursing courses would be (i.e. for OVC acceptance), since they are pretty specific.

 

[littlehooves]

Yeah I was actually looking at OVC today, I know they have a marine science program- which is also something I would consider looking into. At my uni, everyone (at least in bio) has to do a thesis in 4th year for an honors degree... but the stuff here just isn't stuff i'm into.

What exactly is clinical research though... would that be like- studying how effective X surgery was in correcting dogs with a bone deformation?.... I browsed OVC a bit, but I had to get back to studying for my friday exam lol ...

 

[Caninerepro]

It is actually fairly common to get a Masters between undergrad and professional school. Myself I did not apply to vet school last year b/c I had only returned to finish my BS two years ago, but went straight into my current MS program. Also I am at Colorado State for in-state, so I knew with only two years of decent grades I was not getting in here anyhow, and the head of the MS program was my anatomy professor and basically asked me to apply to his program. But, the one year program I am just finishing is pretty much filled with either wannabe DVMs or MDs. That was actually the original intended purpose of the program, to provide a backup/improve your application plan for people who did not get in the first try. It is even called the Plan B program, but that is only because it is a non-thesis MS program (track b), rather 32 credits of 500+ classes. Anyhow, if research is your thing it may not be a bad idea to do a one or two year MS, thesis based or not. A) it will tell you if research is what you REALLY want to do, and B) it cannot hurt your application, especially in Canada where you cannot do the out of state-province thing like we can here. Of course for me, after doing the MS to make my application look better for CSU, I am now going to Minnesota for my DVM! 😀 So what do I know!

http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/bms/planB.htm

 

[cRose]

Like others, I don't really know what a nursing degree will get you, aside from maybe some raised eyebrows from adcoms. I have always gotten the impression that completing one program then switching gears completely will send adcoms the message that you don't really know what you want as a career.

Human medicine is a lot different than animal medicine, and if you already know that the veterinary path is the one for you, it seems like you're better off continuing your education in the animal sciences, as others have suggested.

I was not accepted to any schools the first time that I applied, and like you, I felt that my GPA could use bolstering. I found a non-thesis masters program and loaded up on coursework in animal sciences. Took me two years, but in all honesty they flew by, and I know that I am much better prepared for veterinary school than I was straight out of undergrad. I got some valuable large animal experience and was also lucky enough to get a teaching assistantship, so I was able to avoid student loans for the past 2 years.

I'd definitely recommend getting another degree, but in an animal-related field. There are even some non-thesis programs out there that could be completed in only a year, if you take a high course load. Do some digging and see what interests you. 🙂 I hope that it works out so that you won't need a plan B, but it's always good to have one. Good luck!

 

[Joanhabety]

This is very nice. I used to be in a similar situation.

 

[hlkcirdnek]

I didn't get into vet school the first time I applied, but I got in the second time around.

A little background: Low-ish GPA for a vet school applicant, slightly above average GRE scores, and a LOT of veterinary field experience.

The trick for me (I think) was getting a lot of experience after I finished my undergrad. I didn't get in right out of undergrad, so I took a full-time job as a vet tech, a part-time job as an ER vet tech and a volunteer position at a zoo hospital.

My plan B was always to apply again and again.. I just can't see myself doing anything else!

Good luck!