Looking for some inspiration, or perhaps the cold hard truth.

[uciprevet]

Hello everyone,

I feel a bit awkward voicing this to an online forum, but I feel like the only advise that will calm my anxieties would be from other pre-vet students, or current veterinary students/veterinarians. I'm currently an incoming senior biology major, and my lifelong dream has been to become a veterinarian. I have loved animals and have been passionate about animal welfare since childhood, and am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my dream at UC Irvine for my undergrad career.
I am currently in the middle of summer session at UCI, and have begun to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. My current GPA is a 3.37 (with two repeats in calculus, and one in orgo I), but I plan to graduate with a 3.48, given that I will be working my butt off in my last year to prove that I am capable of doing well in upper div science courses. I have mostly As and Bs in my prereq classes, with the exception of one C in physics II and a C in genetics. I have an internship/shadowing opportunity lined up for me when fall quarter comes around, and have accrued a few volunteer hours at wildlife sanctuaries/animal shelters.
My question is-- do I have any shot at all? I feel like the fact that I had to repeat calculus and organic chemistry I will be a major hinderance in my application, and I am so afraid that my ~3.5 GPA will simply not be competitive enough. I plan on taking at least one gap year after undergrad to adequately study for the GRE, as well as accrue more veterinary/animal hours. I am more than willing to put the effort in to attempt damage control for my application, but the thought of my efforts not paying off leaves me with a pit in my stomach and a knot in my throat. There is nothing that excites me or drives me more than the thought of dedicating my life to animal welfare, and the thought of my dream never becoming a reality has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, to the point of not being able to sleep at night or eat during the day. Any words of encouragement (or a reality check!) would be so appreciated.

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[johnsmith123]

Hello everyone,

I feel a bit awkward voicing this to an online forum, but I feel like the only advise that will calm my anxieties would be from other pre-vet students, or current veterinary students/veterinarians. I'm currently an incoming senior biology major, and my lifelong dream has been to become a veterinarian. I have loved animals and have been passionate about animal welfare since childhood, and am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my dream at UC Irvine for my undergrad career.
I am currently in the middle of summer session at UCI, and have begun to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. My current GPA is a 3.37 (with two repeats in calculus, and one in orgo I), but I plan to graduate with a 3.48, given that I will be working my butt off in my last year to prove that I am capable of doing well in upper div science courses. I have mostly As and Bs in my prereq classes, with the exception of one C in physics II and a C in genetics. I have an internship/shadowing opportunity lined up for me when fall quarter comes around, and have accrued a few volunteer hours at wildlife sanctuaries/animal shelters.
My question is-- do I have any shot at all? I feel like the fact that I had to repeat calculus and organic chemistry I will be a major hinderance in my application, and I am so afraid that my ~3.5 GPA will simply not be competitive enough. I plan on taking at least one gap year after undergrad to adequately study for the GRE, as well as accrue more veterinary/animal hours. I am more than willing to put the effort in to attempt damage control for my application, but the thought of my efforts not paying off leaves me with a pit in my stomach and a knot in my throat. There is nothing that excites me or drives me more than the thought of dedicating my life to animal welfare, and the thought of my dream never becoming a reality has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, to the point of not being able to sleep at night or eat during the day. Any words of encouragement (or a reality check!) would be so appreciated.

I got rejected at 4 schools and accepted at 1 with a 3.5 gpa and only a couple hundred hours of experience (but all very unique). It can be done but you have to apply intelligently. E.g. a 3.5 may get your application tossed almost immediately at schools like uc Davis or csu (unless the rest of your application is stellar).

 

[uciprevet]

I got rejected at 4 schools and accepted at 1 with a 3.5 gpa and only a couple hundred hours of experience (but all very unique). It can be done but you have to apply intelligently. E.g. a 3.5 may get your application tossed almost immediately at schools like uc Davis or csu (unless the rest of your application is stellar).

Thanks so much for your response. I have pretty much given up all hope for schools like UC Davis, as I realize that I am simply not competitive enough. My current top choice is Western, given that it is very close to home and is relatively "easier" to get in.

Also, how do you like Oregon state!? They are my second choice!

 

[SkiOtter]

Thanks so much for your response. I have pretty much given up all hope for schools like UC Davis, as I realize that I am simply not competitive enough. My current top choice is Western, given that it is very close to home and is relatively "easier" to get in.

Are you a California resident? If so, I think they do a holistic review for lower GPA in-state applicants for interview invites, but @Coopah can confirm/clarify?

 

[ajs513]

Hello everyone,

I feel a bit awkward voicing this to an online forum, but I feel like the only advise that will calm my anxieties would be from other pre-vet students, or current veterinary students/veterinarians. I'm currently an incoming senior biology major, and my lifelong dream has been to become a veterinarian. I have loved animals and have been passionate about animal welfare since childhood, and am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my dream at UC Irvine for my undergrad career.
I am currently in the middle of summer session at UCI, and have begun to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. My current GPA is a 3.37 (with two repeats in calculus, and one in orgo I), but I plan to graduate with a 3.48, given that I will be working my butt off in my last year to prove that I am capable of doing well in upper div science courses. I have mostly As and Bs in my prereq classes, with the exception of one C in physics II and a C in genetics. I have an internship/shadowing opportunity lined up for me when fall quarter comes around, and have accrued a few volunteer hours at wildlife sanctuaries/animal shelters.
My question is-- do I have any shot at all? I feel like the fact that I had to repeat calculus and organic chemistry I will be a major hinderance in my application, and I am so afraid that my ~3.5 GPA will simply not be competitive enough. I plan on taking at least one gap year after undergrad to adequately study for the GRE, as well as accrue more veterinary/animal hours. I am more than willing to put the effort in to attempt damage control for my application, but the thought of my efforts not paying off leaves me with a pit in my stomach and a knot in my throat. There is nothing that excites me or drives me more than the thought of dedicating my life to animal welfare, and the thought of my dream never becoming a reality has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, to the point of not being able to sleep at night or eat during the day. Any words of encouragement (or a reality check!) would be so appreciated.

Your goose is not cooked yet. I had around a 3.3 cumulative GPA and while I got a few rejections, I got a few interview invites and got into my top choice as well. Granted, i had over 3,000 hours of veterinary experience, over 1,000 hours of animal experience, and a good number of research hours. All of that plus my GRE was above average. I also like to think that I interview well and I’m a pretty likable person when you get to meet me. So that helped as well. So for you, I think a gap year where you build up experience and determine if this field is right for you would be a good idea. Make up for your lower GPA. That can help you out. I had repeated classes. I know how awful it feels to input all of that into VMCAS. But a lot of schools overlook it.

 

[uciprevet]

Are you a California resident? If so, I think they do a holistic review for lower GPA in-state applicants for interview invites, but @Coopah can confirm/clarify?

I am a California resident!

 

[uciprevet]

Your goose is not cooked yet. I had around a 3.3 cumulative GPA and while I got a few rejections, I got a few interview invites and got into my top choice as well. Granted, i had over 3,000 hours of veterinary experience, over 1,000 hours of animal experience, and a good number of research hours. All of that plus my GRE was above average. I also like to think that I interview well and I’m a pretty likable person when you get to meet me. So that helped as well. So for you, I think a gap year where you build up experience and determine if this field is right for you would be a good idea. Make up for your lower GPA. That can help you out. I had repeated classes. I know how awful it feels to input all of that into VMCAS. But a lot of schools overlook it.

Woah, look at those hours! Thank you for the encouragement. I plan to make my gap year as productive as possible, and hope to gain experience in both the small animal clinic setting as well as more experience in wildlife rehabilitation. I also forgot to mention in my original post that I plan on having good LORs, as I have fostered some really awesome relationships with a few professors and a vet I have worked with.

 

[genny]

the thought of my dream never becoming a reality has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, to the point of not being able to sleep at night or eat during the day.

I really hope that either this is hyperbole, or you've already got a therapist. Eating is important; you can't help animals if you don't eat.

 

[ajs513]

Woah, look at those hours! Thank you for the encouragement. I plan to make my gap year as productive as possible, and hope to gain experience in both the small animal clinic setting as well as more experience in wildlife rehabilitation. I also forgot to mention in my original post that I plan on having good LORs, as I have fostered some really awesome relationships with a few professors and a vet I have worked with.

It also took me 2 years to get that many hours, which isn’t really a lot of time and is twice the average. So you absolutely have time. Including the hours I got in my gap year I’m at around 4500 vet hours. You can do this. I’d be surprised if, after getting more experience, doing well on the GRE (for schools that require it), getting good LORs, and having a good last 45 GPA, you don’t get at least interviewed at a few places. I’m not the grand authority on vet school admissions obviously, but it sounds like you’re getting yourself where you need to be.

 

[uciprevet]

I really hope that either this is hyperbole, or you've already got a therapist. Eating is important; you can't help animals if you don't eat.

I have unfortunately struggled with anxiety for most of my life, but after receiving my C in physics II from last summer session, I have had so much anxiety that it makes me sick to my stomach, and thus makes it difficult for me to eat. I do understand the importance of self care and the link between self care and good performance in school, but it is hard to listen to my rational side when I give in to my neurotic tendencies

 

[genny]

I have unfortunately struggled with anxiety for most of my life, but after receiving my C in physics II from last summer session, I have had so much anxiety that it makes me sick to my stomach, and thus makes it difficult for me to eat. I do understand the importance of self care and the link between self care and good performance in school, but it is hard to listen to my rational side when I give in to my neurotic tendencies

Vet med has a suicide problem. If that's what a C does to you, how are you going to cope with actual life and death decisions? Especially since you will make a medical mistake at some point in your career, everyone does. Your stats honestly sound fine for your chances of becoming a veterinarian. I had some Fs on my transcripts and I made it. But what does worry me is uncontrollable neurotic tendencies and anxiety so bad that you can't eat.

 

[Coopah]

I am a California resident!

CA does do holistic reviews on some applications, but I honestly don't know if that'd be what would happen for you or not. They rank the top 180 and offer them interview invites based on last 45 and science GPA, then they give holistic reviews to the next 180 ranked applicants. Not all hope is lost in that regard but you do have to be in the top 360 CA applicants to be reviewed, even holistically. That being said if you have a strong last 45 GPA (typically last two years or so) that will certainly help your chances. I had ~3.0 cumulative but a strong last 45 and was accepted OOS.

I also 100% agree with genny, mental health comes first and foremost. We all struggle from time to time but I worry if you're in a bad place before you even start it'll only get worse. I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.

 

[uciprevet]

Vet med has a suicide problem. If that's what a C does to you, how are you going to cope with actual life and death decisions? Especially since you will make a medical mistake at some point in your career, everyone does. Your stats honestly sound fine for your chances of becoming a veterinarian. I had some Fs on my transcripts and I made it. But what does worry me is uncontrollable neurotic tendencies and anxiety so bad that you can't eat.

Thank you for your concern. Without getting too personal, I have begun a treatment plan for my anxiety and have opened the conversation with my mom (who is a MD) about my struggles. I understand that the level of stress that vets deal with on a daily basis is basically unparalleled, and I understand that this is why it is imperative to gain as much experience in the field as possible.

 

[uciprevet]

It also took me 2 years to get that many hours, which isn’t really a lot of time and is twice the average. So you absolutely have time. Including the hours I got in my gap year I’m at around 4500 vet hours. You can do this. I’d be surprised if, after getting more experience, doing well on the GRE (for schools that require it), getting good LORs, and having a good last 45 GPA, you don’t get at least interviewed at a few places. I’m not the grand authority on vet school admissions obviously, but it sounds like you’re getting yourself where you need to be.

Thank you. I think as I continue to embrace the idea of a gap year and try to think of it as an experience that will make me a better physician, my outlook might become more positive. Looking back, undergrad went by in a blink of an eye, so I'm sure a gap year or two will feel the same. It'll also probably feel good to get out of a lecture hall for a little while!

 

[PippyPony]

Thank you for your concern. Without getting too personal, I have begun a treatment plan for my anxiety and have opened the conversation with my mom (who is a MD) about my struggles. I understand that the level of stress that vets deal with on a daily basis is basically unparalleled, and I understand that this is why it is imperative to gain as much experience in the field as possible.

I am glad you are getting treatment, and wish you the best on that front. I'm also glad you seem informed about vet med and are still excited about this as a career prospect.

As someone who also struggled with anxiety specifically in the past, my advice is: be prepared about the career, but don't underestimate school itself. I worked in a high pressure corporate job for almost 10 years and am fully aware of the stresses of career that I'm going into, but tbh was not fully ready for the impact of school and didn't even think it would be particularly challenging, despite having friends in vet school and a sister who is a human doctor. I would have disintegrated during my first year anatomy exams if I did not seek out accommodations from the school for testing anxiety, and I saw other people in my class struggle substantially with anxiety they did not know they had prior to matriculation.

If you have severe anxiety related to academic pressure, my advice is to go into school with a plan to apply for accommodations if applicable for your situation.

Vet school is stressful. The exams are stressful. There is a lot of pressure -- and unlike many things, it doesn't get better when you put things in perspective, it often gets worse.

...On the flipside, I bottle-fed a giraffe last week and saved a kitten from euthanasia, so it's worth it in my mind. And if you can hold on to all of the great moments and leverage them against the negatives, it nets out as a wonderful experience.

In terms of grades and time off... You are totally right that it helps to get out of a classroom, and some time off between undergrad and vet school may help you. It's sometimes beneficial to get out of the school grind for a few years, and a lot of schools look favorably upon a couple years off in my experience. Regardless, I wish you the best (...and physics is cool but Physics II is also the worst. There are no magnetism problem sets in vet school that I have encountered, yaaay)

 

[uciprevet]

I am glad you are getting treatment, and wish you the best on that front. I'm also glad you seem informed about vet med and are still excited about this as a career prospect.

As someone who also struggled with anxiety specifically in the past, my advice is: be prepared about the career, but don't underestimate school itself. I worked in a high pressure corporate job for almost 10 years and am fully aware of the stresses of career that I'm going into, but tbh was not fully ready for the impact of school and didn't even think it would be particularly challenging, despite having friends in vet school and a sister who is a human doctor. I would have disintegrated during my first year anatomy exams if I did not seek out accommodations from the school for testing anxiety, and I saw other people in my class struggle substantially with anxiety they did not know they had prior to matriculation.

If you have severe anxiety related to academic pressure, my advice is to go into school with a plan to apply for accommodations if applicable for your situation.

Vet school is stressful. The exams are stressful. There is a lot of pressure -- and unlike many things, it doesn't get better when you put things in perspective, it often gets worse.

...On the flipside, I bottle-fed a giraffe last week and saved a kitten from euthanasia, so it's worth it in my mind. And if you can hold on to all of the great moments and leverage them against the negatives, it nets out as a wonderful experience.

In terms of grades and time off... You are totally right that it helps to get out of a classroom, and some time off between undergrad and vet school may help you. It's sometimes beneficial to get out of the school grind for a few years, and a lot of schools look favorably upon a couple years off in my experience. Regardless, I wish you the best (...and physics is cool but Physics II is also the worst. There are no magnetism problem sets in vet school that I have encountered, yaaay)

Thank you so much for your reply, it really does mean a lot to receive such sound advise. I have decided to inquire with my current school about any possible accommodations for my testing anxiety, and will definitely make it a priority at my future vet school. I am happy that I am finally beginning to get out of the toxic mindset that getting help = showing weakness.
Oh my god, I'm so thankful that magnetism is behind me... please tell me electric fields are gone with it!

 

[DVMDream]

Hello everyone,

I feel a bit awkward voicing this to an online forum, but I feel like the only advise that will calm my anxieties would be from other pre-vet students, or current veterinary students/veterinarians. I'm currently an incoming senior biology major, and my lifelong dream has been to become a veterinarian. I have loved animals and have been passionate about animal welfare since childhood, and am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my dream at UC Irvine for my undergrad career.
I am currently in the middle of summer session at UCI, and have begun to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. My current GPA is a 3.37 (with two repeats in calculus, and one in orgo I), but I plan to graduate with a 3.48, given that I will be working my butt off in my last year to prove that I am capable of doing well in upper div science courses. I have mostly As and Bs in my prereq classes, with the exception of one C in physics II and a C in genetics. I have an internship/shadowing opportunity lined up for me when fall quarter comes around, and have accrued a few volunteer hours at wildlife sanctuaries/animal shelters.
My question is-- do I have any shot at all? I feel like the fact that I had to repeat calculus and organic chemistry I will be a major hinderance in my application, and I am so afraid that my ~3.5 GPA will simply not be competitive enough. I plan on taking at least one gap year after undergrad to adequately study for the GRE, as well as accrue more veterinary/animal hours. I am more than willing to put the effort in to attempt damage control for my application, but the thought of my efforts not paying off leaves me with a pit in my stomach and a knot in my throat. There is nothing that excites me or drives me more than the thought of dedicating my life to animal welfare, and the thought of my dream never becoming a reality has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, to the point of not being able to sleep at night or eat during the day. Any words of encouragement (or a reality check!) would be so appreciated.

What veterinary experience do you currently have?

Yes animal welfare is something we strive for as vets but I can't say that's really what being a vet is about. On a small scale, maybe. It really depends on what you end up doing as a vet. Day to day as a GP, I do my best to provide good medicine to pets and explain how to keep them healthy. There are other careers or even volunteer positions that'll let you work on animal welfare without the debt, stress and medical decision making of being a vet. So why do you want to be a vet? What about veterinary medicine excites you? It is a medical career and I'd say I spend much more time arguing the importance of recheck exams and follow up than really jumping into prompting animal welfare per say.

 

[uciprevet]

What veterinary experience do you currently have?

Yes animal welfare is something we strive for as vets but I can't say that's really what being a vet is about. On a small scale, maybe. It really depends on what you end up doing as a vet. Day to day as a GP, I do my best to provide good medicine to pets and explain how to keep them healthy. There are other careers or even volunteer positions that'll let you work on animal welfare without the debt, stress and medical decision making of being a vet. So why do you want to be a vet? What about veterinary medicine excites you? It is a medical career and I'd say I spend much more time arguing the importance of recheck exams and follow up than really jumping into prompting animal welfare per say.

I think that “animal welfare” was perhaps poor word choice on my part. While I am definitely passionate about animal welfare, I am also genuinely interested in the medicine and science involved in vet med. My previous veterinary experience includes shadowing a feline vet in a clinical setting, as well as working with a veterinarian that came to service a big cat sanctuary I volunteered at for a time. I am hoping to gain experience in shelter medicine as well, as I think this may be an area of interest to me.
Despite my lower GPA, I actually really love science and the power that scientific knowledge gives me. Taking biochemistry last year and integrating my orgo knowledge with my previous cell bio/microbio knowledge was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had, and the thought of further integrating this knowledge to help a living, breathing animal is so exciting to me.
This being said, I realize that I need to gain much more veterinary experience. I don’t think I’m a part of the club that thinks being a vet is playing with puppies and kittens all day, but I still have a lot to learn about the day-to-day struggles that vets face.

 

[PippyPony]

Oh my god, I'm so thankful that magnetism is behind me... please tell me electric fields are gone with it!

Ehhhh. There's a reason why I didn't mention that one, although I hated them more than magnets haha. There's a little in cardiology. The heart is an electrical field and it's part of how EKGs work. You'll also see closed circuits in the context of cauderization. But I promise it's way cooler in those settings than in undergrad physics.

There are actually magnetic fields in vet school too -- MRIs -- but most of us don't have to learn much about the physics behind how they actually work. You'll see Poiseuilles law and such pop up a few times, too, and things like angles of refraction in ocular physiology, or the equation for torque in skeletal pathology.