Thank you & a question

[onceaskip]

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Hello all 🙂 I have been lurking on this forum for a few months now and I first of all want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who takes the time to share their stats (even if they are embarrassing) and to those who take the time to offer advice and encouragement. I had all but given up my dream of becoming a vet because I am definitely not a valedictorian, but all of you have played a part in inspiring me to work hard and shoot for my dreams regardless of the setbacks I've faced. I struggled for a solid year trying to find an alternate career path that would make me happy, but I cannot imagine myself as being anything other than a veterinarian; I've wanted to do this since I was very small. Now that I'm working towards a goal that I know I will be satisfied with, I am a lot more motivated and general. I have no idea what I'd be doing if I hadn't stumbled on this forum.

My question is: has anyone found success with clubs offered at their undergrad university? I was pondering the idea of joining a Pre-Medical club on my campus because they say the offer opportunities to pre-veterinary students. I'm just worried because I am trying to keep grades up, gain animal experience, as well as work a part-time job to pay bills. I was wondering if any of you found it particularly beneficial to put in time at a club such as this, and if you felt it gave you any particular kind of edge in your application.

 

[Frozenshades]

My question is: has anyone found success with clubs offered at their undergrad university? I was pondering the idea of joining a Pre-Medical club on my campus because they say the offer opportunities to pre-veterinary students. I'm just worried because I am trying to keep grades up, gain animal experience, as well as work a part-time job to pay bills. I was wondering if any of you found it particularly beneficial to put in time at a club such as this, and if you felt it gave you any particular kind of edge in your application.

Yes, yes, so much yes!

Don't let it get in the way of your studies, but it's definitely worth it!

Through the pre-vet society at my school I have:
-heard a large number of guest speakers discuss their many various careers in veterinary medicine
-Got a shadow opportunity at a small animal clinic that led to paid employement
-Shadow opportunity at an equine hospital

They also offer trips abroad and behind the scenes tours and meetings with the vets at local places such as zoos and aquariums, as well as plenty of other opportunities for shadowing and volunteering.

And now I'm a co-founder and an officer in a club at my university that focuses on international veterinary medicine, and we're the first official school chapter of the associated national organization. I've got to meet lots of awesome faculty and not just from the vet school here; I've talked with a lot of vet/grad/undergrad students, and have organized sending a couple groups of students abroad so far (including myself 😉)!

Like I said, do your best to make time, but don't let it interfere with your academics! But really, clubs can sure have a lot to offer!

Pretty much my entire interview at k-state was talking about my club and international experience and focus and considering I was admitted, I'd say they liked what they heard!

 

[that redhead]

My question is: has anyone found success with clubs offered at their undergrad university? I was pondering the idea of joining a Pre-Medical club on my campus because they say the offer opportunities to pre-veterinary students. I'm just worried because I am trying to keep grades up, gain animal experience, as well as work a part-time job to pay bills. I was wondering if any of you found it particularly beneficial to put in time at a club such as this, and if you felt it gave you any particular kind of edge in your application.

Glad you've found this forum to be helpful 🙂

I was a member of a few clubs in undergrad: Animal husbandry club (=block and bridle) and Alpha Zeta, (honors fraternity (co-ed) with an agricultural focus) were the big ones. Through the AHC I was able to get basically all of my large animal experience hours, hold an exec position and be active on campus with a variety of activities; with AZ I got some good community service-type hours that I definitely included on my application. I also held different exec positions there as well. It was a good way to be social, too.

Overall good experiences for me that contributed to my application. I think if you can find a club (doesn't have to be pre-health at all!) that offers activities instead of just meetings with Q&A/info sessions, that's going to be most beneficial to you.

 

[KCgophervet]

Yes, yes, so much yes!

Don't let it get in the way of your studies, but it's definitely worth it!

Through the pre-vet society at my school I have:
-heard a large number of guest speakers discuss their many various careers in veterinary medicine
-Got a shadow opportunity at a small animal clinic that led to paid employement
-Shadow opportunity at an equine hospital

They also offer trips abroad and behind the scenes tours and meetings with the vets at local places such as zoos and aquariums, as well as plenty of other opportunities for shadowing and volunteering.

And now I'm a co-founder and an officer in a club at my university that focuses on international veterinary medicine, and we're the first official school chapter of the associated national organization. I've got to meet lots of awesome faculty and not just from the vet school here; I've talked with a lot of vet/grad/undergrad students, and have organized sending a couple groups of students abroad so far (including myself 😉)!

Like I said, do your best to make time, but don't let it interfere with your academics! But really, clubs can sure have a lot to offer!

Pretty much my entire interview at k-state was talking about my club and international experience and focus and considering I was admitted, I'd say they liked what they heard!

Well I'm certainly jealous of your club! My undergrad was sorely lacking in the pre-vet club department.

Honestly IMHO I would just attend a few meetings and see how it goes. You might get some great info and make some good connections with people, or you might find your time is better spent elsewhere. I think each school's clubs and each club within that school are going to be entirely different based on how it's run, the people in it, etc. You'll never really know until you try!

 

[dovelover]

I didn't take advantage of these clubs much in my undergrad and I really regret it. I tried to be active in pre-vet club, but meetings were on the one day of the week I always seemed to have homework to do (that may have been me subconsciously finding an excuse not to go), and I always seemed to have prior arrangements on the days of the cool activities (despite not being all that busy with prearranged activities in early college...) So I kinda fell out of the loop a bit with that, and it's one of the biggest regrets I have about my undergrad, along with not getting involved in clubs that were outside my previous experience (aka, block & bridle, 4H, etc.) that would have helped expose me to other types of animals. But I was a very shy, anxious person back then and retreated into my shell a lot more than I went out and experienced the world. If I'd have pushed through and done these things, I might have had the opportunities and support necessary to get the experience I needed earlier on, and could have been in my 1st or 2nd year of vet school now, instead of applying for the first time.

So, moral of the story is, definitely get involved in anything that could potentially help you get into vet school! You don't need to be super active in the club if you don't have time, but at least try to stay in the loop enough that you can find out about good activities and opportunities.

 

[equineconstant]

The pre-med club at my school is...well, a pre-MED club, so I was never interested in joining. Any events they put on (speakers, panels, etc.) were open to anyone, not just the club, so I never regretted not joining.

On the other hand, if your school has a good one--or if there's any clubs that sound interesting to you--I'd say go for it! Obviously make sure you put your academics first, but I've loved being in the clubs I am a member of. Even if the club(s) isn't vet-related, it's good for your application to show that you're well rounded and able to manage your time with more commitments.

 

[parula]

I tried pre-vet club for a while, but I didn't really fit in that crowd...so it wasn't worth it for me at least. I did end up joining other clubs, like the wildlife society, and got to do a bit of hands-on field work through that.

As far as having time...you really can do most anything you put your mind too, it's how little sleep and lack of social life you're willing to put up with as a consequence. I, probably like most people on this forum, pushed myself WAY too hard in undergrad. It was one of those "if I don't do EVERYTHING I won't get in" sort of mind-sets...as hard as it is to not think that way, I really wish I could have had more of a social life during school and learned how to relax (I still don't know how to relax...)


I would say, if you're going to join something do it because you want to do it, not because you think admissions will want to see it. If pre-med club is doing things that fire you up, do it. 🙂 best of luck!

 

[hygebeorht]

Good question, OP!

I think that you should join clubs and activities if they appeal to you. After going to a few events or meetings, if the group is stressing you out, boring, or creating drama, leave. You're busy enough already without taking things on that don't help you and you don't enjoy.

No offense meant to pre-vet club members, but I steered well clear of the pre-vet club at CSU. I was already in classes with many members, and to be frank, they annoyed the hell out of me. The atmosphere at CSU among pre-vets could be very competitive, nasty, and dramatic. If you met a new person who was working toward vet school, and they figured out that you were too, the first thing they did was try to grill you on your stats to see if you were a threat. After a while, if someone introduced themselves and said they were pre-vet focus, I just lied and said I was studying English. Saved me a lot of aggro.

Obviously this is one school and it didn't hold true for every pre-vet student, but I met enough to learn to avoid them. However, some of my best friends over the last few years have been pre-vet students, but most of them have been non-traditional. They were more laid-back and we helped each other out along the way, instead of withholding information and cutting each other off at the knees, which my friends and I noticed seemed to be the norm among younger pre-vets.

So yeah, I'd go, but keep your eyes open and if any club has a poisonous, nastily competitive vibe, then get out. If it's a great relaxing place where you learn and have fun, stay! You only do college once (probably) and there are tons of great opportunities. Take advantage of them, and don't be afraid to join clubs and activities that have no relation to medicine or science whatsoever. Diversify yourself and have fun.

And as a natural introvert, let me share my personal rule for those times when maybe you should go out but maybe you kind of would rather stay in: when in doubt, go out. It's good for you. If you really need to recharge, you won't feel uncertain about it, trust 🙂

 

[equineconstant]

I would say, if you're going to join something do it because you want to do it, not because you think admissions will want to see it. If pre-med club is doing things that fire you up, do it. 🙂 best of luck!

👍👍👍 Quoted for truth.

 

[485501]

Try it out, but don't be upset if you can't/don't want to be involved. The only clubs I was involved in at college were a tap dance company and the circus, and it didn't seem to hurt my app!

 

[adams30]

OP you definitely don't have to be a valedictorian to be a veterinarian.

I was very active in my Pre-Vet Club at school and I found it SUPER helpful! It gave me the advice I needed so that I could prepare early in advance during college and when the time came to apply I was ready and knew what do expect. Pre-Vet Club was also great for networking, meeting people, and getting veterinary experience.

In addition, when you do apply to vet schools they like to see that you have been involved. So I say you should give it a shot and try it out. If vet med is your dream, then all the extra work is worth it 🙂 Good Luck!

 

[Lupin21]

I say try it out and see how it goes. I went to our schools meetings to hear guest speakers and such, but I carried a full unit load, so I didn't participate in the wet labs and trips. A real positive to our club was a few of the students set up tutorial times on different days to help each other with classes, which students who struggled found necessary to achieve higher grades. The people in the club also held sessions for filling out applications and getting the most out of each person's information. I would also think about how much extra-curricular events you can put on your application. If you don't have that much, this is something that can pad your resume, especially if you seek an office.

Good Luck and hope this helps!

 

[Emiloo4]

The atmosphere at CSU among pre-vets could be very competitive, nasty, and dramatic. If you met a new person who was working toward vet school, and they figured out that you were too, the first thing they did was try to grill you on your stats to see if you were a threat.

So yeah, I'd go, but keep your eyes open and if any club has a poisonous, nastily competitive vibe, then get out.

Good luck at Cornell CVM 🙄

 

[hygebeorht]

Good luck at Cornell CVM 🙄

I had heard the students there can be pretty cutthroat, but not all the current and past students I have spoken to perceived it that way. Do you have any good info?

As for CSU, I was fine taking classes with some of the more obnoxious people, but I didn't want to volunteer to spend my social time with them too. And in class, by refusing to play the "let's measure our stats against each other game," I could avoid most of the aggro.

And like I said, it wasn't everyone. Just enough to make me avoid pre-vet club. :/

 

[Emiloo4]

I had heard the students there can be pretty cutthroat, but not all the current and past students I have spoken to perceived it that way. Do you have any good info?

As for CSU, I was fine taking classes with some of the more obnoxious people, but I didn't want to volunteer to spend my social time with them too. And in class, by refusing to play the "let's measure our stats against each other game," I could avoid most of the aggro.

And like I said, it wasn't everyone. Just enough to make me avoid pre-vet club. :/

It's vet school in general I'm talking about. And you are going to run into gunners and competitive people your whole life. I would suggest learning how to deal with it instead of finding outs. Vet school is full of competitive people. People had to be competitive to make it there. Not all people show their competitiveness in the same way, but I can guarantee you will run into people you can't stand, that annoy you, and that pound their competitiveness into your ear drums. Find ways to deal and understand people are very different from each other. Your way isn't the right way.

 

[Trilt]

It's vet school in general I'm talking about. And you are going to run into gunners and competitive people your whole life. I would suggest learning how to deal with it instead of finding outs. Vet school is full of competitive people. People had to be competitive to make it there. Not all people show their competitiveness in the same way, but I can guarantee you will run into people you can't stand, that annoy you, and that pound their competitiveness into your ear drums. Find ways to deal and understand people are very different from each other. Your way isn't the right way.

People didn't have to be competitive to make it to vet school. I mean, they had to be competitive in regard to statistics and whatnot, but by the dictionary definition of aiming to be "better/more successful" than others... not necessarily. I'm not a very competitive person by nature at all. Very not type A.

So maybe that's just me, but not being active in a non-vital club that you found to be overly competitive is a perfectly acceptable way to deal. You should be able to work with anyone if you have to, but you can definitely pick your extracurriculars and friendships at least partially by the group dynamic.

And I feel like telling someone "your way isn't the right way" is sort of rude, especially when all you know about their situation is a short spiel on an internet forum.

 

[hygebeorht]

What do you mean, my way isn't the right way? I'm confused by your implication that since I found some pre-vet gunners annoying, that I can't handle the people I work with in my everyday life...

I have been around competitive people my entire life, and I consider myself a very competitive person as well. I don't have a problem with competitive people. I do have a problem with people who cheat and lie to get ahead, and I don't think it's a flaw in my character that I avoid associating with those that do. And yes, many (not all) pre-vet students at CSU will do whatever it takes to sabotage their competition.

My way is to be polite to these people, do my best, and not to play their game. It has worked very well for me 🙂 Pre-vet clubs at other schools sound like fun. And I'm sure some people at CSU love our club. But I didn't like the atmosphere so I didn't go.

I guess I don't see your problem. Am I missing your point?

EDIT: Thanks Trilt. You're right, it did sound a little rude.

 

[Emiloo4]

People didn't have to be competitive to make it to vet school. I mean, they had to be competitive in regard to statistics and whatnot, but by the dictionary definition of aiming to be "better/more successful" than others... not necessarily. I'm not a very competitive person by nature at all. Very not type A.

So maybe that's just me, but not being active in a non-vital club that you found to be overly competitive is a perfectly acceptable way to deal. You should be able to work with anyone if you have to, but you can definitely pick your extracurriculars and friendships at least partially by the group dynamic.

And I feel like telling someone "your way isn't the right way" is sort of rude, especially when all you know about their situation is a short spiel on an internet forum.

Yes, everyone had to be competitive to get here. And everyone has different ways of being competitive. Being competitive doesn't mean you are a gunner or an outwardly pushy person. And that was exactly what I mentioned. I would be completely BSing if I said everyone here is friendly and cooperative. I was being honest that h------ may want to try and find ways to deal with different personalities instead of running away from them. And hell no I'm not saying be friends with everyone, bc it's just impossible, but give them a chance.
"Your way isn't the right way" was meant as general "you", not "you as in h-----" . I've learned that just because I do something one way, doesn't mean it's the right way. That's all I meant, and I myself learned it the hard way. It wasn't a personal shot whatsoever. I guess I could have worded it a little better, but I'm a little offended that you would even assume that.

 

[hygebeorht]

Hon, all I did was read what you wrote. I am sorry you feel misunderstood. 🙁

I'm in touch with the idea that the way I do things doesn't work for everyone. But I do think you mistake my not joining a club for an inability to deal with different personalities. There are many reasons I did not join the club, some of which include:

- it was geared toward first-time undergrads, and I'm not there. I'm approaching 30, I have 2 degrees, I lived and worked abroad for years. My baby sister, seven years younger than I am, is older than most of the students in pre-vet club. I don't mind being around these super-young classmates, but when I'm done with class, I want nothing more than to get away from the college scene. I prefer the company of my fellow non-trads, and it's not the fault of the young'uns...I am just not there.

- I already knew what I needed to do, I had made a plan, and I was executing. I didn't really need guidance from the pre-vets, and I was getting plenty of animal/vet opportunities on my own. I know many people use these clubs as a resource for the process, but it's one I just didn't find I needed.

- I didn't have time for ANY clubs or extracurriculars. I just started taking science classes literally two years ago, and I needed every second of every day to get my prereqs, start taking those graduate-level classes, and knock out all my vet and animal hours. I also worked two jobs. And I did it! I got into a bunch of vet schools only two years after starting to study science, but it did take every minute of my day to do it, for two solid years. I have relaxed a little this semester, since I'm in, but I'm still working two jobs and taking grad classes.

- And lastly, it is true that I think many of the pre-vet gunners here at CSU are happy to sabotage their peers. Why would I choose to spend my scant free time with people who are trying to cut me down?

So I hope that puts your concern for my interpersonal skills at ease. Trust me, I know what works for me, and I do know how to get along with even the most difficult personalities. I just don't want to sign myself up for Difficult Personalities Club in my free time, especially if I don't have to.

Like I said in an earlier post, some pre-vet clubs can be great resources for people who have a lot of questions, are looking for some cool experiences, or are seeking a community of people who are in the same boat they are. I didn't have questions, I didn't need experience, and I was not in the same boat. It just wasn't a good fit for me. But maybe it will be for the OP.

OP, let us know how it goes! 😀

(P.S. It's spelled "hygebeorht"...you don't have to type it if you don't want, but if you like, it's easy to copy/paste, Emiloo4! I mention it because I spent about 10 seconds trying to figure out what profanity you were blanking out before I realized you meant me. LOL)

 

[Emiloo4]

Hon, all I did was read what you wrote. I am sorry you feel misunderstood. 🙁

I'm in touch with the idea that the way I do things doesn't work for everyone. But I do think you mistake my not joining a club for an inability to deal with different personalities. There are many reasons I did not join the club, some of which include:

- it was geared toward first-time undergrads, and I'm not there. I'm approaching 30, I have 2 degrees, I lived and worked abroad for years. My baby sister, seven years younger than I am, is older than most of the students in pre-vet club. I don't mind being around these super-young classmates, but when I'm done with class, I want nothing more than to get away from the college scene. I prefer the company of my fellow non-trads, and it's not the fault of the young'uns...I am just not there.

- I already knew what I needed to do, I had made a plan, and I was executing. I didn't really need guidance from the pre-vets, and I was getting plenty of animal/vet opportunities on my own. I know many people use these clubs as a resource for the process, but it's one I just didn't find I needed.

- I didn't have time for ANY clubs or extracurriculars. I just started taking science classes literally two years ago, and I needed every second of every day to get my prereqs, start taking those graduate-level classes, and knock out all my vet and animal hours. I also worked two jobs. And I did it! I got into a bunch of vet schools only two years after starting to study science, but it did take every minute of my day to do it, for two solid years. I have relaxed a little this semester, since I'm in, but I'm still working two jobs and taking grad classes.

- And lastly, it is true that I think many of the pre-vet gunners here at CSU are happy to sabotage their peers. Why would I choose to spend my scant free time with people who are trying to cut me down?

So I hope that puts your concern for my interpersonal skills at ease. Trust me, I know what works for me, and I do know how to get along with even the most difficult personalities. I just don't want to sign myself up for Difficult Personalities Club in my free time, especially if I don't have to.

Like I said in an earlier post, some pre-vet clubs can be great resources for people who have a lot of questions, are looking for some cool experiences, or are seeking a community of people who are in the same boat they are. I didn't have questions, I didn't need experience, and I was not in the same boat. It just wasn't a good fit for me. But maybe it will be for the OP.

OP, let us know how it goes! 😀

(P.S. It's spelled "hygebeorht"...you don't have to type it if you don't want, but if you like, it's easy to copy/paste, Emiloo4! I mention it because I spent about 10 seconds trying to figure out what profanity you were blanking out before I realized you meant me. LOL)

Oh lord just nevermind. There was no intention for this to get in depth. You're passive aggressive and it's unnecessary. And I know how to copy and paste thanks 🙄, but I was on my phone and there was no way to go back and see your name without losing my post. And I wasn't offended by you bc I don't know you from Adam, I was responding to Trilt bc I respect her opinions and didn't want her reading me the wrong way.
Peacin out of this thread before it gets even more dramatic. I'm staying away from the difficult personality club for now too. Thanks for the advice! 🙂

 

[Trilt]

Yes, everyone had to be competitive to get here. And everyone has different ways of being competitive. Being competitive doesn't mean you are a gunner or an outwardly pushy person. And that was exactly what I mentioned. I would be completely BSing if I said everyone here is friendly and cooperative. I was being honest that h------ may want to try and find ways to deal with different personalities instead of running away from them. And hell no I'm not saying be friends with everyone, bc it's just impossible, but give them a chance.
"Your way isn't the right way" was meant as general "you", not "you as in h-----" . I've learned that just because I do something one way, doesn't mean it's the right way. That's all I meant, and I myself learned it the hard way. It wasn't a personal shot whatsoever. I guess I could have worded it a little better, but I'm a little offended that you would even assume that.

Didn't mean to offend, that was definitely a "internet has no tone" problem, I think. 🙂

 

[Emiloo4]

Didn't mean to offend, that was definitely a "internet has no tone" problem, I think. 🙂

I know you didn't. I just wanted to make sure you realized what I meant so you didn't think I was as rude as it came across.

 

[hygebeorht]

No offense taken or intended. I was just trying to explain myself carefully, because there are many pre-vet club people on this board, and I'm not trying to hate 🙂

 

[dvmdreamer]

I just want to make a comment about pre-vet club people trying to figure out your stats... I just restarted the defunct, inactive pre-vet club at my university. When recruiting members, I sought out anyone I heard was pre-vet through the grapevine. If they were interested, I did ask more about their experience and background (not grades and particulars, but what kind of shadowing they'd done, if they'd taken the GRE, etc.).

I certainly hope that they did not take my inquiry to be "trying to figure out if they were a threat". My intention was to find out where everyone was in the process and see what kind of activities and information I should focus on.

 

[hygebeorht]

I just want to make a comment about pre-vet club people trying to figure out your stats... I just restarted the defunct, inactive pre-vet club at my university. When recruiting members, I sought out anyone I heard was pre-vet through the grapevine. If they were interested, I did ask more about their experience and background (not grades and particulars, but what kind of shadowing they'd done, if they'd taken the GRE, etc.).

I certainly hope that they did not take my inquiry to be "trying to figure out if they were a threat". My intention was to find out where everyone was in the process and see what kind of activities and information I should focus on.

Oh my goodness, dvmdreamer, I hope they didn't either. I think you're probably fine, because it seems like you communicated your intentions well. Congrats on restarting the club! Way to take initiative!

Let me tell you a little story because I think it'll put your mind at ease. When I started taking classes here and found many pre-vet students off-putting, I thought it was just me. But then the new semester started and I met a pre-vet gal who had just moved to town from OOS. She was really nice and friendly, and she asked me for help on what advisors she needed to talk to, how to get registered for things, where to take the GRE, and so on. I gave her names and emails and pointed her in the right direction, and didn't really think anything of it.

A few weeks later, she found me after class to thank me for my help. She told me that she'd had bad experiences with other pre-vets that she had met, specifically that they were unwilling to offer her even the most basic of help (like where to find the office of the pre-vet advisor) and that she hadn't appreciated at the time how unusual it was for me to be so willing to help her learn the ropes. She was genuinely shocked at the behavior of the other pre-vets she had met. We both agreed that we didn't want to be the people who got to vet school by stepping on others and ignoring those who needed a little help.

So I think it may just be a CSU thing, or just a some-people-at-CSU thing, but I know it's not just me.

dvmdreamer, I think it's wonderful that as the head of your reborn vet club, you have a perfect opportunity to make sure that the atmosphere among pre-vets at your school never falls to such a nasty level. You have an opportunity to set a great tone!

So I congratulate you on your work, and I hope you find many like-minded friends, and that you all help each other on this difficult journey. 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

I think emiloo4 is off-base here, sorry emiloo.

Being competitive is not necessarily a problem, but dealing with backstabbing, throat-cutting, self-absorbed people certainly is, especially the types who want to one-up others is!

It sounds to me like hygebeorht ran into some of the latter at CSU, and avoided them. That makes sense to me. Why hang out with people you can't stand.

Hey, I came from one of the most competitive work environments, and can be highly driven as well, but that doesn't make me a jerk to be avoided. But LOTS of people I worked with, I wouldn't want to spend 3 minutes with away from work if I didn't have to (not all of course).

I have found MOST people in vet school to not be backstabbing, or throat-cutting etc, and are actually mostly helpful and looking out for you. Maybe this is just Penn, but really, those types are pretty rare around here. And if I do run into them, I would avoid them just like hyge.

 

[hygebeorht]

Edited for accidental double-post 🙂

 

[that redhead]

I just want to make a comment about pre-vet club people trying to figure out your stats... I just restarted the defunct, inactive pre-vet club at my university. When recruiting members, I sought out anyone I heard was pre-vet through the grapevine. If they were interested, I did ask more about their experience and background (not grades and particulars, but what kind of shadowing they'd done, if they'd taken the GRE, etc.).

I certainly hope that they did not take my inquiry to be "trying to figure out if they were a threat". My intention was to find out where everyone was in the process and see what kind of activities and information I should focus on.

Not a critique, but in the future of recruiting, you may just want to have an anonymous member survey about what they would find fun/beneficial/informative. They could check off boxes for GRE prep, gaining experience, etc. I think that might be better than asking them to share stats 🙂

 

[hygebeorht]

Not a critique, but in the future of recruiting, you may just want to have an anonymous member survey about what they would find fun/beneficial/informative. They could check off boxes for GRE prep, gaining experience, etc. I think that might be better than asking them to share stats 🙂

👍👍👍

 

[dvmdreamer]

Not a critique, but in the future of recruiting, you may just want to have an anonymous member survey about what they would find fun/beneficial/informative. They could check off boxes for GRE prep, gaining experience, etc. I think that might be better than asking them to share stats 🙂

Thanks for the suggestion 😀 After the club is more established, I hope this is what they can do in the future. It is definitely better than having to grill people! I tried making a surveymonkey this year and only got one response, so that's when I resorted to asking in person.

 

[WolvesDragon55]

Just wanted to put in my two cents... I go to a small liberal arts college, unconnected to a vet school, so maybe that is why my experience is so different. I can't even imagine us being competitive with each other. The club is only 5 years old, and I became president last year. I consider the other pre-vet students akin to family at college- they all are going through the same classes, the same search for vet experience, the same pressures to do well. I frequently have one-on-ones with the other students to go over specific requirements, help them schedule classes, look for places to get experience, etc. We have fun together. The speakers and activities mostly come from the club members' suggestions, and there are no pressures on how many meetings you have to attend or anything like that. This is the first year we have ever done anything competitive, which was just an application to go to APVMA Symposium (since this was the first year we were able to go and could only get funding for 7 students). We generally are just a support group for each other, and offer fun and stress-relieving activities like trips to local breeding farms (equine, dairy, goat), weekly trips to the SPCA, helping out with local spay and neuter clinics, trips to rescues, vet hospitals, vet schools, etc. We only have about 20 members (and there are about 10 pre-vet students in the school that don't have any affiliation with the club), so maybe that has something to do with it but... I like to think that we really want each other to succeed, and obviously people enjoy the club since they keep coming back!

I always suggest to go for it 🙂

 

[onceaskip]

Thanks for the advice everyone 🙂 I think I will try it out just to see how it is. Sorry for taking so long to read all your responses, I've been busy with school! Bleh.

 

[nyanko]

I have found MOST people in vet school to not be backstabbing, or throat-cutting etc, and are actually mostly helpful and looking out for you. Maybe this is just Penn, but really, those types are pretty rare around here. And if I do run into them, I would avoid them just like hyge.

It took until third year, but some of the people in my class who I have always thought were pretty good and helpful people have recently shown themselves to be absolutely horrible territorial and mean-spirited people.

It's like once we started tracking, and the classes started being segregated more with our electives by track, people magically began to see everyone not in their little clique (usually associated with what your background/experiences before school have been) as an outgroup and someone to be mocked. I'm generally a pretty laid back person and can take a lot of drama in stride but I have to say that I was a bit shaken up by my first real exposure to this side of these people this quarter.

 

[Emiloo4]

I think emiloo4 is off-base here, sorry emiloo.

Being competitive is not necessarily a problem, but dealing with backstabbing, throat-cutting, self-absorbed people certainly is, especially the types who want to one-up others is!

It sounds to me like hygebeorht ran into some of the latter at CSU, and avoided them. That makes sense to me. Why hang out with people you can't stand.

Hey, I came from one of the most competitive work environments, and can be highly driven as well, but that doesn't make me a jerk to be avoided. But LOTS of people I worked with, I wouldn't want to spend 3 minutes with away from work if I didn't have to (not all of course).

I have found MOST people in vet school to not be backstabbing, or throat-cutting etc, and are actually mostly helpful and looking out for you. Maybe this is just Penn, but really, those types are pretty rare around here. And if I do run into them, I would avoid them just like hyge.

I guess I'm not understanding where I ever said being competitive was a problem. I said we are all competitive in our own ways. We had to be to get here. Whether we are sharks or keep our competitiveness to ourselves, it took some fight in us to get here. And for some people being competitive is the drive they need to do their best. Some people get a little ridiculous with it, IMO but my point was to not avoid these people because its just impossible sometimes. To try and learn how to stomach them bc in vet school it's a little less easy to hide from people you see all day everyday.
And I totally agree that you should avoid people who bring you down, and I'm not saying befriend everyone. Just for your own sanity, find a way to tolerate them because they're gonna be there, in close quarters, for 4 years. I should just delete my whole post bc I clearly didn't make my points very clear

 

[StartingoverVet]

It took until third year, but some of the people in my class who I have always thought were pretty good and helpful people have recently shown themselves to be absolutely horrible territorial and mean-spirited people.

It's like once we started tracking, and the classes started being segregated more with our electives by track, people magically began to see everyone not in their little clique (usually associated with what your background/experiences before school have been) as an outgroup and someone to be mocked. I'm generally a pretty laid back person and can take a lot of drama in stride but I have to say that I was a bit shaken up by my first real exposure to this side of these people this quarter.

I can see this a bit.. once people actually see others as their real competition their kid gloves come off, and the dirty tricks start.

Reminds me of when I was a Wharton undergrad, we used to have resume drop slots for job interviews and some students started taking out and throwing away the resumes of people they thought were their competition. Sad.

 

[hygebeorht]

I have found MOST people in vet school to not be backstabbing, or throat-cutting etc, and are actually mostly helpful and looking out for you. Maybe this is just Penn, but really, those types are pretty rare around here. And if I do run into them, I would avoid them just like hyge.

Man, it is good to know that I probably don't have four more years of nasty backstabbing peers to look forward to. I was beginning to wonder what the hell I was signing myself up for...the nastiest people in all my classes around here tend to be prevets. 🙁 Thanks StartingoverVet!

(And do you mind sharing the story behind your username? I'm also starting over in a way. PM me if you'd rather not hijack the thread?)

 

[Lissarae06]

We had some gunners 1st year that liked to show off their grades etc but they have since mellowed out mostly. Most people here seem to want to help each other- at least our class is that way. A lot of us will post the study guides/outlines/flashcards we make for our tests to our class FB page. I think our class is pretty close knit. I mean, we have our share of petty drama, but overall we get along really well. I think the cut-throatedness is really going to vary not just school to school but class to class as well.

 

[dyachei]

We had some gunners 1st year that liked to show off their grades etc but they have since mellowed out mostly. Most people here seem to want to help each other- at least our class is that way. A lot of us will post the study guides/outlines/flashcards we make for our tests to our class FB page. I think our class is pretty close knit. I mean, we have our share of petty drama, but overall we get along really well. I think the cut-throatedness is really going to vary not just school to school but class to class as well.

while I think this is true, signing up for clinical schedules and vacation time was where I noticed it the most. And when you're on rotation, it certainly can happen where people will "case dodge" so they can have time off. Just FYI

 

[StartingoverVet]

while I think this is true, signing up for clinical schedules and vacation time was where I noticed it the most. And when you're on rotation, it certainly can happen where people will "case dodge" so they can have time off. Just FYI

That isn't exactly gunning is it? Kind of the opposite. But I see your point about people being out for themselves more. That is more understandable, although perhaps equally annoying.

 

[dyachei]

That isn't exactly gunning is it? Kind of the opposite. But I see your point about people being out for themselves more. That is more understandable, although perhaps equally annoying.

I wasn't really talking about gunning so much as competitiveness for their personal lives. I should have made that clear. There are still gunners in 4th year. They just try to outdo and suck up during presentations instead (and rounds). I saw more than 1 get called out for it.

 

[DVMDream]

I wasn't really talking about gunning so much as competitiveness for their personal lives. I should have made that clear. There are still gunners in 4th year. They just try to outdo and suck up during presentations instead (and rounds). I saw more than 1 get called out for it.

Gunner and "case dodger" on rounds together... perfect combo...

 

[dyachei]

Gunner and "case dodger" on rounds together... perfect combo...

It was weird. There weren't many people actively trying to take more cases. Some of the case dodgers acted like gunners for all other parts of the rotation. See, at utk, you could get stuck there over the weekend if you took a complicated case. But if you had no patient care over the weekend, you didn't have to come in

 

[DVMDream]

It was weird. There weren't many people actively trying to take more cases. Some of the case dodgers acted like gunners for all other parts of the rotation. See, at utk, you could get stuck there over the weekend if you took a complicated case. But if you had no patient care over the weekend, you didn't have to come in

Interesting. I will be interested to see what happens over here on clinics... they are very adamant that everyone participates here and we are only at the beginning, so I doubt anyone is going to get away with dodging anything.

 

[dyachei]

Interesting. I will be interested to see what happens over here on clinics... they are very adamant that everyone participates here and we are only at the beginning, so I doubt anyone is going to get away with dodging anything.

I had one girl actively dodge all week in my rotation because she wanted to take a ski trip. Instead of coming to the other 2 of us, she just dodged cases unless they were rechecks. I was stuck all weekend taking care of a mrsa infected knee on a 120 lb Rottweiler because of it. Nice dog though.

 

[DVMDream]

I had one girl actively dodge all week in my rotation because she wanted to take a ski trip. Instead of coming to the other 2 of us, she just dodged cases unless they were rechecks. I was stuck all weekend taking care of a mrsa infected knee on a 120 lb Rottweiler because of it. Nice dog though.

That is too bad. I would think people like that are only hurting themselves in the long run.