Is some basic medical knowlege good going into college/vet school?

[jmills]

Hi!

I'm a sophomore in high school right now and am interested in becoming a vet. I was wondering if over the next few years and through college would it be beneficial to study basic veterinary anatomy/physiology/pathology? I'm pretty sure it will not be helpful in applying to vet school, but once inside would it be useful to have a basic "foundation" to help build off of?

Please excuse any errors in grammar, it's not my strong point.

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[sonofva]

There's a bunch of posts on this. The most important thing you can do to prepare for professional school is to learn how to think critically and absorb a large volume of information in a short period of time. You can accomplish this through most any course of study. What you will find is that the basic anatomy/physiology you will learn over the course of your undergraduate studies will be covered in a month or two of professional school.

 

[jmills]

OK, better question would be, since I like learning and am fascinated by vet medicine, if I were to learn some of the basics, could that possibly pose a problem in any way? If yes, does the potential benefit outweigh the negative?

 

[JaynaAli]

I'd focus on acing your classes in high school and college so you have a competitive GPA and worry less about trying to get extra knowledge that may or may not be beneficial. The prerequisite classes are prereqs for a reason...they're supposed to help prepare you.

If you're interested in vet med, get a volunteer and shadow position at a clinic. You need to see the real day-to-day happenings of being a vet, and it's a requirement for admission to vet school. Along the way, you'll learn lots of practical stuff that is sometimes more valuable than what you could read in a book. That's just my two cents.

 

[that redhead]

I don't say this to be condescending, but what a lot of pre-vet students don't realize is just how much material and detail vet school goes in to. Many students take anatomy and physiology in undergrad before applying to vet school, and while it certainly forms a foundation, it'll get you through maybe the first week of classes. Whatever you can read just won't be enough to make a big difference in your veterinary education.

That being said, I think getting solid veterinary experience can help a lot, both with the practical skills that you'll draw on as well as a way to form connections to what you learn in class and the real world. For example, as an undergraduate, we saw a case of distemper at the clinic I worked at. At the time, I didn't understand how the virus worked or how the clinical signs were caused or any of that jazz; but when I learned about distemper virus in vet school, it helped me to be able to remember what that puppy looked like clinically, and cemented the information better in my head than something I'd never seen before.

Similarly, in a shadowing/working environment, you are exposed to a lot of different cases on a daily basis. Pick one that interests you particularly and read about it online that night, or ask the vet some general questions. Another example: this dog has ringworm. What is ringworm? How do you treat it? Is it zoonotic? Simple things like that can keep you engaged and learning without having to read a textbook.

 

[Doxorubicin]

As someone taking pre-health pre-requisites, you may find it more useful to ensure you have a solid foundation in basic biology, math, chemistry, and physics to prepare you for your undergraduate coursework. The more you're prepared to take introductory biology, chemistry (and then later, organic chemistry), and physics, the better you will perform in those classes. Your academic success in undergrad, evidenced by your grades, is absolutely critical for your acceptance to vet schools. People who are lacking in background knowledge in biology, chemistry, etc sometimes have issues their first year or two in college in science coursework.

If you're a biology major, you may even take comparative anatomy, mammalian physiology, histology, embryology, microbiology, genetics... etc. all of which will explain the basics which you may be looking to learn. There's a reason why you have to take the pre-reqs: you need a foundation to build on in vet school.

From what I've heard, high school is like being spoon-fed, college is like being made to drink from a large bucket, and vet school is like being force-fed by a fire hose on full blast. So I'd say focus on what you can control now, and that is your preparation to do well in a rigorous science curriculum in undergrad. That said, it's important to foster your interests, so you might want to read about physiology, pathology, anatomy, procedures, and other things for fun, but focus on setting yourself up for future success.

Best of luck!

 

[jmills]

Thanks everybody for your replies. A local college bookstore this past year gave me 10 textbooks that were the 2nd/3rd to newest edition, they said the professors wanted the newest, so I walked out with close to $1000 worth in books for free. I have been reading the bio/physics in my spare time and the material is definitely understandable. If anybody has experience with these books, are they reflective of what I will see in a pre-vet curriculum?

Biology - http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Biology-Eldon-Enger/dp/0073403466

Physics - http://www.amazon.com/Inquiry-Physics-Edition-Ostdiek-Paperback/dp/B009O311GQ

Genetics - http://www.textbooks.com/BooksDescr...00006a84108d&gclid=CJ-u5eDDhrsCFcVQ7AodwDkAAA

 

[goft20]

Hi!

I'm a sophomore in high school right now and am interested in becoming a vet. I was wondering if over the next few years and through college would it be beneficial to study basic veterinary anatomy/physiology/pathology? I'm pretty sure it will not be helpful in applying to vet school, but once inside would it be useful to have a basic "foundation" to help build off of?

Please excuse any errors in grammar, it's not my strong point.

Dude, just chill and ENJOY high school...keep your grades up, get a good ACT/SAT score, and pursue your interests...they will teach you everything you need to know when you get into Vet school...the cool about college and graduate school is that everyone starts off at the same level in terms of knowledge and experiences....ENJOY high school

 

[that redhead]

Thanks everybody for your replies. A local college bookstore this past year gave me 10 textbooks that were the 2nd/3rd to newest edition, they said the professors wanted the newest, so I walked out with close to $1000 worth in books for free. I have been reading the bio/physics in my spare time and the material is definitely understandable. If anybody has experience with these books, are they reflective of what I will see in a pre-vet curriculum?

I don't have personal experience with those books, but as you will definitely be taking introductory biology and physics as part of your vet school pre-requisites, they are likely helpful on some level. The most important thing in transitioning from high school to college and from college to vet school is a strong work ethic. If you can learn how to work hard and balance your academics with "real life" stuff, you should be golden.

 

[sonofva]

I will also add that if you are this stressed out as a hs sophomore you will never survive the long haul.

 

[that redhead]

My impression isn't that she's stressed out but wanting to prepare for the long road ahead. Which is admirable, but just not really feasible. You bring up a good point though: balance is really, really important.

 

[jmills]

I appreciate the replies, and I'm not trying to stress out, I really am not stressed, I just want to prepare the best I can. Our family isn't "poor" as in starving, but they can't afford to help out in college, so it comes down to scholarships or loans, which the latter isn't very appealing to me. I don't want to end up in the position my family is in.

I know there are scholarships available for college, but what is the chance of getting a good scholarship into vet school?

 

[Instatewaiter]

I seriously do not think you realize the sheer volume and speed things work in graduate schools. What you will do on your own would be just a drop in the bucket. What you would spend weeks on will be covered in a single day. Don't waste your time.

Use your free time to get interested/invovlved in clubs, sports or other things that will help you get into a good college. Take one step at a time. If you jump too far ahead, you won't do as well on the step that you are on.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I appreciate the replies, and I'm not trying to stress out, I really am not stressed, I just want to prepare the best I can. Our family isn't "poor" as in starving, but they can't afford to help out in college, so it comes down to scholarships or loans, which the latter isn't very appealing to me. I don't want to end up in the position my family is in.

I know there are scholarships available for college, but what is the chance of getting a good scholarship into vet school?

Incredibly low. They are few and far between. Even the military route had become insanely competitive. You are looking at taking out loans like the vast majority of veterinary students do, barring some amazing luck.

 

[Stagg737]

I seriously do not think you realize the sheer volume and speed things work in graduate schools. What you will do on your own would be just a drop in the bucket. What you would spend weeks on will be covered in a single day. Don't waste your time.

Use your free time to get interested/invovlved in clubs, sports or other things that will help you get into a good college. Take one step at a time. If you jump too far ahead, you won't do as well on the step that you are on.

+5

Have fun while you can. Plus you have a better shot at getting undergrad scholarships if you participate in a lot of activities than if you just study all the time. Someone said it earlier, but balance is what every school wants. Show them there's more to you than just a kid who wants to be a vet and it'll go just as far as getting a 4.0 will.

 

[that redhead]

Incredibly low. They are few and far between. Even the military route had become insanely competitive. You are looking at taking out loans like the vast majority of veterinary students do, barring some amazing luck.

+1

Your best chance is to get a scholarship to undergrad and work your tail off to get in to your in-state vet school (not sure where you are, but some are a lot less expensive than others). My school offers monetary awards for things like highest grade in X class, or various other school related things, but not nearly enough to cover tuition.

 

[jmills]

Thanks guys, I'm playing football this year, am studying to get an amateur radio license (always liked electronics and radio/television) and do a lot of church stuff, so I have plenty of things to do.

BTW @that redhead, I'm in Alabama

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

BTW @that redhead, I'm in Alabama

I'm sorry.

 

[Hillo]

I'm in Alabama

You could study for the PSAT next year.

Texas A&M will admit you with a full tuition scholarship.
If you graduate early and get into their vet school, you get to use those stipends for vet school. :O