is my situation hopeless?...

[shaf001]

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I am going to be extremely straightforward and get to the point...I want to know if I realistically have a chance of getting into to Vet school with my qualifications. I have just finished my junior year at a UC and as of now with 125 units I have a 2.9 overall and my biology GPA is a 3.1. My grades went from mostly Cs and Bs to A's since I have changed my attitude about school. I'm going to start volunteering at a vet clinic next year and have already complete one summer of research( which apparently was a waste of time). My plan is to take the maximum number (210 units) of units of upper division bio classes, that the campus allows in order to boost my GPA and I WILL score very high on the GRE. But is taking all these extra classes going to do me any good? Are there any post-bacc programs for Vet schools? I want more than anything to become a Vet but is it even possible with my situation? I know that the post-bacc program is very common for MD and DOs and that getting into vet school is far more difficult taking into consideration that there are only 28 schools in the states.
I AM DESPERATE FOR ADVICE and WOULD APPRECIATE ANY BIT OF HELP!!!

Thank you in advance,

 

[LynnKat]

Hey, I don't think it's hopeless, though getting in may take more than one try. Have a look through some of the threads from this past Fall and winter for the stories of those of us who went through an admissions cycle.

You have an upward trend in your GPA going for you, and doing well on the GRE and getting some solid experience and good recs will help your cause. You didn't say, but is your pre req GPA higer than your overall GPA? If so, this could help. Also, I don't think research was a waste of time, from what I understand doing research is a plus in the admissions game. It does sound, though, like you are going to need to get lots of experience in different areas (do you have any right now?)so you can have stellar recs to help balance out those first two years (my own freshmen year was not a pretty sight on my transcript). One caution, though, taking all those Bio classes will help boost your GPA, but be careful of overdoing, because they can also drop your GPA.

Do you have a Pre Vet advisor at your school? It would be a good idea to sit down and chat about your options. I also have heard that sitting down with an admissions person at your state school (or barring that a school in which you are interested) is very helpful.

As to post baccs, I know that most pre med ones can be used by pre vets. I only have experience in taking pre reqs after graduation, but I know that some programs will let you take undergrad upper division courses to boost your GPA. Also, I know some people have done masters degrees, but Grad GPA, I think, (someone correct me) counts differently and/ or separately from undergrad grades.

 

[tygris]

It is not hopeless for you, I was in a similar situation with grades, although I had quite a bit of animal experience... It took me three tries to get in, but I finally did! In the down time I undertook grad school, finished my M.S. in biology with a 4.0 in all my grad work, did my Master's research in captive cheetahs at the Zoo in my area, volunteered at an equine hospital, etc... so you have to stay focused, that's for sure.
There are several routes you can take, but generally I'd say contact your state school (or any school you think you want to apply to) and ask them what *they* like to see out of applicants in your poisition. Also, don't waste your money on the schools that care about nothing but grades - Cornell, Purdue, Penn, etc. Look into the more holistic schools - Tufts, Colorado, Michigan, Western, and others I'm not thinking of at the moment.
Also, consider applying to Ross if you're not willing to wait several years to get in. Ross tends to have lower GPA requirements, from what I understand... and is a fantastic education.
Good luck! Feel free to PM me with any specific questions, and I'll do my best to answer them 🙂

 

[lazyjayn]

You might also want to look at the acredited overseas schools.

Massey's requirements are here .

For specifics you'd have to e-mail them. I know they want a B average (5 on a 9 point scale) for entry from pre-selection. Not so sure about the other schools, though someone said something about a 3.5 for Dublin.

just something to think about.

j.

 

[Boxsterluv]

You said you plan on taking the maximum amount of units allowed.. Do you mean allowed to take in one semester, or allowed to take before you graduate? Just be careful, because taking on too difficult a courseload could backfire.. Don't want to stretch yourself too thin! Other than that, I agree with the others - your situation is not hopeless. Make sure to point out in your PS that your grades def went in an upward trend, and show that you've done everything in your power to prepare yourself for a career in vet med. You can do it - show them that you have what they want.

 

[Azawakh]

I too found myself in a somewhat similiar predicament. I believe what helped me the most was completing a master's degree. Post-bac programs are more suited for students who have not completed most of the pre-requisites for medical/veterinary schools. A master's degree program (i.e graduate medical sciences, anatomy, neuroscience, biology, virology) offers you the opportunity to demonstrate your academic prowess by completing medical school classes often times with medical students in a full-course load academic setting. You also gain a lot of basic science research experience. These factors are highly enriching to any application to medical/veterinary school provided you do well (3.5 -4.0 GPA) and I believe it was the deciding factor for my acceptance to veterinary school.

In addition, consulting a few of the schools you would like to attend is very good advice.

Best of luck!!!

 

[Kam0196]

I don't think that it's hopeless at all I was in your situation also. I decided that being a veterinarian was all I really wanted to do and realistically I was competitive enough to apply to schools in the states but my chances of getting in were not great. I didn't want to go to grad school because I knew several people in undergrad that had gotten M.S. and Ph.D.'s with 4.0 gpa in their grad programs and were still being turned down for vet school. So I applied to Ross and started last January. Had I known the quality of education I would get here I would have applied before when I did. Plus it will only take me 3 years and a couple months instead of the 4 years it would take in the states. I would deffinitely reccommend applying to Ross if you're not against moving to another country to go to school.

 

[youthman]

do you mind if I ask why you chose Ross over an AVMA accredited international school?

 

[Azawakh]

do you mind if I ask why you chose Ross over an AVMA accredited international school?

If also depends on how much value you place on attending an AVMA accredited veterinary school and if you are willing to deal with the incurred difficulties of attending school in the carribean.

If you choose to go to a foreign school then certainly look at foreign AVMA accredited institutions first (i.e University of Edinburgh, Glasgow, RVC . . . )
They are competitive however they like to have american students and thus aren't as competitive as american schools for that reason.

There is a stigma attached to non-AVMA accredited caribbean veterinary schools in addition to the additional requirements of the ECFVG or CPE which can be costly. However, you will attain your DVM at the end of the day and you may be able to begin veterinary school directly out of college.

Good luck!!! 🙂