Have you failed out of CVM but made it back in?

[699472]

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Have you failed out of CVM but made it back in to the program? If so, I would love to hear about your story, advice, encouragement, ... just knowing it is possible and there is some hope of me doing just that would help me solidify my decision to keep trying.

Sometimes life hits you over the head. This year as a VM1, a number of very unfortunate instances ("mitigating circumstances") smacked me in the face. Multi-illness, unsafe living situation, learning disability diagnosis, and a few other personal problems. My professors and the administration knew about all of it, and I held it together and even started pulling up my grades after my diagnosis, but then I got sick, really sick, and missed too much of one class. I failed that class (C or higher in all others). Failure at this CVM means expulsion. Period. I accepted my letter earlier this week.

I do have the option to petition for re-entry, but there is no guarantee at this CVM -only way in is if someone falls out in the lower class. After everything that has happened in the last two years to land me here, I am having a hard time seeing any hope. I can take the limbo-year classes and do well, I can acquire the recommendation letters for re-entry, I moved into a safe place, and I am getting help with all my health issues...but.... I am scared.

I don't have any contacts with others who have gone through similar situations. If you have gone through something like this and made it to the other side... I'd love to just know it is possible. That it isn't totally hopeless. Thanks for anyone with a story to share and best of luck to all in similar situations.

 

[LetItSnow]

Have you failed out of CVM but made it back in to the program? If so, I would love to hear about your story, advice, encouragement, ... just knowing it is possible and there is some hope of me doing just that would help me solidify my decision to keep trying.

Sometimes life hits you over the head. This year as a VM1, a number of very unfortunate instances ("mitigating circumstances") smacked me in the face. Multi-illness, unsafe living situation, learning disability diagnosis, and a few other personal problems. My professors and the administration knew about all of it, and I held it together and even started pulling up my grades after my diagnosis, but then I got sick, really sick, and missed too much of one class. I failed that class (C or higher in all others). Failure at this CVM means expulsion. Period. I accepted my letter earlier this week.

I do have the option to petition for re-entry, but there is no guarantee at this CVM -only way in is if someone falls out in the lower class. After everything that has happened in the last two years to land me here, I am having a hard time seeing any hope. I can take the limbo-year classes and do well, I can acquire the recommendation letters for re-entry, I moved into a safe place, and I am getting help with all my health issues...but.... I am scared.

I don't have any contacts with others who have gone through similar situations. If you have gone through something like this and made it to the other side... I'd love to just know it is possible. That it isn't totally hopeless. Thanks for anyone with a story to share and best of luck to all in similar situations.

I served on our school's student promotions committee, where one of the committee responsibilities was dealing with these types of cases. I have seen several people do well under similar (in loose terms) circumstances.

So yes, there is definitely hope!!

I suppose there are a lot of factors, but in general the people that succeed are the ones that TRULY fix the underlying cause (not just tell themselves they did). This can take some really amazingly difficult and honest introspection and a frank acceptance of outside input. I've seen some people who just refuse to accept the advice given, genuinely believing the advice is misplaced ... and they end up right back in the same spot they were before. The ones that succeed say "I blew it, I need help understanding why, and then I need help coming up with a plan to correct it." And then they actually IMPLEMENT the plan. Not just come up with the right words to get back into school.

Additionally, the ones who succeed after something like this are the ones whose going-forward plan includes regular checking in with <someone> (dean, school's counseling service, whatever) and who have a plan for responding if they get in trouble again (if they get sick, if they start having studying issues, whatever). The ones who don't have a plan in place can't respond when they start to get back in trouble.

In short, the more seriously you take planning your return to vet school, the better you will do. If you just say "well, I had health problems [so it's not my fault], and I had an unsafe living situation [so it's not my fault], and I have a disability [so it's not my fault]".... you will struggle. If you say "these things are all my responsibility, and here is exactly how I'm going to manage them going forward" and then you follow that plan, you will likely do well.

(I'm not, btw, making light of your circumstances. It sounds very, very distressful. I'm sorry you went through all that.)

If you want to talk to someone in person who has gone through it, you should consider letting the dean of students where you go/went to school know. They may be willing to contact a few students who have been down this road to ask if they would be willing to talk to someone about it.

 

[699472]

Thank you for your reply, LetItSnow. Hearing from someone who was on the committee provides a helpful perspective.

I have contacts of people going through this process a few steps ahead of me, but no one who has made it through to the other side. Your comments on the importance of persistence and dedication (the plan) give me hope, as that is all something I certainly have, so thank you.

 

[LetItSnow]

Thank you for your reply, LetItSnow. Hearing from someone who was on the committee provides a helpful perspective.

I have contacts of people going through this process a few steps ahead of me, but no one who has made it through to the other side. Your comments on the importance of persistence and dedication (the plan) give me hope, as that is all something I certainly have, so thank you.

I think the third and fourth keys - after persistence and dedication - are an outside objective opinion (because one commonality in the people who don't do well are that they don't get or listen to someone else's assessment of what they need to change) and a willingness to try a new approach.

But take heart - you CAN come back and do well. Best of luck. You're already on the right path.

 

[699472]

Thank you for those positive words!