Massey University

[BlistexWorks]

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Has anyone been to this school? I applied this year and it is my #1 choice (I applied to 9 other schools). I haven't heard anything from anyone regarding this school. Any successful applicants out there?

 

[jacquesthmonkey]

I applied there too...the only real downside I see is tuition...that extra year makes a godawful huge bill even worse!
I guess they pick foreign students strictly on GPA and GREs...
How'd you do?

 

[darren1228]

I applied there too...the only real downside I see is tuition...that extra year makes a godawful huge bill even worse!
I guess they pick foreign students strictly on GPA and GREs...
How'd you do?

I'm also going to apply. It'll be half a year more if you get in directly for semester 2 as opposed to starting from semester 1.

 

[laurafinn]

Wow. It's been a while since there's been a Massey thread. I'm almost to the end of my third year there. I like it. As with any school it has its advantages and disadvantages:

+ lecturers are generally very approachable and helpful
+ students tend to be cooperative rather than cutthroat
+ 4.5 year program means 3 semesters each of anatomy and physiology, so you get a strong grounding in the basics
+ vet school administration is committed to improving the program for all students, and is responsive to international students' concerns
+ students are not fighting with a multitude of interns and residents for cases
+ travel around New Zealand and Australia on your vacations
+ farm work gets you to places in New Zealand that most travelers don't see
+ not much to do in town means little distraction from studying
+ rent in Palmerston North is cheap

- the preferred method of testing, especially in the first two years, is essay tests
- has a low caseload compared to some (but not all) hospitals in US, and not a lot of fancy "toys"
- 14 weeks of farm work are required, undertaken on your vacation time
- Financial Aid office policy is not to increase your living expenses even if exchange rate fluctuations cause you to lose your rent money
- Massey lacks the sort of atmosphere that universities in the US have
- housing in NZ is cold (no insulation, no central heat) and damp
- everything besides rent is more expensive -- slightly more expensive if you're from NY or SF, a lot more expensive if you're from the Midwest


🙂

 

[jacquesthmonkey]

Wow. It's been a while since there's been a Massey thread. I'm almost to the end of my third year there. I like it. As with any school it has its advantages and disadvantages:

+ lecturers are generally very approachable and helpful
+ students tend to be cooperative rather than cutthroat
+ 4.5 year program means 3 semesters each of anatomy and physiology, so you get a strong grounding in the basics
+ vet school administration is committed to improving the program for all students, and is responsive to international students' concerns
+ students are not fighting with a multitude of interns and residents for cases
+ travel around New Zealand and Australia on your vacations
+ farm work gets you to places in New Zealand that most travelers don't see
+ not much to do in town means little distraction from studying
+ rent in Palmerston North is cheap

- the preferred method of testing, especially in the first two years, is essay tests
- has a low caseload compared to some (but not all) hospitals in US, and not a lot of fancy "toys"
- 14 weeks of farm work are required, undertaken on your vacation time
- Financial Aid office policy is not to increase your living expenses even if exchange rate fluctuations cause you to lose your rent money
- Massey lacks the sort of atmosphere that universities in the US have
- housing in NZ is cold (no insulation, no central heat) and damp
- everything besides rent is more expensive -- slightly more expensive if you're from NY or SF, a lot more expensive if you're from the Midwest


🙂

If you don't mind sharing, what were your GRE/GPA scores?
Are you going the full 5 years, or 4.5?

 

[laurafinn]

If you don't mind sharing, what were your GRE/GPA scores?
Are you going the full 5 years, or 4.5?

I did the pre-selection semester, so I'm attending Massey the full 5 years. I didn't take the GRE's or any of the typical pre-reqs before coming over. (I have a BA in History from back in the day, my GPA was 3.5 but I don't think they considered it except for entrance into pre-selection.)

 

[mbv]

I studied abroad at Massey in 2006 and knew several people doing the pre-selection semester. It seemed quite competitive and you have to be prepared that you might go through all of the time and expense to get to New Zealand, and then you still might not be chosen to enter the program. I personally didn't like Palmerston North; other cities in NZ were a lot more fun.
I didn't have much interaction with the vet school, but the immunology course I took there was supposidly the same as the vet course (same faculty and lecture notes), and it was a really good class!

 

[aggiegolf]

I hear the vet students have a pretty nice calendar there as well. 😳

 

[laurafinn]

I hear the vet students have a pretty nice calendar there as well. 😳

Oh noes - infamous! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527756

I personally didn't like Palmerston North; other cities in NZ were a lot more fun.

Sometimes I totally feel that way. Palmerston North can feel very small and provincial. Unfortunately, that's not unique to Massey; a fair number of vet schools seem to be located in out-of-the-way towns, and with the ones that aren't, housing costs can be quite prohibitive. Palmy, with a population around 75,000, does at least have its share of restaurants, bars and movie theatres.

 

[mbv]

you're right laurafinn! Palmerston North is quite the bustling metropolis compared to where I'm going to vet school! How I yearn for a centralized downtown area and great thai food.

 

[BlistexWorks]

Yes! Thai food!

- Tom Kha Ghai Soup
- Panang Curry w/jasmine rice
- Thai Iced Coffee
- Mango Sticky Rice

My evening is made!

 

[ZooNose]

Yes! Thai food!

- Tom Kha Ghai Soup
- Panang Curry w/jasmine rice
- Thai Iced Coffee
- Mango Sticky Rice

My evening is made!

Blistex - if you and I both end up at Massey, we will get together and make that dream menu - you hit the nail on the head with that one! 👍

 

[darren1228]

Blistex - if you and I both end up at Massey, we will get together and make that dream menu - you hit the nail on the head with that one! 👍

May I join in too?

 

[darren1228]

Wow. It's been a while since there's been a Massey thread. I'm almost to the end of my third year there. I like it. As with any school it has its advantages and disadvantages:


- everything besides rent is more expensive -- slightly more expensive if you're from NY or SF, a lot more expensive if you're from the Midwest


🙂

Wow I thought living expenses would be cheaper in New Zealand compared with the States....guess not

 

[landis792]

I am planning on applying to Massey University Vet School for the first semester in 2014. I've notice the threads on question about Massey are rather old. I have done some background on the program, but I would like to know if any American who has attended can tell me anything which might be useful in knowing, or they wish they knew ahead of time before they went to New Zealand. Thank in advance for your help.