Newly Accepted to A&M- Questions

[Steelmagghia]

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Hello all, I just got accepted into TAMU CVM class of 2012 and I know I sure have a lot of questions, so I thought I'd start this thread for anyone else who might have a lot of questions.

I haven't gotten my orientation info or anything in yet, so I know some of these questions may be answered by that, but some of them may not be.

So here goes:
1) Housing- I need to find an apartment that will take a (very small) dog and a (also small) snake. I may also need a roommate. Any suggestions on the best way to go about finding information on these things? Also, how are you guys paying for your housing? I have a job right now, but it doesn't pay much so my savings are nill (plus interviews sort of wiped them out) and I won't have that job when I move. I've also gone through undergrad solely on academic scholarships, so I'm a bit behind on the learning to survive learning curve. Will loans cover this? Are there other ways?

2) The anatomy course- Is it worth it? Would you recommend it if I have a wedding and my sister's 21st birthday at this time? Is it possible to teach yourself the info you need if you happen to learn well that way and if so, what resources would you use?

Well, I have to tutor now, so I'm cutting this short, but thank you guys in advance for any advice you might have. 🙂
I am so excited to start in the fall!

 

[HopefulAg]

Are you talking about taking the undergrad anatomy course over the summer or talking about the anatomy class in vet school?

I'm assuming the former because I don't think you can opt not to take the latter (could be wrong).


Anyhow, I'm doing the undergrad anatomy right now and I find it helpful. I've been learning a lot. Also I've talked to a few vet students who didn't take anatomy as an undergrad and wishes they had. It'd be a lot less stressful to have knowledge of the dog when you start then move on to the horses and goats. They're built more or less the same.



As for housing you can check the classified ads in The Battalion (online, though you'll mostly get undergrads) or The Eagle (also online). Or you can try AggieSearch.tamu.edu.

 

[Steelmagghia]

Thanks so much HopefulAg!

 

[InfiniVet]

First off, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Welcome to TAMU CVM! 🙂
Don't worry about housing - they will be flooding you with emails in about May or as soon as you get the packet to sign up for your CVM email account...right now they are compiling a huge list just for y'all of pet friendly vet student oriented housing. If you'd like, I can actually email you some of the current availabilities, just PM me 🙂

I didn't take undergrad anatomy, though I wish I had and would strongly recommend if you are pretty sure you're going to want a residency because you'll need a high GPA in vet school. Your GPA will suffer the most in the 1st 2 years of the curriculum, the first year of which being basically just anatomy and physiology. So, need a GPA buffer? Take the course, absolutely.
However it's still totally doable and I know that most of those who had the undergrad course still study just as hard as the rest of us. The level of detail in vet school anatomy vs the undergrad vet anatomy is out of this world, so you won't have as much review as you'd hoped, plus the instructor you'll have is a vet school instructor and has a reputation for being brutal on the undergrads.
Honestly if you just google image search 'canine skeleton' or get a anatomy picture book off of amazon, then study (and I do mean STUDY) the skeleton, and get a general understanding of muscle groups, i.e. "hrmm...this group seems to flex the elbow joint, this group looks like it extends the elbow joint," you'll be prepared enough AND still get to enjoy your wedding.

Tip: Do make sure you sign up for a mentor.

If there's anything at all I can help you with please don't hesitate to PM me 🙂

Again, congrats and welcome!

 

[LBDVM]

Hi - it's been a few years since I was in vet school - I graduated from A&M in '98, but what I remember about anatomy at least the way it was taught then was that the undergrad course was very similar to the course we had in vet school. I did my undergrad at a different school, and we had a very basic anatomy course that wasn't very in depth and not terribly helpful in preparing me for the detail that we had to learn for vet school anatomy. One of my lab partners had just finished the A&M BIMS undergrad anatomy course the summer before vet school, and he hardly had to study at all for the 1st year course. That may have changed since then... I'd certainly listen more to those who know more about the current classes, but based on my experience, if you have a chance to take it, I would.

 

[InfiniVet]

I talked to Dr. Ruoff (the senior undergrad anatomy instructor and assistant vet anatomy instructor) and asked her to compare/contrast the 2 courses.

She said that undergrad anatomy is harder than the undergrad human anatomy (hehe) but that while the skeleton & thoracic limb is taught basically exactly the same, the undergrad course skips the abdomen & repro, doesn't go into as much detail with the pelvis, pelvic limb is pretty much the same, they skip cord segments of nerves, and they talk about cranial nerves in class but aren't tested on them.

 

[Steelmagghia]

I talked to Dr. Ruoff (the senior undergrad anatomy instructor and assistant vet anatomy instructor) and asked her to compare/contrast the 2 courses.

She said that undergrad anatomy is harder than the undergrad human anatomy (hehe) but that while the skeleton & thoracic limb is taught basically exactly the same, the undergrad course skips the abdomen & repro, doesn't go into as much detail with the pelvis, pelvic limb is pretty much the same, they skip cord segments of nerves, and they talk about cranial nerves in class but aren't tested on them.

Nice. That actually works better for me since the only anatomy I've gone really in depth with is reproductive anatomy (let me tell you, talking about boar penis vs. goat penis in the middle of a coffee shop while wearing the logo of a conservative christian school gets you some weird looks). 😀

 

[HopefulAg]

the undergrad course skips the abdomen & repro, doesn't go into as much detail with the pelvis, pelvic limb is pretty much the same, they skip cord segments of nerves,

Hmm, maybe she meant extensive coverage but right now our dog is freezing her intestines off in the freezer. We're doing the abdomen and male repro parts right now in lecture as well as gross lab. And yah I have Ruoff as my prof.