Hello everyone!!

[ChrisDVM]

Hey there -

Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Chris, I am 30 years old and from New York. I have a BS in Biology and I worked as a microbiology researcher for 3 years and a BS from Columbia in Nursing and I have been working as a nurse for the last 5 years. I am also an avid horsewoman who's been managing a private barn on the weekends. I am totally in love with my horsey job and get so much out of it that I am going to be applying to vet school. I have a few pre-reqs to take (physics, calculus, some extra upper level bio classes) and of course, take the GRE, which I am dreading. I am also volunteering at a small animal hospital so that my experiences aren't strictly large animal.

I was curious - when you starting looking into vet schools and going on tours, which schools did you find to be the most helpful? I have had great experiences with Cornell, right down to sending them my transcripts to review and having them let me know what extra classes would be best. UPenn and Purdue were right up there in terms of helpfulness. Tufts was so so. University of Illinois was downright rude as were some other schools. I guess this is the way to weed out what schools work for me and which ones don't.

My advisor told me that usually pre-vets call it quits after applying and getting turned down 3 times. How depressing. I guess I should make some alternate plans, too.

Sorry for the wordy post. Most of the other pre-professionals at my school are pre-med!!!!!!!

Chris

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[southerncomfort]

Welcome Chris!
It sounds like you're on the right track with choosing schools. I just went with my in-state school when I applied before, but next time I'm hitting a bunch! As far as calling it quits, I'd say have an alternate plan (you have a nursing degree--that's great!) that you can do while/if you want to *improve* your application. And when you are ready to apply, make an appointment with your schools of choice and have them review it before you submit (even a year out if you can!). That way you can get feedback and have a chance to buff it up before they see it for real.
Good luck!

 

[ChrisDVM]

Howdy SoCo,

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I sent for information from almost every vet school in the USA. I didn't want to apply to Canada or out of the country (yet). LOL!

What was your career before vet school?

I have an interview next week at a really cool marine research place. I'm psyched. I'll have 3 jobs now, but it's all really good experience and a lot of fun. I will have to cut down some hours before next semester when I start taking the couple of classes that I need.

Where are you applying? Where have you applied?

Chris

 

[Jrice]

Chris,

Hi my name is Jewela! I wanted to reply to your message because I'm in a similiar situation as you.

I am 31 and currently working in Public Health. I have worked at a small animal clinic, had an internship at the Phoenix Zoo and have volunteered on and off at Liberty Wildlife for the last 10 years. I still need to take my GRE as well.

I have always loved working with animals (instead of people) and I was pondering over what to get my Master's in...then it hit me...go get my DVM.

It's very exhilirating but I was concerned because the average age in vet school is 25. When/if I get accepted for the 2005 school year I'll be 33. Have you heard what the possiblity is getting accepted the first time around? The veterinarian that my cat sees did not start school until he was 33, so that's encouraging! He also stated that vet school like older students. (Funny, I don't feel that old).

I look forwar to your reply!!

 

[osteovet]

That is a good question, but I think if you have all the credentials that would make you a good applicant, then don't worry about your age! Best of luck!

By the way, I'm 27 and I will apply to Penn in June when I'm 28.

 

[ny skindoc]

If you are truly into being a vet and have the academic skills then there should be no problem.I know several vets who went to the caribbean... St Georges and Ross... grads of these schools come back to the US for a year of clinical training and are fully eligible to become licensed.Entry into vet schools in the US is difficult due to the small number of schools and state residency restrictions but there are other ways of entering this field.dont give up easily.

 

[ChrisDVM]

Hi guys,

I heard that American vet schools are really hard to get into and that usually people give it 3 tries before applying to foreign schools. I guess I am going to go this route, but it's not carved in stone or anything...it all depends on what happens, etc etc.

I received my transcript eval from Purdue and they don't use the +/- system so all of my B+ turned into B's. What a DRAG because it brings down my GPA. You don't realize how important those .5 points are until someone takes them away. I have to take a bunch of pre-reqs over again because I took them 7-10 years ago. Hopefully, I will get all A's - HA HA HA HA!! All I can do is try.

UPenn and Cornell have been really helpful and assured me that there are plenty of older students in the program. Tufts wasn't as encouraging. Oh well. I can't have it all. I've gotten info from most of the American schools - it's all the same thing...3.5-3.75 GPA. The GRE differs from school to school. Tufts median was 700 verbal/750 quant while UC Davis was 500 verbal/650 quant. The 700 verbal I can muster but the 750 quant...it'll be a stretch.

Okay enough of my incessant babbling. Happy trails to everyone!

Chris

 

[craff1]

Hi all!

Wow, you guys are light years ahead of me in your preparation! I'm Cheryl in Sacto, California, 32. I have a BA in music (useless) and and am attending a surgical technology program which I'm almost done with. I plan to work as a surg tech while doing the remainder of my pre-vet med. I have several classes to take, including the chem series because as a music major, I got away without taking all the "hard" stuff! Then I discovered my love for science and enjoyment of working in sm. animal hospitals.

I was hoping to get through it in 3 1/2 years, but am now pregnant so I'm extending the goal to 5 years, hahaha!

I'm looking at doing a BS major in Biology so I'll be covered if I never make it to vet school. That way I could always teach, I suppose.

Anyway, it's good to hear from some "older" students! (I don't feel old either until I hit campus with all the teeny boppers still at home and not working!)

Good luck to you all!
Cheryl
[email protected]

 

[K.Astro]

Hi Chris,

I just noticed you mentioned Tufts having a median verbal score of 700? That seems pretty high. According to their website, they have a mean of 600, so i'm not sure how they would have such a high median unless they were accepting alot of people with much lower scores too. I was just wondering if maybe someone misqouted the median to you, and that their numbers are less astronomical? I know I would breath a sigh of relief because 700 is much higher than any other school!

 

[ChrisDVM]

Hi there -

You are right, I might have certainly made a mistake but Tufts' GRE score requirements/median of students accepted are higher than other schools I looked into. I might have overstretched the 700 verbal, but I must have read or seen it somewhere. Either that, or I am becoming psychotic from too much time around horse manure.

UPenn was next in terms of GRE.

Chris