Just changed majors... questions...

[BaliDoll]

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Hello all!

I stumbled upon this website and boy am I happy I did! This will be an invaluable resource to me 🙂

Anyway, I recently changed majors to veterinary medicine after thinking of going into film production (yeah, i know, huge leap.) I wanted to be a vet up until I was about 15 when I met some friends who were really into film and I thought I was too. After moving to LA and working toward the goal of being a screen writer, I realized film isn't about art at all, it's about money. People here are butt heads, and I was much happier in my dog walking job I had than my many internships with film. Soooo... here I am.

Because I live in los angeles, obviously my options are slim on schools where I can get my GE courses out of the way. I found pierce college, and I have enrolled in some classes for fall, as well as some this summer. I had to finish high school online due to my own health issues, so I don't have the grades to get into a university without first doing the community college thing. 🙄

I am wondering if their program had a good enough two year program or not? http://www.piercecollege.edu/departments/agriculture/ (if you click handbook it shows their classes you're required to take) I would appreciate it if someone took a look. I want to go to CSU, I am from Colorado and I'd love to go home and finish school where my mom was only an hour away, I have missed her so much these past two years. However, I'd be really really happy with Davis, Pomona, or... well really any school at all!! haha

I really appreciate any help y'all can give a little newbie pre-vet-med-kiddo like me 🙂 I am pretty lost... I am going to get the schools help, obviously, but right now I live 45 minutes away from them (moving once I rent my room out)...

Thanks so much!

 

[der2002]

speak to Dr. Shapiro- he's the pre-vet advisor at pierce and he's awesome. I only took two classes at pierce (animal nutrition and animal science, did all my other pre-reqs at calstate LA) and I wish I had known about the program sooner. it's a very nurturing environment and everyone is very warm and helpful. get involved in the pre-vet club and get your animal experience hours started...PM if you want to discuss specifics

good luck and good to have you join this forum 🙂

 

[nyanko]

There are some courses you may not be able to do at a community college, so you'll want to check with the schools for that.

If you think options are slim on schools where you can do prereqs in freaking LA...I don't know what to tell you. You don't have to major in animal science or go to an agricultural school. More important is the science - what you'll need to find out over the next couple of years is if you actually enjoy the science of medicine. You can love animals a lot and still not be suited for vet med - it's not really the only profession that involves working with animals.

But yeah, start taking the pre-reqs and start getting some experience in vet clinics.

As far as schools to apply to - CSU is very ridiculously competitive out of state - I think this year they said something like 1500 OOS applicants for the 20-odd spots? Check the residency guidelines to see if you're going to be considered a CA or CO resident. UC Davis has a lot less OOS applications but also a lot less OOS seats. Western does not regard state of residence as they are a private school.

 

[BaliDoll]

Thanks, der2002, so much for your kind post. I am planning on meeting with him when I actually get up there, right now I live an hour away so scheduling a time to meet is a little difficult, his office hours are very limited- especially in summer.
The program seems good, they had a good rate of students get into CSU and Davis from it, but I was just curious if it looked good to people who were further along in their career path....
😉
I realize this isn't the only job that you can do this animals, but I feel like my interest in it only faded when I started really doing badly in science and math courses in high school. This was a direct result of my attendance, I was in kidney failure in high school. However I was very hard on myself and told myself I should have been able to keep up and understand even when I only made it to class 3 days a week or so, before finishing online of course.

anyway.. thanks! happy to have found this board 🙂

 

[BlacKAT33]

i just looked at the courses listed for pre-vet major....there are a lot of options! ive never seen a CC like this! lol even if you dont have the money to transfer to a 4 yr college, you can def get the pre-reqs and more here! i'm still amazed at the course selection. good luck!

 

[stephi08]

Maybe contact Admissions at the school you want to attend...some tend to be picky. I know have heard Missouri does not like to see many Community College courses on applications.

 

[BaliDoll]

I know, pierce is really a spectacular and special CC to take pre-vet req's at... hence why I am moving to be closer to it. I plan on e-mailing schools, as you mentioned, stephi. My main schools I'd like to transfer to however are Davis, Pomona, or Colorado and they are all familiar with pierce and that it isn't just ANY CC.... hopefully I can get a good enough GPA coming out of there to make a good impression either way!😳

 

[nyanko]

Since you're talking about transferring for undergrad, I believe Pomona2006 on here (appropriate nick!) went to Pomona College. She's a current UCD vet student in the class of 2013 and might be able to help you out with any questions you have about transferring there, the school in general and pre-vet stuff there.

 

[BaliDoll]

thanks so much, nyanko! I'll PM her sometime! 🙂