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Help!! Veterinary Experience
Food animal, equine, exotics, zoo, wildlife, etc. You don't NEED every category, but most schools like to see some variety in experience. Veterinary experience is most important, but animal experiences not supervised by a veterinarian (e.g. cleaning cages in a shelter) is also good to have. Research experience is always good too, especially if you're considering going into research. Leadership experience is another good thing to have, as well as extracurriculars in general -- actually being involved, not just going to a few meetings of some random club. Vet schools like to see that you have a life outside of classes and getting veterinary experience!
I think that about covers things, I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for. Next time I'd recommend using the "search" function in the upper right hand corner, there are a LOT of existing threads on getting experience.
I don't really understand your question- all types are good. Large animal. Zoo. Equine. Public health. Research. Lab animal. Shelter. Specialty. Try to have the most hours in whatever area you're most interested in pursuing as a vet, and then get whatever else you can.
The successful applicants thread has lots of examples of the types of experience people have had and where they were accepted.
The successful applicants thread has lots of examples of the types of experience people have had and where they were accepted.
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The search bar can tell you a lot too.
A good place to start 😉:
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...-topics-before-starting-a-new-thread.1199763/
Here is just a few I found when I typed in the word "experience"
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/share-your-volunteer-experiences.1200197/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/most-unique-animal-experience.1185264/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/my-experiences-where-am-i-lacking.1162003/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/diversifying-experience-hours.1118641/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...-topics-before-starting-a-new-thread.1199763/
Here is just a few I found when I typed in the word "experience"
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/share-your-volunteer-experiences.1200197/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/most-unique-animal-experience.1185264/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/my-experiences-where-am-i-lacking.1162003/
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/diversifying-experience-hours.1118641/
Even if you only plan to practice small animal medicine, you will most likely be required to have some prior experience with farm animals as well. To gain some, I would suggest working/volunteering at a stable or farm.
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That's not true at all.
Most schools do want to see some diversity of experience, but that doesn't necessarily include "farm animals." There are public health activities, research, equine ....
Definitely nothing wrong with having some production animal background, but "required" is far too strong a word.
Like LetItSnow said, it's not required to have experience with farm animals at all. I didn't have any and I was still accepted into several schools - some schools do require having at least several hundred hours of veterinary experience. Having large animal experience will be beneficial to your portrayal as a well-rounded applicant, yes, but veterinary schools will be looking for diversity in veterinary experiences.
On your application, animal experience is classified differently from veterinary experience, so you want to make sure that you do have exposure to as many different veterinary fields as you possibly can. If you can shadow a large animal veterinarian, that would be great. But as others have said before me, having a generally diverse array of veterinary experiences will definitely help your application.
No school explicitly requires experience with large animals. Several schools do require experience with veterinarians in general.
At least from my knowledge, someone feel free to correct me as necessary with documentation that states otherwise.
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It may be an unwritten requirement at some schools (i.e. you won't see people getting in without some large animal experience) but I don't know of any school that actually has it as an explicit requirement. Most of the time schools don't really say specifically what type of vet experience they want you to have at all.
Not of which I'm aware. And even if one or two do, it definitely isn't enough to say "you will most likely be required to have some prior experience with farm animals as well."
I don't want to sound too critical - the general point of "get diversity of experience," which is what you were implying, is on target. I just wanted to correct you in that it doesn't HAVE to be "farm animal," since the OP might take that to heart and start looking for only that. There are all sorts of diverse options out there.
