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I've heard the same thing. It's all about networking (and our internist says research is a big win.) Every competitive applicant for residencies has an excellent GPA. Not that I'm in any capacity to pick residents, but even I (a nobody veterinary student) would be more compelled to take a 3.7 student with stellar recommendations from boarded colleagues than a 4.0 with less than stellar LORs. Also sure you'll be lacking in clinical experience after school but aren't we all? That's what mentorship and rotating internships are for. Bottom line... good academics are a given. It's all about people skills and if people like you. Cause they're stuck with you for 3/4 years in that residency and essentially welcoming you into their specialty family.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks everyone! I'll definitely make sure to shadow internal medicine and neuro more often. I've been worried about LORs. Not because I think I'm a bad worker, but just because I'm not down in the hospital making connections since I work elsewhere. My PI could write me a LOR--he's a pretty decent name in the HIV field, but he's a PhD, not a DVM and this job is completely separate from the veterinary field. I really love the internal medicine team downstairs and the neurologists are equally as amazing...so I think maybe I'll just start shadowing more often and try to make connections. Plus, I'm definitely going to be applying to externships at hospitals I want to do an internship at. I'll just put in the effort to make connections more. I've been lacking in that!!
Most 4th years I've talked to about this didn't really establish relationships with our clinicians until fourth year. I'm on good terms with a few clinicians, but that doesn't mean they've seen me in action on the clinic floor. It's hard to buddy up with clinicians when classwork is your priority! Try to apply to your school's summer research programs, that might help. However, research =/= how you handle clients and animals, yada yada.Thanks everyone! I'll definitely make sure to shadow internal medicine and neuro more often. I've been worried about LORs. Not because I think I'm a bad worker, but just because I'm not down in the hospital making connections since I work elsewhere. My PI could write me a LOR--he's a pretty decent name in the HIV field, but he's a PhD, not a DVM and this job is completely separate from the veterinary field. I really love the internal medicine team downstairs and the neurologists are equally as amazing...so I think maybe I'll just start shadowing more often and try to make connections. Plus, I'm definitely going to be applying to externships at hospitals I want to do an internship at. I'll just put in the effort to make connections more. I've been lacking in that!!
I wish we had any say in when we were scheduled for certain rotations. Other than externships, when we get our core rotations is essentially random.I had minimal clinical experience since starting vet school on my CV when I applied to internships and it never came up as a problem. What is important is that when you start clinics, make sure to get IM/neuro rotations in early (before October) so that you can ask boarded specialists for LORs. It's also ideal if you can complete some external rotations at clinics you may be applying to in the match, especially in the specialties you are interested in.
It's also been suggested to me that you really should aim to get letters from a surgeon, internist, and ER clinician. Idk if anyone else on here has opinions on that, I've never heard this before. However, it does make sense.
It's also been suggested to me that you really should aim to get letters from a surgeon, internist, and ER clinician. Idk if anyone else on here has opinions on that, I've never heard this before.