Hi Everyone,
I'm an Aussie citizen who was born and raised in the US, and my lifelong dream has been to 1. move back to Perth, Australia and 2. Attend Murdoch university in Perth to go to their vet school.
My husband and I are FINALLY making the move (kind of last minute and by the seat of our pants, as his visa request went through WAY faster than we had anticipated!) And now I find I neeed to get my butt in gear and apply NOW so I can see if I can start in February at Murdoch.
I got a bachelors in Biology in Undergrad but didn't do very well, and then spend the next few years taking various science classes at a community college, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself. I also worked as a vet tech during all of this time, and knew that I'd LOVE to go to vet school - I just never thought I'd make it there. I eventually started working at a combo surgery and emergency referral practice, and there met the DVM who has truly become my mentor and inspired/pushed me to apply to vet school. She has to be the smartest person I have ever met, and she has ridiculously high expectations both of herself and of everyone around her, and so for her, I worked my buns off. She is the one who pushed my love of animals into (also) a love of the medicine and physiology. I spent hours studying at home on my own just so I could come to work prepared to answer any questions she might fling at me - which was amazing and exhausting at the same time. She was also really keen on clin path, and I kind of developed a passion for lab work and diagnostics myself, and ended up having a mid?quarter? life crises, applying to and completing a Medical Laboratory Technology program, thinking I could do that instead and be happy with my life. I LOVED the program - it felt like a condensed clin path class, I felt I was learning so much physiology and thoroughly enjoyed applying it to my work at the emergency clinic, and ended up finishing the program at the top of my class. I've since gotten a part-time position in a lab at a human hospital, but it turns out I'm miserable actually working in a lab! I miss the "putting it all together" aspect of working at a veterinary clinic, and miss correlating patient history, clinical presentation and lab work to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan.
So, that's where I am currently, and I'm tried to write a 500 word personal statement to reflect that and I'm having a miserable time...so with that said, is there any kind soul out there willing to read what I have so far, and give me some tips and pointers to make sure I head in the right direction?
Murdoch's personal statement prompt below...
Local and interstate non-school leaver applicants are selected on
The evidence of previous experience should include recent, relevant references, from activities such as experience at veterinary practices, animal shelters, wildlife parks and care facilities, rural work such as on-farm, care of pets and other animals. Applicants should include a CV with their application.
I'm an Aussie citizen who was born and raised in the US, and my lifelong dream has been to 1. move back to Perth, Australia and 2. Attend Murdoch university in Perth to go to their vet school.
My husband and I are FINALLY making the move (kind of last minute and by the seat of our pants, as his visa request went through WAY faster than we had anticipated!) And now I find I neeed to get my butt in gear and apply NOW so I can see if I can start in February at Murdoch.
I got a bachelors in Biology in Undergrad but didn't do very well, and then spend the next few years taking various science classes at a community college, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself. I also worked as a vet tech during all of this time, and knew that I'd LOVE to go to vet school - I just never thought I'd make it there. I eventually started working at a combo surgery and emergency referral practice, and there met the DVM who has truly become my mentor and inspired/pushed me to apply to vet school. She has to be the smartest person I have ever met, and she has ridiculously high expectations both of herself and of everyone around her, and so for her, I worked my buns off. She is the one who pushed my love of animals into (also) a love of the medicine and physiology. I spent hours studying at home on my own just so I could come to work prepared to answer any questions she might fling at me - which was amazing and exhausting at the same time. She was also really keen on clin path, and I kind of developed a passion for lab work and diagnostics myself, and ended up having a mid?quarter? life crises, applying to and completing a Medical Laboratory Technology program, thinking I could do that instead and be happy with my life. I LOVED the program - it felt like a condensed clin path class, I felt I was learning so much physiology and thoroughly enjoyed applying it to my work at the emergency clinic, and ended up finishing the program at the top of my class. I've since gotten a part-time position in a lab at a human hospital, but it turns out I'm miserable actually working in a lab! I miss the "putting it all together" aspect of working at a veterinary clinic, and miss correlating patient history, clinical presentation and lab work to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan.
So, that's where I am currently, and I'm tried to write a 500 word personal statement to reflect that and I'm having a miserable time...so with that said, is there any kind soul out there willing to read what I have so far, and give me some tips and pointers to make sure I head in the right direction?
Murdoch's personal statement prompt below...
Local and interstate non-school leaver applicants are selected on
- academic standing from previous university study; successful applicants have achieved around a distinction average in their previous study (pretertiary study is not considered),
- a 500 word typed personal statement and
- evidence of recent, relevant, refereed animal-related experience, such as work experience with veterinarians
The evidence of previous experience should include recent, relevant references, from activities such as experience at veterinary practices, animal shelters, wildlife parks and care facilities, rural work such as on-farm, care of pets and other animals. Applicants should include a CV with their application.
