switching out of pre vet?

[awkequestrian]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering if there was anyone who was originally pre vet, but decided to switch to another career path, and how you came to that decision. Lately I've been considering other careers, especially in research. While I love working with animals, I've realized that I have other interests too. I feel like I would have more options if I went into research (I'm also interested in things like wildlife/conservation, ecology, and exercise science outside of animal science), and while I understand I'd eventually have to choose one specific focus, I just feel like I would have more options. My biggest worry is that I have never really been involved with research and I don't really know exactly what it consists of. I really like working hands on, whether it's with people, animals, or nature. I've just been feeling unmotivated lately, and part of me thinks its because I'm not really 100% set on being pre vet. Even before college I started considering other majors, but my mom kind of pushed me to be pre vet, and I've never really considered anything else. I'm currently a sophomore at Rutgers University, and seeing all the research that goes on here I'm just starting to reconsider if I'm really on the right path.
I understand that this decision is ultimately up to me, but I'd love to hear from anyone else who has been through this! Especially how you might have adjusted your studies and work experience, since I'm considering picking up another major in another field I'm interested in (potentially exercise science) but I'm worried about overloading myself with too much at once since I have the tendency to do that

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[SkiOtter]

Do what makes you happy. Don't let your moms wishes influence your path in life. You still have a couple years left in undergrad so I'd recommend trying to get involved in some research as soon as you can to see if it's something you're seriously interested in. There even could be a possibility of starting next semester, I'm not sure.


But I know @PrincessButterCup was prevet and applied to vet school a couple times and now is taking a different path in life and is really excited about it so I'm paging her rn.

 

[SoFloGryffindor]

So, just my two cents: pre-vet is not a major, so maybe focus on the (other) career options within your major. For example, if you're majoring in biology, that opens plenty of opportunity for research in wildlife/conservation, ecology, and exercise science (outside of animal science, as you stated).

If you're an animal science major, talk to an advisor and see if you can change your major without getting set-back. There are plenty of majors that satisfy the pre-reqs needed for vet school, and they allow you to explore the breadth of different career options. I think for me, this is why I chose to get my BS in Biological Sciences, it opens up my options especially if life says no to becoming a DVM for me.

 

[that redhead]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering if there was anyone who was originally pre vet, but decided to switch to another career path, and how you came to that decision. Lately I've been considering other careers, especially in research. While I love working with animals, I've realized that I have other interests too. I feel like I would have more options if I went into research (I'm also interested in things like wildlife/conservation, ecology, and exercise science outside of animal science), and while I understand I'd eventually have to choose one specific focus, I just feel like I would have more options. My biggest worry is that I have never really been involved with research and I don't really know exactly what it consists of. I really like working hands on, whether it's with people, animals, or nature. I've just been feeling unmotivated lately, and part of me thinks its because I'm not really 100% set on being pre vet. Even before college I started considering other majors, but my mom kind of pushed me to be pre vet, and I've never really considered anything else. I'm currently a sophomore at Rutgers University, and seeing all the research that goes on here I'm just starting to reconsider if I'm really on the right path.
I understand that this decision is ultimately up to me, but I'd love to hear from anyone else who has been through this! Especially how you might have adjusted your studies and work experience, since I'm considering picking up another major in another field I'm interested in (potentially exercise science) but I'm worried about overloading myself with too much at once since I have the tendency to do that

Any time you're considering a possible career option as a student, it is always a good idea to get experience in that field before putting all eggs into that basket. Have you participated in any research on campus? If the answer is no, I would start talking to professors soon and see if you can get into one of their labs for the summer. There are also a number of summer programs for students interested in research that may even pay a stipend.

The bottom line is, you still have time to decide what you want to do with your life. If you just aren't excited about veterinary medicine right now, it would be a great idea to explore your other opportunities through something like part-time work or volunteering. But as with vet med, it's not a good idea to set your heart on something AND play Jenga with your schedule trying to make something happen if you haven't experienced it yet. If you get some experience and decide you really love it, go ahead and switch things around.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

If you have any classes that you particularly enjoy, talk to those profs about any research they are doing, or that they know is going on in your institution. In my experience they are very receptive to interest in their work. This relationship can then carry on to shadowing, volunteering, or working in their lab.

I'd recommend shadowing in a lab (much like shadowing a vet) in order to see if you like the work. Though that does get trickier since much of wildlife/ecology/etc research is either in the field or on a computer.

Also, if your school has a Co-op program I'd recommend enrolling in that. I'm registered as a Biology Co-op student, and a huge majority of the jobs that are posted for the program are field research positions that sound super duper interesting. Although at this point I believe vetmed is for me, I have definitely considered switching into the ecology/fieldwork/research field and plan on doing at least one job related to that before vet school (whenever that may be).

Even if you switch to that path, most (if not all) of your prereqs will probably be included so if later on you decide to switch back it should not be too difficult providing you keep your grades high.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering if there was anyone who was originally pre vet, but decided to switch to another career path, and how you came to that decision. Lately I've been considering other careers, especially in research. While I love working with animals, I've realized that I have other interests too. I feel like I would have more options if I went into research (I'm also interested in things like wildlife/conservation, ecology, and exercise science outside of animal science), and while I understand I'd eventually have to choose one specific focus, I just feel like I would have more options. My biggest worry is that I have never really been involved with research and I don't really know exactly what it consists of. I really like working hands on, whether it's with people, animals, or nature. I've just been feeling unmotivated lately, and part of me thinks its because I'm not really 100% set on being pre vet. Even before college I started considering other majors, but my mom kind of pushed me to be pre vet, and I've never really considered anything else. I'm currently a sophomore at Rutgers University, and seeing all the research that goes on here I'm just starting to reconsider if I'm really on the right path.
I understand that this decision is ultimately up to me, but I'd love to hear from anyone else who has been through this! Especially how you might have adjusted your studies and work experience, since I'm considering picking up another major in another field I'm interested in (potentially exercise science) but I'm worried about overloading myself with too much at once since I have the tendency to do that

Hi there! I was originally a pre-vet student, too, but I've decided to pursue research instead! I'm currently in the midst of applying for grad school. If it will help at all, I'll explain the path I've taken to get here.

I had a research internship the summer before I graduated. I wasn't interested at research at the time - I applied because I thought it would look good on my vet school app, and it paid really nicely. I was in a forestry lab (which was very different than anything I had studied or done before) and I ended up liking it much more than I expected. This was the only research experience I had while in college, and now it's one of the strongest parts of my application. (The fact that it was in forestry and I'm applying for an infectious disease program isn't really a big deal - in a lot of ways, research is research and anything you can get will be beneficial!*)

I was a TA for most of undergrad. If you go to grad school chances are you'll have a TA position and be responsible for teaching undergrads, so being a TA can be a worthwhile experience. (I applied mostly because it paid really well. There's a theme here . . . ) One of my letter writers is an instructor I was a TA for.

After I graduated, I volunteered on a couple dairy and beef cow research trials. I wanted more large animal experience for my vet school application, so I contacted a grad student that I'd had as a TA and she let me get involved with her project. This is an important thing - USE YOUR CONNECTIONS. Sometimes who you know can make a huge difference. If there is a grad student who TA's a class you enjoy, talk to them about shadowing or volunteering in their lab. Find out who their PI is and contact them. Most people are really nice and love talking about their work, so don't be nervous to talk to them. If they don't have any volunteer or paid positions available you can see if they can refer you to another lab.

I've worked in vet med for 4.5 years, which is sort of related to my interests (infectious disease). I currently work at the vet school's diagnostic lab which has been really great, and has helped me meet a lot of people. (The program I'm applying to is part of the CVM) I've also been able to attend the grad student seminar series this semester, which I would never have known about otherwise.

*That said, it is a really good idea to try and get experience in the field you're interested in, so you can explore whether it's really something you want to pursue. I didn't have any experience related to my application until this August (4-ish months before applications are due!). I had been e-mailing people whose research sounded interesting to me, but no one was emailing me back. I finally approached my boss and asked for her advice. She gave me a list of people she knew whose research was relevant to me, and being able to use her as my introduction made a huge difference. The first PI I e-mailed responded and I've been volunteering in his lab ever since! I've been able to attend lab meetings and practice some assays and cell splitting on my own, which has been a really great experience. Moral of the story: Be persistent. If you can't get someone to reply, don't be discouraged! Use the help available to you - don't be afraid to ask professors or people you know for help.

And now I'm applying to a PhD program, and I'll hopefully know early 2018 if I've been accepted! I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic. If you have any questions or want to chat, feel free to pm me! My BS is in animal science (since I started school as a pre-vet person, and didn't fall in love with biology until midway through and too late to switch) and I don't know how much not having a BS in microbiology or biochem will affect me. I wish I'd switched majors because I would have enjoyed taking more biology courses, but there's not much to do about that now. If you are interested and want to switch to a biology major (or ecology, or what have you) definitely talk to an advisor and get that figured out sooner rather than later. You're early enough in your studies that it shouldn't be too difficult!

 

[awkequestrian]

Thanks everyone for the info!! At Rutgers we have a lot research opportunities during the school year and during the summer, so I will def have to look into and apply to some of those. I tried to get involved with some research last year, but the professor I was interested in working with was in between projects at the time and said she wasn't really doing much for me to get involved with.

Hi there! I was originally a pre-vet student, too, but I've decided to pursue research instead! I'm currently in the midst of applying for grad school. If it will help at all, I'll explain the path I've taken to get here.

I had a research internship the summer before I graduated. I wasn't interested at research at the time - I applied because I thought it would look good on my vet school app, and it paid really nicely. I was in a forestry lab (which was very different than anything I had studied or done before) and I ended up liking it much more than I expected. This was the only research experience I had while in college, and now it's one of the strongest parts of my application. (The fact that it was in forestry and I'm applying for an infectious disease program isn't really a big deal - in a lot of ways, research is research and anything you can get will be beneficial!*)

I was a TA for most of undergrad. If you go to grad school chances are you'll have a TA position and be responsible for teaching undergrads, so being a TA can be a worthwhile experience. (I applied mostly because it paid really well. There's a theme here . . . ) One of my letter writers is an instructor I was a TA for.

After I graduated, I volunteered on a couple dairy and beef cow research trials. I wanted more large animal experience for my vet school application, so I contacted a grad student that I'd had as a TA and she let me get involved with her project. This is an important thing - USE YOUR CONNECTIONS. Sometimes who you know can make a huge difference. If there is a grad student who TA's a class you enjoy, talk to them about shadowing or volunteering in their lab. Find out who their PI is and contact them. Most people are really nice and love talking about their work, so don't be nervous to talk to them. If they don't have any volunteer or paid positions available you can see if they can refer you to another lab.

I've worked in vet med for 4.5 years, which is sort of related to my interests (infectious disease). I currently work at the vet school's diagnostic lab which has been really great, and has helped me meet a lot of people. (The program I'm applying to is part of the CVM) I've also been able to attend the grad student seminar series this semester, which I would never have known about otherwise.

*That said, it is a really good idea to try and get experience in the field you're interested in, so you can explore whether it's really something you want to pursue. I didn't have any experience related to my application until this August (4-ish months before applications are due!). I had been e-mailing people whose research sounded interesting to me, but no one was emailing me back. I finally approached my boss and asked for her advice. She gave me a list of people she knew whose research was relevant to me, and being able to use her as my introduction made a huge difference. The first PI I e-mailed responded and I've been volunteering in his lab ever since! I've been able to attend lab meetings and practice some assays and cell splitting on my own, which has been a really great experience. Moral of the story: Be persistent. If you can't get someone to reply, don't be discouraged! Use the help available to you - don't be afraid to ask professors or people you know for help.

And now I'm applying to a PhD program, and I'll hopefully know early 2018 if I've been accepted! I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic. If you have any questions or want to chat, feel free to pm me! My BS is in animal science (since I started school as a pre-vet person, and didn't fall in love with biology until midway through and too late to switch) and I don't know how much not having a BS in microbiology or biochem will affect me. I wish I'd switched majors because I would have enjoyed taking more biology courses, but there's not much to do about that now. If you are interested and want to switch to a biology major (or ecology, or what have you) definitely talk to an advisor and get that figured out sooner rather than later. You're early enough in your studies that it shouldn't be too difficult!

This is super helpful thank you so much! I am actually working as a TA next semester for a horse handling class at our barn on campus, and the professor I'm going to be working with does some really interesting research in equine nutrition. She was the one in between projects last year when I first approached her about doing research, but I've been told that being her TA gives you an in to work in her lab! I believe she just started a new study this year, so I'm hoping this position will help me get my foot in the door. I was on the fence originally about applying for the TA position but after hearing your experience with it I'm very glad I got the position. I'm kind of torn as to whether or not to switch majors because I still really enjoy taking the animal science classes that are a part of the major, but I'm not sure if it would be more beneficial for me to switch and just take my elective classes in animal science. I'm definitely planning on talking to my advisor about it to see what might be the best path for me to take.

Good luck with your PhD, thank you again for the info!

 

[Balesofhay]

But I know @PrincessButterCup was prevet and applied to vet school a couple times and now is taking a different path in life and is really excited about it so I'm paging her rn.

Ooo me too! Right around end of sophomore year was when I started looking at research too(as a back up in case I didn’t get into vet school). I would definitely try to join the lab(I bugged a professor and waiting until he had a project for me) and look at NSF’s REU(research experience for undergrads). Ended up turning down vet school for grad school because $$ partially. I haven’t regretted it (yet). I’m only doing my masters right now which gives me a chance to apply to vet school again if I decide that is the life for me after I finish

 

[SkiOtter]

Ooo me too! Right around end of sophomore year was when I started looking at research too(as a back up in case I didn’t get into vet school). I would definitely try to join the lab(I bugged a professor and waiting until he had a project for me) and look at NSF’s REU(research experience for undergrads). Ended up turning down vet school for grad school because $$ partially. I haven’t regretted it (yet). I’m only doing my masters right now which gives me a chance to apply to vet school again if I decide that is the life for me after I finish

Wasn't sure how often you came on sdn atm so I didn't know if it'd be like 3 months until you saw a tag

 

[awkequestrian]

Ooo me too! Right around end of sophomore year was when I started looking at research too(as a back up in case I didn’t get into vet school). I would definitely try to join the lab(I bugged a professor and waiting until he had a project for me) and look at NSF’s REU(research experience for undergrads). Ended up turning down vet school for grad school because $$ partially. I haven’t regretted it (yet). I’m only doing my masters right now which gives me a chance to apply to vet school again if I decide that is the life for me after I finish

I was looking into the masters route too! I thought that might give me more time in case I still haven't made up my mind by the time I'm ready to apply. I'm always super worried about not getting in, and recently I've been looking into research because of money as well. I figure since I'm interested in research it's def worth me looking into before I jump into vet school and start accumulating a lot of debt. Have you found that your masters has been beneficial in helping you decide which path you want to take?

 

[Balesofhay]

I was looking into the masters route too! I thought that might give me more time in case I still haven't made up my mind by the time I'm ready to apply. I'm always super worried about not getting in, and recently I've been looking into research because of money as well. I figure since I'm interested in research it's def worth me looking into before I jump into vet school and start accumulating a lot of debt. Have you found that your masters has been beneficial in helping you decide which path you want to take?

Yes and no? I think I want to continue on to a PhD but I’m genuinely worried about the tax reform. If that passes I will stop at my masters because I can’t afford to be taxed on a tuition waiver. I would go into industry after graduating then potentially come back after I pay off some/most/all my undergrad loans. I’m just taking it a step at a time thought

 

[Vombatidae]

I took a somewhat similar route. I pursued Marine Biology and got my undergrad. After that I was hesitant to go into vet school because of the costs and never having worked a career or really experienced life outside of school. I continued on to get my Masters in Teaching and taught high school science for a few years. I was always really passionate about the environment, particularly Borneo, and it was great to show students this. I taught bio, aquatic science, and environmental - all of which I loved. It was a lot of fun, I learned a lot about myself and my passions, and it turns out that I still want to go to vet school.

Last year I made the decision and spent a year fully preparing myself. I applied this round and am waiting to hear back. Ultimately, I feel that this experience (being non-traditional) made me a stronger applicant and I am fully aware of what I am pursuing. I always worried about getting in over my head at 21 just because I loved animals but not really knowing the field. Five years of teaching completely changed me - maturity, responsibility, ability to work with others, plan, etc. Best of luck in whatever you do, but know that you can always come back to it.

 

[LadyOtheFarm]

I ought to be doing something else, so my reply will be short.

I couldn't get in, so I did a MS program that could work for either vet med or as a new career before applying one last time. I still didn't get in, so I went off to work. Currently, I am applying to a human med PhD program and to industry jobs in human, mouse research, and bovine ivf.

I had some research experience from undergrad, plus a little working as a tech on some research projects during my career as a vet tech and in dairy science, but most comes from my MS.

The PhD program I am looking at is one that addresses medical advances for my family. I want to work on it because I can and I know exactly how this work matters to families like mine.

Yes and no? I think I want to continue on to a PhD but I’m genuinely worried about the tax reform. If that passes I will stop at my masters because I can’t afford to be taxed on a tuition waiver. I would go into industry after graduating then potentially come back after I pay off some/most/all my undergrad loans. I’m just taking it a step at a time thought

Yeah, I don't know what I am gonna do. I need to help with this work if I can somehow.