Starting Vet School this fall, study advice?

[doglover19]

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Hello! I am starting vet school this fall and was wondering if any current or past students have study advice or tips? What should you expect overall? Do you all have tips for studying anatomy? Thank you so much for your time, I really appreciate it!!!

I also apologize if this thread has already been created!

 

[hazelmoo]

Repetition, repetition, repetition. Also, I LOVE studying in groups because it forces you to focus and you have more people's brains to help make up ways to remember things.

 

[dyachei]

It's a pretty personal thing - what works for you?

Make sure you also make time for yourself or studying will burn you out.

you should expect a large volume of information to understand and it may be tempting to spend all your time studying it

 

[SkiOtter]

There's also this thread on here with vet school study tools that may help you some! I don't think it really has tips on how to study, but has lots of resources that may make studying a bit easier

 

[doglover19]

Thank you all so much @SandstormDVM , @SkiOtter , @dyachei , & @hazelmoo ! I really appreciate your advice! 🙂 During undergrad, I studied primarily in a study group where I talked things out with friends and found that I am a verbal studier, but I know there is so much info in vet school it might be too much to speak everything out! haha

 

[LetItSnow]

Thank you all so much @SandstormDVM , @SkiOtter , @dyachei , & @hazelmoo ! I really appreciate your advice! 🙂 During undergrad, I studied primarily in a study group where I talked things out with friends and found that I am a verbal studier, but I know there is so much info in vet school it might be too much to speak everything out! haha

Study groups and verbal studying can still work in vet school. It's probably not feasible to make that 100% of your study, but just be focused: use that technique on the stuff that you have to work harder at, and use other (solo) techniques for classes that aren't as challenging.

Ta

I had a study partner for a few of the more challenging classes (in particular, physiology and clin path, but also a few others). For most other classes, I just did a lot of late-night Starbucks and Perkins reading/writing/etc.

For anatomy, I went with the tactile approach (touch and name, touch and name, over and over). I used to pull three cadavers out of the freezer and set them up on tables in U-shape. Then I'd just go one to the next touching and identifying whatever 10, 20, 30, 50, etc things we were focused on that day/week along with reciting whatever info we needed to know about them. I'd do it late night and go until I couldn't stand it anymore.

You'll find your way. Enjoy the summer - go to vet school relaxed, with your bills on autopay, and a positive attitude. 🙂

Get involved in clubs and do as many wet-lab and other 'activity' type of things as you can. That stuff will help reinforce the classroom learning, and it's rewarding, and it helps your mental health.

 

[DVMDream]

Thank you all so much @SandstormDVM , @SkiOtter , @dyachei , & @hazelmoo ! I really appreciate your advice! 🙂 During undergrad, I studied primarily in a study group where I talked things out with friends and found that I am a verbal studier, but I know there is so much info in vet school it might be too much to speak everything out! haha

I'm a very verbal and auditory learner. I spent vet school reading things out loud to myself. Quizzing myself out loud. Creating case scenarios based on what we were being taught. I did a lot of reading out loud. I don't do well in groups so I was talking out loud to myself.


Now this didn't work for every aspect of veterinary school. There were definitely things were you just need repetition to remember the crap. Example: pharmacology. Even now there are drugs I don't use daily that I have to look up info on.

The important thing is being ready to adapt and change if necessary.

 

[doglover19]

Thank you so much @LetItSnow and @DVMDream !! Your advice is super helpful! 🙂

 

[pawtasticbananas]

Similar question... what did you guys buy for school supplies that made studying more effective?

In undergrad I never seemed to be able to find a good system. I have the ipad pro and pencil so as far as note taking in lectures, I'm fine. But how did you organize the material given out and the syllabi, print outs, etc.?

Binders always were a pain to keep up with and folders were messy and would fall apart by the end of the semester. I tried the accordion folder but that didn't seem any better.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Similar question... what did you guys buy for school supplies that made studying more effective?

In undergrad I never seemed to be able to find a good system. I have the ipad pro and pencil so as far as note taking in lectures, I'm fine. But how did you organize the material given out and the syllabi, print outs, etc.?

Binders always were a pain to keep up with and folders were messy and would fall apart by the end of the semester. I tried the accordion folder but that didn't seem any better.

I bought an accordion folder since I used those in high school and undergrad and liked them, but I haven't needed it since all my notes and study guides are on my computer. Other schools may vary, but we very rarely get physical handouts, so the only papers to keep track of are any quizzes and tests we get back. My friends like to make handwritten study guides, but I can't remember what kind of folders they use.

I got some index cards that I used to make flashcards for muscle origins/actions/insertions, but after that I switched to using Quizlet (and then second semester wasn't able to make time for even that...). Some people like dry erase boards for making diagrams, but I mostly use the big ones in the library here, and the small one I got for myself mostly got used for keeping countdowns to our next break.

 

[JaynaAli]

This is also super variable from person to person. For me, I learn best when I can write things down. I didn't download or print class notes, though we had that option. Instead I made one folder on my computer desktop or each class and kept all documents saved there. I took typed notes during class (either the 'notes' section of a powerpoint or more frequently just in a separate word document that I saved under titles like "date class" (72917 Phys) so I could find them) because I could keep up better. When studying or to memorize, I would hand write key points/important words, mechanisms, etc on sheets of unlined white paper that I tossed fairly quickly after the test, plus usually rewatch the recorded lecture capture and hand write important features I may have missed the first time around. I just didn't have tons of loose papers to keep track of except my white papers that were more scrap paper anyway.

 

[Coquette22]

Another vote for wetlabs and clubs - especially in first year, if you're not in a PBL type class, it helps reinforce things.

In addition to the great advice given by other people, don't be afraid to change your study method. What worked in high school may not work in undergrad or vet school. So if you get marks back that aren't what you think you should have, re-evaluate your study method. And not all methods work the same for different courses either. Don't just put in more time and assume that's the problem, when actually you need to switch how you're studying (ie - if you're doing reading/rewriting etc for a class and do poorly, don't just do more of the same, try flow charts or flash cards or group studying etc).

 

[doglover19]

Thank you so much @Coquette22 , @JaynaAli , & @LyraGardenia !!! I really appreciate your time & advice! 🙂

 

[cdo96]

"Enjoy the summer - go to vet school relaxed, with your bills on autopay, and a positive attitude. 🙂

ooooh I didn't think of this one! Good idea!

 

[that redhead]

I spent first year doing a lot of reading/flashcards but really hit my stride when I began studying with two close friends early second year. We studied together the rest of vet school, down to NAVLE! A couple people tried to join our group but it just wasn't for them, which is totally fine. I agree with everyone else - find something that works for you but don't get stuck in a rut. You might have to change methods among classes or even topics.

For anatomy specifically, no matter how you learn, spend time with the cadavers! Textbook or dissection guides have everything so nicely laid out. It's a lot tougher when you're working with your own specimens and your classmate butchered the muscle or the nerve or whatever

 

[doglover19]

I spent first year doing a lot of reading/flashcards but really hit my stride when I began studying with two close friends early second year. We studied together the rest of vet school, down to NAVLE! A couple people tried to join our group but it just wasn't for them, which is totally fine. I agree with everyone else - find something that works for you but don't get stuck in a rut. You might have to change methods among classes or even topics.

For anatomy specifically, no matter how you learn, spend time with the cadavers! Textbook or dissection guides have everything so nicely laid out. It's a lot tougher when you're working with your own specimens and your classmate butchered the muscle or the nerve or whatever

Thank you so much for your advice!!! 🙂