If You Don't Get In

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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RackingHorse

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So, I have been thinking the last few weeks, about what I am going to do if I do not get into vet school. More than likely I will pursue a Phd in Animal Science with a concentration in Reproductive Physiology or Infectious Diseases. What about the rest of you?
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I'll probably keep applying up to a certain point. I was wait listed last year, so I have already gone through this once. I worked on the parts of my application that I needed to improve, so I'm hoping this is the year.

Veterinary medicine is something I've always wanted to do, so I can't really imagine giving up after getting soooooooo close last year. And I don't know if I could handle wondering what would have happened if I had applied just one more time. However, at the same time, I don't know if I could keep spending the money to pay for all the applications and putting my life on hold. In the end, I'd probably pursue a master's for starters, since I feel my interests are still rather broad and then probably go for the PhD unless I figure out a definite interest before hand.
 
RackingHorse said:
So, I have been thinking the last few weeks, about what I am going to do if I do not get into vet school. More than likely I will pursue a Phd in Animal Science with a concentration in Reproductive Physiology or Infectious Diseases. What about the rest of you?
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Definitely already have my backup plan in the works - pursuing a MS in Fisheries and spending my life working for the State or Federal Gov't - good pay, tuition reimbursement, good benefits. :) My dad did it.. so can I. :)
 
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my back up was Ross/SGU. my back up to that was a psych masters or MPH and reapplying after. super glad i'm in school, but a neuroscience psych degree would have been pretty cool too

never ever give up on what you want most in life!
 
I'm trying to get internships at big horse and cattle barns to get experience and connections ;) So if I don't get in, I can see if I can go back to one of those or if they know someone who needs a worker.. or maybe get a masters in animal science.

And just try again. And again. And again.
 
My backup was to reapply 3 more times (OVC allows max 4 tries) while applying to med schools at the same time and hope that I get into either OVC/med. I probably would've pursued a Master's while reapplying.
 
I'll probably cry for 10 minutes, have several glasses of wine and a big, rare cheeseburger, and go to bed. I don't really want to think much further in advance than that.
 
only 10 minutes? I cried for an entire weekend and still burst into tears randomly for like another week after that. (when I got rejected from UC Davis the first time)

If I hadn't gotten in I would have pursued my Ph.D in Genetics and taught future vets and MDs.
 
If I don't get in this time....I suppose I'll find employment at a different clinic/environment to diversify my experiences, retake my GRE, and reapply again next year.

If that still doesn't work, I might just make a career out of being just a tech. Either that, or actually go use my teaching certification and be an ag science teacher. I already have a Masters, and after seeing my fiancee battle it out with his PhD committee this semester, I'm not sure I have that kind of patience anymore.

This is my second time applying, but my first "serious" application cycle. The first time was a joke, in retrospect.

ETA: I really don't want to be a high school teacher though...
 
Minnerbelle said:
is that a cheeseburger with a dangerously undercooked patty? or a hard to acquire unique cheeseburger? or a combo of both??? inquiring minds want to know.
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:laugh: Definitely a combo of both. Rare in that it will be the perfect, 1/2lb not-too-greasy, not-too-salty, mushroom swiss burger with just the right amount of crispy bacon; and rare in that it will be nice and red and cool in the middle.

This is making me hungry. I may have to enact this plan tomorrow night. Minus the crying part, of course.
 
sooprnova said:
:laugh: Definitely a combo of both. Rare in that it will be the perfect, 1/2lb not-too-greasy, not-too-salty, mushroom swiss burger with just the right amount of crispy bacon; and rare in that it will be nice and red and cool in the middle.

This is making me hungry. I may have to enact this plan tomorrow night. Minus the crying part, of course.
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:laugh: this whole thread is making me hungry now...so not good when it's 11 pm at night.


on a more serious note, if i don't get in this time (which is my 1st time) i might a) work for another year, build more experiences + apply again; b) pursue a masters in animal science or an MPH; or c) pursue a career as a veterinary technician instead. not sure at this point...:confused:
 
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sooprnova said:
:laugh: Definitely a combo of both. Rare in that it will be the perfect, 1/2lb not-too-greasy, not-too-salty, mushroom swiss burger with just the right amount of crispy bacon; and rare in that it will be nice and red and cool in the middle.

This is making me hungry. I may have to enact this plan tomorrow night. Minus the crying part, of course.
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Sick.
 
Well, this is my third year applying. And if it doesn't work this year then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery, live on a yacht, and have hot guys wait on me. Yup... that is my master backup plan. :p
 
DVMDream said:
Well, this is my third year applying. And if it doesn't work this year then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery, live on a yacht, and have hot guys wait on me. Yup... that is my master backup plan. :p
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I like this plan. I'll just come live with you on the yacht with the hot guys. Maybe the buried treasure or the money tree I find in my backyard one day will help pay the for fuel costs on our travels. :D
 
DVMDream said:
Well, this is my third year applying. And if it doesn't work this year then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery, live on a yacht, and have hot guys wait on me. Yup... that is my master backup plan. :p
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i totally dig this plan :thumbup:
 
DVMDream said:
Well, this is my third year applying. And if it doesn't work this year then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery, live on a yacht, and have hot guys wait on me. Yup... that is my master backup plan. :p
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Totally approve of this. I might join in and stowaway like sunnex3 and jalyndani.
 
Minnerbelle said:
is that a cheeseburger with a dangerously undercooked patty? or a hard to acquire unique cheeseburger? or a combo of both??? inquiring minds want to know.
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I'm glad I wasn't the only one who stopped in the middle of that sentence (and cringed a little) when the words "rare" and "cheeseburger" were put together. Unless a place grinds its own meat, that's terrifying to me.

Back on actual subject: If I don't get in this time, I'll finish my undergrad degree in the Fall and do an interesting internship in the Spring. If I don't get in that time... well, I'm not really looking that far yet, but a Masters program might be in my future. Really hoping I'd get in second go, though, at least.
 
jalyndani said:
I like this plan. I'll just come live with you on the yacht with the hot guys. Maybe the buried treasure or the money tree I find in my backyard one day will help pay the for fuel costs on our travels. :D
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sunnex3 said:
i totally dig this plan :thumbup:
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orca2011 said:
Totally approve of this. I might join in and stowaway like sunnex3 and jalyndani.
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You are all welcome to come with!!!

(But you must supply your own hot guys...;))
 
I'm currently in the market for a job when I graduate with my masters in December - my current interim "dream" job will be to get on board with a company in my city that provides stem cell treatments for companion animals. Hoping this will broaden my experience and make use of all this science information I've packed into my brain - if I don't make it this go round but I do get that job I'll hopefully keep working for them - see where it can lead.

My husband and I have also been talking about moving to a farm outside the city in hopes of starting our own buisness down the road - my mother is a riding instructor so I'd love to expand her program, board horses, possibly have equine staff that provides horses for hippotherapy, and many other ideas. So I plan to start doing research and writing up a buisness plan.

I'm a returning student - ie I'm older :) - so my husband and I have talked about starting our family.

And of course - preparing my application for next year.....

Lots of ideas - but as my husband keeps reminding me - its a moot point because I'll be getting in this time :)
 
sunnex3 said:
:laugh: there can never be enough hot guys :) or wine...
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Haha. The story of how this connection came to be is pretty interesting too. It started with meeting the father (who drives cabs...along with his two sons) and we're pretty sure he was hoping one of us (I was traveling with 5 other girls) would fall in love with his one son. He gave us discounts on cab fare, had his son take us out for an authentic Greek family style lunch and drive us to some tourist spots all for the price of a coffee. And also gave us like 4 liters of their wine for free.
 
If I don't get in this year I will hopefully be able to stick it out at the vet clinic where I work now for another year and gain more experience since that is really all I am lacking. Not sure I can last another year there, though, each day gets worse and worse :(. We'll see, hoping I don't have to worry about that, or if I do, that I will find another clinic to work at. Or find something wildlife related to do for a year and shadow vets. Not sure, hoping I don't need a backup plan.
 
If I don't get in, backup #1 is Reapply and include Ross/SGU, #2 is to become a cop, #3 is to go back to school for a masters or PHD in infectious disease.

I am really hoping to not have to use my back-up plans this year, as I'd like to get in :p Last year I cried, got mild depression and still have trouble with people who say "pshaw, you'll totally get in" yet here I am for round two.
 
argh this thread is making me nervous about my chances of getting in this year...:(
 
DVMDream said:
\then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery
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Wait why the Taiwanese lottery? I'm curious because I live in Taiwan right now :cool:

My backup plan is to keep working at a vet clinic to gain more hours and take the new GRE (although I would hate to restudy for that test again). I'd give this routine maximum 2 more years. I really do no want to use any backup plans though. If this whole vet thing doesn't work out, I am going to be a zookeeper. I've done some zoo internships already, and I also love the profession.
 
SocialStigma said:
My backup was to reapply 3 more times (OVC allows max 4 tries) while applying to med schools at the same time and hope that I get into either OVC/med. I probably would've pursued a Master's while reapplying.
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This, but for AVC. I don't think AVC has a maximum number of applications, but I think I'd have quit at 3 rejections. I was going to go after med school, or Master's.
 
For those of you on your 2nd and 3rd application cycle, SGU still has a few seats left for the January 2012 class. Application deadline is November 15th. I couldn't think of a better way to start the New Year, then beginning your DVM program at St. George's.
 
If I don't get in this year, then I'll work for a year and try to bump up my large animal experience and my GRE scores then re-apply.. since those are the only things I think the adcoms might say I could improve in. If that doesn't work the second time around then I'll have to look into an alternative career, like teaching vet students in Reproductive Physiology, neurology, or endocrinology, since I'm not going back to school (almost done a PhD, so I'm sure sure what other schooling besides the DVM I would/could need).
 
Well, vet school was originally my plan A. Then that got kind of fuzzy this summer:confused::smack: Currently, I'm working part time as a data entry person at a trucking company. Glad to be putting my BS in Bio to good use :D All joking aside, I have plans A-F for now (I over-plan:oops:).
Plan A: go to grad school for my MS in marine bio. Possibly continue on for a PhD if I really love it.
Plan B: Tufts for my DVM (please don't shoot me...or wish me ill will:scared:)
Plan C: get my MS in conserv. bio or enviro sci./health
Plan D: Join the Peace Corps
Plan E: See below (Live on DVMDream's future yacht if that's okay!)
Plan F: Become a Buddhist monk.

forks4spoons: Dude, that's more or less my plan A now (Just change fisheries to marine bio). Where'd your dad work, if you don't mind my asking?
forks4spoons said:
Definitely already have my backup plan in the works - pursuing a MS in Fisheries and spending my life working for the State or Federal Gov't - good pay, tuition reimbursement, good benefits. :) My dad did it.. so can I. :)
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DVMDream, can my plan E be to live on your yacht? I'm small, I won't take up much space, am a minimalist, and avid lover of the ocean and boats.
DVMDream said:
Well, this is my third year applying. And if it doesn't work this year then I am going to win 5 billion dollars in the Taiwanese lottery, live on a yacht, and have hot guys wait on me. Yup... that is my master backup plan. :p
Click to expand...
 
kaydubs said:
Well, vet school was originally my plan A. Then that got kind of fuzzy this summer:confused::smack: Currently, I'm working part time as a data entry person at a trucking company. Glad to be putting my BS in Bio to good use :D All joking aside, I have plans A-F for now (I over-plan:oops:).
Plan A: go to grad school for my MS in marine bio. Possibly continue on for a PhD if I really love it.
Plan B: Tufts for my DVM (please don't shoot me...or wish me ill will:scared:)
Plan C: get my MS in conserv. bio or enviro sci./health
Plan D: Join the Peace Corps
Plan E: See below (Live on DVMDream's future yacht if that's okay!)
Plan F: Become a Buddhist monk.

forks4spoons: Dude, that's more or less my plan A now (Just change fisheries to marine bio). Where'd your dad work, if you don't mind my asking?


DVMDream, can my plan E be to live on your yacht? I'm small, I won't take up much space, am a minimalist, and avid lover of the ocean and boats.
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Kaydubs, what's changed? I didn't realize until you posted on the Tufts thread today!


If I don't get in this year, on my 3rd cycle, I'm going to become a hermit and live in the woods. :rolleyes: Or maybe I'll win the lottery too and just ride ponies instead.
 
kaydubs said:
forks4spoons: Dude, that's more or less my plan A now (Just change fisheries to marine bio). Where'd your dad work, if you don't mind my asking?
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He worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers at Dale Hollow Lake in Celina, TN. He was a resource manager. But the National Fish Hatchery is about 500 yards from his old office. :)
 
My plan B was to finish up undergrad and apply to my IS and 9 other schools. But, luckily I got into the best vet school on the planet!!:D:D
 
I am still debating whether to:
1) gain residency in a less-competitive place and keep applying
2) pursue a Masters in parasite ecology. I will be discussing this option with a professor over the weekend.
 
How do you all feel about job opportunities for people after they finish up their phds in animal science or a related field?
 
RackingHorse said:
How do you all feel about job opportunities for people after they finish up their phds in animal science or a related field?
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You get a Ph.D. to become a PI and do original research. You have to contribute to a field during your graduate training and your opportunities coming out of that training are highly, highly dependent on who you worked with during your training, what you accomplished, what you published and who you met. So nobody can really answer that for you.
 
RackingHorse said:
How do you all feel about job opportunities for people after they finish up their phds in animal science or a related field?
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It is quite possible that I could end up with a PhD one day in Biology (like I mentioned, right now I am interested in parasites). Besides doing independent research, there are opportunities to work with different government departments depending on your focus. I think you do the same thing though, which is research.
Getting a Masters is really freaking me out. I do not want a job where I spend a lot of time at a desk or a job where I spend a lot of time teaching. Not wanting to spend a lot of time sitting at a desk is probably the major reason why I am so invested in getting a DVM and landing a clinic job. There is a little less sitting and more interaction with animals and with different kinds of people.
 
I realized that I didn't clarify why I was only going to apply once more after this year.

I graduated with my Bachelors in 2005. Most of my undergraduate pre-reqs are going to expire soon (and already have for some schools). I have no more available financial aid (which means any classes I retake would be out-of-pocket), and I'll have to start paying on my student loans if I'm not enrolled in school. Ergo, I have to have some type of employment/income to pay for those suckers.

I also have 232 credit hours of college courses, so one more class won't change my GPAs at all. This truly is my (almost) last chance.
 
I havent thought that far ahead yet, I am focusing on finishing my courses this semester and preparing for interviews. I applied to 14 schools to further increase the possbility of getting in somewhere. If I dont get in I would probably apply international for spring of 2013 entry.

I originally went the research route but ultimately decided on vetmed. I honestly cannot see myself doing anything else with my life.
 
Trematode said:
Getting a Masters is really freaking me out. I do not want a job where I spend a lot of time at a desk or a job where I spend a lot of time teaching. Not wanting to spend a lot of time sitting at a desk is probably the major reason why I am so invested in getting a DVM and landing a clinic job. There is a little less sitting and more interaction with animals and with different kinds of people.
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Actually, getting a Masters will mean doing more hands-on lab work when you're finished. A Ph.D. level position will mostly involve writing grants, generating research proposals for others to actually carry out, writing and revising manuscripts, and mentoring and supervising other people. You will spend an awful lot more time sitting at a desk with a Ph.D. level position than a Masters level position. With a Masters, you'll actually be performing the bench or field work.

(the government, at least the NCI in my actual experience, is largely the same - you still generate ideas and manuscripts while others actually do the hands-on stuff)
 
kaydubs said:
Plan E: See below (Live on DVMDream's future yacht if that's okay!)

DVMDream, can my plan E be to live on your yacht? I'm small, I won't take up much space, am a minimalist, and avid lover of the ocean and boats.
Click to expand...

Yes!!! Come join us on the yacht. We will have a blast!! :D
 
I don't even know what plan I'm on at this point....

Round 1: Got waitlisted at my in-state, rejected everywhere else
First Plan B: go to grad school and get my MS
Check!

Round 2: Reapplied, and once again was waitlisted at my in-state, rejected everywhere else
Plan C: since I've been living in a different state, I changed residencies and IS school. After defending my MS, I got a job I LOVE working with monkeys.

And that brings us up to this year.
Round 3: Apply once more to vet school! (3rd time's the charm?)

Either I get in this year, or I recognize that the reason I'm here now, with an MS and an amazing job, is in no small part due to the hard work I've put towards vet school. None of that will ever be wasted effort. So, I'm feeling great about my life right now either way. It took me a long time to look at it this way but I really believe it. And having a monkey to play with all day helps :)
 
princesspeaches said:
I don't even know what plan I'm on at this point....

Round 1: Got waitlisted at my in-state, rejected everywhere else
First Plan B: go to grad school and get my MS
Check!

Round 2: Reapplied, and once again was waitlisted at my in-state, rejected everywhere else
Plan C: since I've been living in a different state, I changed residencies and IS school. After defending my MS, I got a job I LOVE working with monkeys.

And that brings us up to this year.
Round 3: Apply once more to vet school! (3rd time's the charm?)

Either I get in this year, or I recognize that the reason I'm here now, with an MS and an amazing job, is in no small part due to the hard work I've put towards vet school. None of that will ever be wasted effort. So, I'm feeling great about my life right now either way. It took me a long time to look at it this way but I really believe it. And having a monkey to play with all day helps :)
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I really like your attitude. You have an acceptance at the hypothetical SOV school of Vet Med. Congrats and props to you!
 
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