Overseas Vet Schools? Any hope?

[beatsdre]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello everyone,

I have had a change of heart in what I should pursue with my upcoming biological science degree.

However, I know vet schools are incredibly tough to get into- 3.8+ gpa etc, so therefore I want to know what is the best route to take.

My current stats are 3.5 Ogpa, 3.45 Sgpa with a 4.0 trend for past 3 semesters. I have taken the DAT and scored in the 99% (25+), which is pretty much a shoe-in for dental school. So therefore I believe I can do extremely well on the MCAT and or GRE. Just an assumption. If I had to put the DAT score on the same level as MCAT- then I would say (38-40). However I DO KNOW that the MCAT is typically a harder test, and I will work hard towards achieving that- as it will be my ONLY saving grace.

So therefore the question posed is: What should I do? Score really well on GRE/MCAT and apply broadly? Or look overseas? And If you point me overseas can you guys give me some sites/schools to look into? Or should I take masters? <----something which I DO NOT want to do.

I appreciate all your advice thanks guys!

 

[eventualeventer]

Actually, those stats are decent for vet school, which looks at the whole picture a bit more than other professional schools. You do NOT need a 3.8, although it certainly doesn't hurt. 😉 I definitely think you have a shot at U.S. vet schools if the rest of the picture looks good. To give you some perspective, I had a 3.28 cGPA, 3.1? science GPA, and ~3.6 last few semesters GPA, and I've received 3 invitations to interview so far. However, I also had a 1520 GRE and several thousand hours of experience.

You should take the GRE general test; there are only one or two vet schools which take the MCAT, but all of them accept GRE scores. Most of them don't require subject tests, but Oklahoma and maybe one other require the bio GRE.

Do you have any experience shadowing or working for a vet? That's a big thing. By experience, I mean several hundred hours at the bare minimum, preferably in a couple different areas of the field (small animal, equine, large/food animal, exotics/wildlife, pathology, research, etc.). Vet schools like to see research of any kind (and some will count it under vet experience), but they want to know that you know exactly what you're getting in to.

You'll need a letter of recommendation from at least one vet that you've worked for, preferably two, but don't worry about that until you have experience.

Since you have 9 months until applications are due (the first Friday in October, no rolling admissions for U.S. vet schools), I would start looking for experience now. The key to getting experience is to be persistent and work any connections you might have. If you have any pets, ask their vet if you can shadow or volunteer or start working. If they say no, make a list of all the practices in your area and start making phone calls. Then, show up, be polite, ask how you can help (and if they say no, don't push it) and work your butt off. Simple, right?

Animal experience is also good. If you can't find vet experience right away, things like volunteering at animal shelters, wildlife rescues, etc., are important, too.

Good luck! Some of the board veterans should be along shortly with more advice. 🙂

 

[lalzi22]

Start getting experience hours ASAP. I have a 3.55 and I have been accepted to two schools and have 6 more interviews, so you DEF don't need a 3.8, but I have 2000+ hours of experience as well as research, so you need to (most likely since you didn't say) get some hours. Make sure to get some depth in one field (most likely the one you want to go into, ie. SA, LA, exotics..) and then try to get at least 100 hours in a couple other fields. With your stats it is def. possible.

 

[gilch]

I want to second what eventualeventer said. You have some good stats for US vet schools and experience (vet, animal, research, ect) is going to be your biggest hurdle. However, you should also start looking at different vet schools and their requirements. A BS in Biology would probably cover most prereqs at most schools, but requirements vary significantly and this is easy to prepare for; most schools require all prereqs to be completed by the May of your entering year (not applying).

Do you have a state school? Look up their requirements and recommended courses. Also know that just about all schools require the GRE and a handful take the MCAT in leiu of that.


Good luck!