Letter Of Recommendation Dilemma

[Hmlaa]

Hello All!

I am currently a 1st year Pharmacy student and after 1 year in pharmacy and a few months at an equine rescue center, I am positive I want to be an Equine Veterinarian. My parents encouraged me into pharmacy school, while my heart was with veterinary medicine. Long story short, they are supportive as long as I get accepted into a well respected school of veterinary medicine but the deal is that if I don't get accepted into veterinary school, I'll remain in pharmacy school. Anyway, I have the perquisites at a graduate level but I am stuck at the letters of recommendation since I am between a rock and a hard place. I currently have a 4.0 GPA after 2 quarters of my pharmacy program, but I am wondering who/how I should ask for that critical professor letter of recommendation. Does anyone have any ideas/any polite ideas of how to ask for a LOR?

Anything helps, thank you in advance!

hmlaa

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[Minnerbelle]

How are you positive that you want to be an equine veterinarian?

That's like saying you want to become a pediatrician because you volunteered at an orphanage (where maybe you encountered a pediatrician who works with the kids). It's a good way to be inspired, but not a good reason to commit to it.

You really should work with equine veterinarians and get LOR from them... AND also to see what being a real veterinarian is like. Cause equine rescue center =/= equine vet practice. You also need at least a couple hundred hours of veterinary (not animal) experience to be considered anyway.

You'll prob need to get a LOR from one of your pharmacy professors to attest to your academic performance. I guess you just explain you realized this is not what you want to do. But really, do you want to possibly burn those bridges? Maybe you aren't torching them, but it sure may leave an impression if you end up staying in pharmacy.

And what exactly is a well respected vet school that your parents approve of? There are only a few vet schools that are of questionable reputation.

Do you really have the prerequisites? Or are you assuming because you are in pharmacy school you must be all set?


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[dvmcatdog]

How are you positive that you want to be an equine veterinarian?

That's like saying you want to become a pediatrician because you volunteered at an orphanage (where maybe you encountered a pediatrician who works with the kids). It's a good way to be inspired, but not a good reason to commit to it.

You really should work with equine veterinarians and get LOR from them... AND also to see what being a real veterinarian is like. Cause equine rescue center =/= equine vet practice. You also need at least a couple hundred hours of veterinary (not animal) experience to be considered anyway.

You'll prob need to get a LOR from one of your pharmacy professors to attest to your academic performance. I guess you just explain you realized this is not what you want to do. But really, do you want to possibly burn those bridges? Maybe you aren't torching them, but it sure may leave an impression if you end up staying in pharmacy.

And what exactly is a well respected vet school that your parents approve of? There are only a few vet schools that are of questionable reputation.

Do you really have the prerequisites? Or are you assuming because you are in pharmacy school you must be all set?


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I'm just curious, what are those questionable schools?

 

[KCgophervet]

Hello All!
I am currently a 1st year Pharmacy student and after 1 year in pharmacy and a few months at an equine rescue center, I am positive I want to be an Equine Veterinarian.

Have you ever actually worked with or shadowed an equine veterinarian? How can you possibly know that you are positive that this is the career path for you if you haven't?

Anyway, I have the perquisites at a graduate level

Do you know what the prerequisite coursework is for veterinary school? Just checking because the prerequisites are not at the graduate level, so this statement is... confusing?

but I am stuck at the letters of recommendation since I am between a rock and a hard place. I currently have a 4.0 GPA after 2 quarters of my pharmacy program, but I am wondering who/how I should ask for that critical professor letter of recommendation.

I am going to just point this out as the biggest red flag. The critical LOR for veterinary school applications is not from a professor, but from a veterinarian. I think you need to do a lot of research before you decide to change your career path in such a drastic way. You'll need to acquire veterinary experience, which means working directly under the supervision of a vet, or shadowing one. You'll also likely need animal experience, depending on your history and background, but really veterinary experience is going to need to be your #1 priority. If nothing else, this will help you determine if vet school is really where you want to go with your life.

I'd also highly recommend searching around these forums and doing research into the debt vs. income ratios for vets. That information may be new and sobering for you, especially since I'm pretty sure the outlook is far far better for pharmacists.

Good luck and feel free to ask questions, though best bet is to do a search on the forums and see if they've already been answered.

 

[Hmlaa]

Have you ever actually worked with or shadowed an equine veterinarian? How can you possibly know that you are positive that this is the career path for you if you haven't?

Do you know what the prerequisite coursework is for veterinary school? Just checking because the prerequisites are not at the graduate level, so this statement is... confusing?
I am going to just point this out as the biggest red flag. The critical LOR for veterinary school applications is not from a professor, but from a veterinarian. I think you need to do a lot of research before you decide to change your career path in such a drastic way. You'll need to acquire veterinary experience, which means working directly under the supervision of a vet, or shadowing one. You'll also likely need animal experience, depending on your history and background, but really veterinary experience is going to need to be your #1 priority. If nothing else, this will help you determine if vet school is really where you want to go with your life.

I'd also highly recommend searching around these forums and doing research into the debt vs. income ratios for vets. That information may be new and sobering for you, especially since I'm pretty sure the outlook is far far better for pharmacists.

Good luck and feel free to ask questions, though best bet is to do a search on the forums and see if they've already been answered.

Thank you so much for your reply! I have currently been accepted to an externship program for equine veterinary medicine after my pharmacy finals end. So I'll have experience directly under a DVM by the middle of June (2 week total. To be honest, this year (first year pharmacy) has been nothing but retail (which I already have worked 1 year in) and it's been terribly boring. Even the precepting pharmacist recommended that I find a different field.

 

[Hmlaa]

I do have all of the prerequisites except for genetics. However, my parents think "any veterinary school they're heard of" is a reputable veterinary school to apply to. I apologize for the in-explicate information. I've been reconfiguring my resume and CV for the last month! To be clear, I do truly like my pharmacy school. however, it's made me more positive that veterinary medicine is what I want to devote my studies to (after plenty of class and volunteer work).

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I would say any veterinary school that is accredited by the AVMA is "reputable", and I'm very sure so are many that aren't accredited -- but I don't know much about them. Honestly, except for the newest ones (Midwestern, Lincoln Memorial), they're not all that different in the quality of the education they provide and the vets they graduate......Midwestern and Lincoln Memorial have yet to graduate their first class, so it's really too early to say.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I highly recommend spending some time with an equine vet before you make any major decisions. I've spent my entire life around horses and was absolutely sure I wanted to be an equine vet. After exploring various areas of vet med and riding with an equine vet for awhile, I now know that I absolutely have NO desire to make my living in equine medicine.

Unlike me, you may absolutely love it, but keep in mind that spending time at an equine rescue and being an equine vet are very very different!

Also keep in mind that a LOR from a veterinarian is a major requirement of your vet school application!

 

[deleted676737]

In addition to the fabulous advice everyone else has given, I just want to caution you that, as far as I am aware, equine vets are among the lowest paid in the entire profession. There is really not much money in it at all. As you're shadowing/volunteering to get vet experience, I'd very carefully consider whether or not you are willing to undergo the expensive schooling for a yearly salary that could be as low as a third or even a fourth of your total debtload. It may be difficult to live reasonably comfortably at that level.

 

[deleted676737]

Also, for the record...

I know that all of these posts probably come off as us as doom-and-gloom and pushing you away from the profession, but that's not the intent at all. Vet school is just a very financially unwise decision, and one that you will be paying for for a long while should you go for it. It is crucial to make absolutely certain that it is absolutely what you want before you come down this path. From a monetary standpoint, I know pharmacy has been touted as having issues, too... but I highly doubt that many pharmacists are in such a dire situation that they are unable to pay back loans on a standard repayment plan and instead have to barely scrape by on IBR/PAYE, wondering how the hell they're going to make that enormous tax payment once the rest of the debt is forgiven.

It is so, so, so important that pre-vets make sure that they are fully aware of the current debt:salary disparity and determine whether or not they love the work to be willing to take it on. That's part of the reason why vet experience is such a vital part of the application. You really need to see what the work and the lifestyle are like.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I would say any veterinary school that is accredited by the AVMA is "reputable", and I'm very sure so are many that aren't accredited -- but I don't know much about them. Honestly, except for the newest ones (Midwestern, Lincoln Memorial), they're not all that different in the quality of the education they provide and the vets they graduate......Midwestern and Lincoln Memorial have yet to graduate their first class, so it's really too early to say.

Yup.


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[SummerTheLynx]

So reading through this post, there are definitely some things that are concerning to see off the bat, when deciding to completely dive into a new profession and go away from what you are currently interested in doing.

Like everyone else has said, working at a horse rescue is not anywhere close to the same as working with an equine vet. You mention an externship this summer, but I think you said it was for 2 weeks? 2 weeks would not be enough time to get you to even the minimum amount of experience you need to apply to most schools. I would definitely take a look around at schools you are preemptively interested in and find out their hour requirements. Also, just because there is a "minimum requirement" does not mean that you should only get the minimum. You should try and get as much hours as you possibly can before applying. A decent candidate would be looking for 500-1000 hours of quality vet experience.

With regards to courses, you point out genetics in particular, which is only a requirement of some schools. Have you taken animal nutrition? Have you taken zoology? Have you taken a business course? etc. The point is that different schools require different prerequisites, its not a 1 size fits all type of thing. Thus, I highly advise that you, once again, take a look at schools that you are interested in and take a look at the prerequisites, ensuring that you have them completed. Also note that some schools require prerequisite classes to be completed at a 4 year university (which would also be detailed on their site)

With regards to "a vet school they heard of?" are they referring to one in the states only? "Ivy leagues only?" Based upon rankings? I urge you to do your research into this, a lot of the ranking systems are based on how other vet schools vote that other vet schools should be ranked, resulting in a biased system, or it's heavily weighted in research. If it is accredited by the AVMA, you will be getting a quality education at the school.

Once again with choosing a school, the biggest advice most of us give is keep it cheap. It *seems* like your parents may be paying for your school, which is awesome for you if that's the case (you would be leaving most of envious lol), but in case they are not, you should really try and focus on cost of schools. People briefly mentioned that equine vets may not make the most money in the world, so it becomes really important trying to minimize debt now if your goal is to become an equine vet later.

Going back to your original point of LORs, definitely want to work on getting one from a vet. Are you planning on applying this upcoming cycle? If so, just be aware that you need at least 1 solid vet recommendation by the deadline (which if I recall is moved up to sometime in September now?), in addition to two other letters of recommendation.

Good luck in the process, I am hoping it all works out for you

 

[cdo96]

Have you taken a business course?

Wait, which schools require a business course? I've seen some (like Ok state) where it's recommended, but I haven't seen any required ones yet


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[SummerTheLynx]

Wait, which schools require a business course? I've seen some (like Ok state) where it's recommended, but I haven't seen any required ones yet


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I feel like either NC-state or Ohio used to require it, I am not entirely sure if they do anymore.

 

[rockatiel]

Agreed with others on the "reputable school" thing... Every vet I've worked with here in LA has told me for YEARS that if I can't get into LSU or TAMU to just forget it, because in their eyes, those are the only schools that are worth a darn. Well here I am, not in at LSU or TAMU, and everyone is suddenly... "Oh, that's a great school!". Of course, the vast majority of these vets are LSU/TAMU alumni. It has been said here many many times, but reputation is going to vary anywhere you go when the reality is, if a school is AVMA accredited, it's reputable. And if it's anything to do with Ivy League, drop that now, because that's an athletics designation. Take anything anyone says about which vet school is the "best" with a huge grain of salt.

 

[LDK_93]

I realize the most recent post on this thread was last month, but thought I would throw my two cents in.

It is so, so, so important that pre-vets make sure that they are fully aware of the current debt:salary disparity and determine whether or not they love the work to be willing to take it on. That's part of the reason why vet experience is such a vital part of the application. You really need to see what the work and the lifestyle are like.

This. I am entering my first year of veterinary school this fall and just signed away my life (well, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration) by accepting my first loan. It's terrifying and stressful and SCARY to be taking out relatively large loans (even with in-state tuition) and knowing that it will likely be a long time after graduation before I will be able to pay them off. If I was able to think of a single other career that I thought I would be happy in, I would be trying to pursue that. But I've racked my brain for years and tried out different things and there's NOTHING else within the realm of possibilities, so the risk/cost is worth it to me. If it's worth it to you, then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't go for it, especially if you don't believe pharmacy is something you want to do with your life. Just, as everyone else has said, be aware of what you're actually getting into. You don't want to go into it having a gilded, shiny view of veterinary medicine! Even if your parents are helping/paying for your school and/or you don't have to take out many loans, it's still 4 years of your life and, from what I hear and expect, very intense, hectic, and stressful, so it's definitely not something to go into on a whim!

Thank you so much for your reply! I have currently been accepted to an externship program for equine veterinary medicine after my pharmacy finals end. So I'll have experience directly under a DVM by the middle of June (2 week total. To be honest, this year (first year pharmacy) has been nothing but retail (which I already have worked 1 year in) and it's been terribly boring. Even the precepting pharmacist recommended that I find a different field.

Well done! That internship will help you a lot to see if that's really something you want to do and it definitely seems to be a good next step. 2 weeks may not be enough experience to get you into veterinary school (you will likely need more animal and veterinary experience than that, and varied experience is always helpful) but it will certainly help you to get a better idea of what it's really like to be an equine veterinarian and help you get your foot in the door for more experiences. You could also talk to the DVM you work under about his/her experience in school, how they got into it, how they really like their job, etc, because that might help you make your decision.