Proofreading VMCAS Question

[rachroo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So I'm proofreading my VMCAS application and realized that I may have made a mistake under the question multiple people have asked: "Is this veterinary or animal expereince. But there's more...I promise....

(Side note: Proofreading before you actually send it in only makes you more nervous and paranoid!)

I've worked as a veterinary assistant AND kennel worker at the same pracitice throughout high school and college. Since my bosses are the practice's veterinarians and any and all work I do (despite whether it is in the hospital or kennel) is ultimately "supervised" by my bossess can this entire experience count as "veterinary expereince?" Or should I break up ~1/3 of my hours for the veterinary expereince (since I do spend that amount of time, if not more, doing that part of the job) and then list the same hospital under animal experience for the rest of my hours as a kennel assistant??

Man, I can't wait to hit the send button this weekend!!!

 

[No Imagination]

IMO, this is an application where you are forced into categories. Not all the work you do fits nicely in these categories.

For me, I have a **** ton of lab animal experience, as well as 6 years veterinary experience. While 'technically' all my lab animal experience was under the supervision of the lab animal vet, I choose to put in under 'other', so it stands out more from my time working for other vets.

If you need the extra hours, do what you have to do. Don't lie, make sure everything can be backed up, but lets face it, unless you are working for a large animal practice, every vet tech, every vet, cleans cages when needed. If you were a kennel assistant working for the same guy, I am sure you did a few things that went above and beyond "being a pooper-scooper".

Correct for typo's, correct for content, submit, make sure your eLoR are in, find out when your schools will let you know if you get and interview and FORGET it. If you get an interview, re-reread your app, so you can explain any disparities.

G/L on your app.

 

[Pomona2006]

I had a similar experience on my app and I ended up splitting it up into two parts - the animal experience part and the vet part - and I separated my hours accordingly. I work at the local humane society and while I originally did stuff like socializing animals, community outreach, and photography, I now predominantly do work in surgery with the vet. I personally didn't want my hours spent doing the non-vet stuff to be counted as vet experience (regardless of whether it would have helped beef up my app). That's just how I felt...and how I handled it.

(And I totally agree about the proofreading!)

 

[VAgirl]

I've worked as a veterinary assistant AND kennel worker at the same pracitice throughout high school and college. Since my bosses are the practice's veterinarians and any and all work I do (despite whether it is in the hospital or kennel) is ultimately "supervised" by my bossess can this entire experience count as "veterinary expereince?" Or should I break up ~1/3 of my hours for the veterinary expereince (since I do spend that amount of time, if not more, doing that part of the job) and then list the same hospital under animal experience for the rest of my hours as a kennel assistant??

I'd put it all under vet experience. You were probably giving medications on occasion along with feeding, walking, cleaning, etc., and you were supervised by the vets, so it is vet experience by definition. In my mind, it's not a gray area, and that's what I did on my app last year.

For me, I have a **** ton of lab animal experience, as well as 6 years veterinary experience. While 'technically' all my lab animal experience was under the supervision of the lab animal vet, I choose to put in under 'other', so it stands out more from my time working for other vets.

Not to induce panic in anyone, (especially if you've already submitted your app) but I would actually advise very strongly against this. I know some people who put vet experience under the employment experience category, were not accepted, and adcoms told them when they had their file review that the experience listed under the employment section wasn't even really looked at.

If it's vet experience, put it under the "vet experience" category. This appears to be the primary category adcoms look at. Putting it elsewhere does not appear to help make that experience stand out. If anything, it appears to increase the chances that adcoms won't notice that experience.

 

[No Imagination]

If it's vet experience, put it under the "vet experience" category. This appears to be the primary category adcoms look at. Putting it elsewhere does not appear to help make that experience stand out. If anything, it appears to increase the chances that adcoms won't notice that experience.

I know what you mean, but I've met our lab animal vet one time, and that was when I submitted my proposal to do the experiment. Officially, all animal experiments have to be supervised by a lab animal vet. Dunno, perhaps your right, but not much I can do about it now. Good catch though

 

[VAgirl]

I know what you mean, but I've met our lab animal vet one time, and that was when I submitted my proposal to do the experiment. Officially, all animal experiments have to be supervised by a lab animal vet. Dunno, perhaps your right, but not much I can do about it now. Good catch though

Sorry, I guess it's moot at this point. But it's worthwhile (perhaps for others) to note that if you were supervised by a PhD, that's vet experience, too. Doesn't have to be a DVM.

 

[No Imagination]

if you were supervised by a PhD, that's vet experience, too. Doesn't have to be a DVM.

That I did not know.