Massey pre-selection semester

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

EquineVet2B

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi everyone!

I would love to attend one of the international vet schools. Anywhere would do really, but I think going abroad would be an amazing experience.

The one problem is that I have absolutely no pre-requs. I went back to high school recently after quite a few years away to complete simple high school courses needed to get into BSc programs.

I was looking at the Massey website for the pre-selection semester, and this looks promising! Financially as well as time wise it would be a bit better for me. I have no idea how I would do in those classes to be honest, but anyways.

But what do I actually need to get into the pre-selection semester? How hard is it to get the required grades to follow onto vet school? Canadian universities curve their grades massively as well, so I don't suppose it is much different.

I also understand that they don’t take veterinary experience into account?
Thanks for any help!
 
Ok... How studious are you? the classes themselves aren't that difficult, for the most part, if you are science and math minded. But the exams are more difficult than you might expect. they have past exams available, but you won't know how tough they are until you get there.

How much science and math background have you got? the Physics course is all algebra based, and the concepts aren't that tough, but I was more than rusty on my algebra, and made many calls to math-minded friends for reminders of how to do stuff. There's also a lot of math in chemistry, which is mostly organic chem, and hits some stuff that will make your head hurt if you haven't done chem before/ recently. The animal bio course isn't too tough, if you do the reading, pay attention in class, practice with the past exams beforehand, and really do the work in lab. Also, there are tutors for hire all over campus, but to get free tutoring included with your fees you have to be at serious risk of failure. Cell bio is... cell bio. There's a lot of stuff you wouldn't normally do in a US first year bio course, and I don't know if you'd do it in canada either. Lots of lab basics- how to set up and properly use a microscope, how to count cells, gram staining, properly setting up petri dishes to get single colonies of bacteria, aseptic technique, and some stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting...

If you haven't got the science background, and you're thinking about going for feb '11 start, find basic or intro level science classes now, in your area. They expect high school science, at least, and if you have more in those three areas, it can count for you, allowing you to take some other courses, ones where the curve isn't quite so nasty.

They do curve the papers, and the curve can be a lot- but a 50-55% is usually the bottom cutoff for a C, which is the lowest grade they count C- doesn't count. Also, you have to take something called the STAT-F, which costs $50, takes a couple hours, and is best compared to the SAT on training wheels.

RE getting into the Pre-selection semester. You need a high school diploma (or the equivalent), or you need to be over... I think it's 24, with proof that you've done school until at least 16 (I think) and you need to show them that you've at least done some science. Oh, and you need to be able to send them a pile of money roughly the size of the pre-selection tuition, by something like october 1st. You are, therefore, too late for this year just starting, but for next year (starting at the end of feb), you should be able to pull it together. Once you have that together, you should be fine.

But if you have any questions, there are e-mails on the vet school site that lead to people who can answer most of your questions. It's probably better to get your information straight from them.

good luck,
-j.
 
Honestly, from what I've seen and heard, people from North America who don't have significant university-level work (in whatever subject) don't have much luck getting into the professional phase of Massey vet school via a single pre-selection semester. You should ask the Massey school administrators what preparation recent years' successful applicants from Group 1 had, just so you know your true chances before committing any time or money. Massey breaks a fair number of hearts every year.

You may feel fine spending a couple of years at Massey before getting accepted into the professional phase of the vet program, but the likely need for more than one pre-professional semester at Massey is something you should take into consideration before moving overseas and spending thousands of dollars. Especially since Canadian vet school tuition is relatively inexpensive.

I think some of the Australian schools, such as Murdoch, also offer pre-selection type programs to international students.

All the best,

Laura
 
Last edited:
I just got into massey, semester 2 and have found their admissions board and international office to be incredibly helpful and prompt in responses to any questions i may have. I would shoot them an email and see what they have to say, it doenst hurt to ask 🙂.

Good luck!
 
Thanks so much!

I'm not sure how my science courses would prepare me to be honest. I just did bio, chem, physics and calc all at the grade 12 level after...significant time away. I did fine, no lower than an 80 in any class. But I'm not sure if that's a sign that the other classes will be to hard. I did go to collage, but it was one of thoes useless diplomas (english riding and coaching).

The rest of the class would be people just out of high school though, correct? So there should not be such a big jump (maybe?).

I sent them an e-mail a few weeks ago but will try again if I don't hear from them by the end of the week.
 
I don't know that 80% would be competitive. The curve is nasty- the top 10 or 15% of students get the a+ to a- range, and that includes the domestic students, some of whom are on their second or third try, and many of them hire tutors to ensure they make it. the bottom range for an a could be a 95%. If it's a really crazy year, it could be higher.

if you're not 100% committed, if you don't already have kick @$$ study skillz, and if you can't swing a's in high school level science, take some college science classes before trying it.

They'll let you in to pre-selection. it's not really limited at all. But it's forking expensive. And if you can't afford to go over the first semester on cash, you could end up with no idea how you'll pay for a failure. I speak from experience here, and a 200+ a month loan *interest only* payment is a lot to manage and deal with if you have nothing to show for it.

which is not me saying don't go, just be aware that the pre selection is relatively easy to get into, and that everything else depends on the other pre-vets.

good luck, and try pestering to get a response, if polite doesn't work. sometimes the only thing that worked for me was tromping down to someone's office every couple days until they finally got sick of dealing with me and did what I needed to have done.

-j.
 

Thanks!
An 80 was still an A for me, but the grading at my local university would have turned that into a C. Not even kidding, top 5 scores get an A. Scary. I have enough saved to pay the first two years with out taking out loans, so I was sort of thinking along the lines of trying the first semester, and if I don't get in then coming back and either transferring the classes to another degree or something along thoes lines.

I think I will try perhaps a few classes over the summer. Thoes are extremely fast paced, so it should give me a feel of how I would do.

How many people are typically in the classes?

And then there is the reality of is it really different anywhere else I go? I work in a multii practice vet clinic now, and one of the vets went back after having a family and not being able to renew her jockeys license after an injury. She somehow pulled off amazing marks after dropping out of high school and got in first try. Then one of the other vets did two degrees and did his masters, and got in on his fifth try. So I think it really does “just depend” Both have told me to go, work my ass off, do nothing but study, and if that's not good enough then come back and my job will be waiting for me again, and I can try again locally. But I'm not sure about that. I'm horrified I'll get there and not be able to keep up, though the classes truly don't look that hard, and seem to be on about the same curve as the university hear.
 
Ok. there are probably about 250 to 350 (might be more) first years trying for the program, all taking the same four classes. They are spread across the three campuses, and I think they curve for all three the same. At Palmerston north, the campus where the vet school is, there were about two sections of each pre-selection paper with about 100 or 150 students per, tho I am probably low balling that number- maybe by as much as 100. The classes are not exclusively prevet, but pretty close. In addition to them, there are people who are trying to get in from other programs.

To get into the program you compete against everyone taking your papers for your grades, then they take top GPA. They may have added some sort of interview/ subjective component, but they seem to be more interested in straight grades. So you compete with everyone taking your papers for a decent grade, then against everyone above the cut in the pre-selection semester, which can include local kids willing to pay full fees for a slightly higher chance to get in. this can be anywhere from 10 to 30 people trying for 8 spots. Sometimes they don't get enough full fee students that make the cut.

Your best chance, really, is to take courses that will cover the pre-selection classes before going over, but not so many classes that you are excluded from first year papers. In other science courses, less competitive ones, you have a better chance of a higher place in the curve.

And yeah, if you can do it on cash, and you're comfortable, and it's what you want, I don't know how anything could stop you from at least trying.

wordily
-j.
 
Unless you want to be a cow vet, don't bother with Massey. It is pretty much an Agricultural Science degree. I am an international student, and wish I had jumped ship when I had the chance. Several of my class managed to get transfers back to the USA at the end of first year, and we've lost several more over the years. You also do very little practical teaching at Massey. Doing compulsory practical experience in the holidays (and you will be forced to do large animal crap, but not small animal stuff) is how Massey gets round not teaching you. The small animal hospital is tiny and ridiculously expensive, and always seems to be empty.

Also, Massey are completely disorganised, unprofessional, and the "city" of Palmerston North is a hell-hole. There are a some fantastic lecturers, but that small

If you want to be a small animal vet, I STRONGLY suggest you don't come here.
 
Unless you want to be a cow vet, don't bother with Massey. It is pretty much an Agricultural Science degree. I am an international student, and wish I had jumped ship when I had the chance. Several of my class managed to get transfers back to the USA at the end of first year, and we've lost several more over the years. You also do very little practical teaching at Massey. Doing compulsory practical experience in the holidays (and you will be forced to do large animal crap, but not small animal stuff) is how Massey gets round not teaching you. The small animal hospital is tiny and ridiculously expensive, and always seems to be empty.

Also, Massey are completely disorganised, unprofessional, and the "city" of Palmerston North is a hell-hole. There are a some fantastic lecturers, but that small

If you want to be a small animal vet, I STRONGLY suggest you don't come here.

On the other hand, given the OP's name is EquineVet2B, Massey has an AMAZING equine program! Most of the top equine medicine and surgery profs in Australia and New Zealand did their residencies at Massey.

Any Australian/New Zealand school has you do farm prac in your holidays. It doesn't take all holidays, but it can seem like a fair chunk at times. This is to make sure that you get a good idea of the different farming systems that are out there, see how they really work, and brush up on your animal handling skills. In later years, you do summer externships in vet clinics (large animal and small animal).
No Australian/New Zealand program is streamed, you have to do all animals, big and small.

The city that Massey is in is fairly dodgy, I will say that. I have friends here in Perth, who came over from massey, who say the standard of living is much higher here. That said, Massey has a great reputation - and like any great reputation, I'm sure it has been fairly earned. Don't let one disgruntled student put you off - you'll find them in every program!

That said, I will now ramble on about the pre-vet system at Murdoch!

If you don't have any prior college/uni classes, you can apply to the "vet-entry" system at Murdoch. I have no idea how competitive it is for internationals - here you have to be in the top 3%+ of year 12 students to get in. If you get accepted, you have to do:

  • foundation unit
  • statistics
  • cell biology
  • chemisty
Most students then round this out with:

  • introductory anatomy
  • intro physiology
  • ethics
  • animal production systems 1
If you are accepted to vet entry, all you have to do is pass this year, before embarking on the 5 year vet degree.
Alternatively, if you are not accepted, you can still do this year at Murdoch, competing for a space in the 5-year class. HOWEVER, it is EXTREMELY competitive to get in - you will be competing for one of about 30 spots, which is contested by students all over the world, and other internationals inside Australia. You will need stellar grades, great experiences and a really convincing essay - that last bit is really, really important!!! So many people with otherwise great stats let themselves down on the essay part, and wonder why they didnt get in!
 
Top