UCLA vs CSULA? CC Transfer and advice?

[princesspeach2]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi everyone!

I am going to keep this as short as possible. After volunteering at a hospital and speaking with physicians, I've realized that I don't want to go into human medicine. I like people, but not sick people-they just gross me out. Sick animals-fascinating and not gross. Volunteering at animal shelter, cleaning cat boxes and poop crusted ceilings-fun. I shadowed a vet a few years ago and loved it. Despite the negatives the vet showed me, the positives outweighed them. The amount of debt and small income ratio scared me off back then, along with all the schooling, but not anymore. After working in food service for six years, I've matured a lot and realized the importance of doing something you love and getting an education is worth the debt and time investment.

Anyways, currently, I'm back in school at 24 after failing/dropping out my first semester 5 years ago (due to immaturity/social anxiety). I'm currently attending a community college, with a 4.0 GPA for my first semester back and enrolling in the honors program next semester.

My original plan (when I was thinking medicine) was to stay here, complete my pre reqs, then transfer to UCLA as a biology major (simply because I enjoy biology and wouldn't want to major in anything else).

I know for medical schools, a good amount of people said that attending a UC would be better than a CSU from my past searches on here if you transfer from a CC (education is what you make it, but best chance if you play the game, was the overall theme), but I found little on the pre-vet forum in regards to being a non-traditional community college transfer with all pre-reqs completed at the community college.

I want to attend CSULA simply because it is cheaper, and I wouldn't have to move from my current apartment for it as it is about half the distance from my residence as UCLA is (it would be a struggle financially to move in the next year or two and I really like where we live currently).

Another question, I'm currently trying to map out how I plan to get vet/animal experience as all of mine in the past is from high school (volunteered at animal shelter for about 1.5 years as a kennel attendant/animal enrichment, and shadowed a small animal vet for a weekend and did an interview for a class project, lived on horse boarding farm and assisted with mucking, feeding, and other chores in exchange for lessons (never recieved) for one year).

Current plan (gain animal experience and small animal vet experience during "freshman"-junior years):
-Ride bus to nearby vet clinics, submit cover letter and resume for volunteer/shadow/kennel attendant positions (ideally, obtain a paid weekend kennel cleaning job, a long term weekly volunteer commitment, and multiple short term shadowing experiences)
-Volunteer at local science center helping with wild animal/marine animal husbandry

After I take driving courses and get my license (senior year-one year after graduation)
-find decent paying job (ideally with animals, just because it would be interesting, to help save for car/save $$)
-participate in local (1-1.5 hour commute) local short term (3-12 week) internships/externships to gain wildlife vet experience and general large/farm animal experience

Currently, I volunteer with an organization that helps homeless children (which I love!), and volunteer at a local hospital (but I'll probably quit the hospital, as I really don't enjoy it and want to free up my schedule)

If it matters, I am wanting to go to Western University due to the reverence for life commitment, and proximity to my significant other's work as he will be paying for the bills while I'm in school and is limited in available jobs elsewhere given his field.

So official questions:
1) Do vet schools care about where you complete your undergrad if you are a CC transfer? (I looked on Western University's site and saw they took pre-req's from my CC, but not sure if having a UC vs CSU degree makes a difference to them/vet schools in general)

2) Is my plan okay to gain vet/animal experience? I don't want to make it seem like I'm just trying to check the boxes for my application, but I won't be able to do the externships due to their distance until my senior year or during my "gap" year. I actually am excited to do them though, unlike the human counterparts. 😛

Thank you so much!

 

[yessums]

No, they don't care! I went to a CC and transferred to Cal Poly Pomona. I just applied to vet school this cycle and have been offered 3 interviews! As long as you get all your pre reqs done, it doesn't matter if you went to a UC or a CSU. Also, just know that UCLA bio is kind of difficult to get into. A friend of mine in CC had a 4.0/honors society/volunteer/clubs and just about everything under the sun and got rejected. This is not to discourage you but just to let you know. However some CC do have the UC Tag program that if you're approved, you get accepted into the UC schools you applied to. Again, UCLA is kinda an exception to that. It's just so competitive.

The fact that you have helped those in need as well as volunteered in human medicine will already make you stand out. As far as animal experience, volunteer at shelters. If you're interested in wild life I believe there is an avian (or maybe it was tiger sanctuary) I believe heading towards Sun Valley (I need to double check with my friend). As far as large farm experience, I would look up local farms in the Chino Hills/Ontario area if you can! If you're interested in marine mammal medicine there's the marine mammal center in San Pedro. Just try to get as much experience as you can!!🙂

If you have any questions, let me know I'm assuming I'm pretty close to where ever you are since CSULA isn't too far from me lol 😉

 

[mmmdreamerz]

To answer you're questions...

1) The short answer is no, most don't care, but there are schools out there that do--Texas A&M comes to mind? (for what it's worth none of the school's I applied to cared where credits came from). You're best bet is to email/call the schools you are specifically interested in and ask. Usually admissions people are super friendly and willing to help.

2) Seems like a decent plan to get experience. Diversity of veterinary experience is always good and helps you stand out at the very least. Research also looks good. Volunteer work is great!

Good job with the GPA your first semester back...very strong start...keep it up!

Good luck!

 

[socalgooner]

I completed most of my prerequisites at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. It is part of the LACC District, and has a very strong science department . In addition, they have a pre-veterinary and RVT program, as well as a farm where many students are able to gain large animal veterinary hours.

As far as gaining clinic hours I would say start as soon as you can. This will be a big part of your application, and the more [paid] hours you have the stronger your candidacy will be. It will also give you a better opportunity to form relationships with the veterinarians whom you will be asking for letters of recommendations.

 

[socalgooner]

I wanted to quickly comment on this bit as it's a rumor I hear thrown around from time to time---I really don't think that paid experience is viewed any more favorably by school adcomms than unpaid. I personally was accepted with 2000+ hours of vet experience, none of which I ever received a single cent for, and I know that I'm far from alone on that. Is it nice to receive monetary compensation as a pre-vet for your work? Certainly, because then you don't have to rely on a separate source of income to support yourself, but schools also understand that many pre-vets are not ever actually able to acquire a paid veterinary position and use shadowing and volunteering to gain experience while working other jobs. It is absolutely just as valid as paid experience in terms of admissions.

I completely understand your point, and you are right in that it makes no difference to vet schools whether you are a paid employ or a volunteer. Hours are hours on the application. The reason why I suggest finding paid work comes from my personal experience. As a volunteer I was legally limited in the duties I could perform. I had access to the doctors and could watch procedures, but I was never allowed to be directly involved since I was not covered by workman's comp. As a paid technician I am involved in every aspect of the services that we provide as well as the office duties involved in maintaining the clinic. In addition, I have gained a greater sense of the daily grind of a small and busy clinic. What I am saying is that I feel that I have gained a greater sense of the [sometimes harsh] realities of veterinary medicine from paid work rather than volunteer work, and that my decision to push forward with my veterinary career is better informed because of it.

 

[princesspeach2]

@yessums

Thank you for the response! Congratulations on all your interviews! 😀

Thank you for letting me know about how competitive UCLA is, my guidance counselor made it seem like I would be guaranteed admission if I had a good (like 3.5) gpa and some extracurriculars since I was a nontraditional student. She is very nice, but has given me incorrect information before or doesn't give me the full facts for other things. I wonder why your friend got rejected? I wonder if they finished all the courses on the assist site? I know for the UC TAP/TAG program, UCLA is the one school that you aren't guaranteed admission into, but you are guaranteed admission to a UC, just might not be the one you want if I recall correctly.

I will be sure to check out the sanctuary, farms, and places you mentioned. I looked up the avian/tiger sanctuary, and found there is a big cat sanctuary I believe near Sun Valley area. Perhaps that is what you are thinking of? I definitely plan to volunteer with the marine mammal center once I get my driver's license! When I moved to CA, that was the one place I was really excited to volunteer at, until I realized it's a very far distance by bus.

Thank you again for all the help, it's nice to know there is someone local around! 🙂

@mmmdreamerz

Thank you for your feedback. It's nice to know that most don't, but I'll be sure to call and ask to confirm. I know the website lists all the colleges and the prereqs they accept from them, which I am using as a guide as well.

I'll be sure to gain some sort of research experience as well, and keep in mind that I want diversity.

Thank you! I am very driven and determined to do well this time. Funny what working 6 years in food service gives you great motivation to succeed academically!

@socalgooner

I was looking at Pierce College, it seems like it is a really good school. I wish I would of planned and decided this sooner, so I could of went there as it would of been easy to gain a lot of experience through their programs.

I am making my cover letter/resume to send around this week to try to find a clinic to start volunteering at. I understand both of your points (@SandstormDVM ) about paid vs unpaid experience, but thank you for letting me know that adcoms view non paid as acceptable as well.

By vet experience, you mean experience under a vet, not just general animal experience right?

Also, everyone is so friendly on here! 🙂