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PamperedLady

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Hi everyone, My name is Jen and I'm new to this forum.

I'm planning on embarking on this wonderful journey to become a Veterinarian. I call it amazing because I'm also a mother of one. I'm a first year at the University Of Maine for my bachelors in Animal Veterinary Sciences.

I came on here because I was hoping some of you could help with some questions I have about pursuing this dream of mine.

What are some good ideas to add a diverse experience to my resume?

What can I do starting with my first year that will help me prepare for Vet school?

How do I prepare for Vet school while doing my undergrad?

I know one of the questions that is asked by Veterinary Schools is "Why do you want to be a Vet?" How do you answer that question without simply saying "Because I love animals!"?

Thanks all... I will probably have more questions later but right now its 2 am and I can think
 
First off, welcome. Secondly, you can find a lot of answers to these questions already on the forum - many have asked these before you so your best bet is to use the search tool.

What are some good ideas to add a diverse experience to my resume?
I assume you're asking what are good areas to gain experience in, in order to diversify your experience?? Large animal, small animal, research, exotics, wildlife, emergency, zoo... anywhere. If someone gives you the opportunity to work with a dvm or phd or with animals in general - take it!

What can I do starting with my first year that will help me prepare for Vet school?
Get experience and maintain a good GPA. Now you know you want to be a vet - start to try to get experience so you can focus in on what type of veterinarian. Learn about your likes and dislikes. Track your experience!

How do I prepare for Vet school while doing my undergrad?
Undergrad is prep for vet school - determine where you might want to apply, look what classes you need to apply, take those classes. Each vet school has different requirements. Public speaking, business, nutrition, etc.

I know one of the questions that is asked by Veterinary Schools is "Why do you want to be a Vet?" How do you answer that question without simply saying "Because I love animals!"?
Think about it. This is a question only you can answer. It is going to be different for different people because we all want to do something different with our DVM (or VMD). If you say it's because you like medicine, then ask yourself why not a dentist or an MD? If it's because you love animals then ask yourself why not be a vet tech or a zookeeper or a breeder? It can't be solely based on the fact you love animals. Is it because you love the problem solving, the critical thinking, the labwork, the scientific method? Only you can answer this one. Good luck!😀
 
Welcome!

Congrats on making this exciting decision! Roseema is right - this board has tons and tons of great advice so have fun searching for things! I know everyone here has helped me tremendously so I am sure you will get great help and advice too!

So, again, welcome and good luck!
 
Q: What are some good ideas to add a diverse experience to my resume?
Having a few hours of experience with multiple species carries more weight than a billion hours working with one species. You absolutely need to work/volunteer at a veterinary clinic. Non negotiable.
Then try and move on to "neato" stuff -- contact any farms/ranches/stables in the area. They will put you to work, hehe. Then go swim with the dolphins in Cozumel, or volunteer with any breeder lending an extra pair of hands during birthing times, or work in pest control, or foster kittens, or pester a professor to let you help with his research, or volunteer to walk dogs down at the local shelter, or work for a veterinary medical supply company, or get your masters in agriculture and do your thesis on bat populations, or masters in nutrition, etc.
Also, and I hate to say it, but your potential interviewers are people too, and are easily impressed by flashy and chic experiences - point in case, I had 40,000 hours working with horses cats dogs and cattle (started prepping for vet school when I was 10)...In that time I volunteered at the Humane society in Texas for 2 days during Hurricane Katrina, when we had animals pouring in from New Orleans. They focused their attention on that, in a People magazine readers enthusiastic kind of way. So, during the next national crisis - get involved any way you can. Or try and save a bald eagle or two.
Also think about non animal volunteer stuff, because you will need to show you're compassionate with owners too (not to mention actually developing compassion! hehe). Retirement homes, daycare centers, search and rescue, reading to the blind, mentoring teenagers, tutoring algebra to a kid with a learning disability, habitat for humanity, etc.

Q: What can I do starting with my first year that will help me prepare for Vet school?
Marry rich ;P Nah, get the grades. I'm talking all A's here. You want to try for >3.5 GPA. If your focus is to get into vet school rather than what degree you're getting, choose a major that fulfills most of the required classes. Biomedical engineering seems to do this well, but really, any science major.

Q: How do I prepare for Vet school while doing my undergrad?
Build your resume by getting the grades & acquire veterinary/animal experience. This is not simply just to get in, but it does truly prepare you for veterinary school, because its good practice. All veterinary school consists of is: schoolwork + working with animals in a clinical setting.

Q: I know one of the questions that is asked by Veterinary Schools is "Why do you want to be a Vet?" How do you answer that question without simply saying "Because I love animals!"?

Its horrible that people are coached to avoid this response as an answer, I mean, you think they want folks who are just tepid towards animals to do this job?? However, the reason is because: Its way too simplistic, and reveals a lack of matured consideration of what it means to be a veterinarian. And rosemma is exactly right: You have to ask yourself, if its because of the medicine aspect, why not do an MD or something. Because of animals? Why not teach riding lessons then.

I honestly think not being able to answer this question for yourself is a good sign because it means you're at a good starting place for true consideration.
You have to get to a place with yourself where you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what you want to do. You have to rule out all other choices. How does one do this? By getting varied experience. You may discover after working at a dairy farm/breeder/swimming with dolphins that one of those things is exactly what you want to do in life! And make sure to shadow some human doctors as well, and see how it speaks to you.

Basically, and I sincerely don't mean to sound bleak here, you become a vet because you exhaust all other options for yourself. 🙂
If there is any other career you can see yourself fulfilled in, I think you should explore it and heavily consider it.
But I think for most of us, we're basically screwed - If we could have been anything else, we truly would've, but we cannot accept any other mission in life other than fixin critters.
By the time you are ready to actually apply, you should have enough experience and wisdom under your belt to feel completely comfortable with this question. And then you will have to transfer those thoughts to paper, which will summon the same frustration as trying to explain the concept of God to a 4 year old with water on the brain.
 
Hi there! I'm a Jen too, and fairly new around here. Just wanted to say hello. You're definitely not the only non-trad here. Good luck!
 
Thank you guys so much for the advice. It's hard for me because I come from a very uneducated family so I'm not only doing something that no one in my family has done but I'm going above and beyond what most people I know are doing.

Rosemma- You really got me thinking on that. I have this wonderful love of animals. I have so many hours of experience at riding facilities and trail riding operations. I'm really trying to focus in on the small animal aspect of Veterinary care. I honestly can see myself happy in any other career. I think (and this is after 6 hours of no sleep and dealing with my son waking up at 3 am) that the science of Veterinary care amazes me. I was a big science person in HS. Took Chem my senior year and LOVED it. I'm all about the hands on work. I would never be okay with a job that kept me at a desk all day.

InfiniVet- You response to my question about "why do you want to become a vet?" really helped. I know exactly what type of vet I want to be and what I want to do with it. I'm very passionate about horses (been volunteering at stables since I was about 13. Done quite a bit of rehabilitating of abused equines) I could never be a trainer or a breeder. Dont quite have the experience to be a trainer and I feel that there are enough breeders in the states right now.

Thank you guys again for the advice. You have given me a push in the right direction as far as experience goes. Unfortunately I live in Maine and opportunities for stand alone experience are very rare. I've been keeping my eye out for something but sadly have not found it yet. Hopefully before I reach Vet school I will be married. Maybe I can convince the Fiance' to let me swim with dolphins. Always wanted to try it 🙂


Jen
 
Welcome fellow "Maineaic"!

My family is in Gorham and Limington.

I too am nontrad and pre-vet. As one of the deans told me when I went back to school, they understand that we older students have been through more and often have more to handle than just school. Do what you can, but remember to balance your family - they will be grown and gone before you realize and you don't ever want to miss that!

Hang in there and enjoy an italian for me!

Dar
 
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