Internship/residency for lab animal med?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

vbcarrier4

NCSU C/O 2022
5+ Year Member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
15
Reaction score
29
Hi all, this may be extremely pre-mature of me but I tend to worry a bunch. I am a first year and have finished the first rounds of exams in my classes and I am currently at a C+/B range for all my classes. I've picked out a few clubs I want to join but don't have any leadership positions planned or even a part time job. How competitive are lab animal residencies? How will I have time to do research if I can't even get A's in my classes with all the free time I have to study? (I literally study at lunch and immediately coming home from school every day...)
Sorry if this is a dumb question. Thanks for the guidance :)

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hi all, this may be extremely pre-mature of me but I tend to worry a bunch. I am a first year and have finished the first rounds of exams in my classes and I am currently at a C+/B range for all my classes. I've picked out a few clubs I want to join but don't have any leadership positions planned or even a part time job. How competitive are lab animal residencies? How will I have time to do research if I can't even get A's in my classes with all the free time I have to study? (I literally study at lunch and immediately coming home from school every day...)
Sorry if this is a dumb question. Thanks for the guidance :)
Hi OP,

I am a first year lab animal med resident at a young training program in the Southeast. I'm also an alumna of the NCSU CVM- graduated just this May, in fact. Wolfpack c/o 2018, represent!

First, let me start out by saying- you're in excellent hands. I got a wonderful education at my alma mater. NCSU cares about its students- not just academically, but also your total well-being. I had close, professional relationships with many faculty- they'll be my role models and mentors for life. Now having moved several states away, I find myself missing many things about school- especially the people.

I struggled in vet school. My first semester was an absolute disaster. I was the oldest member of my class, and returned to vet school after graduate school/a full-time career in research to pursue my clinical education at 34 years old. Anatomy was my Achilles' Heel, and there were quite a few months when I asked myself nightly how I was going to make vet school work. But make it work, I did- with the help of many, many people (both at NCSU, and exterior to it). My first piece of advice is this- don't ever be afraid to ask for help, from your faculty, administrators, and peers. People aren't born with a crystal ball- they can't help you if they don't know that you're struggling, and can't fine tune their advice unless you articulate what you need from them. Faculty from NCSU bent over backwards to help me- I never would have made it without their support (in more ways than one).

As for residencies (in lab animal, and other fields)- yes, they're highly competitive. Grades and rank can be the gatekeeper to interviews, but these matter to a greater OR lesser extent depending on the program. Much more important are your letters of recommendation and in-field experience. If you have a scant background in research, I recommend applying for the Merial Summer Scholars program. This is a quality, FUNDED experience that will get your feet wet with the process. Applications should be due in the fall.

Start developing your relationship with faculty early. I know the lab animal folks at NCSU quite well, and would be happy to bridge an introduction for you, should this be something you'd like (no pressure). The director is wonderful- not scary, and heavily invested in student success. He'll be a wealth of information for you.

Are you worrying too early? The answer is a matter of opinion, but I'd say no. I went to vet school specifically to pursue a specialty in LAM. I knew from day one that I would have a LAM career, come hell or high water. So yes, I worried early as well. I worked part-time in NCSU's murine gnotobiotics core, and actively pursued every experience in LAM I could get my hands on. Definitely look into the funded ASLAP summer fellowship program (Foundation). These experiences are amazing, and often lead to residency offers. @kcoughli can add her two cents as well (about this specific issue, and LAM residencies in general).

My experience with the residency application process (match, non-match, and scramble) was quite brutal- despite a graduate degree, full-time career in research, competitive academics, and solid letters from folks who knew me for years. For a while there, I was worried that it wouldn't work out. NCSU faculty moved heaven and earth to plead my case with programs, and advocated for me directly (not via a letter- over the phone with program directors), and I ended up getting a great offer in the 11th hour of last cycle's application season. It's a rough ride for some of us, but it can be done.

One final piece of advice- make a concerted effort not to compare your journey to the experiences of others. Easier said than done, but this shift in perspective really does make a difference in how you handle life's disappointments and uncertainties. NCSU chose you for a reason- you CAN be successful! I hereby offer my assistance in any way possible. Not one person in this world achieves success in the absence of support from others. It would be my pleasure to offer that hand up to you. Send me a PM if you want to connect, and I can go into specifics about resources available to you at your CVM.

Best of success! Also- listen to what other folks have to say about this subject. My story is only one of many. Set your eyes on the goal, put your head down, and rest in the quiet confidence that you did the very best you could at the end of each day. The result will take care of itself. Good luck :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Top