Thank you!

[bostonpet]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Thank you so much! This is exactly the advice I'm looking for! I haven't taken any prerequisite courses nor do I have very much experience, so I have a long road ahead of me! I've been researching vet school web pages, and it looks that generally private schools don't have in-state tuition (thanks, Anna for the info about Tufts, I didn't know about the 15% discount). I was thinking of returning to UMass for the prep courses, but that won't help me cost-wise in vet school.

This is somewhat of a naive question, but how do you go about getting experience? I really want to quit my current job and get a vet tech position somewhere, but it seems as if most places require experience. I guess the best route is to start volunteering at shelters, part-time jobs on farms, and then trying to make the transition to a vet tech job?

Does anyone have any preferences or advice on which state schools are the best? Or have zoos/parks that could offer experience nearby? I'm thinking of moving south for the warmer weather, but if one school is better than the other, or a state is easier to declare residency in, I'd love to find out. I'd like to find a pretty area that I could hike around in my off-time when I move...

Thanks again! I'm so glad I found this site!

 

[Angelo84]

The best way to get vet experience is to write up a resume and cover letter and go around to local vet hospitals. You will likely start as kennel help and then work your way up. Be clear that you would like to be working directly with vets some of the time so that you are not stuck only in kennels. As far as zoo experience you can try Franklin Park in Dorchester or Stone Zoo ( both owned by Zoo New England) they have intership programs and volunteer programs. I did the volunteer program at Franklin Park in Hooves and Horns they say your supposed to do the 250 hours over 6 months or something but I bargained to do the 250 hours in 6 weeks.

 

[pressmom]

Well, I started out after graduating undergrad, too (with a non-science degree). I also had no experience. To begin getting it, I shadowed at my dog's vet and then started volunteering at a shelter around the same time. I got hired on at the vet by really getting in and doing the "grunt" jobs that needed to be done when I wasn't watching procedures or listening to the docs. I also came in as often as they let me. After I got hired on, I started volunteering at a wildlife center and this led me to shadowing at an exotic pet vet. Then I went back to KY (where I'm originally from) and shadowed an equine vet full time for a few weeks. That was really cool, even though I know I don't want to do it full time, because I not only got to see pet medicine but also race track and brood mare medicine. I also took a course at NCSU, where I was doing my pre-reqs, that allowed me to castrate and process baby pigs, trim hooves on goats and sheep, dock tails on lambs, tattoo calves, and freeze-brand heifers, among other farm-related tasks.

Total time from nothing to starting at UTK in the fall--3 years 4 months. It's definitely a commitment.

As far as school, if you're interested in exotics, I have to brag on UTK. They have one of the best, if not the best, exotics program in the country. That's part of the reason I'm going there.

 

[cyrille104]

Honestly, all of the vet schools are good and you can get a good education at any school you go to. All schools do have in-state tuition (except western), but with the private schools it's not as much of a difference.

I wouldn't recommend moving to be in a state with a state school that you want, because preferences can change dramatically with experience - maybe you'll move to Tennessee because you're interested in exotics, but then get some research experience and want to do research...it'll be difficult at that point to just pick up and move to NY for Cornell. Not to mention that being in-state is DEFINITELY not a guarantee that you'll get in. Live wherever you want to live, do well in the pre-reqs, get lots of varied experience, and then see where you're at.

If the tuition concerns you, a bunch of schools let you declare residency while you're in school and get in-state tuition after the first year. If you REALLY plan on moving for vet school, I suggest that you wait until the summer that you apply so that you're more sure of what you're doing (most schools only require a 1-year residency before matriculation for in-state tuition.)