Hi everyone,
Grateful for your advice ahead of time. The tldr; is, I have decided to leave my PhD program (I am a 1st year) and apply to veterinary school for c/o 2026 (with my advisor's blessing--I have worked with her as a staff researcher for 4 years prior). My advisor is recommending there is no reason to stay through the Masters if I have already figured out I don't want to do research as part of my career. However, I am wondering if adcoms would look at it negatively if I left after the 1st year without a terminal degree of any sort to instead apply for veterinary assistant jobs in a small animal clinic? I am concerned about getting more small animal veterinary experience before applying.
I currently have 8,000 of hours of research/lab animal experience and 50 hours of cat experience at a shelter. I have signed up to volunteer at a monthly vaccine clinic (vet experience) beginning later this month and to work with horses at a therapeutic riding center (animal experience).
Grateful for your advice ahead of time. The tldr; is, I have decided to leave my PhD program (I am a 1st year) and apply to veterinary school for c/o 2026 (with my advisor's blessing--I have worked with her as a staff researcher for 4 years prior). My advisor is recommending there is no reason to stay through the Masters if I have already figured out I don't want to do research as part of my career. However, I am wondering if adcoms would look at it negatively if I left after the 1st year without a terminal degree of any sort to instead apply for veterinary assistant jobs in a small animal clinic? I am concerned about getting more small animal veterinary experience before applying.
I currently have 8,000 of hours of research/lab animal experience and 50 hours of cat experience at a shelter. I have signed up to volunteer at a monthly vaccine clinic (vet experience) beginning later this month and to work with horses at a therapeutic riding center (animal experience).