UC Davis vs Auburn vs Mississippi State

[dew5]

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Let me preface with: I am so incredibly grateful to have these options, yet so conflicted where to go. Currently, my interest is in mixed animal general practice.

UC Davis is my instate. After attending their admitted student day I felt that the faculty and my potential future cohort were all very friendly and personable. Although they track (small animal vs large animal), it seems that there are still plenty of opportunities/electives/externships that align with my interest in mixed animal medicine. As far as “reputation” is concerned, the program speaks for itself. This is seemingly the obvious choice.

However, my husband (who is active duty military) is currently stationed in Gulf Port, Mississippi and projected to be there until 2029. Him and I have been doing long distance for about 6 months now and I gotta be honest, it’s quite ****ty. Both Auburn and Mississippi State are within driving distance to him (~4 hours). Realistically, this means visiting once a month maybe? Not ideal, but definitely more time then we’ve been able to do now living on opposite sides of the country. He has VERY selflessly, graciously, compassionately offered to transfer his GI Bill benefit to me. According to both Auburn’s and MS State’s Veteran Affairs Centers, this means that I qualify for in state tuition. That said, both OOS schools would likely be even more cost effective options than Davis (especially when cost of living is taken into account).

The Auburn campus is beautiful and the city itself is a comfortable size. Not too metropolitan but not too remote either. My in-laws live in Mobile (~3 hours from campus). I really wish I could have attended their admitted student day to meet the class of 2030 cohort but unfortunately it was the day after Davis’s. I did have the opportunity to tour the CVM in January and the students and faculty were so kind.

The program at Mississippi State is attractive because of their 2+2 program that allows for a lot of hands-on clinical training (i.e. student average of 90 surgeries at time of graduation). They start earlier than both Davis and Auburn (June instead of August) which means ~2 months less time to work/save up to move. Compared to Auburn and Davis, the facilities at MS State are much older and the town of Starkville itself is small. (I lived in rural North Dakota for 4 years and it was about double the size - not sure about adjusting to someplace even smaller/more remote). But, the students and faculty at MS State are super nice (everyone seemed very supportive at the in-person interview/orientation). I am currently being considered for the Bardsley Scholarship ($50,000 for OOS) which (if awarded) would likely make MS State the most cost effective option.

As an aside, I do have animals that would be moving with me (2 horses +/- a mule). The mule is, unfortunately, *quite* ancient and I wouldn’t feel justified uprooting her, hauling her somewhere 2+ days away, and forcing her to adjust to a place that gets as humid as the South does. Comparatively, Davis is a reasonable distance away from where she is currently boarded (~5 hours) with similar weather.

So: Davis vs Auburn vs Mississippi State. I appreciate any additional insight to help me make this incredibly hard decision.

Sincerely,
- A very indecisive individual.

 

[Lakers$]

Umass stay close to your husband

 

[HorseObsessed]

I have moved a horse across the country and hired a professional shipper that did an excellent job. Gastrogard and all that, box stall, head not tied, and I felt quite confident that the horse was in good hands. Message me for the name of the shipper if you're interested. I wouldn't let that hold you back. Be prepared to buy beer for your horses if they're moving from cold to hot as many stop sweating. Mine was fine going from MA to TX, and that's just an anecdote, but I wouldn't let the climate scare you!

I am also making my decision based off my significant other, and I think that's a totally reasonable thing to do. Support is so important.

I got an excellent impression of Auburn's mixed animal capabilities, and they don't track. I don't know about Mississippi state, but I think the tracking thing should be an important factor!

 

[dew5]

Umass stay close to your husband

Thank you, this is what I am leaning toward also

 

[dew5]

I have moved a horse across the country and hired a professional shipper that did an excellent job. Gastrogard and all that, box stall, head not tied, and I felt quite confident that the horse was in good hands. Message me for the name of the shipper if you're interested. I wouldn't let that hold you back. Be prepared to buy beer for your horses if they're moving from cold to hot as many stop sweating. Mine was fine going from MA to TX, and that's just an anecdote, but I wouldn't let the climate scare you!

I am also making my decision based off my significant other, and I think that's a totally reasonable thing to do. Support is so important.

I got an excellent impression of Auburn's mixed animal capabilities, and they don't track. I don't know about Mississippi state, but I think the tracking thing should be an important factor!

Thank you so much for the advice! Thankfully it wouldn't be a move from somewhere cold (I'm in SoCal - we get hot summers here but it's a very dry heat in comparison to the high humidity in the South). That's reassuring to hear though! My equines have always lived in CA so moving them to the other side of the US just makes me nervous in general haha.

I agree, having a support system nearby is absolutely important.

Same! Mississippi is also a non-tracking school. They seem to be well-rounded in regard to exposure to diverse species (except for exotics, simply due to the location).

 

[cardamom23]

MSU! Great program and it’s close to your husband. COL is reasonable there too. 💕

 

[dew5]

MSU! Great program and it’s close to your husband. COL is reasonable there too. 💕

Thank you for your input! Any reason for MSU over Auburn? Both are equally as close to husband

 

[dew5]

Auburn is adorable actually I have a friend that lives there and did her undergrad design degree. It seemed like MS is financially a better option so that’s why I said MSU— but considering the facilities are older and the town is smaller in Starkville … Auburn is definitely a great contender and a vibrant college town. (I’d personally choose Auburn between the two if $ wasn’t a factor). 😀

Gotcha! You make some good points here. Thanks again for the insight!

 

[CuriousEventer]

I'm heading to Auburn from SoCal. Hubs and I will be doing long distance for a while, so you'd have a sympathetic ear. Met quite a few non-trads on accepted students' day.

 

[dew5]

I'm heading to Auburn from SoCal. Hubs and I will be doing long distance for a while, so you'd have a sympathetic ear. Met quite a few non-trads on accepted students' day.

Thank you, it’s reassuring to know I won’t be alone in that 🫶

 

[Speedybeans]

I disagree with the previous commenters- you’d be best to stay with your IS at UC Davis for vet school. Being a 4 hr flight rather than a 4 hr drive will benefit your educational experience and relationship if you can make it work.

It’ll be more of a distraction to be so close that you could drive out for a weekend. You’ll likely be less engaged with your peers if you’re constantly fixated on going out to visit. Buckling down in your studies and getting involved in your student community regardless of where you choose is the best way through being apart. I have no doubt you’ll find good people and make good friends regardless of which school you choose; especially over the next 4 years it’s important to have a system of support beyond your partner.

Education wise, I’d recommend reaching out to faculty and current students to see how you can get the best mixed animal experience while you’re in school. There’s usually a way around tracking for equine experience without having to track large animal.

I say this as someone who works with multiple reservists and veterans: do not base any long term plans on Uncle Sam’s promises. There is no guarantee he won’t be deployed or have another PCS. The Global War on Terror round 2 is just spooling up. I live in the shadow of Peterson SFB where 1200 enlisted and officers alike were handed surprise PCS’es to Alabama for political reasons.

Mississippi is objectively not as nice to live in as Davis. Opelika has nice parts, but unless you love college football or golf there isn’t much to do. Davis is a safer place to be security and healthcare wise as a woman living alone. It will be more expensive for living costs, but you get what you pay for. It will be a huge culture shock to be in that part of the south unless you grew up around the Fresno or Oroville parts of Cali.

Finance wise, I’d save the GI bill for him to retrain when he gets out or for a residency if you’d like to specialize.

Davis is next door to Travis AFB. Your husband can hop on check flights available travel to Pensacola, Keesler, etc. it’s easy enough to fly from SFO or Sacramento commercially to visit him. I don’t know what your husband’s schedule is like, but he could pretty easily come out to visit you if he’s willing to put in the legwork. I traveled through ID90 and space available travel to visit my partner long distance for 30 months (not that I counted).

Doing what’s best for your future is what’s best for you as a couple. It’d be different if you were parents, but if you’re just managing yourselves then you both need to be independent to survive vet school and a military career combo.

 

[dew5]

I disagree with the previous commenters- you’d be best to stay with your IS at UC Davis for vet school. Being a 4 hr flight rather than a 4 hr drive will benefit your educational experience and relationship if you can make it work.

It’ll be more of a distraction to be so close that you could drive out for a weekend. You’ll likely be less engaged with your peers if you’re constantly fixated on going out to visit. Buckling down in your studies and getting involved in your student community regardless of where you choose is the best way through being apart. I have no doubt you’ll find good people and make good friends regardless of which school you choose; especially over the next 4 years it’s important to have a system of support beyond your partner.

Education wise, I’d recommend reaching out to faculty and current students to see how you can get the best mixed animal experience while you’re in school. There’s usually a way around tracking for equine experience without having to track large animal.

I say this as someone who works with multiple reservists and veterans: do not base any long term plans on Uncle Sam’s promises. There is no guarantee he won’t be deployed or have another PCS. The Global War on Terror round 2 is just spooling up. I live in the shadow of Peterson SFB where 1200 enlisted and officers alike were handed surprise PCS’es to Alabama for political reasons.

Mississippi is objectively not as nice to live in as Davis. Opelika has nice parts, but unless you love college football or golf there isn’t much to do. Davis is a safer place to be security and healthcare wise as a woman living alone. It will be more expensive for living costs, but you get what you pay for. It will be a huge culture shock to be in that part of the south unless you grew up around the Fresno or Oroville parts of Cali.

Finance wise, I’d save the GI bill for him to retrain when he gets out or for a residency if you’d like to specialize.

Davis is next door to Travis AFB. Your husband can hop on check flights available travel to Pensacola, Keesler, etc. it’s easy enough to fly from SFO or Sacramento commercially to visit him. I don’t know what your husband’s schedule is like, but he could pretty easily come out to visit you if he’s willing to put in the legwork. I traveled through ID90 and space available travel to visit my partner long distance for 30 months (not that I counted).

Doing what’s best for your future is what’s best for you as a couple. It’d be different if you were parents, but if you’re just managing yourselves then you both need to be independent to survive vet school and a military career combo.

I was hoping to get a comment from this perspective. You bring up some really good points here! I'll address these thoughts as objectively as possible based on what information I've been able to gather from past students and current faculty.

I see what you mean about the 4-hour drive being a distraction. I do agree that having a support system among my classmates is equally important.

Currently, I work with two recent UCD graduates - both have said that for all of the great aspects of Davis's program, the one thing that they don't do well is well-rounded exposure to mixed animal medicine. When talking to a UCD faculty member at admitted student day about this, her response was that it'd be possible to get mixed animal experience by picking up extracurriculars/electives, however, it is very "tricky" to do this well because of how their tracking program is structured. Since mixed animal is where my current interest lies, it does give me pause to pick a place that will ultimately make me choose between small animal vs large animal. As you said though, there are ways around this.

Absolutely true. Nothing in the military world is a guarantee. For additional context, my husband is a Seabee - in a way, they are a bit more limited regarding PCS assignments. But yes, the current state of the world can absolutely throw a wrench in that. This has been in the back of my mind throughout the application process.

Fortunately/unfortunately, I am neither a football nor golf fanatic, lol. I did find that for all the reasons Davis felt overwhelming, Starkville MS felt very underwhelming. To me, Auburn felt a little more in the middle. But there really is no comparison to the security and healthcare opportunities that Davis would provide among these other choices.

In the case that my husband doesn't retrain (his intentions are to complete the full 20 and go into HVAC after getting out, since he'll already have these certifications through the military), then I'd probably opt to use the GI Bill now - we don't plan on having children and I have absolutely no intentions to specialize (I've always seen myself working in a GP setting), but of course all these things can change over time. So, I will definitely keep these suggestions in mind and really appreciate you voicing them! To be honest I didn't even consider these options before.

30 months is a long time - major props to you! ID90 travel is something else I hadn't previously considered.

I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to formulate such an informative reply. I've taken these suggestions to heart and will consider them carefully before making a final decision.

 

[CuriousEventer]

How is the decision making process going?

 

[dew5]

How is the decision making process going?

Most likely down to Auburn and Davis. And three weeks left to decide (but hey, who's counting)

 

[dew5]

How is the decision making process going?

ETA: Was offered the Bardsley scholarship at Misssissippi State yesterday so perhaps I am back to square one 😅

 

[cardamom23]

ETA: Was offered the Bardsley scholarship at Misssissippi State yesterday so perhaps I am back to square one 😅

Trust your gut! Go where you believe you will succeed and feel like you’ll thrive! 🙏🏼