I need help/advice..

[dr-j]

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Okay so I'm currently in community college because I dropped out of high school and got my GED. I have 12 credits completed so far since this next semester begins my 2nd year. I'm hoping to transfer after this next year and go to either a 4-year college or University for Pre-Vet because I want to be a Veterinary Radiologist. Now, I've come across a list of ACVM colleges/Universities, are those only graduate veterinary schools? Not Pre Vet? So I would have to find a different Pre Vet school? I'm insanely confused about the whole thing with Pre Vet colleges vs Veterinary Schools. Also, the ACVM Colleges/Universities I came across, are those the only Veterinary school choices? Or are there more Veterinary Medicine specific schools? Sorry for so many questions, I don't have a counselor or anyone of the like to ask..

 

[dr-j]

These are all of the currently AVMA-accredited veterinary schools: https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDe...on/Colleges/Documents/colleges_accredited.pdf

Veterinary school is a professional program, offering a doctoral level degree (DVM or VMD, if you're at Penn).

Pretty much all of these schools, as well as many, many others, do have an undergraduate "pre-vet" program, usually awarding a bachelors degree in either animal science or biology. These programs are designed to make getting your vet school pre-reqs completed a relatively easy and streamlined process.

Here is a list of all the pre-reqs required by the AVMA-accredited schools: http://www.aavmc.org/data/files/vmcas/prereqchart.pdf

It's worth noting that you don't necessarily need to be a in a "pre-vet" program or major in anything specific to get into vet school---biology, English, fashion, engineering... it doesn't matter; just choose something that you enjoy and could help you get a job in a field that you wouldn't mind working in if vet school doesn't work out. Also, really, you don't technically need a degree at all. There are always a small number of people who are accepted to vet school with just the pre-reqs and no completed degree. Might be a good option for saving money if you can swing it.

Do you have any veterinary experience?

Thank you for replying! I appreciate it. All of that information helps a lot and I'll definitely check those links out. I don't currently have any veterinary experience but I was going to look into volunteering at the local animal shelter and seeing about if I can maybe shadow a nearby vets office or something of the like.

 

[deleted676737]

Thank you for replying! I appreciate it. All of that information helps a lot and I'll definitely check those links out. I don't currently have any veterinary experience but I was going to look into volunteering at the local animal shelter and seeing about if I can maybe shadow a nearby vets office or something of the like.

Yeah, I would definitely try to find a clinic or shelter where you could volunteer/shadow a vet before making concrete plans or spending the time and money on classes. A lot of would-be pre-vets idealize the profession and completely change their minds once they see what the work is actually like. There are certainly quite a few (mostly intangible) positives about working as a veterinarian, but there are currently a lot of negatives, too: the outrageous debt:income ratio, mental health issues and suicide, compassion fatigue, abusive and/or difficult clients, the always present possibility of a career-ending injury from a patient, etc.

It would be wise to get out there, see and appreciate both the good and the bad, and make sure that it's really what you want before you fully commit.

 

[SkiOtter]

fashion

I see a little bit of last night's legally blonde coming through 😉

 

[LyraGardenia]

Okay so I'm currently in community college because I dropped out of high school and got my GED. I have 12 credits completed so far since this next semester begins my 2nd year. I'm hoping to transfer after this next year and go to either a 4-year college or University for Pre-Vet because I want to be a Veterinary Radiologist. Now, I've come across a list of ACVM colleges/Universities, are those only graduate veterinary schools? Not Pre Vet? So I would have to find a different Pre Vet school? I'm insanely confused about the whole thing with Pre Vet colleges vs Veterinary Schools. Also, the ACVM Colleges/Universities I came across, are those the only Veterinary school choices? Or are there more Veterinary Medicine specific schools? Sorry for so many questions, I don't have a counselor or anyone of the like to ask..

Just to clarify, you don't have to go to a school that has a vet school for undergrad. Go to whatever school that you like, preferably somewhere cheap or where you can get a good scholarship, to minimize your amount of debt before vet school. If you're considering specializing in radiology, you also don't have to go to vet school at a school that has a radiology residency program (especially considering you very well might change your mind about radiology once you're in vet school). I definitely second the recommendation to start getting veterinary experience ASAP!