Looking into Vet School....

[jtom]

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I graduated with a bachelors in biology 12/2008. I always wanted to be a vet but disregarded it because I heard it was so difficult to get into that I should not even try. I looked into it last year but decided to look for other types of programs. This last week I began to seriously look into vet school and here I am!

My overall gpa is 3.69, 3.47 major gpa. I took the GRE's a year ago and got 1110 (540 v, 570 q, 4.0 writing). I did 80 hours of undergraduate research that involved the relationship between pesticides and the increase to parasitism vulnerability of various native amphibian species. I am not sure if that will count towards any hours.

I dont have any other experience but I do not plan on applying this year. I am blessed that I am in a financial situation where I can focus only on taking a few pre-reqs that I have not yet taken and gaining experience. So while I dont have any vet/animal experience I have a little over a year before the application system opens up. I feel what I can do is volunteer/work at a few different types of places at the same time and gain the needed experience. One of my family's close family friends happens to be the director of the biology department at the local university so I thought I could ask him about finding volunteer work and especially any unique opportunities to make my application more appealing (maybe something at the local zoo?).

I guess my main issues are whether you feel i have a chance in getting into vet school. I really would rather not retake the GRE's, I took it twice and the second time I hired a tutor, used several books etc and did all I could. I feel my scores are definetly low end but still under the range for consideration. I was hoping if I can bring up my hours to average levels that I can make up for the below average GRE scores. Are there any schools known to place less emphasis on GRE's?

My other question at the moment(many more to come!) is whether schools in europe/canada/Australia are reputable and possibly might be easier to get into- I heard one of the european schools does not require GRE's. I lived in a military family and moving to a new area/country is not at all a negative so I am not constrained by locations.

Thanks alot!

 

[DVMDream]

My first suggestion for you would be to get into a clinic or other area of vet med that you can shadow a vet and really see if this is what you want to do. It sounds like a great idea now, but once you see what the job is like you may change your mind or become completely hooked like all of us here. It is much different thinking about what a vet does vs. seeing the sights, smells, dealing with the clients and actually witnessing what everyday life is like for a vet. So get some experience.

My next suggestion would be to retake the GRE. Your verbal score is not too bad but your quantitative score could use a little bump. It is not impossible to get in with that score but by increasing the score you might just increase your chances.

As for foreign veterinary schools. I know Edinburgh is accredited so it would be just like receiving your DVM at any US school. I am not sure which other international schools are like this. Someone else might be able to tell you better about that.

My suggestions: Get into the profession and see what it is like probably before finishing off those pre-reqs. You don't want to realize that you really do not want to be a vet while in the middle of taking the pre-reqs and re-take the GRE. I know the GRE sucks. I have also taken it twice and if I do not get off the waitlist this year I will be taking it again. Good Luck and have fun!! This is a really rewarding field to be in and there are soo many things you can do with a DVM degree.

 

[aspiringDVM]

Your GPA is pretty good IMHO. The GRE score isn't fantastic, but you could probably swing it provided that your chosen schools will accept it at the time of application (I think some schools don't accept GRE not taken within 2 years or something?). www.aavmc.org is a good place to find prereqs for the various schools. You probably won't have to take many more if you have a biology degree, but some schools do require some unusual classes (nutrition, public speaking, business), so it's good to look into the specific requirements of each school you're interested in.
Gaining experience will be your biggest thing, but it looks like you already know that. Several hundred hours each in several different fields (ie small animal, equine, large animal, exotics, shelter, lab animal) is a good baseline. Don't forget that almost all schools want a letter of recommendation from a vet with whom you've worked, and some require two.
There are several AVMA accredited schools in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and their requirements are also on the AAVMC website. I don't know about whether or not they require the GRE.
Sounds like you're off to a great start. Welcome to the boards

 

[jtom]

It would be a shame if there is a two year rule for GRE because if I applied June 2011 I would have missed it by a few months (I took the GRE March of last year).

 

[sofficat]

Welcome! I agree in that getting experience is #1. As far as the GRE, I'd rather take a fork to the thigh than retake that and I'm sure you feel the same, especially since you've taken twice and studied more for the second one. If you really think you can improve it significantly and you won't stab your eye out at the thought of retaking it, then go for it (but would an increase in 20-50 points really mean that much?). But personally I wouldn't... and I got in with a score a lot lower than that.

 

[jtom]

Well see thats my issue: my scores only improved marginally (40v, 20q) the second time, I put alot of money into that tutor. I feel at this point in time my main issue is my experience so I feel if I can get substantial hours in I can make up for it.

Question about the hours: how do you get an official tally going? Meaning if you do volunteer work do you create a log book and have the vet sign off on it? I guess I dont know how to get an official record going so theres no issues with the admissions boards. I apologize if this has been talked about before-im just getting excited.

Thanks!

 

[Tiktaalik]

Your GPA is pretty good, and your GRE is just shy of average (quant is just a smidge low), so you might be able to get by with leaving that as-is. I think that GRE scores are supposed to be good for 4 years, not two, so you should be able to use it - just be sure to check with the schools you want to apply to, as policies vary a little bit.

Both the zoo and the bio department are good ideas for experience, but don't forget that you'll need to have a letter of recommendation from a vet, so it'll probably be best for you to also find a local vet that you can shadow and develop enough of a rapport with that he or she would be comfortable writing you a letter.

Your frog research might count as vet experience or animal experience, depending on your PI and what kind of work you did with frogs themselves, so that would be good for you, too.

 

[purplesaurus]

It would be a shame if there is a two year rule for GRE because if I applied June 2011 I would have missed it by a few months (I took the GRE March of last year).

I think some schools accept scores from within 3 years.

I second the other suggestions here. If you do not end up retaking the GRE (or do but don't boost your score), then your experiences can help balance that out.

Something else to keep in mind for the pre-reqs: some schools will waive non-science pre-reqs (e.g., public speaking, English comp) if you already have a bachelor's degree, so read the "fine print" on the pre-reqs. I can't remember which schools, though.

Another suggestion: if you see any interesting volunteer/community activity opportunities (even just one-time things), take them! I am getting some feedback (rejected from 5 schools, wait listed at 1) that I had a great application but I didn't have any extra curriculars*, and this caused them to pick an equally qualified (stats/exp-wise) applicant who appeared more "well rounded."

Oh yeah: start making lists of things. E.g., honors, awards, volunteer experience, just anything about yourself.



*I am currently kicking myself over this. There are many things I have done in the community in the past few years that I thought I couldn't put anywhere on my applications, but after talking to an adcom, I now realize I totally could have. I may have screwed myself out of vet school this year. 🙁😡:cry: ... Which bring me to another suggestion: ask questions (or for clarifications) about everything, even if you think you already know the answer.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Question about the hours: how do you get an official tally going? Meaning if you do volunteer work do you create a log book and have the vet sign off on it? I guess I dont know how to get an official record going so theres no issues with the admissions boards. I apologize if this has been talked about before-im just getting excited.

Make a spreadsheet and track your hours meticulously - you will be the one responsible for tracking and reporting. You'll need to give contact info to VMCAS for a supervisor that can confirm each of your sources of hours, so make sure that the person you list as a contact (1) knows you're listing them and (2) knows how many hours you're putting so they don't say something totally different by accident if contacted.

 

[twelvetigers]

I suppose the hours are like an honors system - you keep track of them yourself and then report them on VMCAS. However, you'll want a letter of reccomendation or two from the vet(s) you shadow or work for, so it would be clear if someone fudged. Plus, you list references for each experience.

 

[Tiktaalik]

I suppose the hours are like an honors system - you keep track of them yourself and then report them on VMCAS. However, you'll want a letter of reccomendation or two from the vet(s) you shadow or work for, so it would be clear if someone fudged. Plus, you list references for each experience.

You know, I wonder how many people's hours they actually check. It would probably be impossible for them to confirm everyone's hours on every app.

 

[jtom]

For the hours is it better to have more hours in a vets office as opposed to others (shelter etc)? I definetly would get a few hundred hours in many different types of locations but would getting the most hours in a place with a vet be the best im assuming?

 

[Tiktaalik]

For the hours is it better to have more hours in a vets office as opposed to others (shelter etc)? I definetly would get a few hundred hours in many different types of locations but would getting the most hours in a place with a vet be the best im assuming?

I think vet hours are best, but diversity is also important. They'd probably prefer, for example, an applicant with 900 hrs small animal shadowing, 75 hrs zoo volunteering and 75 hours shelter volunteering over 1100 hours small animal practice shadowing.

Adcoms also seem to be favoring people who are interested in vet careers besides small animal and people who have experience other than small animal shadowing, so it's definitely good to diversify, even as you spend a lot of time with a vet.

 

[jtom]

I think some schools accept scores from within 3 years.

I second the other suggestions here. If you do not end up retaking the GRE (or do but don't boost your score), then your experiences can help balance that out.

Something else to keep in mind for the pre-reqs: some schools will waive non-science pre-reqs (e.g., public speaking, English comp) if you already have a bachelor's degree, so read the "fine print" on the pre-reqs. I can't remember which schools, though.

Another suggestion: if you see any interesting volunteer/community activity opportunities (even just one-time things), take them! I am getting some feedback (rejected from 5 schools, wait listed at 1) that I had a great application but I didn't have any extra curriculars*, and this caused them to pick an equally qualified (stats/exp-wise) applicant who appeared more "well rounded."

Oh yeah: start making lists of things. E.g., honors, awards, volunteer experience, just anything about yourself.



*I am currently kicking myself over this. There are many things I have done in the community in the past few years that I thought I couldn't put anywhere on my applications, but after talking to an adcom, I now realize I totally could have. I may have screwed myself out of vet school this year. 🙁😡:cry: ... Which bring me to another suggestion: ask questions (or for clarifications) about everything, even if you think you already know the answer.

I was not aware of the pre-req rule if you already have a bachelors. I will also make sure to do community work.

Thanks!

 

[jtom]

Adcoms also seem to be favoring people who are interested in vet careers besides small animal and people who have experience other than small animal shadowing, so it's definitely good to diversify, even as you spend a lot of time with a vet.

Funny you mention that; I actually wanted to try to specialize in exotic animals.

 

[lalzi22]

The pre-health adviser at my school asked me to write a "how to get into vet school" manual for future pre-vets because he is actually pre-med and knows NOTHING about vet school, so most of what I am about to say is taken from that, so sorry if it reads a little inconsistently and jumps around since I am pulling out bits and pieces. *Please note* -this is written for freshman and sophomores mostly, so when I say "you need x GPA" I understand people get in with lower, but it is made to motivate their butts to do better.

What do vet schools look at in an application?

GPA- the average vet student has around a 3.5, some schools higher.

GRE- A solid 1100 is baseline what you should try to get. Yes, people get in with lower, but try to aim higher, and it is always better to have a higher quant. than verbal.

Last 45/Pre-req GPA- schools do not just look at your cumGPA, but also (depending on the school) your science, pre-req and/or your last 45 credit hour GPA. These three are the easiest to change and bring up since there are fewer credits being added into these GPAs as opposed to your cGPA which could be 150 credits. Try to keep your science GPA at or above a 3.3 if possible. Again, yes, people get in with lower, but if you don't have to be one of those people, don't be. Also, schools like to see an upward trend, meaning if you started out with a low GPA your first year or two, and then dramatically brought it up and kept it up, it shows your ability to learn how to study, to make good decisions, to be mature etc... Upwards trends are good!

Experience- You should try to have at veterinary/animal experience in at least 3 areas (ie. SA, LA, exotics, shelter etc...) You should also try to have a lot of experience in one area, this way you show both breadth and depth. The average vet student has around 1500-2000 hours of experience. Thats a lot! If you chose this last minute or a bit late in the game, dont worry! People do get in with only 300 hours, but if you can log the hours, do it. The more hours you have, and the more experiences you have with vets and animals in general, the better. Breadth and depth!

Research- Research is always good, and it doesnt need to necessarily be with animals, although it would be super if it is. Research in general shows an interest in learning and shows you have the ability to do more than just blindly listen. Any research is good if you get the chance!

EC's- Tutored kids? Great! Worked to clean soccer fields? Awesome! Joined a sorority or fraternity? Super! The more you put yourself out there (without spreading yourself too thin or letting your grades suffer), the better. Animals are super, but everyone likes things outside of just their career. Find some hobbies and get involved in the community. Get some leadership experience through an organization. Start a group to work at soup kitchens. If you love doing it, and can find an organization that does it, do it, and put it on your application!

LORs- The VMCAS asks for 3 LORs, but you can have up to 6. Some schools require 2 vets. Some require 2 professors. If you can get 2 vets and 2 professors, you are pretty good across the board!



Whew! Sooooo, for you specifically, your cGPA looks fine, the GRE is ok, but make sure to do the other things on the list. Get lots of experience. Really get in a vet clinic and see the nitty gritty dirty parts of vet med. Meet some terrible clients. See a bloody surgery. Really get in there and make sure this is what you want, and then just keep working. Log your hours on your own. I really dont think they check into it, so you dont need to be "3 1/2 hours this day and 4 1/4 hours this day", keep it simple. I estimated a lot since I had worked there for 4 years and thats a lot of hours to keep tabs on, so it was a true estimate, but as long as you try to be pretty honest and your vets will back you up, its fine.

As for non-US AVMA accredited schools there are some FABULOUS ones out there. I personally almost went to Edinburgh and *plus* none of the UK schools needed the GRE. But in all honesty, I dont think the GRE will hold you back too much if you get some great experiences and LORS. Just dont apply to schools that heavily weigh the GRE (and if you stay on this forum you will know what schools to apply to inside outside and backwards). I really think, IMHO, you would have a shot if you got some great experiences. Good luck and welcome!

 

[purplesaurus]

I was not aware of the pre-req rule if you already have a bachelors. I will also make sure to do community work.

Thanks!

Just fyi - it's not everywhere! (re: the pre-req thing)

 

[der2002]

First of all, have you visited the assoc. of am. vet. med colleges website?

http://www.aavmc.org

They have oodles of information about applying to vet school, all the recent stats on most of the schools (avg GPA's and GRE scores of admitted students etc.) and a very detailed list of the specific school requirements. Make a spreadsheet of all the courses you have already satisfied, but confirm that they were taken within the allowed time frame for each school. Try the GRE's again if you have time and take full-length practice exams on the computer (see the STS website for 2 free practice tests).

I'd have to agree with one of the previous posts on this thread--
I highly encourage you to see what a typical day in the life of a veterinarian is like before you really hunker down and decide that you want to commit yourself down this difficult, though, rewarding, road. I'm a non-traditional applicant (humanities major undergrad, took 3 years of vet pre-reqs post-bacc) and while I didn't have thousands of hours of experience under my belt by the time I applied to vet school (more like 400), I made sure to familiarize myself with all the different aspects of vet medicine I possibly could (ie: small animal, large animal/food animal, equine, avian/exotic, lab animal/research). The good, the bad, and the ugly.

That said, you should definitely establish a rapport with a veterinarian (most schools require at least one veterinarian to write you a req, some require 2). Ask if you can shadow them, don't be discouraged if the first couple of people you ask say "no", and try to get some hands-on experience if you can. Experience is not just veterinary experience, it can include basic animal husbandry, breeding etc. Vet schools want to know that you can comfortably work with a variety of animals.

And yes, you need more than just animal experience. Vet schools also want to see that you are a well-rounded individual and can take an active role in leading a group, community, etc. They want to know that you can successfully work with other people, that you have good people communication skills (because, while your patients might be animals, your clients are human).

I wish I had had SDN as a resource when I made the decision to pursue vet med...Best of luck to you and feel free to ask us lots of questions! 🙂

 

[Minnerbelle]

For the hours is it better to have more hours in a vets office as opposed to others (shelter etc)? I definitely would get a few hundred hours in many different types of locations but would getting the most hours in a place with a vet be the best im assuming?

I had 0 hours in the vets office, and no one seemed to care. Yes, you definitely NEED experiences where a vet is present, but it's really your job description and diversity of experiences that matter most, not *where* you got your experience. Also, it's more important to get meaningful experiences that really shape your mind-frame about the profession. Plus, it makes for a better personal statement IMO.

If you don't have very much time to buff up your hours with quality experience, see if there's a shelter in your area that's large and well-funded enough to have an in-house clinic with full-time vet staff. Those tend to have volunteer opportunities in the vet services dept, that allows volunteers to get lots of hands-on experiences.

 

[jtom]

In terms of shadowing a vet before going further, I will definetly get that done hopefully by next week. I actually am used to the shadowing thing as I was also looking into healthcare and I actually just shadowed a few docs last month. I am very used to people saying "no" to shadowing.

Has anyone dealt with having to take some pre-reqs only for one school? My instate school happens to require 2-3 classes that I have not seen at other schools I am interested in applying to.

I will also check out the website for other admissions informations.

Thanks!

 

[lalzi22]

In terms of shadowing a vet before going further, I will definetly get that done hopefully by next week. I actually am used to the shadowing thing as I was also looking into healthcare and I actually just shadowed a few docs last month. I am very used to people saying "no" to shadowing.

Has anyone dealt with having to take some pre-reqs only for one school? My instate school happens to require 2-3 classes that I have not seen at other schools I am interested in applying to.

I will also check out the website for other admissions informations.

Thanks!

Yea, I had to take a math class for 2 schools I applied to, and am still taking it cuz its required for the school I have decided to go to. It sucks, but if you want to go to that school, its necessary. Again, check with the school to see if you can have them waived due to already having a bachelors, but be prepared for them to say no, and you may have to take them if you want to apply there. Are you from Texas? They have crazy pre-req classes, haha.

 

[jtom]

No I am not from texas-from florida. UF lists specific course numbers and titles of each class they require (I havent seen that at other schools I am interested in). Obvoiusly though UF is my instate school so I would have not applied there but since it is my instate school I am more inclined to take it. I went to another public florida university and I took a calculus class that is lower (2241 as opposed to 2311). Unfortunately I think since UF is very familiar with the classes I have taken, they will spot that and make me retake calculus. I think that with out of state schools who list just "calculus" and their unfamiliar with the classes I have taken, that the calculus class would not be an issue.

 

[DVMDream]

No I am not from texas-from florida. UF lists specific course numbers and titles of each class they require (I havent seen that at other schools I am interested in). Obvoiusly though UF is my instate school so I would have not applied there but since it is my instate school I am more inclined to take it. I went to another public florida university and I took a calculus class that is lower (2241 as opposed to 2311). Unfortunately I think since UF is very familiar with the classes I have taken, they will spot that and make me retake calculus. I think that with out of state schools who list just "calculus" and their unfamiliar with the classes I have taken, that the calculus class would not be an issue.

Most schools have a list of classes that you can take at that specific school to fulfill that pre-req. Just as long as you take the same level of class and it has the same credit hours you should be ok. Since the calculus you took is a 2000 level class and the calculus they recommend is also a 2000 level class you should be ok with the calculus class you took. I would still check to be sure. Just send them an e-mail saying I took x class at y university and I am wondering if it will fulfill z pre-req. I had to do the same thing for Washington this past year. My genetics class was only 3 credits but covered everything that they recommend genetics covered (the WSU website said you needed 4 credits of genetics) but they told me that the class I took would fulfill the pre-req.

 

[jos05]

UF is my instate as well, and since I already graduated with my bachelors in finance, I emailed UF to see if my calc for business(mac2233) and business stats(sta2023) would count toward the pre-reqs. They told me they were fine! So it really helps to just ask them, since now those are two less classes I have to take!

 

[jtom]

UF is my instate as well, and since I already graduated with my bachelors in finance, I emailed UF to see if my calc for business(mac2233) and business stats(sta2023) would count toward the pre-reqs. They told me they were fine! So it really helps to just ask them, since now those are two less classes I have to take!

Thats good to know. I emailed them and we sill see what they say.

I had another question regarding after vet school: are residencies required? I have read they are and they are not. Basically I have an issue with residencies only because the debt I will have accumulated after vet school would be high and then another 3-4 years of not getting paid or barely enough to survive is discouraging to me (can anyone give me a specific figure if you do get paid?).

If it is not required, are there real job prospects? Meaning it might not be required but every employer wants it so it basically is required. I would really enjoy being in a clinic but I am open to any positions a vet school grad can obtain-lab work, animal welfare, meat inspector, research etc. Can a recent vet school graduate get jobs without any out-of-school experience?

Thanks!

 

[nyanko]

residencies are definitely not required to go into clinical practice and most DVM graduates do not pursue them.

 

[sumstorm]

If it is not required, are there real job prospects? Meaning it might not be required but every employer wants it so it basically is required. I would really enjoy being in a clinic but I am open to any positions a vet school grad can obtain-lab work, animal welfare, meat inspector, research etc. Can a recent vet school graduate get jobs without any out-of-school experience?

Thanks!

As Nyanko said, most DVMs that go into clinical practice don't do a residency Some do an internship, but so far, studies by AAHA and AVMA indicate an internship doesn't increase earnings over the long term and not enough to offset the lower income during internships. Some specialties require residency. Some jobs aren't available w/out being a boarded specialist, but most fields, even specialties, have oppuurtunities for non-specialist DVMs.

 

[jtom]

I was just pondering how long it would until I started vet school assuming I get in and I just had a question. I realized it would be 2 1/2 years until I could start at the earliest. I was just wondering if there is a possbility of getting into an international program that starts in february of next year.

I still have a few pre-reqs left and do not have any animal/vet experience. Do all international schools require experience and all the pre-reqs US schools require? I have read that some do not accept the GRE's. Now if they are still using the october deadline, could I just rack up hours over the summer, apply for next feb? Just pondering, Im sure its an unrealistic idea.

Also, with the deadline in october, does that mean they wont start reviewing apps until then or when you can start submitting them in June?

Thanks alot!

 

[nyanko]

Also, with the deadline in october, does that mean they wont start reviewing apps until then or when you can start submitting them in June?

Depends on the school, but for almost all of the US vet schools it doesn't matter when you submit the application as long as it's before the deadline - they look at them at the same time anyway. No schools send interview invitations before that deadline.

Poke around this forum a little bit more - you can find a lot of the stuff you're asking out just by looking at things like the interview invitations thread - dates are in there for the different schools. 😉

 

[jtom]

I had posted this in my other thread but was hoping to get more responses:

I still have a few pre-reqs left and do not have any animal/vet experience (I do have 80 hours of amphibian biology department research hours). Do all international schools require experience and all the pre-reqs US schools require? I have read that some do not accept the GRE's so thats why I am asking. Now if they are still using the october deadline, could I just rack up hours over the summer, apply for next feb? Just pondering, Im sure its an unrealistic idea. I had read that the australian schools start at a bachelors level so I thought that experience might not be required.

Basically, it is even a possbility for me to go all out over the summer and get as much experience as possible and apply before the october deadline and start this coming feb? I do not know how difficult it is to get in international schools, specifically Australian schools that start in Feb.

Thanks!

 

[PrimalMU]

You'd have to pretty much get a full-time job or do a LOT of volunteering at a spay/neuter clinic or something in order to get enough experience over the summer.

 

[lalzi22]

I guess it is theoretically possible if you finish the pre-reqs, but only the Australian schools start in feb, and, from my understanding, their programs are 4 1/2 years long, not 4. So if you are trying to become a vet ASAP, you will still finish at the same time as if you did it in the states and got in this cycle. I would do more research into the Australian school system if you are serious about doing it, but yes, all the international schools still require experience.

 

[jtom]

Well my main issue was that I am assuming for north american schools I would not be able to get enough experience in time to apply this year. So if thats the case , I would not be able to start for about 2 1/2 years(assuming I get in). I thought with australian schools because they dont require GRE's etc that it might be possible to get in with lower experience numers (not sure about the pre-reqs though?). I guess I just thought if I could get in an Australian school for this febrauary, even with it being a year longer then north american schools, I still would get out earlier if I waited until next year to apply to north american schools.

 

[PrimalMU]

My advice is to not rush and shortchange yourself. Gaining experience is a very valuable part of the process, not only because schools like to see a lot of experience, but also because it is a chance for you to make sure you really want to become a vet.

Besides, I bet that if you consider the costs of going to a foreign school you'll reconsider rushing through the process.

 

[sunshinevet]

Alrighty.

Pretty much every Australian school has different requirements. You really need to do your own legwork for this. The ones that will accept international students are Murdoch, Sydney, Melbourne and University of Queensland. Murdoch has AVMA accred, Melbourne has AVMA accred from this year? and I think Sydney might have AVMA accred too.

The length of the degree depends on a few factors - where you go, and what classes you have done. To get into the 5 year degree at Murdoch, you need to have completed chemistry, statistics and cell biology. If not, you would have to apply to the 6 year program. I'm a local student, and so I don't know exactly how competative it is for internationals, but I've heard of American students with good stats and lots of experience being rejected, so I think its actually more competative than a lot of people give it credit for. But you WILL need a fair amount of experience, and a good personal statement, way more than you need good numbers. I think you should treat it as you don't need as good grades, but just as good experience.

Melbourne has just changed their degree - you can do a 4 year DVM if you have a science degree with prereqs, or you could try and enter the 6 year undergrad model.

For Sydney you need a minimum gpa of 2.8, but not a full degree, and to sit either the GRE or the ISAT, and its a 5 year program. You also need to prove commitment to veterinary science.

And I know it seems a bit confusing to American students about the bachelors thing, but vet classes here are not equal to bachelors level classes in Australia. They are equivilant to DVM classes in America. The amount of students who come over here and think they'll be able to get credit for anatomy/physiology from their undergrad... 🙄

But really, all the stuff for the other unis i found in a quick google search of "uni of X veterinary science" and then picked the first link. 🙂

 

[lalzi22]

If you start now, there is no reason by october you cant have at least 500 hours. Even if you work full time five days a week, you can shadow on Saturdays and Sundays and be able to get experience by october. I agree with Primal. Don't rush yourself. Find a school that fits you, and dont be so scared of the GRE. If you are going to do something, do it right and make sure to explore all avenues.

 

[alliecat44]

Merged threads because of duplicate questions--this keeps all the answers in one place. 🙂

Duplicate threads aren't allowed by the SDN Terms of Service. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

I WAS SO CONFUSED! What is this witchcraft? Merging threads? That throws off my database.