Undergrad who needs advice!

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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aglossy

aglossy

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I am currently undergrad and majoring in biology, but thinking about changing my major to psychology because that's more in my interest. i was reading around somewhere that it doesnt really matter what major you have as long as the pre-reqs for vet school are completed. so. my first question is, is that a good idea? psychology interests me and therefore i feel as if i would do better in that major but not something i want to do with my life.

second, what is the advantages of being a vet tech vs. DVM? i like hands on stuff more and don't wanna waste my time in school trying to be a vet if that's not what's for me. I KNOW i want to be a vet tech or a vet so there's no questioning my career path. i just want to know the advantages and disadvantages of both paths.

advice would be so helpful because i'm sorta really lost right now.

i haven't volunteered at a clinic but am going to when i go home for the summer. BUT i did animal science labs this year and administered shots to livestock and i love it, i drew blood and everything and it's definitely what i want to do.
 
I am currently undergrad and majoring in biology, but thinking about changing my major to psychology because that's more in my interest. i was reading around somewhere that it doesnt really matter what major you have as long as the pre-reqs for vet school are completed. so. my first question is, is that a good idea? psychology interests me and therefore i feel as if i would do better in that major but not something i want to do with my life.

second, what is the advantages of being a vet tech vs. DVM? i like hands on stuff more and don't wanna waste my time in school trying to be a vet if that's not what's for me. I KNOW i want to be a vet tech or a vet so there's no questioning my career path. i just want to know the advantages and disadvantages of both paths.

advice would be so helpful because i'm sorta really lost right now.

i haven't volunteered at a clinic but am going to when i go home for the summer. BUT i did animal science labs this year and administered shots to livestock and i love it, i drew blood and everything and it's definitely what i want to do.
 
aglossy said:
I am currently undergrad and majoring in biology, but thinking about changing my major to psychology because that's more in my interest. i was reading around somewhere that it doesnt really matter what major you have as long as the pre-reqs for vet school are completed. so. my first question is, is that a good idea? psychology interests me and therefore i feel as if i would do better in that major but not something i want to do with my life.

second, what is the advantages of being a vet tech vs. DVM? i like hands on stuff more and don't wanna waste my time in school trying to be a vet if that's not what's for me. I KNOW i want to be a vet tech or a vet so there's no questioning my career path. i just want to know the advantages and disadvantages of both paths.

advice would be so helpful because i'm sorta really lost right now.

i haven't volunteered at a clinic but am going to when i go home for the summer. BUT i did animal science labs this year and administered shots to livestock and i love it, i drew blood and everything and it's definitely what i want to do.
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I would say for you to figure out the advantages/disadvantages between being a vet tech or vet you have to shadow and observe the two jobs yourself. Different people will view these jobs differently. Some people would never want the responsibility of a veterinarian and are content with being a vet tech, while others want to be involved in cases on a more intellectual level and choose vet med.
 
As long as you get the pre-reqs done it doesn't matter what your major is. I graduated with a psychology and poli sci degree since when I was in undergrad I was not on the vet path. I brought up my psychology background in my interviews and tried to demonstrate how it can be beneficial to vet med.

As bb said you need to shadow both jobs to see which would be a better fit for you. I worked with a girl that went to school on the pre-vet track but once she shadowed a couple vets senior year she realized being a vet tech was what she preferred and went to get her vet tech license after graduating with her bachelor's in biology.
 
So it doesn't matter what your major is, as long as you get the pre-reqs done and do well in them. But I would make sure that you can do well in the tough sciences like biology and chemistry, since vet school (especially first year) is hugely about the sciences.

As for tech versus doctor, it depends on the person. In my experience, tech work is generally more focused on the hands-on aspect of patient care - you obtain the data (for example blood collection or radiographs) that the vet then interprets, you implement the treatment plans that the vet puts together, etc. You're actually the one caring for the animal. For me personally, while I really like interacting with animals, the draw of the profession isn't as much about getting to work with animals, it's about the science behind the problems and figuring out what's wrong and how to fix it. (Although techs have to take similar classes for their certifications, but it's not so bad as full blown vet school.)

I think getting some hands on experience in a clinic is your best bet at this point 👍
 
that redhead said:
For me personally, while I really like interacting with animals, the draw of the profession isn't as much about getting to work with animals, it's about the science behind the problems and figuring out what's wrong and how to fix it.
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I'll echo this. I was doing a practical towards being a vet tech when I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. Blood draws were cool and all, but what really interested me was the interpretation of the results. I was constantly pestering the vet: "So you think that dog has x? Why do you think that? What did you see on the bloodwork that means it might be x? Oh, so enzyme 1 is up, so it could be x, but it might be y too? So why do you think it's x?" 😳 Luckily, my vet likes me (and I did know when not to pester, for the record :laugh:). From experinece, the techs got to recognize patterns and signs as certain diseases, but the vets just had a complete other level of understanding of it. That's what got me excited.
 
would i still have to go to vet school if i decide to be a vet tech??
 
aglossy said:
would i still have to go to vet school if i decide to be a vet tech??
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No, not vet school. But you would have to go to vet tech school, which is usually a 2 year associates degree, if you wanted to be certified.
 
Wanted to clarify a bit for the OP.

To become a certified Veternary Technician, you do not need to finish undergrad first. You would go through a 2-year Vet Tech program instead.

To become a veterinarian, you would either finish undergrad or take the pre-required courses(usually around 65 hours of certain classes, each school has their own requirements), THEN you go on to Veterinary School which is a 4-year grad program that you have to be accepted into.
 
so there are no pre-reqs to be in a vet tech program? do you think it is possible to do both undergrad and then vet tech school in the summer?? i only ask that because i still want to have a degree to fall back on.
 
aglossy said:
so there are no pre-reqs to be in a vet tech program? do you think it is possible to do both undergrad and then vet tech school in the summer?? i only ask that because i still want to have a degree to fall back on.
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I think it depends on that particular school. I know I've seen some that have some prerequisite course requirements, but it's fairly minimal.
 
what are some good vet tech schools to look into if i decide that's the career path i want to take?


(sorry for all the questions, i just wanna shed some light on what i want to do with my life!!)
 
Frozenshades said:
I think it depends on that particular school. I know I've seen some that have some prerequisite course requirements, but it's fairly minimal.
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Around where I live, it's a completely separate program, with no pre-requirements. You get accepted into it like you would any other undergrad. But it's at a technical college, not a 4-year university or Community College.

I would go talk with your advisor about it. And I would get into a clinic soon to shadow.
 
wolfspeaker said:
Around where I live, it's a completely separate program, with no pre-requirements. You get accepted into it like you would any other undergrad. But it's at a technical college, not a 4-year university or Community College.

I would go talk with your advisor about it. And I would get into a clinic soon to shadow.
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Yeah, I think you're right. There's at least one community college around here that's a little different and has some prerequisite courses for their vet tech program. I think they have a collaboration with TAMU so the vet tech students get to do a lot of their clinical education at the vet school though, so that's probably why.
 
Frozenshades said:
Yeah, I think you're right. There's at least one community college around here that's a little different and has some prerequisite courses for their vet tech program. I think they have a collaboration with TAMU so the vet tech students get to do a lot of their clinical education at the vet school though, so that's probably why.
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Is it a 2 year or 4 year program? There ARE 4-year vet tech programs out there. Don't really know the difference between the two though, except 2 wasted years and more money down the drain. :laugh:
 
wolfspeaker said:
Is it a 2 year or 4 year program? There ARE 4-year vet tech programs out there. Don't really know the difference between the two though, except 2 wasted years and more money down the drain. :laugh:
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Yeah, I'm not really sure what the difference is either. But as far as I can tell, the 2 year degree usually allows you to become a certified veterinary technician, and the 4 year degree allows you to become a veterinary technologist. I don't know what the difference is between the technician and the technologist though.
 
I know one of the tech programs (this one is a 2 year program) in Wisconsin has a waiting list. If you have a bachelor's degree before enrolling you do not have to wait. There is another school in the area that offers a vet tech program but it is a for profit institution and super expensive.
 
Vets and vet techs have very different jobs. When you shadow at a clinic, pay attention to what each does, talk to the vets and the techs about what their jobs entail, and think about which you would enjoy more. You could also talk to the career center at your school to see if they have any advice. I would also recommend shadowing/working for vets in different areas of vet med, in different clinics, and asking all of them what their job is like.

And there is no reason not to switch to psychology if that's what you're more interested in studying right now. As long as you take the pre-reqs for vet school, the adcoms don't really care. Enjoy undergrad!
 
washbucket said:
Vets and vet techs have very different jobs. When you shadow at a clinic, pay attention to what each does, talk to the vets and the techs about what their jobs entail, and think about which you would enjoy more. You could also talk to the career center at your school to see if they have any advice. I would also recommend shadowing/working for vets in different areas of vet med, in different clinics, and asking all of them what their job is like.

And there is no reason not to switch to psychology if that's what you're more interested in studying right now. As long as you take the pre-reqs for vet school, the adcoms don't really care. Enjoy undergrad!
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Pssst. There is already a thread started on this subject. They posted twice for some reason. Copy pasta over there and a mod should delete this one.


MOD- Calling you! :laugh:
 
As others have said (and I accidentally posted on the duplicate thread...oops):

Vets and vet techs have very different jobs. When you shadow at a clinic, pay attention to what each does, talk to the vets and the techs about what their jobs entail, and think about which you would enjoy more. You could also talk to the career center at your school to see if they have any advice. I would also recommend shadowing/working for vets in different areas of vet med, in different clinics, and asking all of them what their job is like.

And there is no reason not to switch to psychology if that's what you're more interested in studying right now. As long as you take the pre-reqs for vet school, the adcoms don't really care. Enjoy undergrad as much as you can!
 
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