Tufts vs. UW-M vs. LSU

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CrocRcool

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I'm looking for some insight here. This is mainly Tufts vs. UW-M with LSU being a darkhorse because it's really hard to actually find any information on the school for some reason?

A little background: I'm an adult (31) student looking to pursue international conservation medicine. Not a total pipe dream, I've been working in international conservation for many years and know the limitations and difficulties presented by the career. I'm also aware things change in school, but I have very little interest in general small animal practice. My second choices will likely be a small animal specialty or academia. The schools are close enough in cost that my finances allow me choose a program based on other factors.

Tufts: Pros are I really liked the school and the programs/faculty. A large amount of faculty with my interests, the wildlife clinic on campus. Large caseload at the hospital. I'm originally from NJ/NY so being back on the east coast and drivable distance to friends and family is a bonus. Cons..it's rather isolated from people my own age. I'm friendly and I'm sure I'll make friends wherever I go with some classmates, but I worry that it will be difficult to meet people beyond school.

UW-M: Great school. Decent exotic load at the hospital. Madison is a fun town with lots to do. I have no visited the school yet so I'm not sure how I feel about it beyond that. Cons...Very little international exotic/conservation faculty. Madison is cool but its still the midwest. After doing a few years out here I can say that I get the appeal of widwestern life but it will never be my forever home.

LSU: I really don't know much beyond they vets they now have heading their hospital exotics are top-notch. Most of my experience (and a lot of passion) is in herpetology and it's hard to beat Louisiana for herp experiences. I'd also love to live somewhere warm for a few years. Otherwise I don't know much about the program beyond it's very low rankings and relatively low NAVLE rates (but can't find an explanation for either).

I'd really appreciate any insight

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Tufts is ~ i n c r e d i b l e ~ for international vet med and conservation medicine. Seriously, could not go wrong with choosing Tufts if that's what you're looking to do.

In terms of the social aspect of school, it's what you make of it. I'm also "old" (in my mid-30s) and I don't feel isolated! There are probably more older students than you might expect, and everyone blends together pretty well. There are a few older students who kinda do their own thing and don't get that involved socially at the school, which is fine and seems to work well for them. On the other hand, if you want to act like you're in your early 20s again (maybe just every once in a while), that's perfectly ok, too.

Don't discount the potential for meeting people through any additional programs, too -- if you're working on a research project overseas for the summer, for example, you'll likely have an opportunity to meet more people who would be in PhD programs and the like.
 
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As a Midwesterner, I say that Wisconsin is not that bad! Just a little cold and some snow, which you're used to being from the East coast. I didn't go to UW-M for undergrad, but will be going there for vet school. Madison is a wonderful town and the majority of the vets that I work with went to Wisconsin and absolutely loved it! Every time I have visited Madison I've never been bored, there are so many opportunities to get out and have fun and everybody is so friendly! However, being close to family/friends and in a place that you will be comfortable in has a lot of merit.

As for the actual veterinary side of things, I would say go to where your interests are. Nobody cares anymore about what school you attended as long as you have DVM after your name.
 
I love Madison. Everyone is friendly here to a degree that I did not know was possible. I’ve been told that Madison is unlike a lot of the Midwest in that it’s a gem in the midst of a lot of rural areas. The cold doesn’t bother me bc I’m from upstate NY.

I’m not super into conservation medicine or exotics so I’m not intimately aware of everything we have to offer. That being said, I know our exotics caseload is pretty good (you’d be surprised by the number of exotic pets are in the Midwest—I know I was). I’ve gone to necropsy rounds with lizards and I think a crane. On the side of conservation medicine, I know that there is a group here that is dedicated to One Health. I have a friend who I think is going to Ecuador for a global health session this summer. We also have a Crane foundation close to campus that is big on conservation. There’s a one health club and there is a few faculty really passionate about global health and conservation in general. What we don’t have in faculty numbers we make up for in passion. The faculty really really want everyone involved.
 
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