Thoughts?

[Catch91]

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Okay...

The veterinarian I shadowed, along with my school guidance counselor, along with various other influences, have told me that it's not the best idea to be a pre-vet major in college.

Because...

If, unfortunately, you don't get into any vet schools, or you change your mind and don't want to pursue veterinary medicine, then you are stuck with a degree in pre-veterinary studies. I have been told that it's a better idea to major in biology, chemistry, etc., or something that could definitely lead you into veterinary medicine afterwards, but also leaves open many other career choices.

Your thoughts/experiences?

 

[Angelo84]

I don't think many jobs really care what you majored in as long as you have your degree. I would major in whatever interests you the most--college is supposed to be fun.

 

[Hobiecat1642]

I agree. Many schools don't even have pre-vet as a potential major. Bio, chem, and animal science are popular choices, but I was told that you're not limited to choosing a science related major. It's good to pursue other academic interests now, because you probably won't get the chance later on. Which is not to say that you shouldn't take upper level science courses in addition to your vet school pre-reqs; however, there's nothing wrong with exploring unrelated subjects.

 

[akitavet]

Take it from someone who was SURE at 16 what she wanted to do, that your mind can definitely change. Degrees in the sciences will not hurt your chances of getting into vet school at all, but they would leave you with more options when you are done. I know it may seem like the only thing on earth you want to do right now, but seriously, so much can change. I am so happy that my engineering degree was well-rounded enough to allow me to decide at 25 that I really wanted to apply to vet school.

 

[VAgirl]

I haven't even heard of schools offering a degree in "prevet" or "premed." Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but I thought it was more typical that you major in something (bio, chem, english, whatever) but take the correct courses to fulfill the premed/prevet requirements at the school. As in, nowhere on your transcript or diploma will that even be listed. Maybe that's not the case for some schools, but it was at mine.

Also, as a side note, I'm not even sure how undergrad schools would really go about selecting pre-vet courses. It seems like, while there is a core of pre-req courses required by all vet schools (gen chem, bio, orgo, biochem, physics, genetics) there are also a lot of ones that some schools require and others don't (calculus, statistics, nutrition, immunology, embryology, etc.).

 

[destiny1325]

Some schools do offer prevet majors. Mine offers equine preveterinary medicine as a degree. I started out in it but ended up switching to a biology major because the prevet was a ton of extra work/ classes and I wanted to keep my GPA up.
Like VAgirl said, most schools only care about your pre-req courses and not your degree. So if you end up ruling out vet med you would still be able to apply to any other graduate program as long as you have the pre-reqs.
Good luck with your decision!!

 

[Heavenly4505]

At my school, Pre-Vet, Pre-Med, Pre-Dental, Pre-Optometry, etc. are all grouped together under the B.S. in Biology degree. However, there is another school in town that does offer a specific Pre-Vet degree and a separate degree for the other professional programs. I, personally, believe it's better to major in something that interests you, either science or non-science related, because in the end, you want a back-up plan. All professional programs whether it be vet, med school,optometry, podiatry, etc., are competitive, and in the event that you don't get accepted, you want something to fall back on.

 

[sofficat]

Some of my classmates majored in theater, lang. arts, whatever... then just did the pre reqs for the vet schools of their choice (like said before, not all vet schools have the same pre reqs). I was unaware until now that you can get a BS in prevet (or pre anything). Do whatever you want. Also, what was said before is that jobs usually don't look at what you got your degree in, they just want to know if you have one.

 

[david594]

Also, what was said before is that jobs usually don't look at what you got your degree in, they just want to know if you have one.

Alright, that comment is completely ABSURD! Talk to anyone with a degree in science or engineering. My degree in computer science wont get me a job as a mechanical engineer. And anyone with a degree in anything other than computer science or computer systems engineering wont be in competition with me for the jobs I had applied for.


On the note of pre-vet majors. Where I am finishing up my pre-reqs now, a pre-vet major is offered as part of the animal science department. It is essentially the same as the animal science degree with the exception that it requires the chems, ochems, biochem and a higher level stats course.

 

[RaptorRehaber]

That advice is absurd on a few levels.

One: There is no such thing as a pre-vet degree, it's an emphasis.

Two: I will be graduating with an animal science degree this summer, but because I choose the pre-vet route of the animal science curriculum, I will have tons of the upper level courses satisfied so my options for graduate school are great. If I don't get in to vet school next fall, I'll be able to go to graduate school for either genetic counseling or forensic entomology without having to take any additional pre-reqs thanks to the pre-vet requirements of all the upper division sciences.

Unless you really enjoy chemistry, biology etc, it's not the worst thing in the world to major in animal science with a pre-vet emphasis. You'll have a lot of options when you graduate, whether you want to do research, work for a major animal food provider or venture into graduate school.

 

[BobDog]

Mine offers equine preveterinary medicine as a degree. I started out in it but ended up switching to a biology major because the prevet was a ton of extra work/ classes and I wanted to keep my GPA up.

A great example of why comparing cum. GPAs is a less than effective way of comparing academic success (and measuring yourself against others). This is why you shouldn't get down if you have a 3.5 in a tough curriculum, because there are people out there with 4.0s who did less "extra work/classes" to keep their GPA up.

 

[destiny1325]

That advice is absurd on a few levels.

One: There is no such thing as a pre-vet degree, it's an emphasis.

While this is true at most schools, it is not true for all of them. Like I said, my school offers equine preveterinary medicine as a degree, not an emphasis. The program was specifically designed for prevet students and includes not only the prereqs but also systems classes, farrier classes, etc. If it was just an emphasis then I wouldn't have had to change my major when i decided to go for a biology degree.

 

[PlantersPunch]

That advice is absurd on a few levels.

One: There is no such thing as a pre-vet degree, it's an emphasis.

Please be careful about calling people absurd.

There is a pre-vet degree, I will be graduating with one in the Spring. It is run through the ansci department but requires some more upper level courses than the animal science degree.

My diploma will say a pre-vet, so as far as I'm concerned pre-vet is my degree. 😉

 

[ri23]

While this is true at most schools, it is not true for all of them. Like I said, my school offers equine preveterinary medicine as a degree, not an emphasis. The program was specifically designed for prevet students and includes not only the prereqs but also systems classes, farrier classes, etc. If it was just an emphasis then I wouldn't have had to change my major when i decided to go for a biology degree.

Yes, but very few schools offer pre-vet as a major. Even Ohio State doesn't have a pre-vet major, most people are bio, zoology, animal science etc.

Did you go to Findlay?

 

[rexosaurus]

What you can do is choose a major that will allow you outline the classes that will suit the pre-reqs for vet school, as welll as allow you to choose the upper divisions that are interesting to you (and will look good on a vet school app). For instance, many science based majors like bio, biochem, animal science, zoology, etc. you can take the pre-reqs for vet school while satisfying many (if not all) of your major's requirements. When you get to the upper divisions, there are some fun classes you can take that interest you as well, depending on your taste. That is what I did, and I would up with some interesting and useful classes for a tailor made pre-vet cirriculum 🙂

 

[Catch91]

Thanks for all the feedback. And yes, I have seen some schools with pre-veterinary studies as a major. That was my whole point of asking. I wouldn't have asked if I knew it didn't exist.

What can you tell me about the animal sciences degree? Not that I know much about it, but when I hear people talk about that sort of degree, I feel like it's sort of vague and nonspecific. If it's not bogus, I'd be interested in majoring in animal sciences. I wouldn't be thrilled about becoming a bio or chem major, so it might be a good alternative for me.

 

[RaptorRehaber]

Please be careful about calling people absurd.

There is a pre-vet degree, I will be graduating with one in the Spring. It is run through the ansci department but requires some more upper level courses than the animal science degree.

My diploma will say a pre-vet, so as far as I'm concerned pre-vet is my degree. 😉

I didn't call anyone absurd, I called the advice absurd because it seems a bit much to act like an undergraduate degree is professionally crippling.

But I do find it a little bizarre that someone can major in a pre-profession. At Minnesota, we have the animal science degree in which you can choose to concentrate in bio-engineering or pre-vet. What school do you go to?

 

[SillyFilly]

Animal Science is so not bogus! 😛

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/cfprod/apps/calswebsite/documents/animalscience.pdf
http://www.ncsu.edu/reg_records/curricula/cals/11sas.html

That's what I did with Animal Science. If I could do it over again, I would have taken more Zoology classes as a supplement, to take Histology and such - but instead, I graduated a semester early because my father passed away and I went home to spend time with my mom.

Every school is different, but being a horse person - NCSU was totally up my alley with AnSci. If you are a wildlife/zoo person - Zoology is very focused on that (herpetology etc).

 

[sofficat]

David, chill. I was simply agreeing with a previous post from someone else. If you reread it, I did not say in every job it does not matter. From my experience, knowing you have a BS in a science field is good enough.

 

[destiny1325]

Did you go to Findlay?

I was very interested in Findlay, but I ended up going to Otterbein College.

BobDog
Originally Posted by destiny1325
Mine offers equine preveterinary medicine as a degree. I started out in it but ended up switching to a biology major because the prevet was a ton of extra work/ classes and I wanted to keep my GPA up

A great example of why comparing cum. GPAs is a less than effective way of comparing academic success (and measuring yourself against others). This is why you shouldn't get down if you have a 3.5 in a tough curriculum, because there are people out there with 4.0s who did less "extra work/classes" to keep their GPA up.

...Ouch. Changing majors did help me keep high grades in my prereqs (I don't see what's wrong with that), but it also gave me a chance to have a life outside of classes and volunteer more. So this is actually another good thing for Catch91 to consider when choosing a major. Besides, it seems my strategy has paid off😉.

 

[VAgirl]

Changing majors did help me keep high grades in my prereqs (I don't see what's wrong with that), but it also gave me a chance to have a life outside of classes and volunteer more. So this is actually another good thing for Catch91 to consider when choosing a major. Besides, it seems my strategy has paid off😉.

I've got to think that it really is true that schools don't look at the difficulty of the school nearly as much as they look at the grades that you got. I've actually heard this specifically for some schools.

Plus, if you think about it, a grade is very easy to wrap your mind around. How one would figure out allowances for difficulty of a course from one school to another is going to be a much less exact thing. Not that you shouldn't take whatever interests you, regardless of difficulty. But as long as some schools focus intensely on GPA, I think it's only natural that students will also focus intently on it, sometimes chosing less difficult programs to achieve higher marks. It's human nature. And not at all wrong/bad, IMO.

 

[lailanni]

I've read on a few pamphlets/websites directly from vet schools regarding the question -- what should I major in?

In sum, they say you must take all the pre-vet classes. Outside of that, it doesn't matter what your major is. They suggest it be a major that can also be used as a backup plan if vet med doesn't work out. (Thus majoring in pre-vet may not be as useful as majoring in biology or say, economics) They also mention that taking higher level science courses outside of pre-vet classes will be looked on favorably.

So as long as you got the pre-vet basics, study whatever interests you, something you think could actually be a good backup plan. And doesn't kill your GPA ; )

 

[nyanko]

A great example of why comparing cum. GPAs is a less than effective way of comparing academic success (and measuring yourself against others). This is why you shouldn't get down if you have a 3.5 in a tough curriculum, because there are people out there with 4.0s who did less "extra work/classes" to keep their GPA up.

Unfortunately a lot of vet schools don't care or don't see it that way. My two BS degrees are in tough subjects (Computer Science/Molecular Biology & Microbiology) and I'm not afraid to say that it irks me a little bit that I worked my ass off for a cumulative GPA lower than someone who majored in something easier and their only hard courses were the science prereqs for vet school.

Fortunately there is the "science GPA" component as well to put people on equal ground, but still cumulative GPA is such an awful indicator...

 

[VAgirl]

but still cumulative GPA is such an awful indicator...

Welcome to the dark side. We're always happy to gain some new recruits. Perhaps we'll even start having formal meetings...

😉

 

[Orthonut]

Okay...

The veterinarian I shadowed, along with my school guidance counselor, along with various other influences, have told me that it's not the best idea to be a pre-vet major in college.

Because...

If, unfortunately, you don't get into any vet schools, or you change your mind and don't want to pursue veterinary medicine, then you are stuck with a degree in pre-veterinary studies. I have been told that it's a better idea to major in biology, chemistry, etc., or something that could definitely lead you into veterinary medicine afterwards, but also leaves open many other career choices.

Your thoughts/experiences?

That is EXACTLY why you can't major in pre-vet at the place i did my undergrad. You get a degree in animal science with a pre-vet minor/option.

Trust me, the first bachelor's that I have is in

..wait for it..


military history.

Now since I can't pass a flight physical and thus am not in the Army, teaching at the USMA, what do you suppose I use my degree for? Yes! useless trivia night competitions.

In retrospect, it would have been better to major in history and just focus on military history.

It's the same thing with vet med. Even if you DO eventually get in, you may find yourself having to work in the mean time, and it is much easier to pick up those jobs with a degree that is more applicable to the situation (say, working for a feed company, doing rangeland stuff, teaching etc) you're not limited to just the one discipline.

 

[nyanko]

Welcome to the dark side. We're always happy to gain some new recruits. Perhaps we'll even start having formal meetings...

😉

Hah!

Incidentally, I think that science GPA is a great indicator and probably the best in my opinion, but that science GPA should take into account all prereqs as well as upper division science courses that you took on your own. While undergrad anatomy and physiology and immunology aren't at vet school level, they're still great preparation and your performance in them is a good indicator of how you'll do in harder science courses. This is all my opinion, of course, but I won't say humble opinion because I'm not very humble sometimes. 😉

 

[BobDog]

I was very interested in Findlay, but I ended up going to Otterbein College.

...Ouch. Changing majors did help me keep high grades in my prereqs (I don't see what's wrong with that), but it also gave me a chance to have a life outside of classes and volunteer more. So this is actually another good thing for Catch91 to consider when choosing a major. Besides, it seems my strategy has paid off😉.

My point was not that you shouldn't major in something that interests you... you are going to have to live with your major for 4 years... so choose wisely. However, taking more upper level courses will help you in the admissions process. I look at it very similar to having an advanced degree (M.S., PhD etc....), you will not get in simply because you have these things, BUT if you are going head to head with someone with similar numbers (GPA, GRE, Experience, etc...) then you are more likely to get the nod if you have more upper level classes (i.e. a more difficult program) or an advanced degree. We all know that 3.X cum GPAs are WAY common in the applicant pool, so having a way to show that your 3.X had more difficult courses than someone elses 3.X will help 😀.

Just the facts of life and advice that won't hurt someone who is just just starting out.

Destiny, I am glad your strategy worked out. However, not everyone with great GPA/GRE/Experiences will get in, sometimes you need something extra to differentiate yourself. Plus, seeing something like immunology for the 2nd or 3rd time in vet school as opposed to the 1st time, gives you a better chance at being able to apply that knowledge faster.

Just the opinion of one person, but at least Cornell agrees with me:

"A bonus of up to 5 percent may be awarded by the Admissions Committee for quality of academic program. Factors considered in giving this bonus are: enrolling in a challenging curriculum, carrying a full course load to completion, and exceeding minimum preveterinary course requirements."

- Cornell Vet Admissions page (http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/prep.htm)

BTW, taking more upper level difficult classes does not preclude you from having a "life" outside of class 😀.

I also don't believe that you can differentiate between schools. Taking a full set of upper level classes at any school will be challenging.

 

[Catch91]

That is EXACTLY why you can't major in pre-vet at the place i did my undergrad. You get a degree in animal science with a pre-vet minor/option.

Trust me, the first bachelor's that I have is in

..wait for it..


military history.

Now since I can't pass a flight physical and thus am not in the Army, teaching at the USMA, what do you suppose I use my degree for? Yes! useless trivia night competitions.

In retrospect, it would have been better to major in history and just focus on military history.

It's the same thing with vet med. Even if you DO eventually get in, you may find yourself having to work in the mean time, and it is much easier to pick up those jobs with a degree that is more applicable to the situation (say, working for a feed company, doing rangeland stuff, teaching etc) you're not limited to just the one discipline.

See, I think that's a perfect example. 😀

 

[168135]

At the agriculture college, if you enter the pre-vet program, you are working towards getting your BSc in Animal Sciences. I was concerned and did some research... there isn't much that you can do with a BSc in Animal Sciences, and everyone that I talked to recommend that I major in Biology and pick a minor that I was interrested in. A lot of people were saying to pick a minor that wasn't science-related because it shows that you are "well-rounded"? I'm making my minor business.

 

[chris03333]

That advice is absurd on a few levels.

One: There is no such thing as a pre-vet degree, it's an emphasis.

hmmmm my undergrad degree says "Bachelor of Science

Animal and Pre-Veterinary Sciences"


Maybe it's not real😱😱
😛

 

[Rebeki]

there isn't much that you can do with a BSc in Animal Sciences

Oh my, I went to a very strong agricultural school and all of the Animal Science people would probably disagree with you pretty strongly😱 If one wants to work in the animal/agriculture field, there is a lot you can do with the major.

Also, I have a minor in animal science and found that the animal science classes gave me a lot of great hands-on experience - something that I did not get with my strictly bio/chem classes. In fact most of my production animal experience was through my animal science classes.

To the OP...I have a degree in biology and minors in chemistry and animal science. I feel this is probably a pretty similar group of classes that one would take in a "pre-vet" major and, IMO, would look better on a resume if vet school doesn't work out. One caveat about a degree in biology, I found that a lot of the entry-level jobs were lab oriented and if that's not your thing (its not mine), I actually found my biology degree somewhat limiting. Soooo, like many others have said, if you want to have a back-up plan, pick a major that you like and fit the vet school pre-reqs into that.

 

[dvm'08]

I think the best advice is to pick a degree that you're interested in, and that you're going to excel at. Choosing a degree simply with the goal of getting into vet school may result in you taking something you dont like, and your grades suffering as a result - which despite what some contend, is likely the biggest factor at getting into vet school.

The single most important thing you can do (on top of all the volunteering, and other BS they make you do to get into vet school) is to get good grades - and your best chance for success is to study something you enjoy - whatever it may be.

 

[RaptorRehaber]

hmmmm my undergrad degree says "Bachelor of Science

Animal and Pre-Veterinary Sciences"


Maybe it's not real😱😱
😛

haha, you're about 15 posts too late there friend.

 

[StealthDog]

Bachelor of Arts, baby!

... because vet school teaches you nothing about how to write 🙂

My undergrad (St. Olaf College) didn't offer anything more vet-related than a biology major, but that incorporated all the pre-vet requirements except for economics. I have all sorts of majors in my class, including bio, chem, music, speech, and business. As long as you get your pre-reqs, I say major in what you enjoy, because you'll get to learn about vet med the rest of your life.

 

[168135]

I'm from Atlantic Canada, and as far as I know, there is only one school that offers "Pre-vet". At almost every single other school, you can get your BSc. One of the reasons why I didn't do "Pre-vet" was because my first impressions of the school were not that good and if I went there, I didn't think that I would be happy... so I went to a different school, and I'm pretty much loving it.

If you change your mind in becoming a vet, having a BSc gives you more choices... one of my profs said that if I decided that I didn't want to be a vet, I could easily change my mind and do pre-med or pre-pharmacy, change my major over to Chemistry, ect.

The downside is... you may not meet many other pre-vetters. In my year, there are only two other people getting their pre-requisits for vet school, and I only met one of them. I don't care though... the pre-vetters from my high school were very stuck-up, lol.

 

[Catch91]

Thanks guys! Really, the advice is helping so much. I guess I'm still a little overwhelmed though. This college business is so confusing!



When you're majoring in something that's sort of related (bio, chem, animal science, etc.) does it basically set you up with many of the pre-reqs you'll need for vet school? Or do you have to go out of your way to take those classes? Excuse my lack of knowledge... I'm still learning here.

 

[SweeTeaPie]

I haven't even heard of schools offering a degree in "prevet" or "premed."

Actually my undergrad degree was Biology/Pre-Med. And although not many schools have pre-vet, I know Penn State does.

 

[destiny1325]

Catch 91, You would probably have to look at the specific program you are interested in and then compare that to the vet schools you think you might apply to. I know my molecular biology program included all of the prerequisites as well as many of the additional suggested courses for my instate vet school, but it did not include the courses that differed between vet schools (for example, some required stats, business courses, etc.) I'd assume that most biology programs are similar between schools, just make sure you have an idea of what vet schools you'd like to apply to so that you can plan ahead if you do need to add extra classes. I hope this helps!