So I did get accepted to vet school, and yes, I'd do the program again.
Stats: 3.58 cum/3.3 sGPA when I applied to the Master's. Keep in mind I was mulling over a switch to a PhD if vet school didn't work out--it doesn't really make sense to do this just for a grade boost if your stats are already relatively high.
Stats on leaving: 3.68 for the Master's, 3.59 overall, and 3.5 sGPA. The classes definitely aren't guaranteed A's, but you're likely to do well as long as you put the work in. (I also got some opportunities for vet hours that might not have been possible otherwise--though I'll warn that College Station is a bad, bad place to get a job as a vet assistant because the market is so flooded. )
Timeline: 3 semesters. Most people graduate in 2-4, though I do recommend you at least stay for 3. I'm not sure if you can start in summer, but I know that both spring and fall start times are available.
Downsides:
- It's expensive, even if you're working through school.
- The program's flexible, but the quality of your individual advisor is essentially luck of the draw.
- Elective courses depend on the year.
- The actual advisor for the program (not your individual advisor) is not great.
Upsides:
- There's a first-semester class that teaches you, step by step, how to apply optimally. You'll have a professor involved w/ admissions review your personal statement and provide suggestions for changes. My personal statement was essentially submitted verbatim from that assignment.
- There's some unique opportunities for experience if you're willing to take research credits--reach out to the POSC, ANSC, or WFSC professors for avian, LA, or exotic opportunities, respectively.
- The flexibility really is a plus in some cases--you can take out-of-department and even out-of-college grad classes at will, and can take a fair number of research hours.
- The actual classes are generally much, much cooler than undergrad. Histology is essentially a vet school class. Fetal physiology was super interesting, as was virology. You'll feel better-prepared for vet school, and you might even walk away with a greater love for the field.
- It's a lot easier to meet professors. If all else fails, you have a good chance of finding a good PI and switching to a thesis.
Other things that I did before reapplying:
* I racked up something like 2000 hours of vet hours and about 1000 animal hours. (This is 100% manageable in 2 years, especially if you work full time during the summer.)
* I got more diverse animal hours--LA, equine, and rural SA. (Summer job, internship, and summer job respectively).
* Hung out in a virology lab for a semester and "helped". They were very nice, and I determined that I was not cut out to be a virologist.
