University of Tennessee c/o 2019 applicants

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I have a question for current UTK students - my brother dropped a wonderful bomb on me the other day - he'd like to buy a house in Knoxville with another property attached, then rent the house to me and have another veterinary student rent the other part of the property. He's looking for a place that's ready to move into, minimal prep-work involved i.e. painting walls at most, probably in West Knoxville. (Side note: I'm a non-trad student, a bit older) Where can we start looking, any recommendations, anyone live out that way, advice? Ideally he'd be looking for a property that's closer to where Mom/Dad and their 2.5 kids live, and any information would be greatly appreciated!!
PM me with your parents location. I'll try to help. I grew up here and bought a house for vet school.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I have a question for current UTK students - my brother dropped a wonderful bomb on me the other day - he'd like to buy a house in Knoxville with another property attached, then rent the house to me and have another veterinary student rent the other part of the property. He's looking for a place that's ready to move into, minimal prep-work involved i.e. painting walls at most, probably in West Knoxville. (Side note: I'm a non-trad student, a bit older) Where can we start looking, any recommendations, anyone live out that way, advice? Ideally he'd be looking for a property that's closer to where Mom/Dad and their 2.5 kids live, and any information would be greatly appreciated!!

I would be interested in being the other vet student! I'm also a non-trad.
 
Sadly our website is a little behind. We had paperwork in the admissions packets I believe that outlined last few years of admissions.
Thanks! Any chance you could share? If not I'll just scout around the admitted stats board.
 
Thanks! Any chance you could share? If not I'll just scout around the admitted stats board.

If I can grab one, I'll upload a pic. Don't know off the top of my head.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I have forgotten sooo many things since visiting in Jan durin the interview.. Could someone PLEASE give me a breakdown of the hands-on opportunities/experiences that i would get years 1-3 at UT? Are they built into the curriculum or do we seek them out on our own through clubs/wet labs? What surgeries/procedures can we do before 4th yr (many spays and neuters or just a couple)? Also, are there international opportunities facilitated/funded by the school? Lastly, do graduates feel "practice ready" ????

You will get a decent amount of hands-on physical exam experience in your first-year Physical Diagnosis class, plus a lot of system-specific experience in your systems classes (Urinary System, Optho, etc.) Everybody will get the chance to do a spay or neuter in the second-year surgery class, plus there are electives available third-year that give you the chance for more surgeries.

Anecdotally, UT seems to do well producing practice ready vets. There was a vet visiting with his daughter during interview week who owns a pretty large mixed-animal practice and he told me personally that of all the vets he's hired, the UT grads were the most prepared.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Does anyone know when we should expect to receive packets with more information (financial aid, orientation, etc)?
 
Does anyone know when we should expect to receive packets with more information (financial aid, orientation, etc)?

I heard from one of the ladies in the admissions office who sent out formal confirmation of acceptance letter receipt, and she said the welcome letter will be sent out in a few weeks (that was last week, so I imagine by the end of March). She also noted that orientation begins August 12th, classes begin August 19th, and to start trying to schedule your Rabies vaccinations if you aren't already vaccinated.

Hope this helps!
 
You will get a decent amount of hands-on physical exam experience in your first-year Physical Diagnosis class, plus a lot of system-specific experience in your systems classes (Urinary System, Optho, etc.) Everybody will get the chance to do a spay or neuter in the second-year surgery class, plus there are electives available third-year that give you the chance for more surgeries.

Anecdotally, UT seems to do well producing practice ready vets. There was a vet visiting with his daughter during interview week who owns a pretty large mixed-animal practice and he told me personally that of all the vets he's hired, the UT grads were the most prepared.
Thank you so much!

How is the therio program and faculty there? And how is the clinical research?? (Im interested in zoonotic diseases or equine research : lameness/MD/therio.)

Also, does anyone know what the deposit is and if there's like an open house or anything?


Can anyone compare pros/cons of UT's program vs Auburn's? I am so lost and I liked UT's atmosphere a bit better, but it is much more expensive and i need to really see what the give and take is btwn both programs. If anyone can shed some light on that let me know please!!!! THANK YOU!!



And are scholarships hard or rare to get from OOS?
 
Last edited:
I was also gridlocked between Auburn and UT, but in the end I chose UT. Both schools were by far my favorite of the ones I interviewed at, and I knew that I would doubt my decision no matter which I chose. I'm going through waves of confidence and regret, but my gut still says UT. From what I remember, UT's large animal facility is bigger than Auburns. I also remember my tour guide telling us about UT's connection with a local zoo and how he's seen several large cats (unconscious) around the hospital. I'm mixed animal with an interest in surgery, so I don't remember specifics for what you're interested in. What really drew me to UT (even though Auburn emphasized this as well) was the focus on the student. I really liked how the UT professors were required (I think?) to take actual teaching courses, and how there was a focus on making the learning as accessible as possible. I also liked the smaller class size. Another thing that drew me to UT was how easy they made it to find nice housing (the Knoxville apartment magazine/pamphlet they gave us at interviews). I didn't like that most Auburn students live in trailer parks, even if they are supposedly nicer than you'd expect. I also thought that I'd fit in better socially at UT than Auburn. I have a very New England personality, and I was nervous about going into the deep south. When I look at google maps, it looks like there are way more vet clinics around UT than Auburn, so I felt like my chances of finding employment during breaks were much higher. Another thing I did was take UT and Auburn's curriculum and compare them side by side, semester by semester. From what I remember I think UT made it a little easier to get hands-on experience early on. If you need me to I can probably think of some other things. I hope this helps!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Members don't see this ad :)
I was also gridlocked between Auburn and UT, but in the end I chose UT. Both schools were by far my favorite of the ones I interviewed at, and I knew that I would doubt my decision no matter which I chose. I'm going through waves of confidence and regret, but my gut still says UT. From what I remember, UT's large animal facility is bigger than Auburns. I also remember my tour guide telling us about UT's connection with a local zoo and how he's seen several large cats (unconscious) around the hospital. I'm mixed animal with an interest in surgery, so I don't remember specifics for what you're interested in. What really drew me to UT (even though Auburn emphasized this as well) was the focus on the student. I really liked how the UT professors were required (I think?) to take actual teaching courses, and how there was a focus on making the learning as accessible as possible. I also liked the smaller class size. Another thing that drew me to UT was how easy they made it to find nice housing (the Knoxville apartment magazine/pamphlet they gave us at interviews). I didn't like that most Auburn students live in trailer parks, even if they are supposedly nicer than you'd expect. I also thought that I'd fit in better socially at UT than Auburn. I have a very New England personality, and I was nervous about going into the deep south. When I look at google maps, it looks like there are way more vet clinics around UT than Auburn, so I felt like my chances of finding employment during breaks were much higher. Another thing I did was take UT and Auburn's curriculum and compare them side by side, semester by semester. From what I remember I think UT made it a little easier to get hands-on experience early on. If you need me to I can probably think of some other things. I hope this helps!
these are all good points.

I loved the school itself and am happy to answer whatever questions I can
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Thank you so much!
How is the therio program and faculty there? And how is the clinical research?? (Im interested in zoonotic diseases or equine research : lameness/MD/therio.)

Also, does anyone know what the deposit is and if there's like an open house or anything?

Can anyone compare pros/cons of UT's program vs Auburn's? I am so lost and I liked UT's atmosphere a bit better, but it is much more expensive and i need to really see what the give and take is btwn both programs. If anyone can shed some light on that let me know please!!!! THANK YOU!!

And are scholarships hard or rare to get from OOS?

- I know that there is no deposit for UTK. I asked point blank and was informed of such directly from their administrators.
- I cannot speak on the absolutes of pro/con between Auburn/UTK but I actually looked at Auburn and chose not to apply at all because I overwhelmingly felt like UTK was "home." That said, if Auburn is in-state for you, that's a huge detractor for leaving your home residence behind! You do have to remember that in-state vs out-of-state could mean as much as $80K difference, or more in debt, at graduation. Also you should make your pro/con list specific to what you're looking for in the schools and whether or not they provide what you need in order to accomplish your goals. I'm including a bunch of links to UTK pages that should help with making a list for yourself. I believe Auburn also has pretty extensive information on their site as well.
- I'm pretty sure UTK has an open house in the spring (April-ish??), but send an email to their admissions office, Ms. D.S. (you can find her full name here: http://www.vet.utk.edu/admissions/contact.php), and I'm positive she can inform you about the date of this year's open house. She's extremely nice!! Here's an old link to a previous year's open house: http://www.vet.utk.edu/openhouse/
- During the day I spent on campus for the interview, I met and spoke with a large number of faculty and students and it seems as though there's a very relaxed relationship between the two. I would find it hard to believe that there are doctors/professors that intimidate or make any students feel they are unapproachable. As for research, I know that there is a program where if what you personally would like to study is not being studied by faculty, you can still do it and select a doctor to oversee everything. I believe it's one of the programs listed at this link, but I'm not positive on the specifics. https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/vmc/Pages/sro.aspx
- One HUGE thing for me was how direct, open, and honest everyone at UTK has been throughout this entire process. I have tremendous respect for the fact that they do emphasize that their DVM Professors are TEACHERS who are taught how to teach! Another school I got into emphasized that their courses were taught by "the expert" in each of the fields...well that amounted to having 5 different teachers for one class - one taught felines, one canines, one equines, etc. - then the tests had questions from all of them. The students noted that this confused them and often left them unable to do as well as they believe they should have; especially (key piece here) when most of the "teachers" were DVM/PhD Researchers who were poor instructors and the students could tell they didn't want to teach in a classroom. That's why I love UTK all the way!!!
- I am unaware of the competitiveness of scholarships regarding OOS versus IS status and whether or not it's even a factor. Another great question to ask Ms. D.S.

I hope this helps somewhat, if at all! I know you must feel overwhelmed with the decision, but I'm sure you'll figure out which is the best fit! :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I was also gridlocked between Auburn and UT, but in the end I chose UT. Both schools were by far my favorite of the ones I interviewed at, and I knew that I would doubt my decision no matter which I chose. I'm going through waves of confidence and regret, but my gut still says UT. From what I remember, UT's large animal facility is bigger than Auburns. I also remember my tour guide telling us about UT's connection with a local zoo and how he's seen several large cats (unconscious) around the hospital. I'm mixed animal with an interest in surgery, so I don't remember specifics for what you're interested in. What really drew me to UT (even though Auburn emphasized this as well) was the focus on the student. I really liked how the UT professors were required (I think?) to take actual teaching courses, and how there was a focus on making the learning as accessible as possible. I also liked the smaller class size. Another thing that drew me to UT was how easy they made it to find nice housing (the Knoxville apartment magazine/pamphlet they gave us at interviews). I didn't like that most Auburn students live in trailer parks, even if they are supposedly nicer than you'd expect. I also thought that I'd fit in better socially at UT than Auburn. I have a very New England personality, and I was nervous about going into the deep south. When I look at google maps, it looks like there are way more vet clinics around UT than Auburn, so I felt like my chances of finding employment during breaks were much higher. Another thing I did was take UT and Auburn's curriculum and compare them side by side, semester by semester. From what I remember I think UT made it a little easier to get hands-on experience early on. If you need me to I can probably think of some other things. I hope this helps!

Woo hoo! Another New Englander! :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Thank you so much!

How is the therio program and faculty there? And how is the clinical research?? (Im interested in zoonotic diseases or equine research : lameness/MD/therio.)

Also, does anyone know what the deposit is and if there's like an open house or anything?


Can anyone compare pros/cons of UT's program vs Auburn's? I am so lost and I liked UT's atmosphere a bit better, but it is much more expensive and i need to really see what the give and take is btwn both programs. If anyone can shed some light on that let me know please!!!! THANK YOU!!



And are scholarships hard or rare to get from OOS?

This was posted in another thread. Might be helpful!
 

Attachments

  • Factors When Picking a School.docx
    100.5 KB · Views: 67
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
This was posted in another thread. Might be helpful!
Oh my goodness, thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOO MUCH!! You and @PrancingPony are too sweet for all of the info/advice!!! Everything helped me tremendously, especially that document that you uploaded! Now all that I need to consider is the OOS tuition for UT versus the OOS tuition for Purdue (the other option aside from Auburn that I was considering...). I want to come out practice ready as much as possible!!! --esp if I am in the hole for 300,000--i am going to need to find a job, not an internship, ASAP!!!
 
these are all good points.

I loved the school itself and am happy to answer whatever questions I can
Did you graduate from UT for your DVM? What are the job opportunities like and did you feel "practice ready" or like a competitive grad versus those from other south eastern schools? (I want to settle either in tennessee, nc, or sc).
 
Did you graduate from UT for your DVM? What are the job opportunities like and did you feel "practice ready" or like a competitive grad versus those from other south eastern schools? (I want to settle either in tennessee, nc, or sc).
Yes, I did. I did feel pretty practice ready. Job opportunities when I graduated were slim across the board. It didn't matter what school you were from. If you're looking in TN but outside of Nashville and Knoxville, opportunities are ok. The more rural, the more opportunity, it seemed like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Yes, I did. I did feel pretty practice ready. Job opportunities when I graduated were slim across the board. It didn't matter what school you were from. If you're looking in TN but outside of Nashville and Knoxville, opportunities are ok. The more rural, the more opportunity, it seemed like.

Random question - to your knowledge, were there/are there opportunities for employment in Lab Animal Med around the Oak Ridge area, or other areas within TN?
 
Do we have a fb group yet?
Have you decided on UT? When I got the email to set up my UT email address they said that there would be emails going out to the whole c/o 2019 soon, so I'm thinking we'll find out about the fb group around the same time. I think @Doktor Timo mentioned earlier that they wait to set it up until they have a list of people who have accepted their spots.
 
Have you decided on UT? When I got the email to set up my UT email address they said that there would be emails going out to the whole c/o 2019 soon, so I'm thinking we'll find out about the fb group around the same time. I think @Doktor Timo mentioned earlier that they wait to set it up until they have a list of people who have accepted their spots.
I thinkkkk i have.. I waver occasionally but i think so! (OOS cost is keeping me up at night...). Yeah i set up my email already!
 
Thank you so much!

How is the therio program and faculty there? And how is the clinical research?? (Im interested in zoonotic diseases or equine research : lameness/MD/therio.)

Also, does anyone know what the deposit is and if there's like an open house or anything?


Can anyone compare pros/cons of UT's program vs Auburn's? I am so lost and I liked UT's atmosphere a bit better, but it is much more expensive and i need to really see what the give and take is btwn both programs. If anyone can shed some light on that let me know please!!!! THANK YOU!!



And are scholarships hard or rare to get from OOS?

First of all, I love that you were impressed by UT's atmosphere. We try pretty hard to be one of the friendly, welcoming schools. If you decide to come here you will be joining a welcoming, supporting family of students.

That being said, having to choose between OOS and IS tuition is a major decision. Personally, I would always choose to go IS because the debt burden is already so large. Auburn is a great school, and if you asked me to honestly say that UT is so much better that it justifies paying twice as much, I probably couldn't. We would love to have you here, but you have to make the decision that makes the most sense for you long-term.

I also remember my tour guide telling us about UT's connection with a local zoo and how he's seen several large cats (unconscious) around the hospital.

That was probably me...

FWIW, the fact that there are a lot of vet clinics around Knoxville (and there are) does not necessarily mean it will be easier to find work. It may mean that the market is pretty well already saturated. I'm honestly already expecting to have to move when I graduate.
 
FWIW, the fact that there are a lot of vet clinics around Knoxville (and there are) does not necessarily mean it will be easier to find work. It may mean that the market is pretty well already saturated. I'm honestly already expecting to have to move when I graduate.

This. I did manage to find a job in Knoxville after graduation (I am from Knoxville, and decided it was important to me to stay), but I only had one offer, felt lucky to have gotten it (read: freaked that I wouldn't get one at all), and took a salary that is about 10k lower than the national average for new grads to stay here.
 
First of all, I love that you were impressed by UT's atmosphere. We try pretty hard to be one of the friendly, welcoming schools. If you decide to come here you will be joining a welcoming, supporting family of students.

That being said, having to choose between OOS and IS tuition is a major decision. Personally, I would always choose to go IS because the debt burden is already so large. Auburn is a great school, and if you asked me to honestly say that UT is so much better that it justifies paying twice as much, I probably couldn't. We would love to have you here, but you have to make the decision that makes the most sense for you long-term.



That was probably me...

FWIW, the fact that there are a lot of vet clinics around Knoxville (and there are) does not necessarily mean it will be easier to find work. It may mean that the market is pretty well already saturated. I'm honestly already expecting to have to move when I graduate.
Well I am from NY and cornell IS is going to be about 34 or so a year, so ill still have debt if i went there..yes it's much less than 53 a yr at UT but i really did not like ithaca or their curriculum at all, just personal opinion. Plus, id rather be happy for four yrs than unhappy, so ill find a way to manage my debt i HOPE! If i got off ncsu's waitlist id probably go there, esp since they can possibly let you switch to IS. But UT seems to be a place ill fit in better, as opposed to auburn's atmosphere and semi lack of hands-on exp. Ha i go back and forth!
 
Well I am from NY and cornell IS is going to be about 34 or so a year, so ill still have debt if i went there..yes it's much less than 53 a yr at UT but i really did not like ithaca or their curriculum at all, just personal opinion. Plus, id rather be happy for four yrs than unhappy, so ill find a way to manage my debt i HOPE! If i got off ncsu's waitlist id probably go there, esp since they can possibly let you switch to IS. But UT seems to be a place ill fit in better, as opposed to auburn's atmosphere and semi lack of hands-on exp. Ha i go back and forth!

Ah, got it. I thought you were saying Auburn was your IS school. I would have second thoughts about going to Cornell also, even if it was my IS school.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I will be giving up my OOS seat. I got accepted to my IS school. Good luck to all those who are still waitlisted!
 
Hey! Can anybody send me info/details abt the open house when/where etc?? Thank you!! I need to book my flight!
 
Oh it must be! I was informed of it by a current student, i thought it was more for students/applicants etc. Im glad i didnt book a flight already! Thank you haha
 
I received an email saying they received my letter and that we should expect to hear something in the next few weeks.
 
Has anyone found any apartments that they like? I may end up moving to Knox a little earlier then I expected cause my current lease is ending and have been trying to find some apartments.
 
Has anyone found any apartments that they like? I may end up moving to Knox a little earlier then I expected cause my current lease is ending and have been trying to find some apartments.
I haven't decided on a place yet but there were a few places that looked good - Papermill Square, Crestridge, Canyon/Knox Landing, Windsor Court, and Cherokee Ridge. I was looking for places within about 10 minutes from campus, but not right in the Fort Sanders area, rent for all of these is <$600 a month for a one-bedroom, and they're all pet friendly (or at least cat friendly)
 
Has anyone found any apartments that they like? I may end up moving to Knox a little earlier then I expected cause my current lease is ending and have been trying to find some apartments.

I'm heading down for a few days in May to look for a place, but I too plan on arriving around the 1st of August just to get my bearings!
 
I based my apartment search first on crime statistics, second on price. When I went down looking for a place, my first stop was the police department. I gave them my list and asked them to cross off any that were in higher crime areas. They also gave me a really useful website, onlineraids.com. Type in the address you're looking at and the website will show you the crime reports in that area. Based on those resources I crossed 5 off my list: Ridgedale Townhouses, Evergreen at the Bluffs, Maple Sunset, Manor View and Steeplechase. Ridgedale and Manor View weren't that bad. When I visited Legacy Pointe I was told that undergrads live there, so that was crossed off my list too.

I expanded my apartment search to about a 20 minute drive from campus because it seemed so much safer to be just a little farther away. My favorites were Cottages on Tazewell, Legends at Oak Grove, and Walden Legacy. Tazewell is a bit more expensive, but definitely still worth visiting. They LOVE vet students and will probably give you a better deal than what is on the website. I was told that there's already 3 vet "interns" there. (I told her I was a student and didn't have a DVM yet, but she still called me an intern.) Legends at Oak Grove and Walden Legacy were also very nice. If you're ok with being a little farther from campus, those three apartments are definitely worth looking at. (All pet friendly.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
woah, just realized I typed in the website wrong. It's raidsonline.com
 
Thanks so much! I think I am going to drive over there in 2 weeks and try and look at some of those places in person.
 
If any of you want to get together while you're in town, PM me. I might be available and would love to show you around!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I can definitely recommend the complex I live in: Sequoyah Village (you probably won't find much about it online, they advertise mostly through word of mouth). We pay $590 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment that's bigger than most (around 920 sq. ft.) and it's 5 minutes from campus, smack dab in the middle of a really wealthy neighborhood with low crime, an awesome park, great walking trails, etc. The only negative is they're old (built in around the 1920's), but they're still pretty nice. Let me know if you want to check it out. There's usually a really long wait list to get in, but if a current resident recommends somebody to the manager they get bumped up the list.
 
I absolutely loved Tennessee, but I just declined my acceptance because next year I'm going to be a Buckeye! Good luck to everyone still on the waitlist!
 
I can definitely recommend the complex I live in: Sequoyah Village (you probably won't find much about it online, they advertise mostly through word of mouth). We pay $590 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment that's bigger than most (around 920 sq. ft.) and it's 5 minutes from campus, smack dab in the middle of a really wealthy neighborhood with low crime, an awesome park, great walking trails, etc. The only negative is they're old (built in around the 1920's), but they're still pretty nice. Let me know if you want to check it out. There's usually a really long wait list to get in, but if a current resident recommends somebody to the manager they get bumped up the list.

How quiet is it on weekdays/weekends? Are there other students around? What utilities/"things" are included, if any? And how is that 900sq ft partitioned? That's a lot of space for only 1 bedroom. W/D hook up?
 
Last edited:
I can definitely recommend the complex I live in: Sequoyah Village (you probably won't find much about it online, they advertise mostly through word of mouth). We pay $590 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment that's bigger than most (around 920 sq. ft.) and it's 5 minutes from campus, smack dab in the middle of a really wealthy neighborhood with low crime, an awesome park, great walking trails, etc. The only negative is they're old (built in around the 1920's), but they're still pretty nice. Let me know if you want to check it out. There's usually a really long wait list to get in, but if a current resident recommends somebody to the manager they get bumped up the list.

Oooo, bummer, I just read on their website, no pets allowed... :(
 
How much do monthly utilities and extras cost? So, electric, water, gas, heat (different sources?), internet, garbage, etc. And then how much does it differ between summer months versus winter months?
 
If anyone visits Tazewell (tazewellapartments.com) then send me a PM. I'll get a discounted month's rent if I refer someone, but it has to be by name.
 
Top