I'm 17 I have no idea what to major in… Vet school?

[Vazio123]

Im in a highschool "program" ; was suppose to graduate last June but i couldn't because I didn't pass one of my state regents exam. So I would be graduating upcoming January with the normal highschool diploma.

I was always an average student and my grades are average except for areas such as foreign language and visual arts which i excel in the most. I went to an Arts high-school. I am more of an artistic side then the academic math/science side.
However one of my career goals is to be a Veterinarian. And I understand how competitive vet school can be.
my high-school average was around 78%-83%. I'm not a bad student, I know I can put work into my grades but what discourages me the most is math. I've always had issues with math. Understanding certain concepts in Algebra has been very hard for me in high-school. However I now I have a great math tutor and I have been able to understand and approach problems etc. An has changed my views towards math in general.

I'll be applying to college this upcoming January-February. I'll very much most likely have to attend a community college because i didn't get accepted by the few 4year colleges/universities. If i continue the Veterinary route would attending a CC lessen my chances of admission?

What exactly are "pre-requisites" for vet school?
Do you usually take these in your first and second years of college?
Are they math, biology,English sort of subjects?

If I take the prerequisites for vet school within my two years and then choose my major which maybe, maybe not be bio-related the next 2 years does this effect my chances of admission? Meaning that having only taken prerequisite 2 years ago is too much time behind from all the rigorousity of as a future vet school student?

I live in NY state, thus my best option is Cornell University, its the #1 vet school. And an ivy league so i know its hard. Very soon ill be working at a pet store and doing some volunteering at a local animal shelter.

I appreciate informed answers very much as they will resolve all of my questions about vet school.

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[StartingoverVet]

Consult this website to see requirements for various schools:
http://aavmc.org/data/files/vmcas/prereqchart.pdf

Basically you have to take a bunch of science classes, and you probably need to do well in them.

Answers to your questions vary by school, but for now, take some science classes at the CC, see if you can hack it, because quite honestly, if algebra is a problem, you've got a long road to climb, and you will have to see if vet med is for you.

You are way too worried about the details at the start of the journey... Take a few steps, and then contemplate the bigger picture is my advice.

 

[WillowLeaf]

Another art person! (I also went to an art high school, and was an art major for the first few years of college. And now I'm spending all day every day studying science-y stuff in vet school. )

SOV is right... The prerequisites include a lot of science classes. And vet school itself is a lot of science. My advice would be to take some science classes like biology and chemistry at your CC, and see if you like it enough to put up with learning science all day in vet school. I'm trying to say this nicely and hope it doesn't sound rude - sometimes art high schools don't have the best science and math programs (the schools just have different priorities), so even if you disliked science and math in high school, you might enjoy those courses in a CC with better science/math programs, and do better in those classes. The professor can make a big difference too. Some teach in a very visual way and draw out a lot of concepts, which often works well for visual-arts people.

I second the advice to relax and not worry about planning out your entire pre-vet path, or even making the decision whether to be pre-vet or not, quite yet. You're still young and haven't even started college. There is plenty of time to explore a lot of potential majors and careers and see where you want to end up.

 

[equineconstant]

I second what SOV and WillowLeaf said, but would also add that you should try to spend some time shadowing a veterinarian if possible. Animal experience at a pet store/shelter is good, but you really need to work with a veterinarian to know if this is really what you want to do/if it's worth it. Also, if you do end up applying to vet school, you'll need vet experience as well as that animal experience for your applications.

 

[dyachei]

It won't hurt you to do your first years in a community college but a lot of the schools like to see upper level sciences completed at a 4 year school. As to Cornell being number one, the rankings actually don't matt for much so I wouldn't put too much stock in that. If you decide vet school is really what you want AFTER starting the journey, you can move to a different state if you need to for residency. But that's a problem for years down the road and it all depends on if this is really what you want. You also will want to volunteer or get some experience with a veterinarian if you haven't already to determine if this is the right path for you

 

[that redhead]

What exactly are "pre-requisites" for vet school?

Pre-requisites are classes that you must take in order to apply for vet school. Each school has their own list of requirements, although many of the classes overlap. Refer to SOV's link above to see which schools require what.

Do you usually take these in your first and second years of college?
Are they math, biology,English sort of subjects?

Since there are a good number of pre-req classes and because you don't want to make your schedule for any given semester too heavy, people usually spread their pre-reqs over the first three years, and sometimes have one or two outstanding for their senior year. Refer to SOV's link to get an idea of what classes are required. Generally, they are science courses (chemistry heavy), and most schools require an English writing course and a statistics course.

If I take the prerequisites for vet school within my two years and then choose my major which maybe, maybe not be bio-related the next 2 years does this effect my chances of admission? Meaning that having only taken prerequisite 2 years ago is too much time behind from all the rigorousity of as a future vet school student?

Most schools require you to declare a major a bit earlier than that. If you chose a science-based major like biology or chemistry, some of the vet school pre-reqs would overlap. If you chose something art-related, you'd have to take another bunch of classes for your major. Since pre-reqs are generally pretty tough classes, it's best to space them out somewhat throughout your college education. It's especially risky to start your first semester of college with a bunch of tough science courses; take one or two and give yourself time to acclimate to the college atmosphere and how to handle the new courseload.

Each school is different in how long pre-reqs are valid for, but a two year gap wouldn't be an issue.