interested in vet school

[ShannonIV]

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Hi there! I am a licensed pharmacist and I am interested in going to school to be a vet. I would like to specialize in something like cardiology or surgery or something less mainstream. I really don't know that I am interested in the management aspect of general practice so I am eliminating from my list of what I want out of vet school.

I have not applied for school because I haven't made a solid decision. Do you think that it's realistic for me to expect to specialize? Or is this something that is fairly rare and not worth my efforts? Thanks!

 

[david594]

Hi there! I am a licensed pharmacist and I am interested in going to school to be a vet. I would like to specialize in something like cardiology or surgery or something less mainstream. I really don't know that I am interested in the management aspect of general practice so I am eliminating from my list of what I want out of vet school.

I have not applied for school because I haven't made a solid decision. Do you think that it's realistic for me to expect to specialize? Or is this something that is fairly rare and not worth my efforts? Thanks!

Specialization is not overly common(from a numbers point of view) but that doesn't make it unrealistic. Without owning and running your own clinic, specialization is probably the only way you would make a salary comparable to your earning potential as a pharmacist. Also, surgery is one of the most competitive veterinary residencies to get into.

First question would be how much veterinary experience do you have currently? Without experience your application wont be considered at almost every school. If you don't already have it, you are looking at about a years worth of time to accumulate experience to be at a competitive level. Another year for the application process. Four years for vet school, then a 1 year internship and a 4 year residency in your chosen specialty.

Could you deal with putting in the necessary 11 years to get to that end?

I haven't gone through the process so I don't speak from experience on this, only what I know form considering it myself.

 

[twelvetigers]

That's right - vet school has some special requirements, including vet experience and a letter of reccomendation (at least one, but in some cases two) from a veterinarian that knows you quite well and can speak highly of you. Also helpful is some variety in your veterinary experience (both small/large animal, possibly zoo or research as well) and some general animal experience like walking dogs for a local shelter, dressage, dog shows, or whatever personal experience you have with pets, etc.

These are all considerations to make in choosing to apply for vet school. My advice beyond that would be to see what you really enjoy while actually in vet school. If you enjoy something to the point that you would like to specialize, that's certainly feasible. Of course it would be hard work, but that's a given.

Good luck whatever you choose! 🙂

 

[pressmom]

Hi there! I am a licensed pharmacist and I am interested in going to school to be a vet. I would like to specialize in something like cardiology or surgery or something less mainstream. I really don't know that I am interested in the management aspect of general practice so I am eliminating from my list of what I want out of vet school.

I have not applied for school because I haven't made a solid decision. Do you think that it's realistic for me to expect to specialize? Or is this something that is fairly rare and not worth my efforts? Thanks!

Everyone is right. You don't necessarily get to specialize. Often you need great grades and stellar recommendations from professors. Everyone comes in with a great GPA and someone has to be the bottom of the class. Having already been through a professional program, you have an idea of what it takes to succeed. You need passion, drive, and a firm grasp of medicine.

I assume you are already an older student since you've probably been though at least 2 years of undergrad and 4 years of pharmacy school. It will probably take you two years to fulfill the random pre-reqs you don't have (animal nutrition, cell bio, etc.) and get enough experience to be competitive, if you want to continue working in the pharmacy field. Tact on four years of vet school, and four years to specialize, you are looking at another 10 years of schooling. I will be 31 when I graduate from vet school. All things being equal, I may not choose to specialize since I have other goals (like having a family), and the hours of an intership and residency are not condusive to this. (Plus I'd like to do anesthesia, and that is no good for pregnant women!)

I don't say all this to discourage you. Many before you have chosen to make a career change. But dismissing out of hand the path that many veterinarians choose may set you up for some heartache if you don't match into an internship or residency. Think very clearly about your next steps, spend some time with vets--both specialty and regular, and see if this career is for you. Good luck!!

 

[BrumleyVet]

How long have you been out of school? You may have to retake some of your undergrad classes again. First thing first, contact the nearest Vet school and talk to someone in admissions about your background so you know what you need to retake. One of the best things - you have the ability to make far more in a part time job as a Pharmacist than you would in a min. wage job if you did go back to school!

Good Luck!