One Confused Student

[jakem333]

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Hi everyone,

I'll be starting my sophmore year as an undergrad in just a few days from now. Up until recently, I've been pre-med all the way. However, everytime I think about med-school, it seems I regret ignoring my obvious passion for animals. So naturally, i'm extremely confused.

Anyways, after reading a few threads in the pre-vet forum, I realized i know nothing about the application process, and exactly what is needed to make a competitve applicant. I was wondering if any of you could provide a link, or perhaps recommend a book where I could read up on the application process.

thanks

 

[silverelf]

big difference is you take the GRE instead of the MCATs for testing

this website http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm has the most information out of those that i've seen. requirements of different schools, information about the app process (its all on common app except for a few schools i believe...tufts i know being one of them) you can also google US Vet Schools and look at the websites of individual schools.

the biggest advice that i can give you, however, is to start working in a vet hospital and figure out if this is really for you. there are a lot of things that are different in vet med (like euthanasias for example) that some people can't handle, or don't want to deal with. Also, you may like animals but find that treating them is not for you. The only way to figure this out is to spend some time shadowing a vet and decide if this is the career for you.

 

[jakem333]

Thanks for the info

I'll start looking for local animal hospitals and hopefully get a lot of hours next summer.

Just a couple quick questions though:

Do applicants typically apply the summer before/fall of senior year? (assuming they don't want to take a gap year or go for a masters)
also..
What is considered a reasonable number of vet schools to apply to? It is not uncommon to apply to 20+ medical schools, but I realize there are MUCH less vet schools, so I'm assuming its different.

 

[JIKJen124]

There is also a book published by Purdue University Press that has admissions stats and requirements, school by school. It's updated yearly and quite helpful.

I'm sure you'll be busy with school, but you may consider looking for a vet near your school and starting to shadow, even if it's just a couple hours a week. The more clinical hours you have the better, and some schools require recs from multiple vets, so working with more than one can be essential.

As for normal numbers of schools, it really varies. Some people only apply to one or two, some apply to as many as the high teens. I'd say somewhere around 5-7 is normal, with especially if you don't have a state school.

 

[dyachei]

Thanks for the info

I'll start looking for local animal hospitals and hopefully get a lot of hours next summer.

Just a couple quick questions though:

Do applicants typically apply the summer before/fall of senior year? (assuming they don't want to take a gap year or go for a masters)
also..
What is considered a reasonable number of vet schools to apply to? It is not uncommon to apply to 20+ medical schools, but I realize there are MUCH less vet schools, so I'm assuming its different.

Applications are due sometime during the beginning of Oct. (usually 1st or 2nd from what I've seen). So if you were applying to be a vet student for fall of '08, your application would be due Oct 2007. All the vet schools in the US take the VMCAS application. Some also have supplementals. You can start the application late July (I think). However, you can always start writing that personal statement beforehand. Late July is when VMCAS allows applications to be started. Just remember when applying that there is a cost to applying to each vet school. Researching the schools is a good way to rule some out. I personally think 4-6 schools is a good number, but thats about personal preference.

 

[Emio]

All the vet schools in the US take the VMCAS application.

except Tufts. and i think one other one?

i ditto the 4-6 schools thing (i applied to 5). if you're worried that your app isn't outstanding, applying to more may be beneficial. i think there only are 20some vet schools in the country, lol.

and just my two cents: try to get in at an animal hospital before next summer. even a couple hours a week while you're in school can really help you figure some things out. i'd hate to see you set on vet school, put off everything for med school because next summer you plan on working at a vet's, only to *then* decide that vet school isn't for you. racking up hours more than a couple months before apps are due ain't a bad idea either 😉

good luck!

 

[clawsbeatskin]

A&M (Texas) does not use VMCAS applications.

 

[CookieBear]

Tufts, Tuskegee and Texas A&M are the U.S. schools that do their own application, not through the VMCAS.

For these schools' applications, you go to their own websites. Tuskegee, last I knew, still does an actual paper (not online) application.

 

[bclover]

One quick - albeit minor - correction to dyachei's comments: VMCAS application usually becomes live in early June. I believe it was June 5th this year. That means more time to work on the actual application 🙂

 

[jakem333]

Thanks for all the helpful information everyone.

Over the school year, I'll be doing research on congenital disorders (which i see as applicable to both veterinary and human medicine, though i'm not sure if vet adcoms agree).

I was thinking that if i can swing it, i would try to shadow a vet full time for three weeks during my winter break. If i could rack up over 100 hours, hopefully i would have a better idea of whether vet school is really for me.

 

[dyachei]

One quick - albeit minor - correction to dyachei's comments: VMCAS application usually becomes live in early June. I believe it was June 5th this year. That means more time to work on the actual application 🙂

I'm sorry, I apparently made plenty of mistakes about VMCAS in terms of when it starts and that 3 schools don't use it. As you can see, I didn't apply to those schools 😛.

 

[kate_g]

Over the school year, I'll be doing research on congenital disorders (which i see as applicable to both veterinary and human medicine, though i'm not sure if vet adcoms agree).

Vet schools love research of all kinds. If this research involves animals, make sure to take as active a role as possible in handling the animals. Get friendly with the vet staff in your animal facility and try to participate in the vet care of the animals as well.

I was thinking that if i can swing it, i would try to shadow a vet full time for three weeks during my winter break.

You should start looking *now* for a vet who would be willing to do this. Having a shadow definitely slows things down (especially if you get a good vet who stops to explain things to you and teaches you stuff, which is what you want) and most people I know who've shadowed either did a half-day shift once or twice a week, or did a full-day shift on an occasional basis. Not sure it will be easy to find someone who will let you spend all day with them for three weeks.