In need of some advice!

[simplyjean]

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Hello everyone! I've been a lurker on this site for awhile now, but I've finally joined and was looking for some advice.

I attended 2 years at my local technical school due to finances, there was no way I could afford a university yet. I have received an Associate in Science and have been accepted into Clemson University (SC) for transfer. I only have 18 hours left to take for pre-reqs for my ideal vet schools (biochem, micro, animal introduction classes, nutrition and genetics), and I am already registered for 15 hours of them for this fall.

At my tech school we did not have clubs, leadership opportunities, or animal centered classes, so I am rather lacking in those aspects. I have 5+ years experience as a vet assistant in a small animal practice, but no large animal experience.

In my coming semesters at Clemson, what sort of classes (other than what I am already taking) would you recommend, what groups or clubs have you enjoyed, and how did you get your large animal experience opportunities?

Also, for anyone that went to a tech or community college for any amount of time, how did this affect your chances at getting into vet school and how did you overcome any set backs it caused?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LetItSnow]

Hello everyone! I've been a lurker on this site for awhile now, but I've finally joined and was looking for some advice.

I attended 2 years at my local technical school due to finances, there was no way I could afford a university yet. I have received an Associate in Science and have been accepted into Clemson University (SC) for transfer. I only have 18 hours left to take for pre-reqs for my ideal vet schools (biochem, micro, animal introduction classes, nutrition and genetics), and I am already registered for 15 hours of them for this fall.

At my tech school we did not have clubs, leadership opportunities, or animal centered classes, so I am rather lacking in those aspects. I have 5+ years experience as a vet assistant in a small animal practice, but no large animal experience.

In my coming semesters at Clemson, what sort of classes (other than what I am already taking) would you recommend, what groups or clubs have you enjoyed, and how did you get your large animal experience opportunities?

Also, for anyone that went to a tech or community college for any amount of time, how did this affect your chances at getting into vet school and how did you overcome any set backs it caused?

Thanks in advance.

1. If your school doesn't have opportunities, look outside the school. There are any number of community organizations that need volunteers, leaders, whatever. Heck, coach little league soccer or something.

2. I'd recommend a stats class. Not required by any vet school I know of, but useful. Beyond that, I'd recommend the minimum classes necessary; extra classes don't make you a stronger applicant and it just costs more.

3. "Well-roundedness" is something people talk a lot about, but it's not an absolute necessity. I had a grand total of maybe two days of riding around with a LA doc, and 4-5 days (I think, I forget now) shadowing at an equine clinic. Maybe they viewed my summers working a dairy farm as offsetting some of that lack of LA veterinary experience, I dunno.

4. I did all my pre-reqs at a community college, and I'm not aware of any "set-backs" that it caused. It saved me thousands of dollars, though. The only animal-specific class I took was 'animal biology', which was basically just bio 101 focused on animals instead of plants. Having lots of animal-specific classes (nutrition, physiology, anatomy, etc) would be great going into vet school to make some of your first-year classes a bit easier, but it's also totally unnecessary. In my opinion, the value you get from having a bit more head-start does not outweigh cost of the classes, but that's clearly a personal judgment that will vary from person to person.

 

[equineconstant]

2. I'd recommend a stats class. Not required by any vet school I know of, but useful. Beyond that, I'd recommend the minimum classes necessary; extra classes don't make you a stronger applicant and it just costs more.

👍 Stats is required for several vet schools. I almost didn't apply to Penn since they wouldn't count my psychology stats class for the requirement.

 

[Frozenshades]

👍 Stats is required for several vet schools. I almost didn't apply to Penn since they wouldn't count my psychology stats class for the requirement.

Yup. TAMU requires stats. Definitely a useful class to have required or not though.

 

[DVM882029]

4. I did all my pre-reqs at a community college, and I'm not aware of any "set-backs" that it caused. It saved me thousands of dollars, though. The only animal-specific class I took was 'animal biology', which was basically just bio 101 focused on animals instead of plants. Having lots of animal-specific classes (nutrition, physiology, anatomy, etc) would be great going into vet school to make some of your first-year classes a bit easier, but it's also totally unnecessary. In my opinion, the value you get from having a bit more head-start does not outweigh cost of the classes, but that's clearly a personal judgment that will vary from person to person.

Everything? Ochem, biochem, etc too?

 

[tangowhiskey]

Yup. TAMU requires stats. Definitely a useful class to have required or not though.

]

TAMU will take stats or calc, but several other schools will only consider stats. Make sure you know what the pre-reqs are for each school you want to apply to; it would be terrible to not qualify because you were missing one class. There are several people on here that got in with CC credits, it doesn't have to hurt you if your grades are good and the rest of your application is strong. I have an AAS in vet technology from 9 years ago from a technical school, it even lowered my GPA some, and I was accepted on my first try. Are you applying this cycle? Good luck!

 

[moomooshoe]

Hey guys, since someone already started a "need some advice" thread I thought I might as well tag along. I need some advice in terms of narrowing down where to apply for vet school. I am looking at Davis and Western because I am IS. For OOS, I'm looking at Penn, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, and Washington. Maybe Oregon, because I have heard bad things about in from a master program graduate from there. Any advice to help me narrow it down to something like 5 schools? Or apply to all of them?

Maybe a little bit about me may help.

21 years old, first-time applicant. California resident.
BS in Animal Science going into food animals and/or research.

Stats:
cum GPA: 3.8
Science GPA: 3.84
Last 45 credits: 3.85
GRE: Taking it in 2 days! Assume average.

Hours:
1,200 Vet
Necropsy work at UCDSVM Comparative Pathology Lab on mice and rats.
Behavior/Welfare research assistant under VMD/PhD on cattle with bovine respiratory disease
Volunteered at my hometown animal shelter surgical suite. =assist with spay, neuter, blood draw, and vaccination all day.

800+ Animal
Living on the university's Swine Teaching and Research Center.
Internships at the university's beef barn and feedlot.

1,100 Research
3 years of research experience from research design, to setup and execution. More BRD behavior/welfare related topics.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Hey guys, since someone already started a "need some advice" thread I thought I might as well tag along. I need some advice in terms of narrowing down where to apply for vet school. I am looking at Davis and Western because I am IS. For OOS, I'm looking at Penn, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, and Washington. Maybe Oregon, because I have heard bad things about in from a master program graduate from there. Any advice to help me narrow it down to something like 5 schools? Or apply to all of them?

Maybe a little bit about me may help.

21 years old, first-time applicant. California resident.
BS in Animal Science going into food animals and/or research.

Stats:
cum GPA: 3.8
Science GPA: 3.84
Last 45 credits: 3.85
GRE: Taking it in 2 days! Assume average.

Hours:
1,200 Vet
Necropsy work at UCDSVM Comparative Pathology Lab on mice and rats.
Behavior/Welfare research assistant under VMD/PhD on cattle with bovine respiratory disease
Volunteered at my hometown animal shelter surgical suite. =assist with spay, neuter, blood draw, and vaccination all day.

800+ Animal
Living on the university's Swine Teaching and Research Center.
Internships at the university's beef barn and feedlot.

1,100 Research
3 years of research experience from research design, to setup and execution. More BRD behavior/welfare related topics.

You picked a lot of expensive schools. Don't care about the finances?

IS doesn't matter at Western. Make sure you really like their curriculum.

Do you prefer Colorado over Davis, because if you get into Colorado OOS you will probably get in Davis so why apply?
Same thing with Penn (although historically Penn is not a big fan of CA residents who usually end up going to Davis anyway).

Really odds are you are getting into Davis and that is where you are going based on your list.

Make sure you only pick schools that you realistically want to go to and will attend if you get it.

 

[moomooshoe]

You picked a lot of expensive schools. Don't care about the finances?

IS doesn't matter at Western. Make sure you really like their curriculum.

Do you prefer Colorado over Davis, because if you get into Colorado OOS you will probably get in Davis so why apply?
Same thing with Penn (although historically Penn is not a big fan of CA residents who usually end up going to Davis anyway).

Really odds are you are getting into Davis and that is where you are going based on your list.

Make sure you only pick schools that you realistically want to go to and will attend if you get it.

Thank you! Money does matter; I'll narrow it down with that in mind.

 

[LetItSnow]

Everything? Ochem, biochem, etc too?

Yes.

Well, all the science pre-reqs. The other stuff (English, whatever else) I had from my undergrad degree.

 

[DVM882029]

Yes.

Well, all the science pre-reqs. The other stuff (English, whatever else) I had from my undergrad degree.

that's awesome to know! i'm enrolled for fall, but my local CC doesn't offer biochem/ochem etc.. i'll look at the local state school for that.

 

[Frozenshades]

TAMU will take stats or calc, but several other schools will only consider stats. Make sure you know what the pre-reqs are for each school you want to apply to; it would be terrible to not qualify because you were missing one class. There are several people on here that got in with CC credits, it doesn't have to hurt you if your grades are good and the rest of your application is strong. I have an AAS in vet technology from 9 years ago from a technical school, it even lowered my GPA some, and I was accepted on my first try. Are you applying this cycle? Good luck!

Nope TAMU changed their requirements. In previous years it was as such, but now they require stat. No other math is required or accepted.

 

[tangowhiskey]

Nope TAMU changed their requirements. In previous years it was as such, but now they require stat. No other math is required or accepted.

Hmm. I was accepted this cycle with only calc 1, no stat, so it must be for the upcoming years? Good thing I applied when I did, I'd hate to have to take an extra course! 🙂