Ready for vet school?

[SnowyRox]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I've always dreamed of being a vet, but it's finally starting to hit me that I have been accepted to vet school and I'M GOING TO BE A VET (finally, lol).

I now have... 6 months free until classes start. I wish vet school just started in April, so I could just move back to town and get started with reality. I graduated last May, and have been working/traveling/enjoying life until now so I'm not so stressed out that I need a break. In fact, I'm done with being on break!

I will get a job in the next month or so when I finally stay in the same place for long enough. But really, who's going to hire me for 5 months? Maybe 7-11. Or the grocery store. I like free food 😛.

But I really just want vet school to start 😍

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

But I really just want vet school to start 😍

👍👍👍

I have 84 actual working days left. They will be both the longest and shortest 84 days. Ever.

 

[Katie8]

👍👍👍

I have 84 actual working days left. They will be both the longest and shortest 84 days. Ever.

94 days 🙂 though I haven't made it "official", this may get cut shorter!

 

[equinerider26]

I had the realization the other day that they are going to let me be a doctor in 4 years. The world trusts me that much that they are willing to hand over a piece of paper that says I can fix their animals problems.

ARE THEY CRAZY!?!

 

[SnowyRox]

I had the realization the other day that they are going to let me be a doctor in 4 years. The world trusts me that much that they are willing to hand over a piece of paper that says I can fix their animals problems.

ARE THEY CRAZY!?!

hahaha! 😍

Yes. They are crazy! 😀

I haven't wrapped my brain around that part yet. Just dealing with the excitement of (almost) being a vet student!!! I wrote that in an e-mail yesterday to adopt a dog and felt like such an imposter... did they really mean to send me an acceptance?

 

[StartingoverVet]

In answer to your title question: are you ready for vet school?
no. Even though I have already started😱

 

[cowgirla]

I'm ready for vet school....to be over!

 

[NStarz]

I can't believe they're letting me take care of people's pets either! SCARY!

 

[jmo1012]

I'm ready for vet school....to be over!

👍👍

or at the very least, this semester! haha 😀

 

[August West]

For some reason I can't even begin thinking about actually starting vet school until I at least know where it is I am going.

 

[breenie]

I'm ready for vet school....to be over!

👍

I'm ready for spring break and some booze, though. 😎

 

[Veterinary 2016]

I've been ready for vet school for 4 years now. Had a weird day a few weeks back, though, where I had a slight attack. I feel like I've been working towards this for so long, that now I know I'm actually going next fall, the realization set it. SO MUCH WORK!

And you know what, I can't wait to be stressed, and over worked, and everything else. I know it's gonna be hard, but I can't imagine doing anything else in the world. I hope everyone else has come to the same conclusion... and maybe even the same small "freak out" that I had. Start thinking about the flip side once you're finally accepted. Funny how things like that work.

Congrats everyone! Here's to being a doctor in 4 years!

 

[SocialStigma]

I felt the same way last summer, it's crazy to work towards a goal for years and years and then suddenly have it happen. I had never thought about actually being IN vet school, just the getting in part haha.

Time flies by way too quickly though, I have just 1.5 months left of my 1st year of vet school 😱.

 

[zanydogz]

I remember whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to do after graduation, I would say "Hopefully get into vet school and be a vet." I think I'm still in shock that it actually HAS happened. 😀

I will admit this: I can now graduate from my undergrad in peace.

 

[Emiloo4]

Holy crap, I don't know lol.
I'm leaving my awesome paying job of 3 years and 3 years out of school to go back to vet school and it's kind of surreal. I will go for three days without thinking too much about it, and then the next day I think "HOLY CRAP I'M GOING TO VET SCHOOL!!!"
It's all so strange feeling, but there is literally nothing else I want to do. I actually LOVE the job I have now, and the money is good, but it doesn't excite me to go to work everyday. I actually like my job now, but I don't LOVE it!
I can't wait to 😍 my job!!!!!!! 😀

 

[Esidence]

Bottle some of that up becuase you'll want it in the coming years.

Heh, I think back and think, "wow I actually begged and pleaded for THIS!?"

I'm sure it will all be worth it, but I can't wait to be OUT and actually getting money come in instead of only watching it go out...

 

[twelvetigers]

Bottle some of that up becuase you'll want it in the coming years.

Heh, I think back and think, "wow I actually begged and pleaded for THIS!?"

I'm sure it will all be worth it, but I can't wait to be OUT and actually getting money come in instead of only watching it go out...

One of our professors so kindly pointed that out to us earlier this semester.

"Okay, so a quiz next Thursday."

*class groans*

"Oh, what was that for? Oh, you have an anatomy exam that day? Hmm."

*pauses and smirks*

"Now remember, you all asked for this. Begged for it even!"

*another collective groan*

 

[Emiloo4]

Bottle some of that up becuase you'll want it in the coming years.

Heh, I think back and think, "wow I actually begged and pleaded for THIS!?"

I'm sure it will all be worth it, but I can't wait to be OUT and actually getting money come in instead of only watching it go out...

One of our professors so kindly pointed that out to us earlier this semester.

"Okay, so a quiz next Thursday."

*class groans*

"Oh, what was that for? Oh, you have an anatomy exam that day? Hmm."

*pauses and smirks*

"Now remember, you all asked for this. Begged for it even!"

*another collective groan*

I have no doubt in my mind that in a year (maybe even less), I will be thinking people in my position are naive and crazy, but none the less, I am more than willing (and aware) to deal with 4 years of torture, for 40 years of the career I want. 👍

 

[pooter]

One of our professors so kindly pointed that out to us earlier this semester.

"Okay, so a quiz next Thursday."

*class groans*

"Oh, what was that for? Oh, you have an anatomy exam that day? Hmm."

*pauses and smirks*

"Now remember, you all asked for this. Begged for it even!"

*another collective groan*

Yeah, profs seem to get more sadistic around anatomy exams. One of ours informed us that it was all "part of the process," all the while wearing that I-love-my-job smirk.

But I digress. Anyway, that "did they really mean to admit me?" reaction is pretty much universal. I certainly wondered that. Still do on my bad days.

 

[Esidence]

Yeah - we frequently joke about getting the "just kidding" letter in our inboxes. It has taken me this year of vet school and two years of grad work to realize, hell all these people are thinking many of the same things we are. The reason they're so confident is because they have repeated and do it so often they are sure of themselves. I know that if I just give myself time to drive all this crap in I'll be fine too. Even after 3/4 of a year I (and my study mates who were also joking about this) can tell that I speak differently and even read differently.
Just trust they know what they're doing and you have what it takes to get through this.

 

[DVMDream]

I have been working towards this my entire life and now that it has FINALLY happened...

I am sooo not ready. First, it would be nice to know where I am going for sure. Right now, it appears as though I am going out of the country. I am so not ready to move to another country, I don't even have a passport. I have around 110 days left of work...planning on quitting around the end of June, maybe earlier but I really need the money.

I just wish I knew 100% where I was going, then I might be a little more ready to go to vet school. Once I know where I am going and have everything set up to move to said school I will be much more excited. Will I be ready to beat my head against the wall and cram a bunch of info into my brain? NO! But, I really am so incredibly happy that I have FINALLY made it into vet school and that in a little over 4 years I will have accomplished the dream that I have been working towars for so long... 😍

 

[mooshagen]

I cannot agree more with the whole "they're going to let me be a vet in four years?!?!?!" thoughts, haha. I just wish I knew where I was going already though. I feel like making that decision is the hardest thing ever. And all these years I've thought I would never even have the luxury of schools to choose from... *sigh*

 

[skittles12]

Bottle some of that up becuase you'll want it in the coming years.

Heh, I think back and think, "wow I actually begged and pleaded for THIS!?"

I'm sure it will all be worth it, but I can't wait to be OUT and actually getting money come in instead of only watching it go out...

Haha, I thought the exact same thing all of last semester. One of our professors compared 1st semester of 2nd year to drowning in the ocean and getting pounded by wave after wave...which was a pretty accurate assessment.
Sometimes I still can't believe that I will be a vet in 2 years! It's exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Good luck to all of you starting vet school this year! It will be difficult and you will hate it some days, but I couldn't imagine doing anything different. 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

Yeah, profs seem to get more sadistic around anatomy exams. One of ours informed us that it was all "part of the process," all the while wearing that I-love-my-job smirk.

One of the things I love about MN is that our curriculum committee and the student reps on it try very hard to not have multiple tests on the same day. Beyond that, they try to spread them out as much as they reasonably can. Downside, it means we typically have 1-2 every week (with the occasional 3+, but almost never 0). Upside, I'm almost never feeling like I *have* to cram for two tests in the same night. First semester, we had one kinda icky stretch with 6 tests in 7 days, but a couple of those were low-key "don't spend more than an hour studying" kind of tests.

Since my life is a constant scheduling disaster, I really appreciate their efforts.

 

[Emiloo4]

but a couple of those were low-key "don't spend more than an hour studying" kind of tests.

They have those in vet school!!?!?!? 😱

 

[LetItSnow]

They have those in vet school!!?!?!? 😱

Oh god yes. It's not ALL hard. You have classes like 'Professional Development' (worthwhile, but easy), 'Clinical Skills' (ditto) .... There's plenty of classes in addition to the core science stuff where it's more about showing up and letting them give you information.

 

[sunnex3]

oh man i am both ready AND not ready for vet school...my job these days is getting a bit repetitive and i'm feeling the burnout of constantly feeling overworked and underappreciated so it'll be nice to just be a student again (i've been missing the studying lately, for some reason, i know WEIRD).

scared about the workload and being back in school after a year off of nothing but working and relaxing in my free time, but excited to finally get started on my way towards being a vet and meeting new people and making new friends/relationships.

all in all, 😱 !!!!

 

[psilovethomas]

Not to be a debbie downer, but I don't really want to start vet school. I try to not think about it. I just don't know how I feel about racking up so much debt knowing I might not be able to get a job. Anyone else feel the same way?
Thinking about medical school a lot these days..

 

[Emiloo4]

Not to be a debbie downer, but I don't really want to start vet school. I try to not think about it. I just don't know how I feel about racking up so much debt knowing I might not be able to get a job. Anyone else feel the same way?
Thinking about medical school a lot these days..

I feel that way... only the first part though... not the med school part. 😉

 

[SnowyRox]

Haha, I thought the exact same thing all of last semester. One of our professors compared 1st semester of 2nd year to drowning in the ocean and getting pounded by wave after wave...which was a pretty accurate assessment.
Sometimes I still can't believe that I will be a vet in 2 years! It's exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Good luck to all of you starting vet school this year! It will be difficult and you will hate it some days, but I couldn't imagine doing anything different. 🙂

hahaha. I love (and hate) that description. I know that feeling after spending my summers growing up at the Jersey shore.

 

[lailanni]

I think I want OUT more than I wanted to get in! 58 more days....

 

[hopefulinva]

I read the first line of my Illinois acceptance letter to my mom over the phone before breaking down in shrieks of joy. The lady is savvy enough to remind me "Remember this moment next year, when it's too early in the morning to be late anymore and you still haven't finished studying for your exam." Love her. <3

Can't wait. The rest of undergrad is going to be a breeze knowing that the last 9 years of my life actually lead to what I wanted it to. Now to tweak my goals a bit and make sure the next 9 give me something just as good. 😉

 

[NStarz]

Is anyone else terrified that they're going to fail out? I have to admit, my grades were good in UG, but the anatomy/physiology never came easy to me. That's basically all of veterinary school, and I'm so scared. I kick butt at ecology, it comes so naturally to me, and it's really intuitive. But anatomy and biochem and the limited hormone stuff we did in micro and developmental: 😱. Obviously, I got through it okay, and vet schools think I can do a good job, because they accepted me, but I'm still freaking out.

 

[lux0r]

81 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes for me.... but hey who is counting?

I will honestly say I feel mature and educated enough to hit the ground running, but that optimism will be soon crushed.

 

[Rocky922]

.

 

[SnowyRox]

Is anyone else terrified that they're going to fail out? I have to admit, my grades were good in UG, but the anatomy/physiology never came easy to me. That's basically all of veterinary school, and I'm so scared. I kick butt at ecology, it comes so naturally to me, and it's really intuitive. But anatomy and biochem and the limited hormone stuff we did in micro and developmental: 😱. Obviously, I got through it okay, and vet schools think I can do a good job, because they accepted me, but I'm still freaking out.

Penn officially recommends reading Dyce the summer before matriculating . I bought the coloring atlas for canine anatomy b/c I've found the equine one to be really useful in rehab. And I figure that I am more likely to complete a coloring book than reading an entire dry & dull textbook. lol. Slacking already? Complete.

 

[NStarz]

I'm terrified about a lot of things and failing out is at the top of the list. I am terrified about leaving my family/friends/boyfriend to move across the country. I am terrified about being ~$200,000 in debt in four years. I am terrified about looking like an absolute fool because I don't feel like I know nearly as much as some of my pre-vet friends. I am terrified that I am going to burn-out or that my anxiety is going to take hold of me. I am terrified about almost everything.
But that being said, I am excited about a whole lot more. I cannot wait to actually start vet school. I mean we've all been working towards this for years and years, we should be excited! I think that we've had our tunnel vision set to just "getting in" for so long that we don't know how to react now that we are in. We all need to take these next couple of months realizing that we are going to be veterinarians. We are all smart and completely qualified...i know its going to be hard work for 4 years, but we can do it!!! 😀
Think about all the great people we'll meet and the amazing opportunities that we can seize. Think about the animals we will save and the awesome veterinarians that we get to work with. Think about the fact that we are some of the very few lucky ones that get to follow their dreams!!!

This is true. Thanks for putting things into perspective. I think I'm just going past the "OMG I got into vet school" phase and heading into the "OMG I can't get through vet school phase." LOL. 😍

 

[primatevetjess]

I still have moments when I think "They're going to let me be a doctor in a year?!" Lol.

I know how it feels to be terrified that you'll fail out. That feeling never really left me until this year, when I realized that if I've made it this far I'll probably be able to finish 🙂 So I understand completely, but trust me, you'll be fine. It's extremely rare for people to fail out, and I think admissions committees are really good at determining if they think you can make it through the curriculum. Also, I've found (here at least) that professors WANT you to do well and pass, same with administration. You'll do great, I'm sure!

Definitely try to remember this moment during times of insanity. It's hard to keep perspective sometimes, but it can help. That's part of the reason I help out with so many pre-vet groups and students - their excitement reminds me to be thankful that I'm here, even when I feel like tearing my hair out!

 

[Firenze]

Penn officially recommends reading Dyce the summer before matriculating . I bought the coloring atlas for canine anatomy b/c I've found the equine one to be really useful in rehab. And I figure that I am more likely to complete a coloring book than reading an entire dry & dull textbook. lol. Slacking already? Complete.

Ha! That's one of the reasons I was so good at anatomy in high school. 😀

I'm SO excited. The only thing that's really bothering me is that after almost two years out of undergrad, I feel like I've lost all of my study skills! I've been trying to review my old textbooks just to exercise my study muscles and I can barely get through a chapter without falling asleep. Any suggestions on how to prepare for the study-workload so I don't burn up on re-entry?

 

[bunnity]

Penn officially recommends reading Dyce the summer before matriculating . I bought the coloring atlas for canine anatomy b/c I've found the equine one to be really useful in rehab. And I figure that I am more likely to complete a coloring book than reading an entire dry & dull textbook. lol. Slacking already? Complete.

I found Dyce a huge waste of time... I definitely didn't read it before or during vet school. No worries - enjoy your next few months!

To NStarz: I was exactly the same way with ecology versus other biology. It took a couple months to retrain my brain but it is definitely possible. I read the biochem for dummies and cell bio for dummies during my "is vet school really worth it" year and they helped a ton (I didn't take those two in undergrad). You will be okay 🙂

 

[bandierose]

It feels so weird because for the last decade I have been telling people Iwant to go to vet school, and for the last year and a half I have been tellingpeople I am applying to vet school, but now I actually get to tell people I am goingto vet school in the fall. It is an incredible feeling that I still can't getover. It also makes my crummy summer job (with a vet tech I hate as my boss) somuch more bearable (as does the 20% pay raise 🙂). So, all I have to say forall of us is that most of us have spent more than a decade working towardsthis. If we haven't given up by now, we probably aren't going to because of acouple of years of tough classes. Yes, we will have significant debt, but thoseof us going on to residencies will probably make in one year what our whole vetschool debt is. For those not going into residencies there is debt forgivenessand IBR (or whatever it is called). So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride (ankeep all arms and legs inside the vehicle)

 

[nyanko]

I know how it feels to be terrified that you'll fail out. That feeling never really left me until this year, when I realized that if I've made it this far I'll probably be able to finish

That feeling first came to me at the beginning of this quarter and I don't know that it is going to leave.

 

[NStarz]

I found Dyce a huge waste of time... I definitely didn't read it before or during vet school. No worries - enjoy your next few months!

To NStarz: I was exactly the same way with ecology versus other biology. It took a couple months to retrain my brain but it is definitely possible. I read the biochem for dummies and cell bio for dummies during my "is vet school really worth it" year and they helped a ton (I didn't take those two in undergrad). You will be okay 🙂

That makes me feel so much better. Thanks a ton, bunnity 👍 😍

 

[LetItSnow]

Penn officially recommends reading Dyce the summer before matriculating .

Why, do they think you won't be able to sleep at night?

I kid, I kid... Dyce is just fizzzZZZZZZZzzzzzz.....

 

[breenie]

Dyce? You bought that?

I don't know of this book. 😛

 

[twelvetigers]

Dyce is gross. I use it only because the professor likes to ask Qs straight from the reading assignments. I will be selling it to an unsuspecting 1st year for sure.

So far, immuno is the only class that I really utilize textbooks for. Phys is taught in a really particular way that the info he wants you to know is definitely not what is focused on in a text, and he's particular about it. Parasit and path are all from lectures.

For those of you wanting to study over the summer, here's the thing. I took immuno in undergrad... it was a great course, covered a lot. We passed up the entire set of info I had learned in that semester-long class at about 1/4 of the way in. In short, you really CAN'T get ahead so you might as well enjoy yourself and come in ready to start the race.

 

[squirrelsrule]

The world of vet med is still seminew to me, just decided I wanted to be a vet a little less than 2 years. It had always been a thought in the back of my mind, but not something I actually wanted to go after and thought I could enjoy. Rehabbing finally changed my mind and like everything else I went at it full force. I love a good challenge, I do rehab cottontails and they are my favorites and I graduated with a bachelor's degree at age 18, and I think that will be what gets me through. Right now I'm in the YAY, can't wait to get started and so excited I got in phase. I'm sure that will change to 😱 3 more years of this, once I'm into my first year, but for now just loving the thought of becoming a vet. Things are CRAZY at work and I am so busy the day just flies by and soon baby creatures will be in full force and that will make time at home fly by as well. And I'm sure soon I'll be like what, it's July already, where did the summer go?

I think all of us crazy excited prevets should make recordings of ourselves to play back in a year or two when we're like why did I ever want to become a vet

 

[bunnity]

The world of vet med is still seminew to me, just decided I wanted to be a vet a little less than 2 years. It had always been a thought in the back of my mind, but not something I actually wanted to go after and thought I could enjoy. Rehabbing finally changed my mind and like everything else I went at it full force. I love a good challenge, I do rehab cottontails and they are my favorites and I graduated with a bachelor's degree at age 18, and I think that will be what gets me through. Right now I'm in the YAY, can't wait to get started and so excited I got in phase. I'm sure that will change to 😱 3 more years of this, once I'm into my first year, but for now just loving the thought of becoming a vet. Things are CRAZY at work and I am so busy the day just flies by and soon baby creatures will be in full force and that will make time at home fly by as well. And I'm sure soon I'll be like what, it's July already, where did the summer go?

I think all of us crazy excited prevets should make recordings of ourselves to play back in a year or two when we're like why did I ever want to become a vet

Cottontails are my favorite too 😍

 

[mooshagen]

Omggggg, it's all feeling so scary real now. The debt, the excitement, the new friends, the ACTUALLY living out our dream...

Sincerely,
Scared to be a grown up

 

[nyanko]

Sincerely,
Scared to be a grown up

good news vet school itself is actually more of a regression away from adulthood