Majors - Advantages?

[SnowshoeDog143]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey Guys!! I am curious on what majors everyone has/is going for before getting your DVM. I know you can get into vet school with a variety of different degrees. Why did you choose your degree and do you think it gave you an advantage when you were actually in vet school or practicing as a vet?

I am getting a joint major in molecular biology and organic chemistry. I really like learning about the pathogen/drug relationships but I don't want to go into research. I think even if I don't go into research though, understanding these tiny systems will definitely help as a vet in whatever I do.

 

[Jess Monster]

Undergrad: Animal Sciences (major), Zoology and Public Health (minors)
Why? Compared with the Biology or Zoology major at my school, Animal Sciences offered classes that were specifically focused on animal physiology and nutrition. Classes were smaller. There were lots of opportunities to take classes at or work at the various livestock farms/labs associated with the college. The Ag college required all students to do an internship relevant to your major before graduation so you at least came out with some work experience. When it was over, I was pleased with my choice of major.

Grad: Master's of Public Health (degree), Veterinary Public Health (specialization), Entomology (minor)
Why? My veterinary interests for the last half of undergrad were geared toward public health which is why I picked up that minor in undergrad. I wanted an MPH but I also knew that I wasn't going to get accepted to vet school right away, so I opted to head to grad school first (vs. doing a dual program). The MPH required a practicum which allowed me to gain some work experience with the State Public Health Veterinarian. When I went down to half-time/part-time, I took on multiple extra internships in public health and at the local zoo. I also picked up the Entomology minor because my research project heavily dealt with ticks/tick-borne diseases at the human-wildlife-livestock interface and I wanted a foundation in that subject so that I could better discuss it. I also really enjoy med-vet entomology.

Now I'm applying to vet school again (I started applying before I finished my MPH but was unsuccessful). I am interested in getting a MS Entomology, but that's on hold until I find out what's going on with vet school... and when someone else (i.e. a job or assistantship) pays for it.

 

[DogtorCK]

Bachelors in political science with minors in international relations, conflict resolution and anthropology. Did a science post-bacc. First time applicant and so far I'm 3/3 in being granted interviews. Obviously if you know you want to be a vet now, that's helpful, but I have a very unique background that is making me stand out a bit. Vet school is a long 4 years of intense science. Having a lot of background (I.e. Biology/chemistry) could help make it less intense, or it could burn you out as it did some of my prevet friends. Do what you enjoy in undergrad, make the absolute best grades you can, and take the required classes. Even though I'm a "soft science" grad, my science gpa was a 3.87 and as a post-bacc, my semesters were very heavy loads of only science classes. I think that's all they care about. Prove to them you can cut it.

 

[deleted676737]

I'm graduating in May with my B.S. in biology. My undergrad is pretty small, so we don't have any really cool, more narrowly focused majors like animal science or microbiology (I would've chosen this if I could've!). Biology has always been sort of the "default" pre-vet major here; I feel that it's prepared me well. I actually began as a Spanish major intent on a career in translation, but switched to being pre-vet my sophomore year. I've been here five years, but the past three have been absolutely packed to the brim in order to finish as quickly as possible. No semesters below 16 hours, for one. Heck, I had one semester where I took 21 hours of pure science and it wound up being one of my strongest terms, academically. I'm really hoping that I've primed myself as much as I possibly can during undergrad for the rigorous academia of vet school... not that I'm not gonna be smacked in the face with material, anyway, but you know. Well, and I freaking love biology.

But seriously, major in whatever field you enjoy and wouldn't mind working in should vet school not work out. If that's English, major in English. If that's psychology, major in psychology. The one big advantage of having a non-science major is that, for most people, the classes tend to be easier (especially upper-division), so you do have some cushion on your GPA as a history major versus, say, a chemical engineering major. It also gives you brownie points in the diversity department, which some schools do consider highly. Just do the best you can in your pre-reqs and try to keep your GPA as high as you possibly can, but don't kill yourself for a 4.0 either, especially at the expense of your sanity. That being said, it is way easier to destroy a GPA than build it back up again (trust me personally on this one), so... uh, certainly try to avoid any grades of D or lower -- a C or two or three probably won't kill you too much provided that the rest of your transcript is fine.

 

[Glammyre]

My bachelor's was in biology (it was a smallish undergraduate school). I minored in biochemistry since it only took one more class than I was taking to meet Purdue's vet med requirements and mathematics because it was fun. The stronger science background definitely helped me during first year since it made physiology, histology, and (to some degree) anatomy much easier.

I'd suggest a science degree (biology or chemistry) if you like the subject since I think it'll help with veterinary school. However,

But seriously, major in whatever field you enjoy and wouldn't mind working in should vet school not work out. If that's English, major in English. If that's psychology, major in psychology.

Definitely true. Keep a backup plan. Mine was a M.S. heading into a research track in biology.