Introducing myself/seeking advice

[DVMGoals77]

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I have been a major lurker on here for a while, and have learned so much from all of you.

I wanted to introduce myself, and hope that I can be a helpful, active part of this community. I've been torn about beginning the journey to becoming a vet for years, and am finally going to move forward with the first step. I have to start somewhere. I would love some advice from people here, as I feel nervous and worry I'm making a bad decision.

Basically, I always wanted to be a vet, and was set on that path when I was in high school (shadowing vets, taking the right classes, etc.). I ended up going to school for something else at the last minute (completely unrelated).

I'm now 40. I have a great job in the sense that I have a pension, benefits, a house, a wonderful husband, and no debt. But, I'm always wishing I pursued this dream. I want to work with animals in the medical field, and am looking for a career change.

I'm obviously concerned I won't get into vet school, being older and having a background so unrelated to the field. What if I waste time and money on pre-reqs only to get rejected. If I do get accepted, I'm taking on tons of debt and quitting a secure job, later in life, all for my own happiness. My husband is supportive, but we are not rich.

I don't know if I stand a chance. I have 4 degrees (2 masters degrees), and a 4.0 attached to every one. I'm a good student. But, have to start from scratch with the pre-reqs. I thought about doing the pre-reqs as cheap as possible, and always being able to transfer them to Mercy's vet tech program. I could be a tech then, if I don't get into vet school. I know this is a popular topic (tech vs. dvm). I want to be a vet, but also have to realize I may not make it, and would love to work in the field.

I would love any thoughts or advice you have. Tough love is fine too! lol. Thanks everyone and nice to be here!

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[Mythical]

Hi there. It IS definitely possible, but you're smart to ask questions and do research before beginning what will be an enormous commitment of money and time.

PM me if you’d like me to put you in touch with a friend who got into vet school... and is OLDER THAN YOU.

 

[LetItSnow]

Hey.

I went back to school and entered vet school at ... um ... 42? I think? 41? Fairly similar story - had a successful career, comfortable financially. My wife did not / does not work, though, so we had just the one income.

The biggest question you should ask is not whether you can get in and regarding the cost of pre-reqs -- you can manage that stuff, I promise. And even if you spend the money and don't get in, that's a much less big deal that the lifestyle change you're talking about if you DO get in. You can recover from the pre-req debt and the emotional distress of not getting in - but once you get in you're committed financially.

-- Really sit down and think through the cost picture. Think about how much debt, what the payments will be versus the income, etc. There are some good debt calculators and other info. Here are a few links to start:
o Student Debt Center Landing Content
o Student Debt Center - VIN
o Personal Financial Planning Resources
o Financing Your Veterinary Medical Education
But you need to consider how you'll maintain your lifestyle (or a lifestyle you find acceptable) during school and after school and you need to be brutally realistic about the debt given the payments and the income for a new vet.

-- Consider what life will be like IN school. Lots of married people are in school, and most do just fine, but it can be super stressful. You will be very, very occupied time-wise with school, and your spouse has to be ok with that. When you get out into practice your schedule will stabilize some, but expect to be still pretty highly occupied with work for a year or two while you get your feet wet. My wife basically single parented for most of vet school, and it was hard for her. She's only now starting to feel like she has a life again, so don't underestimate the impact to your partner/spouse.

-- I wouldn't work as a vet tech if you want to be a vet. The job is different. They are underpaid drastically for the work they do. And, the time you take to gain the credentials to do that job (unless you mean taking a job as a non-credentialed vet assistant or whatever the equivalent is in your state) and the money it costs take away from your future earnings that you'll need to get good financial footing back. If you want to be a vet as an 'older' second-career type, you need to find the most direct path possible.

-- Given your academic background, I personally would do the pre-reqs as cheaply as possible, ensuring that wherever you take them will meet the requirements of schools to which you plan to apply. Some people will tell you to avoid a community college because of perceived 'less rigor'. Ignore them. You already have proven yourself (and the 'rigor' thing isn't really necessarily true to begin with). But do make sure that wherever you take them, they meet the requirements where you will apply. Some schools care, some don't.

-- Start getting experience and find out if you really want to do it. You shadowed and whatnot in your younger years - you may have a different perspective now. Get back out and start shadowing again and making contacts and see if it's still something you want to do.

Best of luck. Feel free to PM me with specific questions. Do not be offended if I don't reply right away, I tend to go through very available vs vs busy life cycles depending on whether I'm working.

 

[Vombatidae]

Hey DVMGoals77,

I am a non-traditional student currently applying to vet school and waiting to hear back after 3 interviews. It took two years or me wrapping my mind around going back and 3 pre-reqs before I got to this point. I don't necessarily want to give you advice, however, I do want to let you know a bit about my background and that you are not alone in this.

I have been a high school science teacher the last five years. After my undergrad I still wanted to be a vet, but it was a bit intimidating to me. A huge amount of debt (my family was low-income), time away from family when things were rough, and I felt like I did not have enough "world" experience to make that decision at the time. This made me pause and caused me to pursue science education and I got my M.A. in teaching. I have continued to go back to the idea of vet med throughout the years. Last summer two of my fiance's friends died, both under 30, our age. On my birthday we found out that my mother had cancer. Different things in life have happened that literally stopped my fiance and I in our tracks and rethink what WE want to do with our lives. My fiance is quitting her job (making 70k) over summer and pursuing two master's degrees full-time. I am hoping to quit my job (~60k) in July and go to vet school.

We had many conversations and it took us awhile to realize that it is not only okay to do things for ourselves, but that this is the only life that we have. We have always been the stable ones and our families have relied on us. I am very blessed that my fiance believes in me and is supportive, and I her. We do realize that when this happens (not if) that I might have to move out of state away from her for 4+ years. We purposefully have not gotten married because of this. Our savings went into buying a house that we will be able to rent out for income on the side.

That being said, we are doing our best to set up several safety nets while we both go back to school simultaneously, however, at the end of the day, we would rather take this chance then stay stuck in jobs because we were to scared to take a chance. We are doing our research, being smart and saving where we can, and have decided that if we have children, we will adopt in the future. We are also keeping our retirement money and leaving it alone for emergencies in the future.

Long story short, I completely understand where you are coming from. I had trouble taking my last three pre-reqs because I could not quit my job to take them. For biochem I had to take it 100% online and it was medical biochem - and a complete beast (online is so challenging in itself!). I applied to 5 schools in July and had 3 interviews and 2 rejections. I paid careful attention to their ideas on non-traditional applicants, looked at their stats (age, varying backgrounds, etc), the curriculum, and asked students questions during tours. Interviews were interesting each time as I looked around at the young and eager faces, feeling very old. I'm not quite in my 30's, but it was definitely something that I paid attention to - particularly as I am a teacher. In fact, I felt like one of the schools appealed to the younger audience (the conversation and approach felt immature) whereas I felt surprised that we weren't being treated like adults about to go into a medical program. I'm not sure if I'm conveying my feelings on that particular interview experience well - I just felt that it was like an interview for an undergrad program instead of higher ed/medical.

PM me if you ever want to vent or discuss. I know, ultimately for me, that I do not want to live with regret of following tradition and playing the safe game. I'm okay taking a risk because I know my support systems and the ways that I have prepared myself. I am not the same young adult, freshly graduated. I took a different path and I've learned more about myself and who I am by going into work. For me personally, despite any struggles, I wouldn't change the path that I took.

Best

 

[Picklehead]

I am right there with you! I will be 39 this year and am working on my pre-reqs now. Luckily I have most of them already but I am taking my time, getting good grades and working as a science teacher right now. My vet has been super encouraging- she didn’t graduate vet school until she was 40. Please PM me any time to compare notes! I love reading through these forums and seeing that I am not the only one!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I have no applicable advice because I am a typical 20-something “traditional” student, BUT I will throw out there there are several non-trads in my class and I have a lot of respect for them for giving up comfortable jobs to pursue something they have always wanted to. Only you can decide if this is what you want/need to do, but if you do decide to pursue vet med, definitely get past the “if I get in” mentality. If you want it, do what you have to do to make it happen. Good luck!

 

[DVMGoals77]

These replies are absolutely awesome. Thank you for taking the time to write them! I feel encouraged. I still feel old (lol), but encouraged. I will come back to read these when I'm feeling worried, and will PM those that offered further advice! It's nice to read stories from others and see how varied the vet student population really is.

 

[Posey]

Feel free to add me to the list of people who you can PM with questions.

I had the same concerns you mention about giving up a career and the risk of not getting in/ lost money on pre-reqs. It worked out, and I got in. So, if there are specific questions I'm happy to share what worked for me.

If you speak to admissions at the schools you are interested in, they will tell you they value the perspective non-traditional students bring. Fun fact, about 10% of my class is over 30, and several of us are even over 40 (or will be by the time we graduate).

 

[ChoopLoops]

I love this thread! My story is similar to @Vombatidae - I was a bio major in undergrad (class of 2008) but was really intimidated by vet school. Left college pursuing a career in environmental science, got a master's degree in fisheries/freshwater ecology, got burnt out, worked in a bicycle shop for a while, then started on this road - I got a job at a clinic and started chipping away at pre-reqs. Since I had a bio degree I didn't have too many, thankfully. But @DVMGoals77 one other that came up for me when picking schools was that some of them require your classes to be taken within the past 10 years. I am pretty sure that was specifically pre-reqs, and therefore wouldn't apply to you, but that did take some schools out of the running in my applications.

I do think that a lot of the schools really value non-traditional students. It definitely made me a better applicant than I would have been right out of college. I have a lot of different work experience/skills, and I have a much better sense of what job skills I am good at, and what my strengths are, and how I want to use my skills and strengths, then I did 10 years ago.

 

[Vombatidae]

Yes, agree with @ChoopLoops. I had to see which schools accepted credits - and for how long. This is my 7th year since some of my credits and I did not want to wait so long that I had to completely redo my undergraduate degree. Some of them killed me a bit - the fact that I had to take Communications because Speech didn't count (and I was a teacher - of course I had that one down ).

I started out by purchasing this book to help me organize pros/cons. I highlighted, marked, and took notes as I read through each campus's information. I ranked my top ten and did further research. By the time I was done, I realigned what I wanted out of the experience and added new schools while getting rid of others. Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR)

 

[Hopefuldvm2022]

Non traditional applicant here. I applied to vet school right after my masters in biomedical studies. My IS school told me they didn't even look at my Master's other than last 45 gpa. Since my undergrad and grad schools were the same I was told academic vigor didn't change between schools. In addition I was told I needed more experience.

The next year they changed pre reqs which required me to go to school for a year then reapply. Again not enough experience and one former college never sent a transcript to the oos school I applied for. After that I went back to school got an Associates in vet tech and became a lvt. Otherwise no clinics would hire me because I was overqualified with a master's.

Now I have solid 2 years in the ICU of a vet school. At the very same school that refused to let me in. It's awful watching students and staff disrespect techs and not give their full attention to their patients. The pay is minimal. Even as a licensed tech. I love vet med and did all this to get into the field. Vet tech was a backup. But my heart is still set on DVM.

This year most colleges wouldn't even look at my grades as they are over 10 years old for some pre reqs. This immediately disqualified my application. Even though I taught the very course I was disqualified for at the local community college as a professor. I wasn't allowed to use that to replace the courses. I had to be very selective on the schools I applied to and avoid time out of courses. Even some that didn't list course time outs on their websites sent back rejections as coursework too old. Out of 4 colleges (all Oos) I only got an interview at 1.

Now I'm waiting to hear the decision. Third year applying. Only have ever received 1 interview.

Gpa 3.4+ during entire application process. (Now 3.6) Extensive animal experience and research experience before ever applying. Shadowed at large and small animal clinics.

Overall vet tech might be a stepping stone. Biggest problem is course work to old as non traditional student. If I were to try for my IS school I would have to take 36 course hours and by the time I completed those the number would increase to 48 hours due to sequencing of courses. In addition the courses should be taken sequentially meaning 3-4 years of prereqs for me. Plus the schools my in state thinks are rigorous will not allow students to take courses without becoming a full student their. Aka they do not allow students to take only a few credits, the students must pursue a degree.

This has been an uphill battle for me. I'm praying the school I interviewed at will give me a shot this year.

 

[LetItSnow]

Over the past couple of years I've been taking my pre-reqs and continuing to work at a couple clinics to get more hours and also get some good eLORs.
I applied this cycle to my IS and was denied. It's been a heart wrenching few days for me to say the least. I'm trying to find the silver lining but right now it's a bit too fresh and I'm finding it hard (especially when classmates of mine with only a couple hundred SHADOWING hours were accepted). I feel like we all know it's a reality but, gosh, when you get that "we regret to inform you" email your heart just breaks. It breaks even harder when you quit a very successful career, moved across the country and uprooted your family all for the pursuit of your dream job.

Hang in there. I know the feeling. Nothing you can do but take some time to let the grief settle, and re-focus looking forward. My first application I just .... well, I don't think I took it quite as seriously as I needed to. Too many people telling me "oh, you're an older student, they love that diversity, blah blah blah." Didn't even get an interview.

When I did a review with my IS, it basically came down to some red flags in the way I worded things in the essay and having less experience. So I walked out of the meeting literally with a bullet-point list of 7 or 8 things to 'improve'.

I sat down and prioritized the list based on which things would be most impacting if I addressed them as well as which ones I <could> address in the next year. And then just went at the list from the top.

The second time around was a breeze. So it's doable.

One bit of advice - don't sit on your heels until the file review. By then it's April and you have a short time before applications are due. Take a look at what you anticipate the deficiencies to be and start addressing them now. Post in the "what are my chances" thread if you haven't for advice so you can get an objective opinion (hard to be objective about yourself). Spend the entire time getting ready for next year.

 

[Vombatidae]

I had made up my mind in 2016 to apply before it was "too late". I even had the time that I could have applied last cycle - it was May. I considered it but felt that if I did, I would be rushing it just to apply and said that I had. At the time, I didn't have near enough vet hours, no well-established relationships with vets for LORs, and although I could have applied, I decided to give myself an entire year to truly prepare my application to where it would be appealing. I wanted to apply so badly, but I was also worried that I might tarnish my reputation with a poorly-done application the first round. It was hard, but it made me that much more dedicated in 2017 to get my stuff into gear and prepare. I still applied with only 500ish hours, but I felt that my essays and other components were substantially better since I had considered them all year.

@Hopefuldvm2022 - what school? That is insane, but also my fear! That's why I'm so anxious to get in this year or the next.

@GreatDaneLove - what school? I was very selective in which schools I applied to. I applied to 5 and received 3 interviews (IS and 2 OOS). I felt that Lincoln Memorial and Michigan (my OOS options) were very open-minded towards non-traditional students. Michigan doesn't even look at GRE so it could be that your new IS is on the traditional side and cares a lot about scores, which, in reality for those of us with other career experience, feels difficult to achieve being out of school so long and a bit silly (ex- how you taught the very course they wanted you to have taken) considering our experiences. If you still want one of the other schools - maybe look at Magoosh. It is a test-prep that is affordable and everyone always says how good it is. I just took the test, got average scores, and moved on with my life. It was hard for me to think about studying math in-depth after 10 years (not good advice on my part, but my reality).

 

[DVMGoals77]

You're not alone DVMGoals77! Non traditional student here as well. I'm not sure if it helps but here is my story -
Got my BA in Broadcast Journalism/Minor in Communications back in 2004. I always had the itch to go into vet med in undergrad but never truly believed I could succeed in the sciences. A few years after graduation I began working weekends at a small animal hospital mostly because I was living in a big city and missed having animals with me. A couple of vets there urged me to look into getting my DVM and in 2008 I started working on my pre-reqs. Due to where I was in life at the time I had to continue to work full time but I also took 2 night classes a semester and then continued to work weekends at the small animal hospital. I did this until end of 2009 but, well, life happens. I got engaged and then married in early 2010 and my husband's job moved us cross country to WA that year. I ended up landing some pretty sweet jobs over the course of the next few years and sorta put my goals of a DVM to the back burner while I rode the wave of corporate success.

In 2016 I had what I call my "moment." I sold a very large digital marketing package to a client of mine, a Fortune 100 company who had never spent that much with my company ever. The company went wild. My team, my boss, everyone was happy except for me. I literally felt indifferent. Yeah, I did something great in the eyes of my job - I mean, I just landed them a huge client and a lot of profit - but at the end of the day I wasn't happy. After a lot of conversations with my husband we decided that now would be the time for me to start heading toward the DVM I wanted so badly. I quit my job, targeted the vet school I wanted to attend and we moved to that state so I could gain residency before I applied. I was trying to do everything I could to ensure success!

Over the past couple of years I've been taking my pre-reqs and continuing to work at a couple clinics to get more hours and also get some good eLORs.
I applied this cycle to my IS and was denied. It's been a heart wrenching few days for me to say the least. I'm trying to find the silver lining but right now it's a bit too fresh and I'm finding it hard (especially when classmates of mine with only a couple hundred SHADOWING hours were accepted). I feel like we all know it's a reality but, gosh, when you get that "we regret to inform you" email your heart just breaks. It breaks even harder when you quit a very successful career, moved across the country and uprooted your family all for the pursuit of your dream job.

I will apply again this cycle and will apply not only to my IS but to a lot of other schools as well. I am trying to be strategic in who I apply to but I'm also trying to cast my net wide enough to include a lot of schools so that (fingers crossed) I get at least one acceptance. The idea of OOS tuition terrifies me but, for me, I'm 38 and only have so many cycles in me before I have to reevaluate my life and what I'm going to do in the future. My current employer wants me to become an LVT and work for her (if I don't get my DVM, of course) but right now I'm not ready to throw in the towel on the DVM. I'm also in the same boat as some -- those initial classes I took in 2008 and 2009 are getting ready to "expire" so if I don't get in again I have to decide what to do.

I have a file review with my IS in April and will find out at that time what I can do to improve. I've already signed up to retake the GRE (my original scores weren't good - but I honestly didn't study as my IS is one of those schools who don't really consider GRE) and I'm going to talk to the university about either enrolling in another degree program or masters. I'm considered an NDS student right now and my school caps me at 8 credit hours a semester. I know a lot of schools put stock into your course load so I'm trying to see what I can do to increase that. I didn't think it was an issue as I'm working two part time jobs as well as taking 8 credit hours but maybe it had a bigger impact than I realized.

Anyway, sorry for all the ramble but just know that you're not alone. It's a lot harder to go back to school as an adult than I originally imagined and I have a lot more to balance (work, school, homelife, marriage, etc) but at the end of the day I don't regret my choice at all. Do I feel guilty sometimes for putting the financial burden of our family on my husband's shoulders? Absolutely. But I know how lucky I am to have such an amazing support system and I would do the same for him if, down the road, he wants to pursue another job/degree/etc.

It's comforting to know that a lot of us non traditionals are out there on SDN. This is my first post, though I've lurked for a while now, but was always a bit intimidated by the early 20 somethings just graduating undergrad!
Thanks for posting this DVMGoals!

GreatDaneLove - thank you so much for this. I would be following a very similar path, right down to putting more financial strain on my supportive husband. The reality of these decisions is that they can be full of stress and disappointment. I also feel pressure to succeed if I do this...because it's affecting my husband, so I have to succeed, right? But, I may not. And it's scary. But, we get this one life, and never want to look back and wonder what would have happened if a dream was given 100%. You are giving 100% and doing all you can to make it happen. I admire you, bigtime!! Don't give up!!

 

[Hopefuldvm2022]

I had made up my mind in 2016 to apply before it was "too late". I even had the time that I could have applied last cycle - it was May. I considered it but felt that if I did, I would be rushing it just to apply and said that I had. At the time, I didn't have near enough vet hours, no well-established relationships with vets for LORs, and although I could have applied, I decided to give myself an entire year to truly prepare my application to where it would be appealing. I wanted to apply so badly, but I was also worried that I might tarnish my reputation with a poorly-done application the first round. It was hard, but it made me that much more dedicated in 2017 to get my stuff into gear and prepare. I still applied with only 500ish hours, but I felt that my essays and other components were substantially better since I had considered them all year.

@Hopefuldvm2022 - what school? That is insane, but also my fear! That's why I'm so anxious to get in this year or the next.

@GreatDaneLove - what school? I was very selective in which schools I applied to. I applied to 5 and received 3 interviews (IS and 2 OOS). I felt that Lincoln Memorial and Michigan (my OOS options) were very open-minded towards non-traditional students. Michigan doesn't even look at GRE so it could be that your new IS is on the traditional side and cares a lot about scores, which, in reality for those of us with other career experience, feels difficult to achieve being out of school so long and a bit silly (ex- how you taught the very course they wanted you to have taken) considering our experiences. If you still want one of the other schools - maybe look at Magoosh. It is a test-prep that is affordable and everyone always says how good it is. I just took the test, got average scores, and moved on with my life. It was hard for me to think about studying math in-depth after 10 years (not good advice on my part, but my reality).

Since I am still employed by my IS school I will not say the name. The college that I have an interview with is Auburn. I applied to my IS, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Auburn is my only interview.

 

[Vombatidae]

@GreatDaneLove - No, I didn't have that issue. I have my B.S. in Marine Biology so I had everything except Communication (speech didn't count), Animal Nutrition (school didn't offer when I was in it), and Biochem (which I sadly chose not to take during my undergrad on purpose). I had the issue (LMU, Michigan, Tufts) where they wanted an academic professor for a LOR and I haven't spoken with those people in over 5 years. LMU and Michigan were more understanding (gave me interviews) after I expressed my concern with this and instead accepted the 3 I had. My LOR were: 1. Former boss (worked under her at Petsmart and a kennel), 2. Current boss (principal at high school), 3. Committee letter from 5 vets organized by the Chief of Staff at the ER I assist/shadow at. Tufts wouldn't make the exception for me and said I should be more persistent reaching out to my former advisor. I did but she was unwilling to write one after so much time so I did not end up applying to Tufts.

@Hopefuldvm2022 - I will wish you best of luck! Will you still apply next year if you do not get in this year?

 

[Hopefuldvm2022]

@Vombatidae my husband and I may move this year regardless of acceptance or not. We would probably move to Alabama to enable me to try for Auburn IS slot. Don't plan on moving back to my home state anyway after vet school. Might as well try again against fewer people for the school I have the best chance at. Also I really enjoyed the landscape of the area around Alabama. It felt more at home than my home state due to extensive growth in the towns I grew up in. My husband and I both like the small town feel we get from the Auburn area.

 

[Vombatidae]

@Hopefuldvm2022 - well, there are two vet schools in Alabama so at least there's that.

 

[finnickthedog]

I had the issue (LMU, Michigan, Tufts) where they wanted an academic professor for a LOR and I haven't spoken with those people in over 5 years. LMU and Michigan were more understanding (gave me interviews) after I expressed my concern with this and instead accepted the 3 I had.

Does Michigan even require a professor letter in the first place? They didn't when I applied.

 

[Hopefuldvm2022]

@Hopefuldvm2022 - well, there are two vet schools in Alabama so at least there's that.

If I remember correctly off the top of my head Tuskegee had course time outs. . Making it not an option for me.

 

[Vombatidae]

@finnickthedog - you could be right. I remember LMU and Tufts specifically asking me about it though.

 

[Picklehead]

I’ve been stalking this thread and it’s making me wonder if there are any schools that tend to be a little more non-traditional friendly or even the other way around.

I am waiting to hear back from UF about having to retake biology and chem because my credits are from 99-00. Being a science teacher for the last 7 years I am hoping that will suffice so I don’t have to retake them.

 

[Vombatidae]

I hope that they make the exception. It seems like such a waste of time and money in those circumstances. It is so killer. LMU has been selectively inviting people throughout the past two months and it is killing me. I am actually shocked that I wasn't offered early admissions from them. Makes me wonder what my application is lacking for them.

 

[LetItSnow]

I’ve been stalking this thread and it’s making me wonder if there are any schools that tend to be a little more non-traditional friendly or even the other way around.

I am waiting to hear back from UF about having to retake biology and chem because my credits are from 99-00. Being a science teacher for the last 7 years I am hoping that will suffice so I don’t have to retake them.

I doubt it. I'm only personally familiar with UMN, but in talking with colleagues I think most schools welcome diversity (which helps a bit), but .... they aren't going to give special treatment for a non-trad - you still have to make the grade and beat out the competition. Also, there are far more "non-traditional" applicants than you might expect; it just isn't very exceptional to be non-traditional.

All kinda depends on how you define it. I see people calling themselves "non-traditional" if they even took one lousy year off after college. I personally view it as being much more time after college. Something like veterinary medicine being a second career. Doesn't mean the first definition isn't valid; just means that the term is used relatively loosely so it makes questions like yours harder to pin down.

But in general, I think the answer is no: Schools (most) welcome non-traditionals, but you don't get any preferential treatment for it.

 

[ChoopLoops]

@Vombatidae - Carolina is my instate. In the information sessions I attended the talk about GRE was pretty much "we look to see if you took it" but who knows, it could have been more important than they let on. But maybe I also just wasn't as strong of a candidate as some of my other classmates this go round. I definitely have LMU on my list but I took Michigan State off as so many of my prereqs are more than 8 years old and I saw on their website you have to contact the admissions office in advance to discuss if that's the case. Did you have to do that? Maybe I'm just assuming that the admissions office wouldn't approve.

FWIW @GreatDaneLove I went to NCSU's admitted students day thing for OOS students, and both there and looking the users here that have been posting acceptances from that school, I've been surprised at how young (under 21 even) the cohort seems to be. So I don't know if that's a factor - maybe their focus tends to fall a little more on the traditional student route? Makes me a little apprehensive about attending that school but its still such a great program.

 

[Skimble]

I'm 39 and a 3rd year vet student, so I understand a lot of what you are feeling. I'm also the 3rd oldest person in my class, though I often don't feel much older. I think you are smart to do things the cheapest way possible, and definitely see if you can shadow somewhere ASAP to make sure it's really what you want. I admit when I decided to finally pursue vet med, I didn't shadow right away. Being a single mom, I couldn't really afford to be away from home and not being paid. I lucked out and eventually weaseled my way into a tech position with no real experience.

Like LIS, the first time I applied, I really had no idea what I was doing. I just assumed it would be no problem and I'd for sure get in. I was very wrong. Part of that was my extreme lack of experience in the field, and the other part was just not really knowing what I was getting into. I didn't get in on my 2nd application cycle either, but eventually they accepted me. It didn't get easier after that though.

 

[Picklehead]

I doubt it. I'm only personally familiar with UMN, but in talking with colleagues I think most schools welcome diversity (which helps a bit), but .... they aren't going to give special treatment for a non-trad - you still have to make the grade and beat out the competition. Also, there are far more "non-traditional" applicants than you might expect; it just isn't very exceptional to be non-traditional.

All kinda depends on how you define it. I see people calling themselves "non-traditional" if they even took one lousy year off after college. I personally view it as being much more time after college. Something like veterinary medicine being a second career. Doesn't mean the first definition isn't valid; just means that the term is used relatively loosely so it makes questions like yours harder to pin down.

But in general, I think the answer is no: Schools (most) welcome non-traditionals, but you don't get any preferential treatment for it.

That makes complete sense. I wasn’t expecting any kind of special treatment, I’m just thinking more along the lines of not having to retake courses and things like that. I’ve seen several that want GRE within 5 years but UF doesn’t specify on their website about courses ‘expiring’.

 

[britzen]

That makes complete sense. I wasn’t expecting any kind of special treatment, I’m just thinking more along the lines of not having to retake courses and things like that. I’ve seen several that want GRE within 5 years but UF doesn’t specify on their website about courses ‘expiring’.

The GRE requirement is because of the GRE testing company not the schools themselves... The company that runs the GRE won't keep your scores on file for longer than 5 years, so it's impossible to send an official score report if they are older than that.

 

[greeneyegal92]

Important note I always have to remind myself: If you want something bad enough and you're willing to work hard enough it WILL happen. Maybe not when you want it to, but it will! I'm 25, a 3rd time applicant and hoping with all my will power I'm accepted this cycle. I graduated with my BS in 2015. When asked I don't consider myself "non-traditional", since I've always wanted to do vet med. I say "I've taken the scenic route to get here", always gets a couple chuckles at interviews haha Long story short it will be hard, but SDN has an excellent support base, we believe in you!! Chase your dreams and never be afraid to fail

 

[britzen]

Important note I always have to remind myself: If you want something bad enough and you're willing to work hard enough it WILL happen. Maybe not when you want it to, but it will! I'm 25, a 3rd time applicant and hoping with all my will power I'm accepted this cycle. I graduated with my BS in 2015. When asked I don't consider myself "non-traditional", since I've always wanted to do vet med. I say "I've taken the scenic route to get here", always gets a couple chuckles at interviews haha Long story short it will be hard, but SDN has an excellent support base, we believe in you!! Chase your dreams and never be afraid to fail

You got this manatee!

 

[greeneyegal92]

You got this manatee!

Thank you!!!

 

[Squeaksmom]

OP I'm your age and am a second year. I'm in Canada so some things are different, but feel free to PM me if you think my perspective could be useful.

 

[DVMGoals77]

You are all inspiring, and relentless, and will get there! I remember a chart on this site I saw way back that listed each school, the required pre-reqs, and possibly how long pre-reqs are good for? I may need to learn to navigate this site better, being new, so forgive me if I shouldn't be asking here. Does anyone know of the chart I'm referring to? Unfortunately, with my slow pace due to working full time (and saving as much money as possible, in case I do get accepted someday), the expiration dates for pre-reqs is a very real concern for me.

 

[DVMGoals77]

And this thread alone answered my question about when to take the GRE...I'm going to wait!

 

[Picklehead]

And this thread alone answered my question about when to take the GRE...I'm going to wait!

I hear you there! I just had to pay $50 for Indiana Jones to go into the archives to find my ACT scores from 1997 LOL. Can’t complain though because of Florida’s Best and Brightest teacher thing.
Do you have a CVM in mind?

 

[britzen]

You are all inspiring, and relentless, and will get there! I remember a chart on this site I saw way back that listed each school, the required pre-reqs, and possibly how long pre-reqs are good for? I may need to learn to navigate this site better, being new, so forgive me if I shouldn't be asking here. Does anyone know of the chart I'm referring to? Unfortunately, with my slow pace due to working full time (and saving as much money as possible, in case I do get accepted someday), the expiration dates for pre-reqs is a very real concern for me.

Maybe this one?

http://www.aavmc.org/data/files/vmcas/prereqchart.pdf

 

[VFStudentDebt]

Hi all,

I've been following this discussion and there's a lot of great information and excellent experiences from the "non-traditional" veterinary student applicants. I am a "non-traditional" veterinarian myself. I graduated from vet school at 35. One of my primary roles now involves educating pre-vets, vet students and veterinarians on their student loans and repayment options. I cannot stress enough to all of you who are applying to veterinary school to narrow your list of schools to those that will allow you to receive in-state tuition or allow you to obtain in-state tuition after the first year (like Missouri and NC State do).

While it's not impossible to manage any amount of educational debt you might graduate veterinary school holding, it is certainly much easier to manage less Do your best to set yourself up for success once you do graduate. There is no benefit to paying more for your veterinary education than you have to and no data is available yet that says graduates from certain schools earn more than graduates from others schools. What does that mean? Pay as little as your situation allows you to for your education. VIN Foundation has a number of resources available to guide you through this process, from the Apply Smarter initiative, to the Cost of Education Map, to the Student Debt Center. I've seen many of them already mentioned here. All of these resources are based on extensive experience working with veterinarians who took a variety of pathways to and through veterinary school.

Please don't take this post as discouraging anyone from applying -- we need the best and the brightest in veterinary medicine, and it sounds like many of you are participating in this great discussion. But we also want you to focus more on the animals you'll be treating when you do graduate than struggling to manage your student debt. That means applying smarter -- focus your efforts on your in-state schools, which not only allow you the best odds of getting in, but also reduce your education costs. Check the admission stats for each school you're applying to -- you'll find that those who are applying as in-state residents to state veterinary schools often have a better than 30% chance of getting in (if you meet all of the pre-requisites). I would also meet with the admissions professionals as early and often as you can during the application process, particularly for the top schools on your lists. This can make a huge difference is helping you obtain a seat in one of those lower cost options. Unfortunately, with the discrepancy between resident and non-resident tuition, we often see new veterinarians graduate with 3-4x the amount of debt than their in-state colleagues graduate with, so again Apply Smarter.

I wish you the best of luck in your applications and please reach out to VIN Foundation if there is anything we can do to help you strategize!

 

[Hopefuldvm2022]

Maybe this one?

I definitely looked this chart over before I applied. While found this a great chart for course reference this pdf lacked the course time out requirement that many colleges have. For that it took some hard site by site research. Many colleges list time outs in an obscure footnote of a page that's hard to find.

I finished the supplemental application (and paid a fee) before trying to finish one college's vmcas application (Tennessee I think). In the last few steps before submitting it stated a time oro that wasn't listed anywhere in their website. That cost me 200 dollars just for the supplemental fee and I wasn't even eligible to apply. So be very careful before wasting money on colleges that will throw out your application without even looking at it.