RANT HERE thread

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I have 3 things. One, I wish that the shortage of veterinarians made vet schools just be all yes your qualified, okay come on in have a seat. Not this competitive waiting game. Two, I have been so focused on school applications and rejections and my job at the emergency that my relationship fell through the cracks, and my boyfriend broke up with me to give me the time I need to focus on that stuff because we were going down different paths. Even though I might not get in this round. Three, Idk how long we would've lasted because my family thinks he's dumb because he was sheltered as kid and his parents do everything for him and solve his problems which he doesn't learn from (his mom bought him heart balloons for valentines....he's 21)and didn't go to college and doesn't know a lot of common sense things like tire tread and building credit and is trying to get in trade. Im under the impression that it would've been a lot to work through with him and that maybe it would've been better if I started dating strong independent smart person.
 
I have 3 things. One, I wish that the shortage of veterinarians made vet schools just be all yes your qualified, okay come on in have a seat. Not this competitive waiting game. Two, I have been so focused on school applications and rejections and my job at the emergency that my relationship fell through the cracks, and my boyfriend broke up with me to give me the time I need to focus on that stuff because we were going down different paths. Even though I might not get in this round. Three, Idk how long we would've lasted because my family thinks he's dumb because he was sheltered as kid and his parents do everything for him and solve his problems which he doesn't learn from (his mom bought him heart balloons for valentines....he's 21)and didn't go to college and doesn't know a lot of common sense things like tire tread and building credit and is trying to get in trade. Im under the impression that it would've been a lot to work through with him and that maybe it would've been better if I started dating strong independent smart person.
Ouch not a mamas boy!! I’ve had my fair share of doomed relationships in the past. The right person will come along and they will love you for who you are, your dreams and your commitment to them included. Take it easy and watch some comfort movies!
 
Ouch not a mamas boy!! I’ve had my fair share of doomed relationships in the past. The right person will come along and they will love you for who you are, your dreams and your commitment to them included. Take it easy and watch some comfort movies!
You're literally the sweetest, hope to meet you at florida next year if I get a seat 🙂
 
I have a vet friend who is real old school literally putting so much pressure on me to choose certain schools and encouraging me against what I told her I wanted even way back when I first applied. It's so frustrating because I feel like I can't tell her to back odf since she helped so much with my application. But she pretty much insisted on meeting for coffee to help with my essay and offered to write a recommendation so it's not like I asked for this. It feels so elitist too like why does it matter if I decide against ivy league or otherwise we're all gonna be doctors. I just hate knowing my decision will probably disappoint her. Ugh.
 
I have a vet friend who is real old school literally putting so much pressure on me to choose certain schools and encouraging me against what I told her I wanted even way back when I first applied. It's so frustrating because I feel like I can't tell her to back odf since she helped so much with my application. But she pretty much insisted on meeting for coffee to help with my essay and offered to write a recommendation so it's not like I asked for this. It feels so elitist too like why does it matter if I decide against ivy league or otherwise we're all gonna be doctors. I just hate knowing my decision will probably disappoint her. Ugh.
It does not matter what she thinks and if she’s disappointed you didn’t choose an Ivy League and went elsewhere. Just tell her you will take her thoughts into consideration when making your decisions. You need to do what’s in YOUR best interest and what’s going to be best for YOUR future. You’re the one who has to live with it and your loans from whatever school for the rest of your life, and if they’re higher going to a higher COA school or not. Just getting into vet school is enough to make her proud.
 
It does not matter what she thinks and if she’s disappointed you didn’t choose an Ivy League and went elsewhere. Just tell her you will take her thoughts into consideration when making your decisions. You need to do what’s in YOUR best interest and what’s going to be best for YOUR future. You’re the one who has to live with it and your loans from whatever school for the rest of your life, and if they’re higher going to a higher COA school or not. Just getting into vet school is enough to make her proud.
Thank you so much. I know I should be able to tell myself all of that, but it's nice to have this thread and know you all will understand 🙂
 
Just got back my first physics exam of the semester and it's shockingly low for only completely missing one question, partially missing another, and not getting the extra credit. Literally every other part of this long exam that took the full testing period was correct but somehow missing <2 questions justifies a 60% grade??? Part of it is I think they actually took away 5 points for missing the extra credit, so they should be giving that back (who penalizes missed extra credit??? if they do give those points back, my grade should be a 66%, which is better, but still) but part of it is also that they were very harsh on the partial credit - the vast majority of the multi-step problem was correct and there were only two small errors I made and they took away 7 of 10 points for that. Then the only question I got completely wrong was something we'd literally never seen before and while I might have been able to figure it out if I'd had enough time, I simply didn't have that kind of time, because she writes exams to take the full exam block and plenty of people run out of time altogether. However, I'd talked to a number of people after that exam and they all said they had no idea on that question so they wrote random stuff they knew was wrong or they just left it blank. Given that info I can't imagine the class average was greater than a 50-60% for this exam, which is just totally shocking/jarring because this professor would never have done this last semester. She was always good about adequately preparing us for her test (would never give us something entirely new that we'd never seen before) and was more generous about partial credit than taking away 70% of a question's points for two small errors. On one level, it doesn't matter too terribly much, because none of the schools I got into require a second semester of physics, and my GPA isn't as important as it was before applying, but I'm still pretty upset because I felt like I had dedicated myself to the material and understood/understand it a lot better than a 60% merits. It feels like being slapped in the face or cheated, when I was getting high grades on all the quizzes and homework and missed literally not even 2 full questions in the whole exam
 
I’m just a little pissy. Told my clinic I could work more during spring break and they said they didn’t have the hours for me (well, they had 2-4 hours shifts I could pick up but I have to drive 30 minutes there and back and they know it’s not worth it for me.)

Then, I asked if they would still have full-time hours for me over the summer months before I go to vet school and was told I should probably take a second job.

I’m just upset because I’ve been there almost 6 yrs. The boss and I are super close, but I feel bad taking this up with her because I don’t want to cause tension or have her give me hours just because she feels bad.

I get it’s just business, but this sucks and I feel under appreciated.
 
Just got rejected by Western which is my last school(other than a hopeless waitlist by Glasgow). I knew vet school was really a reach for me. I shouldn't had hope that because I got interview invites so at least I might have some slightest chance to get an alternative position. I been telling myself not getting into vet school is not end of the world and I have plan B all set, and I can always apply again, and I handled all the other rejections just fine but this still really sucks
 
Just got rejected by Western which is my last school(other than a hopeless waitlist by Glasgow). I knew vet school was really a reach for me. I shouldn't had hope that because I got interview invites so at least I might have some slightest chance to get an alternative position. I been telling myself not getting into vet school is not end of the world and I have plan B all set, and I can always apply again, and I handled all the other rejections just fine but this still really sucks
An admissions counselor told me that getting an interview invite means the school believes you're qualified and would love to accept you, they simply don't have enough spots. It might feel like it's a reach to get in, but it doesn't sound that way to me. Hang in there ❤️
 
An admissions counselor told me that getting an interview invite means the school believes you're qualified and would love to accept you, they simply don't have enough spots. It might feel like it's a reach to get in, but it doesn't sound that way to me. Hang in there ❤️
Thank you so much🥺🥺that means a lot to me
 
Found out that I have Strep this morning (never felt so horrible in my life)! Which is perfect timing because I was supposed to collect data for my thesis today, take an exam tonight, and take a quiz tomorrow morning. Can't wait to make all of that up after my Spring Break :help:
 
I work in an analytical chemistry lab doing GLP work for companies trying to get their drug approved by the FDA right now. So because there have been massive layoffs and companies being bought left and right in pharmaceuticals, we’ve barely had work to do. I feel like I’m losing my mind at work because there’s nothing to do. I miss the fast pace nature of the clinic and always having a full schedule (obviously not going to love it forever) but I can’t just take sitting at a computer for 8 hours every day anymore.
 
I am having the worst time figuring out what im going to do this summer . I thought the whole vet school application process was a beast but trying to be placed at hospitals for summer job programs is a whole other thing. I’ve applied through 6 different corps for their paid summer vet student opportunities and today I was told by the last 2 i haven’t heard from that they aren’t looking to place people in the area I want (major city!!!). I hate getting emails of hope from them talking about shorter obligations or that I may have better luck looking into unpaid experiences because I NEED to have money rn!!! My next step is to just apply to places that need employees but like who wants to hire someone thats only available for 8 weeks. I guess I thought it would be easier now that Ill have a year of vet school on my resume plus the 5 years of assistant experience prior to that but I guess I just got my hopes up preemptively 🫠 anyways if yall have any advice that would be appreciated otherwise thank you for reading

PS. Major rant might come about anatomy soon but we’ll see if the next test tips me over the edge or not
 
@Bonfuturedvm I feel that. Banfield has changed my SJP location three times now. 😂 I applied to another program since Banfield is being so flaky. I'm nervous they'll cancel again last minute and it'll be too late for me to get a job elsewhere. A lot of clinics in my area have been really wanting vet students to work for them, so I might work for a smaller practice and not do an official summer job program. Maybe you can reach out to some individual practices and see if they're interested?

good luck on your exam!
 
Not sure who you've applied through but I've had some success applying through Mission Vet Partners, United Vet Care, and Vet Pratice Partners. However, the availability of each clinic may vary regionally for example the suburbs vs a large city. I think NVA also has a student externship but I can't think of any other corporates other than VCA, Banfield, and VEG.
 
I am having the worst time figuring out what im going to do this summer . I thought the whole vet school application process was a beast but trying to be placed at hospitals for summer job programs is a whole other thing. I’ve applied through 6 different corps for their paid summer vet student opportunities and today I was told by the last 2 i haven’t heard from that they aren’t looking to place people in the area I want (major city!!!). I hate getting emails of hope from them talking about shorter obligations or that I may have better luck looking into unpaid experiences because I NEED to have money rn!!! My next step is to just apply to places that need employees but like who wants to hire someone thats only available for 8 weeks. I guess I thought it would be easier now that Ill have a year of vet school on my resume plus the 5 years of assistant experience prior to that but I guess I just got my hopes up preemptively 🫠 anyways if yall have any advice that would be appreciated otherwise thank you for reading

PS. Major rant might come about anatomy soon but we’ll see if the next test tips me over the edge or not
Hey let me know if you would be interested in a summer job with NVA. I can get in contact with my boss (I'm the KSU student rep for NVA) and see if there are any clinics in the city you're wanting to work in that are hiring vet students. I'm working during breaks for an NVA ER and I loved it during winter break and I'm excited to work again next week!
:biglove: And good luck on anatomy!! You've got this! One more day until break!
 
Oh I am pissed right now. I’ve felt horrible all weekend thinking I just had a head cold because of the fast changing weather. Took a covid test before work as a precaution and it turned up positive. So now I’m going to get another one done at the pharmacy to be sure.

Just a reminder that Covid is still out there
 
Sometimes I do everything I can to help and improve in my clinic job role but I still feel unappreciated and unheard. I’m glad I have my other job that is helpful in allowing me to grow. I have more to rant/vent about but this is not the place…sometimes vet med could be improved so much but well so many reasons it doesn’t. I’m glad I have my job outside the clinic too. Just saying.
 
Oh I am pissed right now. I’ve felt horrible all weekend thinking I just had a head cold because of the fast changing weather. Took a covid test before work as a precaution and it turned up positive. So now I’m going to get another one done at the pharmacy to be sure.

Just a reminder that Covid is still out there
Update: I get the feeling that my boss at work doesn’t believe I’m sick. Two at home test are positive, and he keeps acting like I’ll be in tomorrow. I don’t call out for unnecessary things, I go to work do my things on time and leave. Maybe I’m just paranoid but still annoyed.
 
Update: I get the feeling that my boss at work doesn’t believe I’m sick. Two at home test are positive, and he keeps acting like I’ll be in tomorrow. I don’t call out for unnecessary things, I go to work do my things on time and leave. Maybe I’m just paranoid but still annoyed.
Can you get a rapid test at urgent care to get a doctors note?
 
I hate that this whole vet school system costs so much money that I'm forced (by myself ig) to choose my IS school even after getting into another school with a curriculum and resources I would enjoy more. I keep trying to make myself feel better by saying that in every logical sense I'm making the right decision. I recognize that I'm writing from a place of privilege given that it is very hard to get into vet school anywhere but I'm still bummed 🙁. I'm obviously still excited to be starting vet school but I was wondering if others were feeling the same way or initially felt this way before matriculation.
 
I hate that this whole vet school system costs so much money that I'm forced (by myself ig) to choose my IS school even after getting into another school with a curriculum and resources I would enjoy more. I keep trying to make myself feel better by saying that in every logical sense I'm making the right decision. I recognize that I'm writing from a place of privilege given that it is very hard to get into vet school anywhere but I'm still bummed 🙁. I'm obviously still excited to be starting vet school but I was wondering if others were feeling the same way or initially felt this way before matriculation.
Oh absolutely. My IS school is in the middle of nowhere. I had been accepted to St. George and loved the idea of living on an island (though with the whole COVID thing I'm glad I wasn't there) and also was still interviewing at UMN, which was just the most beautiful campus I could imagine. But, I got into WSU and cancelled my interview because I couldn't turn down IS tuition.

I had the opportunity to extern at another school during my current clinical year and learned that there are pros and cons to anywhere you go. So, I have a hard time believing that I would've been 100% happy if I had the freedom to go to any school.
 
I hate that this whole vet school system costs so much money that I'm forced (by myself ig) to choose my IS school even after getting into another school with a curriculum and resources I would enjoy more. I keep trying to make myself feel better by saying that in every logical sense I'm making the right decision. I recognize that I'm writing from a place of privilege given that it is very hard to get into vet school anywhere but I'm still bummed 🙁. I'm obviously still excited to be starting vet school but I was wondering if others were feeling the same way or initially felt this way before matriculation.
I can relate as a current second year! I got into my instate and a few other schools, one of which had aspects I really wanted but didn’t end up thinking were enough to warrant an extra $50k over the four years. I was a little disappointed to end up choosing again the “practical” choice like I had in undergrad, but now I really love my school, I’ve gotten some really great opportunities here, and I’m especially glad that I have the financial flexibility to take advantage of outside experiences that I might not have been able to afford if I had gone to my “dream” school.
 
I hate that this whole vet school system costs so much money that I'm forced (by myself ig) to choose my IS school even after getting into another school with a curriculum and resources I would enjoy more. I keep trying to make myself feel better by saying that in every logical sense I'm making the right decision. I recognize that I'm writing from a place of privilege given that it is very hard to get into vet school anywhere but I'm still bummed 🙁. I'm obviously still excited to be starting vet school but I was wondering if others were feeling the same way or initially felt this way before matriculation.
I am facing this same dilemma right now. I am a POC and there is little diversity at my IS school. It is a HUGE factor for me, to the point where the thought of being in that environment is already taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel like I have no option other than choosing an OOS school, but the difference in tuition would be around $50K. I would love to hear from anyone who has made/ is thinking of making a similar decision due to diversity reasons.
 
I am facing this same dilemma right now. I am a POC and there is little diversity at my IS school. It is a HUGE factor for me, to the point where the thought of being in that environment is already taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel like I have no option other than choosing an OOS school, but the difference in tuition would be around $50K. I would love to hear from anyone who has made/ is thinking of making a similar decision due to diversity reasons.
I highly encourage you to reach out to Parker/Admissions with your concerns. I wish you the best in making this difficult decision.

Links to info on UGA's Diversity & Inclusion policies and AAVMC stats in general (pages 18-22 for info on race/ethnicity).


 
I highly encourage you to reach out to Parker/Admissions with your concerns. I wish you the best in making this difficult decision.

Links to info on UGA's Diversity & Inclusion policies and AAVMC stats in general (pages 18-22 for info on race/ethnicity).


Thank you for this! Some of those numbers from the AAVMC are honestly super sad to see. I'm deciding between UGA, Tuskegee, and a few other schools. I'm hoping that talking with current students will help me make my decision.
 
Okay so this is vet-school related, but also unrelated at the same time... the chronicles of my housing situation. Cortni is ADR.

So for some extensive background...
I currently live in my childhood home in which I commute to my 4 year university. There are 7 primary people (including me) in my house at the moment, however in the past few months we gained my uncle as he is going through a divorce. My uncle has 3 kids; aged 12, 9, and 5 and they are only here on the weekends. Within the 7 people living in my household 3 are my younger brothers which are 5, 3, and a few months old. Please keep in mind that this is not a large house and only has 2 full bathrooms, one of which is in the in-laws suite where my great-grandma lives. I have my own room and whatnot but I simply cannot stand to continue living here. It is truly deteriorating my mental health because of how unruly the kids are, my sleep suffers, I feel depressed and unmotivated.

Food situation:
I have spent countless hours cleaning, organizing, and decluttering but my grandma just throws things everywhere and does not keep anything clear of objects (counters, tables, etc... if there is a surface to be used, believe me, she will use it). This has impacted me in a lot of ways but mostly in my eating habits. I am at work and/or school every day Monday-Friday and unlike many people I CANNOT stand meal prep or eating the same things over and over again, so I buy LeanCuisines. Sure, they're gross to some, but theyre fine to me and they work for me... except for the fact that we never have any room in our freezer!! I have cleared out old things many many times and annouced one single area in the freezer for these meals and as soon as it becomes remotely empty because I haven't gone to the store.. Boom. There's more frozen peas, pizzas, etc. in that spot now. Some solutions I have though about for this is maybe buying an additional refrigerator and freezer and putting it in the basement for only my things- but theyre expensive! I have one drawer in the refrigerator where I keep all my stuff, but you can imagine fitting even 1 weeks worth of food in there is pretty challenging. The pantry is cluttered beyond belief, the children will eat all of the snacks that I get to take to work with me, my stuff gets shoved in the back, etc. Again, I have organized this pantry many many times and made homes for everything that needs one, but my grandma does not abide by this and within 2 days its a clusterf*ck (for lack of a better term). All of the potential solutions for this seem impossible right now and no one seems to care that I find this situation unliveable.

and...children:
My little brothers are hellions and absolutely unruly. They are up late (as in 2-3am most nights) running around, screaming, stomping, and whatever else they want to do. This makes going to bed to get up for an 8am shift or an early class incredibly challenging. Also, not all sleep is good sleep either... so just because I'm able to fall asleep, doesn't mean that I feel rested. This has lead me to a point of feeling constantly tired and unmotivated. I dread going home. It's difficult to find the motivation to clean my room or do laundry on a day that I have off. Everyone used to attribute this tiredness to me having 2 jobs and being in school. I have since left 1 hospital and only have a single job as a vet tech in which I work 16-23hrs per week (including Saturday). Since quitting my other job, I have not felt an improvement at all in my energy level.


The dreaded waitlist...
As much as I want to move out, and have wanted to for a while, I feel so stuck right now due to my vet-school situation. I am currently waitlisted at VMCVM as my in-state but we do not know what our ranks are yet on the waitlist. I wanted to move out before last semester but after discussing with my dad we found it made the most sense to "wait until I knew about vet school". Well now I have waited, and waited..... and waited some more and I still have no idea how this will pan out.

There is always a possibility of me getting pulled from the waitlist up until mid-August, but how does that work if I sign a lease? That means I would have to break a lease or sublet the apartment or whatever and immediately move to Virginia (I currently live in Maryland). That would be wonderful for the sake of me starting my career, but also seems to make no sense to move out due to signing a lease just to have to break it, potentially lose money, etc.

My plan is to wait until I know my rank and move on from there, but still what difference does it make? Do I sacrifice my mental health for another 6 months or a year just because of being held in limbo on the waitlist with the POSSIBILITY of getting pulled? I don't want to give up my spot but I just feel so stuck right now. Also, if I wait until August to look for a place and sign a lease, then I likely won't be able to find a place in my area that is available and within the budget until September/October because the pickings are VERY slim and VERY expensive. This would push my lease out to October 2024 or later, which I could potentially be gone for vet school by then.

I feel trapped and frustrated.
 
Okay so this is vet-school related, but also unrelated at the same time... the chronicles of my housing situation. Cortni is ADR.

So for some extensive background...
I currently live in my childhood home in which I commute to my 4 year university. There are 7 primary people (including me) in my house at the moment, however in the past few months we gained my uncle as he is going through a divorce. My uncle has 3 kids; aged 12, 9, and 5 and they are only here on the weekends. Within the 7 people living in my household 3 are my younger brothers which are 5, 3, and a few months old. Please keep in mind that this is not a large house and only has 2 full bathrooms, one of which is in the in-laws suite where my great-grandma lives. I have my own room and whatnot but I simply cannot stand to continue living here. It is truly deteriorating my mental health because of how unruly the kids are, my sleep suffers, I feel depressed and unmotivated.

Food situation:
I have spent countless hours cleaning, organizing, and decluttering but my grandma just throws things everywhere and does not keep anything clear of objects (counters, tables, etc... if there is a surface to be used, believe me, she will use it). This has impacted me in a lot of ways but mostly in my eating habits. I am at work and/or school every day Monday-Friday and unlike many people I CANNOT stand meal prep or eating the same things over and over again, so I buy LeanCuisines. Sure, they're gross to some, but theyre fine to me and they work for me... except for the fact that we never have any room in our freezer!! I have cleared out old things many many times and annouced one single area in the freezer for these meals and as soon as it becomes remotely empty because I haven't gone to the store.. Boom. There's more frozen peas, pizzas, etc. in that spot now. Some solutions I have though about for this is maybe buying an additional refrigerator and freezer and putting it in the basement for only my things- but theyre expensive! I have one drawer in the refrigerator where I keep all my stuff, but you can imagine fitting even 1 weeks worth of food in there is pretty challenging. The pantry is cluttered beyond belief, the children will eat all of the snacks that I get to take to work with me, my stuff gets shoved in the back, etc. Again, I have organized this pantry many many times and made homes for everything that needs one, but my grandma does not abide by this and within 2 days its a clusterf*ck (for lack of a better term). All of the potential solutions for this seem impossible right now and no one seems to care that I find this situation unliveable.

and...children:
My little brothers are hellions and absolutely unruly. They are up late (as in 2-3am most nights) running around, screaming, stomping, and whatever else they want to do. This makes going to bed to get up for an 8am shift or an early class incredibly challenging. Also, not all sleep is good sleep either... so just because I'm able to fall asleep, doesn't mean that I feel rested. This has lead me to a point of feeling constantly tired and unmotivated. I dread going home. It's difficult to find the motivation to clean my room or do laundry on a day that I have off. Everyone used to attribute this tiredness to me having 2 jobs and being in school. I have since left 1 hospital and only have a single job as a vet tech in which I work 16-23hrs per week (including Saturday). Since quitting my other job, I have not felt an improvement at all in my energy level.


The dreaded waitlist...
As much as I want to move out, and have wanted to for a while, I feel so stuck right now due to my vet-school situation. I am currently waitlisted at VMCVM as my in-state but we do not know what our ranks are yet on the waitlist. I wanted to move out before last semester but after discussing with my dad we found it made the most sense to "wait until I knew about vet school". Well now I have waited, and waited..... and waited some more and I still have no idea how this will pan out.

There is always a possibility of me getting pulled from the waitlist up until mid-August, but how does that work if I sign a lease? That means I would have to break a lease or sublet the apartment or whatever and immediately move to Virginia (I currently live in Maryland). That would be wonderful for the sake of me starting my career, but also seems to make no sense to move out due to signing a lease just to have to break it, potentially lose money, etc.

My plan is to wait until I know my rank and move on from there, but still what difference does it make? Do I sacrifice my mental health for another 6 months or a year just because of being held in limbo on the waitlist with the POSSIBILITY of getting pulled? I don't want to give up my spot but I just feel so stuck right now. Also, if I wait until August to look for a place and sign a lease, then I likely won't be able to find a place in my area that is available and within the budget until September/October because the pickings are VERY slim and VERY expensive. This would push my lease out to October 2024 or later, which I could potentially be gone for vet school by then.

I feel trapped and frustrated.
I was in a similar-ish situation before vet school. I had not yet found out I had been accepted but my family was selling the house, and their comment to me was that I had to have a clean presentable room 24/7 and the real estate agent would be showing the house whenever they wanted. Like, they would come into my room while I was in there without knocking. Additionally, I was already on edge because my mom is just so frustrating sometimes... despite the fact that she had several of her offspring still in the house, she just assumed that anything that came through the mail was hers and would open it without hesitation. She had opened a *personal* package of mine. I had no privacy :bang:The only reason I hadn't moved out before was because my parents were charged me RENT so I was struggling to save up enough to leave.

I got fed up with it though and left. I found someone to move in with whose lease was expiring in August, so it was pretty ideal. No regrets ever. You just gotta do it. So many options - you can do what I did and find someone with a lease already half-over, sign a month-to-month lease, sublet someone else's lease, etc.
 
Okay so this is vet-school related, but also unrelated at the same time... the chronicles of my housing situation. Cortni is ADR.

So for some extensive background...
I currently live in my childhood home in which I commute to my 4 year university. There are 7 primary people (including me) in my house at the moment, however in the past few months we gained my uncle as he is going through a divorce. My uncle has 3 kids; aged 12, 9, and 5 and they are only here on the weekends. Within the 7 people living in my household 3 are my younger brothers which are 5, 3, and a few months old. Please keep in mind that this is not a large house and only has 2 full bathrooms, one of which is in the in-laws suite where my great-grandma lives. I have my own room and whatnot but I simply cannot stand to continue living here. It is truly deteriorating my mental health because of how unruly the kids are, my sleep suffers, I feel depressed and unmotivated.

Food situation:
I have spent countless hours cleaning, organizing, and decluttering but my grandma just throws things everywhere and does not keep anything clear of objects (counters, tables, etc... if there is a surface to be used, believe me, she will use it). This has impacted me in a lot of ways but mostly in my eating habits. I am at work and/or school every day Monday-Friday and unlike many people I CANNOT stand meal prep or eating the same things over and over again, so I buy LeanCuisines. Sure, they're gross to some, but theyre fine to me and they work for me... except for the fact that we never have any room in our freezer!! I have cleared out old things many many times and annouced one single area in the freezer for these meals and as soon as it becomes remotely empty because I haven't gone to the store.. Boom. There's more frozen peas, pizzas, etc. in that spot now. Some solutions I have though about for this is maybe buying an additional refrigerator and freezer and putting it in the basement for only my things- but theyre expensive! I have one drawer in the refrigerator where I keep all my stuff, but you can imagine fitting even 1 weeks worth of food in there is pretty challenging. The pantry is cluttered beyond belief, the children will eat all of the snacks that I get to take to work with me, my stuff gets shoved in the back, etc. Again, I have organized this pantry many many times and made homes for everything that needs one, but my grandma does not abide by this and within 2 days its a clusterf*ck (for lack of a better term). All of the potential solutions for this seem impossible right now and no one seems to care that I find this situation unliveable.

and...children:
My little brothers are hellions and absolutely unruly. They are up late (as in 2-3am most nights) running around, screaming, stomping, and whatever else they want to do. This makes going to bed to get up for an 8am shift or an early class incredibly challenging. Also, not all sleep is good sleep either... so just because I'm able to fall asleep, doesn't mean that I feel rested. This has lead me to a point of feeling constantly tired and unmotivated. I dread going home. It's difficult to find the motivation to clean my room or do laundry on a day that I have off. Everyone used to attribute this tiredness to me having 2 jobs and being in school. I have since left 1 hospital and only have a single job as a vet tech in which I work 16-23hrs per week (including Saturday). Since quitting my other job, I have not felt an improvement at all in my energy level.


The dreaded waitlist...
As much as I want to move out, and have wanted to for a while, I feel so stuck right now due to my vet-school situation. I am currently waitlisted at VMCVM as my in-state but we do not know what our ranks are yet on the waitlist. I wanted to move out before last semester but after discussing with my dad we found it made the most sense to "wait until I knew about vet school". Well now I have waited, and waited..... and waited some more and I still have no idea how this will pan out.

There is always a possibility of me getting pulled from the waitlist up until mid-August, but how does that work if I sign a lease? That means I would have to break a lease or sublet the apartment or whatever and immediately move to Virginia (I currently live in Maryland). That would be wonderful for the sake of me starting my career, but also seems to make no sense to move out due to signing a lease just to have to break it, potentially lose money, etc.

My plan is to wait until I know my rank and move on from there, but still what difference does it make? Do I sacrifice my mental health for another 6 months or a year just because of being held in limbo on the waitlist with the POSSIBILITY of getting pulled? I don't want to give up my spot but I just feel so stuck right now. Also, if I wait until August to look for a place and sign a lease, then I likely won't be able to find a place in my area that is available and within the budget until September/October because the pickings are VERY slim and VERY expensive. This would push my lease out to October 2024 or later, which I could potentially be gone for vet school by then.

I feel trapped and frustrated.
I can't help with housing, but just say that even without all that ridiculousness - I love our tiny chest freezer and would definitely recommend. We got it while I was in school and it was especially great for clinical year when I stored a bunch of leftover meals in preparation. I think ours was like $250-300 but I suspect you could get a smaller one or score one off FB marketplace for way cheaper.
 
I don’t know where else to rent and need some advice. I’m currently working for a SA clinic as a vet assistant. I’ve worked there for almost 2 years and it’s the only vet clinic I’ve worked at. The vet I work for used to be super nice to me and within the last 6 months, has treated me completely different. When I go to tell them about a history on a certain patient, I get cut off. They no longer allow me to do tasks I have normally done there. I am belittled in front of clients. An example is I was holding a dog for a nail trim and they were super wiggly and I was repositioning the animal when the vet grabbed it from my hands and yelled at someone else to come hold, then proceeded to tell the owner I’m not a good holder and the other person that just came in the room is much better. One time in front of a client, I was holding for the vet to draw blood and the dog whined as the needle went in and the vet jerked and then left the room saying “I need a holder”. I am not bad at restraining animals except when they’re very unruly and even at that, I just reposition to have a better restraint. Some animals need chemical restraint and I’m still belittled for not being able to hold by myself, when in those situations I believe two people would be better. There’s way more situations but I can’t mention them all. It’s making me question my worth and now I don’t know if I’ll be a good doctor. Its normal for me to cry after work now… I’m accepted into vet school this cycle but I’m just worried if I leave, my offer will get rescinded somehow. Im just absolutely miserable right now and don’t know what to do..
 
I don’t know where else to rent and need some advice. I’m currently working for a SA clinic as a vet assistant. I’ve worked there for almost 2 years and it’s the only vet clinic I’ve worked at. The vet I work for used to be super nice to me and within the last 6 months, has treated me completely different. When I go to tell them about a history on a certain patient, I get cut off. They no longer allow me to do tasks I have normally done there. I am belittled in front of clients. An example is I was holding a dog for a nail trim and they were super wiggly and I was repositioning the animal when the vet grabbed it from my hands and yelled at someone else to come hold, then proceeded to tell the owner I’m not a good holder and the other person that just came in the room is much better. One time in front of a client, I was holding for the vet to draw blood and the dog whined as the needle went in and the vet jerked and then left the room saying “I need a holder”. I am not bad at restraining animals except when they’re very unruly and even at that, I just reposition to have a better restraint. Some animals need chemical restraint and I’m still belittled for not being able to hold by myself, when in those situations I believe two people would be better. There’s way more situations but I can’t mention them all. It’s making me question my worth and now I don’t know if I’ll be a good doctor. Its normal for me to cry after work now… I’m accepted into vet school this cycle but I’m just worried if I leave, my offer will get rescinded somehow. Im just absolutely miserable right now and don’t know what to do..
To add: I can’t even talk about going to vet school because it creates a negative environment. My vet talks so bad about the school I’m attending and says “the students that graduate from there are sorry.” And so much more tbh. I haven’t even told them I’m attending that certain school because I don’t want to hear all the bad things…
 
I don’t know where else to rent and need some advice. I’m currently working for a SA clinic as a vet assistant. I’ve worked there for almost 2 years and it’s the only vet clinic I’ve worked at. The vet I work for used to be super nice to me and within the last 6 months, has treated me completely different. When I go to tell them about a history on a certain patient, I get cut off. They no longer allow me to do tasks I have normally done there. I am belittled in front of clients. An example is I was holding a dog for a nail trim and they were super wiggly and I was repositioning the animal when the vet grabbed it from my hands and yelled at someone else to come hold, then proceeded to tell the owner I’m not a good holder and the other person that just came in the room is much better. One time in front of a client, I was holding for the vet to draw blood and the dog whined as the needle went in and the vet jerked and then left the room saying “I need a holder”. I am not bad at restraining animals except when they’re very unruly and even at that, I just reposition to have a better restraint. Some animals need chemical restraint and I’m still belittled for not being able to hold by myself, when in those situations I believe two people would be better. There’s way more situations but I can’t mention them all. It’s making me question my worth and now I don’t know if I’ll be a good doctor. Its normal for me to cry after work now… I’m accepted into vet school this cycle but I’m just worried if I leave, my offer will get rescinded somehow. Im just absolutely miserable right now and don’t know what to do..
Leave. As soon as you can. I can't explain why the vet is behaving this way towards you now when it sounds like things were fine before, but there's no reason to stay in an environment like that. You have your vet school offer, they're not going to take it away. Get out of there.
 
Fully agree with dubz. Leave and get tf outta that toxic environment. Vetmed is hard enough. You don’t need to stay somewhere where they treat you poorly and you’re crying daily because of it. Find another vet job or something in a different field if you need to have an income or just enjoy the rest of your time until vet school starts and relax. You gotta take care of you first.
 
My last shift:

Dog came in with acute syncopal episodes and otherwise no clinical signs with wonderful owners who will do anything for their dogs. Diagnosis? Leukaemia.

Cat came in for suspected flare-up of Herpesvirus and a URI. Diagnosis? FIP vs cancer.

By the end of the shift I was inclined to just not do diagnostics so I wouldn’t have to discover something bad.
 
It’s making me question my worth and now I don’t know if I’ll be a good doctor.
Your worthiness as an individual and a doctor is not determined by one person's opinion. Period. Being a good doctor has no connection to if you can restrain an unruly dog. You have your acceptance; you're worthy for sure.
I’m accepted into vet school this cycle but I’m just worried if I leave, my offer will get rescinded somehow
Not a thing. Your acceptance is safe and sound.
Im just absolutely miserable right now and don’t know what to do
You leave.
 
I’m going to sound very privileged and I completely understand that, but I kinda feel ashamed for not getting into my IS school. My only choices are OOS now and when applying I felt that I’d be okay with what that entails, specifically financially, but now that I’m in, it feels all so real and I’m terrified over leaving so much of what I’m used to behind only to accrue 300k in debt compared to 200k at my IS. I wish I would’ve worked harder and been able to compete with my IS applicants and I feel ashamed that I wasn’t good enough to get in.

Now I’m terrified of going and dealing with a lifetime of financial instability, but I know it’s what I want to do and I’ve worked so hard to get in. I feel so fortunate to even have gotten into OOS schools, and I feel if I try again for my IS I’d be gambling losing my future as a vet at all. Kinda feels like my only choices are to suck it up and do what I’ve worked so hard to achieve, or run away and potentially lose that chance forever.

Just wish I’d worked harder.
 
Just wish I’d worked harder.
I'm going to gently tell you not to do this to yourself. One of my best friends works harder than anyone I know, and is absolutely brilliant, and didn't get into her IS school. It doesn't mean that she didn't bust her tail to get to where she is, or that she should have done something different. There are plenty of people on this forum who are now phenomenal vets who didn't get into their IS programs for one reason or another (which could include that the luck just didn't shake out for them that cycle at that school).

Sometimes, the chips just don't fall in a way where our IS program works out. But it sounds like you got into multiple programs, which is excellent, and you're going to be a great vet no matter which of those you go to. And you certainly didn't get into multiple programs as an OOS applicant by not working hard enough.

Be proud of what you've accomplished, because it's a lot more than whether you got into a particular program or not.
 
I'm going to gently tell you not to do this to yourself. One of my best friends works harder than anyone I know, and is absolutely brilliant, and didn't get into her IS school. It doesn't mean that she didn't bust her tail to get to where she is, or that she should have done something different. There are plenty of people on this forum who are now phenomenal vets who didn't get into their IS programs for one reason or another (which could include that the luck just didn't shake out for them that cycle at that school).

Sometimes, the chips just don't fall in a way where our IS program works out. But it sounds like you got into multiple programs, which is excellent, and you're going to be a great vet no matter which of those you go to. And you certainly didn't get into multiple programs as an OOS applicant by not working hard enough.

Be proud of what you've accomplished, because it's a lot more than whether you got into a particular program or not.
This goes doubly so given that many schools have preferences for individual parts of applications that other schools may not weigh as heavily. An excellent candidate for one school (who heavily weights, for example, interview scores and experiences vs not factoring in GPA after meeting a minimum cutoff) might be a mediocre or even bad candidate for another (who might heavily weight cum GPA and doesn't interview).

For some students, they're GREAT candidates, but the weaker parts of their application happen to be things their IS weights heavily and it makes it much more difficult for them to get in to their IS based on the vagaries of geography alone. This is why you'll sometimes see people suggest to folks who may not be great candidates for their current IS to consider moving so they can be IS at a school that might look at their app more favorably.
 
I’m going to sound very privileged and I completely understand that, but I kinda feel ashamed for not getting into my IS school. My only choices are OOS now and when applying I felt that I’d be okay with what that entails, specifically financially, but now that I’m in, it feels all so real and I’m terrified over leaving so much of what I’m used to behind only to accrue 300k in debt compared to 200k at my IS. I wish I would’ve worked harder and been able to compete with my IS applicants and I feel ashamed that I wasn’t good enough to get in.

Now I’m terrified of going and dealing with a lifetime of financial instability, but I know it’s what I want to do and I’ve worked so hard to get in. I feel so fortunate to even have gotten into OOS schools, and I feel if I try again for my IS I’d be gambling losing my future as a vet at all. Kinda feels like my only choices are to suck it up and do what I’ve worked so hard to achieve, or run away and potentially lose that chance forever.

Just wish I’d worked harder.
I have felt this way many times over the past few years. It is completely valid. I hate that there is stigma for not getting into your IS or going to a private school or island school or other country. I feel it when I talk to some vets and prevets. This is my 4th application cycle. I have not gotten any acceptances, but I am lucky enough to be on 2 waitlists OOS. It is hard to hear that you are not good enough. I was so sure that my IS would eventually see that I was the right candidate. I honestly can't even be mad at them, which is frustrating, because they have been so kind to me these last 4 years. There are so many exceptional candidates, to objectively pick the "best" is hard. Admissions committees at each school are looking for certain things, tangible and intangible factors, some we know and some we don't. I really don't feel like it's a matter of just working hard, because we all work excruciatingly hard to get here. I tried to make the best financial decision for me, the first two years I only applied to my instate. I am 34 and a single full-time working homeowner. I am very responsible. For me, being a vet is a non-negotiable in my life. It costs money to be alive and you will always have bills. I would rather be paying off educational loans for my wildest dream than to be sitting at home with regret and a perfect credit score. I plan to go where I can get in, sell my house to offset tuition and start earning my DVM salary as soon as possible. I will have a financial advisor to help me make the right decision and I will make it work. You have to decide what is negotiable and non-negotiable in your life. Make sure you are being gentle with yourself and take some time to celebrate. You did it, you got in, you are exceptional!
 
As I am coming down to a final decision on where I am going to attend veterinary school, I am happy but I also feel so insanely discouraged.

I never thought I would get here. Now that I am here, I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what I want to do. I feel like my true interests are so far-fetched and I never really put weight into them. Now that I’m here, I’m sad about the thought of never being able to pursue them. Ofc, I know I don’t have to make decisions right now but everyone says “talk to the profs early” “make connections early” etc etc. I’m scared I’ll never make those connections. I’m scared I won’t get to do what I want, or I’ll never truly find what I want…

I have so many interests, none seem possible. (Aquatic/wildlife/exotic vet med are an interest that I always pushed back because I was told it was impossible. I love public health, but the more I think about an MPH the more I want to throw up in my mouth. I love the idea of true mixed animal practice. I like internal medicine, but don’t think I’d want to pick only large or only small. Pathology is cool but research is gross. I could go on.)

The thought of deciding on who I want to reach out to, how to establish those connections, and choosing a path are hard
 
As I am coming down to a final decision on where I am going to attend veterinary school, I am happy but I also feel so insanely discouraged.

I never thought I would get here. Now that I am here, I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what I want to do. I feel like my true interests are so far-fetched and I never really put weight into them. Now that I’m here, I’m sad about the thought of never being able to pursue them. Ofc, I know I don’t have to make decisions right now but everyone says “talk to the profs early” “make connections early” etc etc. I’m scared I’ll never make those connections. I’m scared I won’t get to do what I want, or I’ll never truly find what I want…

I have so many interests, none seem possible. (Aquatic/wildlife/exotic vet med are an interest that I always pushed back because I was told it was impossible. I love public health, but the more I think about an MPH the more I want to throw up in my mouth. I love the idea of true mixed animal practice. I like internal medicine, but don’t think I’d want to pick only large or only small. Pathology is cool but research is gross. I could go on.)

The thought of deciding on who I want to reach out to, how to establish those connections, and choosing a path are hard
I know it’s daunting and confusing, but you have time. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. I started this year 100% certain the specialty I wanted and now I’m not so sure. A great thing about vet school is that you’re exposed to so much and have so much opportunity to break out of your comfort zone so you discover passion for new things! It will all be ok, breathe 🙂
 
I am facing this same dilemma right now. I am a POC and there is little diversity at my IS school. It is a HUGE factor for me, to the point where the thought of being in that environment is already taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel like I have no option other than choosing an OOS school, but the difference in tuition would be around $50K. I would love to hear from anyone who has made/ is thinking of making a similar decision due to diversity reasons.
I am! I’m choosing an OOS school. Although I am white, I am a member of the LGBT community. My fiancée is Black and also an immigrant. It is extremely important to me for us to be in a safe, comfortable environment. Moreover, I want to attend a school that promotes diversity. I think I will be accepting my seat at tOSU. I went to their preview day - every person I met was from somewhere different or had a unique background (first gen, underrepresented minority, even international students). I think being in an environment that promotes diversity will put us all in a better position to learn from each persons perspectives. Even more importantly, I think the school supports an inclusive - not just a diverse environment.

My mental health is worth more than any amount of money. The good thing is osu has a lot of scholarship opportunities and it isn’t THAT expensive…about 50k more than my in state as opposed to other OOS which are 200k more.
 
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