Question About My Future.

[FutureVet90]

I'm majoring in biology (pre-vet) and i will be a junior this fall. My grades were poor when i first attended this university under a different major (pre-nursing). i changed it to biology last year, so i'm behind in my courses. i'm starting to get good grades, but i'm still working on my gpa. i'm finally in good standing and proud of myself; my GPA is a 2.0 right now, but i'm hoping to push it to a 3.0 by the time i graduate. i know that will not get me accepted into vet school along with me not getting any vet hours yet, but i'm determined to get things in order. I thought about doing a post-bacc program to increase my gpa because i don't plan on applying for vet school after i graduate; is this a good idea?

i have a backup plan if being a veterinarian doesn't work out. my backup plan is to go to vet tech school. at the same time, i feel that would be such a waste of time getting my bachelor's degree and then decide to be a vet tech. i don't know what else i can do with my biology degree relating to animals.

i'm just not sure how my future is going to turn out.

note- i will start taking my required courses this fall.

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[Bracco Pointer]

I think the real question you have to ask yourself is: do you truly want to be a vet, and how much work are you willing to do to get there? If you don't have any experience hours yet, and your GPA is a 2.0, you've got a long, tough road ahead of you. It might not be impossible, but it's not going to be easy.

If you would be happy as a vet tech, then it might be worth pursuing. You'll get out of school with much less of a financial burden, and you'll get to spend more time loving animals and less time explaining what's wrong to their owners. It's all a matter of what you're happy with. If you know you wouldn't be satisfied working as a tech, then start chipping away at the pre-vet requirements. If you can get your GPA up to a 3.0, rock the GRE, and get close to 1000 hours of vet experience then you have a fighting chance. It might take more than one application to get in (and it may not be to your first choice school), but it's not impossible.

 

[cowgirla]

Some threads you might find useful:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=879282

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=901255

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=906900

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=916759


Stop worrying about what you'll do after you graduate, and start working on NOW. You say you've brought your GPA up- was that with A's? You've been saying for months that you are going to get your grades up and start taking required courses. Why don't you see how the required courses go before freaking out about anything else?

 

[FutureVet90]

Some threads you might find useful:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=879282

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=901255

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=906900

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=916759


Stop worrying about what you'll do after you graduate, and start working on NOW. You say you've brought your GPA up- was that with A's? You've been saying for months that you are going to get your grades up and start taking required courses. Why don't you see how the required courses go before freaking out about anything else?

i got an A and a B this summer semester. yeah, i said i was going to take my required courses. i had to take certain ones before i did; i will be taking my required courses starting this fall.

 

[FutureVet90]

I think the real question you have to ask yourself is: do you truly want to be a vet, and how much work are you willing to do to get there? If you don't have any experience hours yet, and your GPA is a 2.0, you've got a long, tough road ahead of you. It might not be impossible, but it's not going to be easy.

If you would be happy as a vet tech, then it might be worth pursuing. You'll get out of school with much less of a financial burden, and you'll get to spend more time loving animals and less time explaining what's wrong to their owners. It's all a matter of what you're happy with. If you know you wouldn't be satisfied working as a tech, then start chipping away at the pre-vet requirements. If you can get your GPA up to a 3.0, rock the GRE, and get close to 1000 hours of vet experience then you have a fighting chance. It might take more than one application to get in (and it may not be to your first choice school), but it's not impossible.

yes, being a vet is something i want to do and i'm willing to get my GPA up there. i don't mind being a vet tech as well because i will still be around animals. i just think it would be a waste of time to go to school for 4 years and then go to vet tech. being in less debt is a plus though lol.

 

[uoguelph]

In my opinion it is a waste of time going through 4 years of university and then 2 years of vet tech. Your vet tech program would be very easy and yes you will most likely get hired right away, since other people will just have a vet tech diploma but for me I wouldn't be willing to do that and I feel sorry for whoever has to do that. To work with and see something you wanted to be everyday would be torture!

You just have to ask yourself how bad do I want this and how hard am I willing to work to get there. There is still time to pull that GPA up and for most schools, experience certainly helps but grades are what gets you an interview. I'm not sure if you have volunteered at all in a veterinary clinic but maybe that will help you determine whether or not you want to consider becoming a tech. They are a vital part of the veterinary team but you will see how they get treated by clients and the doctors. Just my view on things!

 

[grrrr121]

You just have to ask yourself how bad do I want this and how hard am I willing to work to get there. There is still time to pull that GPA up and for most schools, experience certainly helps but grades are what gets you an interview. I'm not sure if you have volunteered at all in a veterinary clinic but maybe that will help you determine whether or not you want to consider becoming a tech. They are a vital part of the veterinary team but you will see how they get treated by clients and the doctors. Just my view on things!

this. Definitely get started on your prerequisites, but also get some experience in. You need to get a feel for what the job entails before you make the career decision

 

[wildcatj]

 

[hai1983]

FutureVet90: why do you want to be a veterinarian? why would you be a good veterinarian?

 

[Emiloo4]

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

FutureVet90: why do you want to be a veterinarian? why would you be a good veterinarian?

What, are you on the adcom now? Mr. "I'm such an awesome tech" ? Psh.

 

[FutureVet90]

FutureVet90: why do you want to be a veterinarian? why would you be a good veterinarian?

1. because i've always had cats as pets and was curious about their health and behavior. i saw myself taking caring of animals in general.

2. because i would give them best care they could possibly have. knowing that i did what was right for the animal and owner, would make me happy.

 

[TXvet]

I have a very good friend that received her bachelors from Texas A&M, then went on to vet. tech school. She is now the manager of my friends small animal clinic. She takes care of hiring, firing, reviews of employees, scheduling and occasionally still techs as needed. She is my friends right hand woman.

 

[Lightinthedark]

Hey, guys!

I was wondering how I competitive I am:

Overall GPA: 3.921
Science GPA: 3.636
Last 30/45 hours: 4.0
GRE Verbal: 400
GRE Quantitative: 660
Still waiting on my Writing Score.
Vet Experience: 431 (consists of exotics, food animals, small animals)
Animal Experience: over 400 (consists of AIing of cattle, taking care of exotics, riding horses at a therapeutic riding center, worked with food animals)

I am concerned about my GRE scores. Any advice about admissions?

 

[uoguelph]

Nobody can tell you how competitive you are. Thousands of people apply to veterinary school each year and each school has different standards. Your GPA looks good and I would be content with that experience.

 

[Dsmoody23]

 

[SnowyRox]

Hey, guys!

I was wondering how I competitive I am:

Overall GPA: 3.921
Science GPA: 3.636
Last 30/45 hours: 4.0
GRE Verbal: 400
GRE Quantitative: 660
Still waiting on my Writing Score.
Vet Experience: 431 (consists of exotics, food animals, small animals)
Animal Experience: over 400 (consists of AIing of cattle, taking care of exotics, riding horses at a therapeutic riding center, worked with food animals)

I am concerned about my GRE scores. Any advice about admissions?

No one can give you an exact answer.

Your GPA is above average for every school. Your GRE is below average for most (all?) schools. What percentile is the 400? Did you study for the GRE and think that it's reflective of your best efforts or did you just take it on a whim? Fixing your GRE could be an easy way to boost your application.

Purely by numbers, your veterinary experience is average to below average (Penn's average is 500 hours. Don't remember other schools). BUT if you have varied experience in a variety of fields where you learned a lot then you may be fine.

Basically: You don't have a sure shot. No one does. Throw your application in the pile and you will have a chance! Try to get more vet experience before interview season for some great talking points.

 

[nohika]

1. because i've always had cats as pets and was curious about their health and behavior. i saw myself taking caring of animals in general.

2. because i would give them best care they could possibly have. knowing that i did what was right for the animal and owner, would make me happy.

Please, PLEASE shadow/volunteer/tech some before proceeding with this happy view of the veterinary world. Because unfortunately, it does not always exist. You will not always get to do "what was right" for the animal, and you will likely get screamed at, cussed at, etc by owners who think you are money-grubbing and that you must hate animals. There will be times that yes, you get to do everything you can and truly help animals, but there will also be times where you will not. Unless, of course, you plan to fund all of that care when the owners cannot.

Course, that also depends on where you work. An EP clinic tends to see more stressful situations than a GP clinic, for example.

 

[FutureVet90]

Please, PLEASE shadow/volunteer/tech some before proceeding with this happy view of the veterinary world. Because unfortunately, it does not always exist. You will not always get to do "what was right" for the animal, and you will likely get screamed at, cussed at, etc by owners who think you are money-grubbing and that you must hate animals. There will be times that yes, you get to do everything you can and truly help animals, but there will also be times where you will not. Unless, of course, you plan to fund all of that care when the owners cannot.

Course, that also depends on where you work. An EP clinic tends to see more stressful situations than a GP clinic, for example.

i already know that it's not going to be oats and honey. i was just answering why i want to become a veterinarian.

but thank you for the advice.

 

[Lightinthedark]

No one can give you an exact answer.

Your GPA is above average for every school. Your GRE is below average for most (all?) schools. What percentile is the 400? Did you study for the GRE and think that it's reflective of your best efforts or did you just take it on a whim? Fixing your GRE could be an easy way to boost your application.

Purely by numbers, your veterinary experience is average to below average (Penn's average is 500 hours. Don't remember other schools). BUT if you have varied experience in a variety of fields where you learned a lot then you may be fine.

Basically: You don't have a sure shot. No one does. Throw your application in the pile and you will have a chance! Try to get more vet experience before interview season for some great talking points.

I did not take the GRE on a whim, and I studied really hard for the exam. I just took my second GRE. (I studied with Kaplan test prep.) I do not know my percentiles yet, because I took the second GRE last Tuesday.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[485501]

i have a backup plan if being a veterinarian doesn't work out. my backup plan is to go to vet tech school. at the same time, i feel that would be such a waste of time getting my bachelor's degree and then decide to be a vet tech. i don't know what else i can do with my biology degree relating to animals.

There are lots of other things you can do relating to animals with a biology bachelor's degree. I don't know if they would appeal to you, but it might be worth checking some out. Animal care in kennels, natural history museums, zoos, and labs, doing research, lab tech work, animal training, assisting field research, working as or for a breeder, teaching, and many other possibilities.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't work towards being a vet, or that vet tech isn't a good backup plan, but if what you want is to work with animals, there are other options to explore.