transfer options in vet school

[vetmed4life]

Hi! I'm a first-year student and I'm unhappy with my current location. I love vet med, my classes, and I even have some friends, I just do not like the region I'm living in. Can anyone give me some insight on their experience with transferring? I'm so torn between trying to transfer (and fear of rejection), dropping out and taking longer to attain my career, or sticking through it and being miserable where I am. I would appreciate any insight thanks! I know everything is school-specific and I have to reach out to the schools themselves.

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[MixedAnimals77]

Hi,
I'm sorry you're unhappy where you are and my pm box is always open if you wanted to talk. Can you pinpoint what it is about the location you are unhappy with (you don't have to tell me/the forum just for your own sake because it might not be something that would change in a different location)? Also have you tried seeing a professional about this? They can be really helpful especially if you're feeling unhappy in your location to the point of considering dropping. I have not transferred, but overall I believe from listening to other SDNers who have transferred you usually need a pretty good reason to transfer. Not to mention that transferring can be difficult just based on seats available and curriculum matchup so I am unsure you would necessarily have great success. Other factors such as your current grades also factor into a successful transfer. If you truly want to continue to pursue vet med I would advise you not to drop out because there is no guarantee you could get back in anywhere especially considering the exponential growth applications have seen across the board. However, if your mental health is suffering this badly I would definitely recommend seeing someone first, because dropping may be the best option for you and your situation. Ultimately you can always apply to transfer and then if you get an acceptance great, if not that's also ok and then leaves you with the decision of to stick it out or not. @jaboo transferred as did a few others but I can't remember them off the top of my head right now. I wish you all the luck in getting on a path where you're happy again!

 

[vetmed4life]

Hi,
I'm sorry you're unhappy where you are and my pm box is always open if you wanted to talk. Can you pinpoint what it is about the location you are unhappy with (you don't have to tell me/the forum just for your own sake because it might not be something that would change in a different location)? Also have you tried seeing a professional about this? They can be really helpful especially if you're feeling unhappy in your location to the point of considering dropping. I have not transferred, but overall I believe from listening to other SDNers who have transferred you usually need a pretty good reason to transfer. Not to mention that transferring can be difficult just based on seats available and curriculum matchup so I am unsure you would necessarily have great success. Other factors such as your current grades also factor into a successful transfer. If you truly want to continue to pursue vet med I would advise you not to drop out because there is no guarantee you could get back in anywhere especially considering the exponential growth applications have seen across the board. However, if your mental health is suffering this badly I would definitely recommend seeing someone first, because dropping may be the best option for you and your situation. Ultimately you can always apply to transfer and then if you get an acceptance great, if not that's also ok and then leaves you with the decision of to stick it out or not. @jaboo transferred as did a few others but I can't remember them off the top of my head right now. I wish you all the luck in getting on a path where you're happy again!

Thank you for your kind response. I've lived on the east coast my whole life, mostly in urban areas and I'm currently studying in the rural midwest. It's just a very different world than what I'm used to. I had so much optimism at first because it's always so great to experience new things and see a world outside of what we know. But I genuinely cannot picture a life for myself here. I know it's only 4 years, and my main focus should be school, but I need to have a happy life outside of classes and work? I've never struggled with mental health issues, and usually, I'm really resilient to hardships and adaptable to many situations. I spent the first two months trying so hard to make friends and see the area. But I'm starting to notice that my mental health is impacting my physical health. I can't eat anymore, I have panic attacks, I just don't even recognize myself anymore. It makes me really sad because I love my professors and my classes, but when I'm not in school I just feel stuck and so horrible. I am seeking out mental health professionals to help me with these new struggles, so I'm hoping maybe that will help. But ultimately I know if I was in a more familiar environment and closer to home, I'd feel much more at ease.

 

[Lupin21]

4 years isn’t much. It goes fast. Vet med is strife. You will need coping skills to develop if you are going to have any kind of sustainability in this profession. This is probably not what you want to hear, but adaptability will always be key. You can try to transfer, but must be resilient to survive period.

These are trying times. Find the small things to make you appreciate life despite circumstances.

 

[jaboo]

I would agree with all the advice you've gotten here so far. I did in fact transfer but my reasons were not related to disliking my first school's location. It's also a tricky situation because along with changing towns, you would also experience changes in the new vet school's culture and friend group that could be similarly challenging. I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time with this. Let me know if you have any questions for me!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Hi! I'm a first-year student and I'm unhappy with my current location. I love vet med, my classes, and I even have some friends, I just do not like the region I'm living in. Can anyone give me some insight on their experience with transferring? I'm so torn between trying to transfer (and fear of rejection), dropping out and taking longer to attain my career, or sticking through it and being miserable where I am. I would appreciate any insight thanks! I know everything is school-specific and I have to reach out to the schools themselves.

If it’s not going to cost you more, taking into consideration the cost of moving and re-establishing yourself elsewhere, and you’re up for all that I don’t see the harm in contacting the schools in the locations you’re familiar with and seeing what the situation is. The number of seats available is based on how many students leave the program, so they may already know after the end of first semester if there are definite spots up for grabs. Transfer apps aren’t due until late in the spring, so you have time to figure things out and see if this is something you do want or not. Unless there have been students from your school in the past who have transferred to the other school, there may be significant work involved in ensuring compatability of your first year curricula, so it’s prudent to not wait last minute. Don’t worry about the fear of rejection. I mean so what if you get rejected? You’re no better or worse than where you started.

I agree with others that 4 years of vet school goes by fast, and that adaptability is important and all. But, as someone who’s not a white American, there are many parts of this country that I would not feel comfortable living even for a short period of time. I’ve done it, and I won’t do it again. And I can understand how that might be the case for other people as well for a number of other reasons.

One thing to consider though, since it seems like you’ve made friends in your current class. Vet schools are cliquey, especially in the didactic years. Consider the possibility of being isolated/not making friends in the transfer school. Which would be worse? Having friends in a location you hate? Or not having any friends in a location you like (especially when you spend soooo much of your every day in class)?

 

[lalaloseme]

Thank you for your kind response. I've lived on the east coast my whole life, mostly in urban areas and I'm currently studying in the rural midwest. It's just a very different world than what I'm used to. I had so much optimism at first because it's always so great to experience new things and see a world outside of what we know. But I genuinely cannot picture a life for myself here. I know it's only 4 years, and my main focus should be school, but I need to have a happy life outside of classes and work? I've never struggled with mental health issues, and usually, I'm really resilient to hardships and adaptable to many situations. I spent the first two months trying so hard to make friends and see the area. But I'm starting to notice that my mental health is impacting my physical health. I can't eat anymore, I have panic attacks, I just don't even recognize myself anymore. It makes me really sad because I love my professors and my classes, but when I'm not in school I just feel stuck and so horrible. I am seeking out mental health professionals to help me with these new struggles, so I'm hoping maybe that will help. But ultimately I know if I was in a more familiar environment and closer to home, I'd feel much more at ease.

I can empathize with you on so many levels.. I am also thinking about transfer right now but also not sure if it's gonna damage my relationship with the current school (they gave me scholarships).

 

[battie]

I can empathize with you on so many levels.. I am also thinking about transfer right now but also not sure if it's gonna damage my relationship with the current school (they gave me scholarships).

Are you concerned they would rescind scholarships? That's not a likely scenario as scholarships are run by a separate committee within the school. It has also been already allocated to you, which leaves a long paper trail. If you do something that disqualifies you (low grades, unprofessionalism, etc), then it's fair game to lose it.Likewise, the majority of people in admin are professional and not petty. You *earned* your scholarship and it won't be taken away for inquiring on how to transfer.