New Comer pre-vet

[Katarayne]

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Hello,

I'm a new user to the website, and have just recently (as of 6 months ago) decided I would love to be a vet. I just started to get my requirements for vet school. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions, opinions, or helpful hints. I'm also taking an English class (English 222) right now, that requires me to interview a Veterinarian and a teacher at a Veterinary college, after I research and talk within the forum to get used to the environment. Any information would be great! I appreciate any advise or words or empowerment or just anything.

Thanks so much

Kat

 

[EllieGirl89]

Hello there! You'll be able to find a lot of helpful people here with answers to just about any question you have. Why don't you tell us a little more about yourself? Why did you decide to become a vet? What kind of veterinary/animal experience do you have? Where do you go to school and what year are you? What vet school(s) are you planning on applying to?

My best advice to you would be to do as well as you can in your prereqs and pay attention to the requirements for the different schools. You can never have too much vet experience, so get on that-start shadowing a vet as soon as possible. Try to get breadth of experience too; try to include small animal, large animal, equine, exotics, avian, research, etc. Foster good relationships with veterinarians, professors, and employers, as they will be the ones writing your letters of recommendation when it's time for you to apply. Also, keep a journal of EVERY single experience you have. Log how many hours you did as well as what you did. Makes entering the information a breeze once you have to do the VMCAS.

Once again, welcome, and good luck!

 

[Katarayne]

Hello!

Thanks for such a quick response. I appreciate it so much.

To answer your questions; I am 21 years of age, I love animals (and have since I was a little girl), I have a Siberian Husky and have had cats and an older dog in the past. I'm planning to go to the local animal pound/shelter to volunteer some of my time and hopefully help out at a local pet hospital or vet clinic-- any suggestions on how to and what to say? I haven't had any veterinary experiences yet (I don't think), but I do hope that I can at least help out prior to Vet school. I live in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and attend a local community college here as (I guess) a junior. I have yet to make an appointment to talk to an advisor or some one that could possibly help me out in what I should do for the rest of my pre-vet course work for MSU. I haven't really looked into any other Veterinary schools, mostly because it's so expensive going out of state.

How would I go about shadowing a vet? Do you need any experience for that?

Thanks once again!

 

[EllieGirl89]

Hello!

Thanks for such a quick response. I appreciate it so much.

To answer your questions; I am 21 years of age, I love animals (and have since I was a little girl), I have a Siberian Husky and have had cats and an older dog in the past. I'm planning to go to the local animal pound/shelter to volunteer some of my time and hopefully help out at a local pet hospital or vet clinic-- any suggestions on how to and what to say? I haven't had any veterinary experiences yet (I don't think), but I do hope that I can at least help out prior to Vet school. I live in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and attend a local community college here as (I guess) a junior. I have yet to make an appointment to talk to an advisor or some one that could possibly help me out in what I should do for the rest of my pre-vet course work for MSU. I haven't really looked into any other Veterinary schools, mostly because it's so expensive going out of state.

How would I go about shadowing a vet? Do you need any experience for that?

Thanks once again!

Shadowing a vet can get tricky so I'd start now. Prepare a resume and a cover letter stating that you are interested in veterinary school and are looking to shadow a veterinarian. There are lots of cover letter templates online. State that you would welcome an interview at their earliest convenience. Print off a bunch of copies of both of these, dress up in professional business attire, and drop these off at every clinic near you. Leave them with the front desk and ask that they be given to Dr. So-and-so.

Be prepared to do a lot of "pestering." Call back in a week to follow up. Ask them to leave a message for the veterinarian. When I was trying to get my current undergraduate internship I took up my cover letter and resume, then called and followed up three times. When I still got nothing back from the vet, I finally actually called and scheduled a farm call for him to check one of my horses so that I could speak to him in person. He ended up being very willing to help me after seeing my persistence and determination and is now my strongest letter of recommendation.

Good luck!

 

[twelvetigers]

... I love animals (and have since I was a little girl)

We all do (and have). 🙂

I haven't had any veterinary experiences yet (I don't think), but I do hope that I can at least help out prior to Vet school.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the application process, so I'll just make a point of this for you. You basically *have* to get veterinary experience before you apply. Not only is it beneficial in ensuring that you know exactly what vet med is and what it entails (the science parts, the euthanasia, the clients - there's a lot to it overall), but it also is something that you have to list out on your application. Where you were, what you did, and for how many hours. A lot of us have thousands of hours. You don't *need* thousands of hours, but you really should aim for like... 500? In other words, get started right away! Also, as cowgirla said, you also need at least one letter of recommendation from a licensed veterinarian.

I have yet to make an appointment to talk to an advisor or some one that could possibly help me out in what I should do for the rest of my pre-vet course work for MSU.

Speak with someone at the vet school itself, if possible. Undergrad advisors are notorious for getting things a bit... backwards... when it comes to vet school admissions. Do the legwork yourself and make sure you get reliable information and advice. The forum is a great place to start!