Help for Non-traditional student applying Oct '08?

[atlganon]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Anyone else out there like me?

I am a non-traditional pre-vet student. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 2002 with a BBA in Management Information Systems, a BBA in Finance and a minor in Spanish. I have worked in banking since then, primarily in IT consulting.

This January I decided I wanted to go to vet school, so I began taking classes at a local state college. I should be done with all the pre-req classes by next Spring, so I am eligible to apply this fall.

My grades are good. My undergrad GPA was 3.80 and I plan to get all A's in my post-bac classes. So far so good. I recently took the GRE with no prep to see where I stood and got 1150. I plan to take this again this summer after some attention to the areas I was weak in. So hopefully my grades will not be an issue.

My concern is my experience or lack thereof. I have been reading threads in this forum and see that most applicants have 1000's of hours. By October, I should have close to 500 overall. I have made sure to get a broad range of experiences. I was a tech at a small animal emergency clinic, I volunteer at the GA aquarium, I help out on a horse farm, and I rehabilitate wildlife for a private reserve.

Am I even close to being competitive? I want to go into large animal practice, and since I hear there is a shortage, I am hoping that this gives me an edge.

Does anyone out there have advice for me? Maybe what to do between now and October to improve my odds?

Also, anyone know which schools have good large animal programs? I am planning on visiting 5-6 schools this summer and am trying to narrow the list. I am definitely applying to UGA (in-state), and Colorado State (love the area).

 

[david594]

You want to be Large animal, but have no veterinary experience in it. You should defenitely try to get some experience in that field.

 

[pressmom]

You want to be Large animal, but have no veterinary experience in it. You should defenitely try to get some experience in that field.

Agreed. They (the adcoms) aren't going to take your desire to be a large animal vet seriously unless you have experience getting down and dirty in that field.

 

[cwazy cat lady]

I know of someone who made the decision to apply to vet school late in their junior year and only did one summer getting some shadowing experience. She had great grades, as you do, and other interesting extracurriculars... but not 1000's of hours.

It's possible... and everyone is unique. Definitely get yourself some shadowing experience of a large animal vet, at a minimum, but don't fret too much. The schools are different, the applicants are different... I think some will understand you were working under a non-traditional time constraint...

 

[atlganon]

I appreciate the input. I do have some experience working with large animals. But less than 100 hours so far. Will this be enough?

 

[rustysmom]

I appreciate the input. I do have some experience working with large animals. But less than 100 hours so far. Will this be enough?

I think it's all in the way you present it. I do my shadowing at a mixed animal clinic and when I can come in, there's not usually a lot of large animals (they do a lot of farm calls during the week while I'm at school or at work). I did some work with an agriculture tech/food animal progam at one of our local school districts.... I live in a rural area of Michigan so you'd think it would have been easy for me to get large animal experence - unfortunately, with my work and school schedule, it was very difficult for me to find a large animal vet to shadow - which is why I ended up with the local school district for a while.

I had probably about 50 hours (max) of large animal experience - it did come up briefly in my interview. I explained about my work and school schedule. I also tried to convey that although I didn't have a lot of LA experience, I was eager and willing to learn. I did get accepted so it must have worked. 😀

my advice - show that you're trying to get experience (here's where I think my experience with the school district helped) and show that you're willing to learn even if you don't have a lot of LA experience....

 

[Angelo84]

I appreciate the input. I do have some experience working with large animals. But less than 100 hours so far. Will this be enough?

You need to make sure you have some large animal vet experience. Find a vet to shadow or work with. Otherwise your stated interest has no support.

 

[ShelterGirl]

It's good that you're getting a breadth of experience, but don't count on stating an interest in LA as giving you "an edge" unless you have serious hours to back it up. (There was a thread a while back where someone's friend had said this and got some pretty harsh commentary.) Most successful LA applicants I've seen here on SDN had at least 500-1000 hours LA experience!

You're better off saying that you enjoy it all and are open to learning more about everything, or mixed practice, or whatever. If LA is really your passion, then get more hours in it. If something else is your passion, then say it - don't say you want LA just to get in - an adcom will see right through it.

 

[david594]

I appreciate the input. I do have some experience working with large animals. But less than 100 hours so far. Will this be enough?

You need to keep in mind that you account for "Animal experience" and "veterinary experience" separately.

By October, I should have close to 500 overall. I have made sure to get a broad range of experiences. I was a tech at a small animal emergency clinic, I volunteer at the GA aquarium, I help out on a horse farm, and I rehabilitate wildlife for a private reserve.

You definitely want the breadth of experience, but you need to consider that 500 hours spread 4 ways is not a lot depth in anything. Of what you listed, the small animal emergency clinic is the only one that sounds like it would be considered veterinary experience. With 100-200 hours experience do you think you would feel comfortable answering questions and discussing topics of small animal emergency medicine.

If large animal is what you want to do, then find a vet you can follow and get some serious experience working with them. You are going to want the depth of experience in the field you want to pursue.

 

[dpcdoc]

I would not be overly worried about not having thousands of hours of LA experience. If your GPA is good, GRE scores and the rest of your package competitive, it will not matter. As long as you have spent time with a large animal vet and have a realistic impression of the job, that should be fine. During my interviews I expressed my desire to practice LA medicine with only a few days shadowing an equine veterinarian. I too am a non-traditional student and was accepted first application cycle. Best of luck to you.