UPenn c/o 2024

[adyxd]

Got the update that I am #4 on the wait list. I am an IS applicant, but they didn't clarify if there are separate waitlists for IS vs OOS. Does anyone know?

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[horsedog98]

About how much are apartments in walking distance if you have roommates?

 

[ajs513]

About how much are apartments in walking distance if you have roommates?

It can vary. It’s not unusual to find somewhere for around $600 a month per person if you live with roommates. Some even less than that. I’d say living with at least one roommate can range from like $500’s to $1000 a person depending on the location, the building, accommodations, etc. It’s unusual to find somewhere for more than that unless you’re going REALLY high end.

 

[hopeful2024vet]

Is it possible or common to receive more than one scholarship from UPenn? Rob notified me that I got one and I’m over the moon but I’m not sure if this is my final financial aid package. He told me that the scholarships that go to students who deny their seat ultimately go to other accepted students.

 

[Console46]

Can anyone please explain how electives work? Are we required to take some, and if so how many are we required to take? I will be small animal track if that helps any. TIA!

 

[ajs513]

Can anyone please explain how electives work? Are we required to take some, and if so how many are we required to take? I will be small animal track if that helps any. TIA!

You’re required to have a certain number of elective credits to graduate. It ends up being a ton of elective credits. But you can accomplish this in multiple ways. You can take some classes which are usually a few credits each, you can do research, summer opportunities, or clinical rotations/externships. The more classes you take prior to going into clinics, the fewer elective rotations you have to do. I’m a first year so this still hasn’t been made super clear to me, but this is the gist. I believe the more elective credits you build up prior to clinics, the more freedom you have with your rotations. There are plenty of opportunities to build up elective credits. First year there’s wildlife, journal club (the credited portion of research club), one health-global food security, and human animal bond. If you were to take all of these, which I don’t recommend because it ends up just being a lot, you get I think 12 elective credits. Then doing research or credited work/trips over the summer can get you anywhere from a few credits to like 10 or so. Basically, it’s a good idea to try to get elective credits in early on, but you don’t need to go overboard.

Also, Penn doesn’t really track. You just learn everything about everything and then select some electives as you go on to tailor your experience. You get more freedom during clinics to do more or less of large and small animal medicine as you’d like, but there are core rotations that everyone has to do regardless of interests.

 

[Amburrito]

Is it possible or common to receive more than one scholarship from UPenn? Rob notified me that I got one and I’m over the moon but I’m not sure if this is my final financial aid package. He told me that the scholarships that go to students who deny their seat ultimately go to other accepted students.

If you're asking if you could potentially receive more scholarship funding if a student gave up their seat, I believe those funds would be offered to another student preferentially - I haven't heard of anyone receiving additional recruitment scholarship funds.

If you're planning on applying for other programs or scholarships, I'd advise you to read your scholarship offer carefully, because they do vary. In the fine print, it may tell you that if you receive certain other scholarships (VMD/PhD, armed forces, or obtain in-state residency, for example), your scholarship will be relinquished or reduced accordingly. There's nothing precluding you from other scholarships that Penn offers to matriculated students by application, but many of them are based on financial need, and I would assume that they preferentially would go to people otherwise not receiving scholarship aid (but perhaps would be something to talk about with the financial aid department).

 

[meovi15]

Does class scheduling work at all like undergrad (like being assigned an academic advisor)? Or is everyone pretty much taking the same core classes at once and you are free reign with electives?

 

[ajs513]

Does class scheduling work at all like undergrad (like being assigned an academic advisor)? Or is everyone pretty much taking the same core classes at once and you are free reign with electives?

At least in the beginning, everyone is in the same classes. And when electives are available for signup you just sign up for them through a form. Also not sure where you went to undergrad, but mine was all a free-for-all lol. So this didn’t feel any different.

 

[meovi15]

Ah lol, for some reason I thought all colleges had academic advisers assigned to students, they were just helpful for when you picked your courses for the following semester. I did go to a smaller university though (Delaware Valley University).

 

[ajs513]

Ah lol, for some reason I thought all colleges had academic advisers assigned to students, they were just helpful for when you picked your courses for the following semester. I did go to a smaller university though (Delaware Valley University).

I will say, there’s an academic advisor assigned to us according to Penn InTouch. But I have no idea what she does as we were never told about it. But there are always people to reach out to if you have any questions or need help. Especially Deb, who you’ll be hearing from a ton in the coming months.

 

[als52698]

Just officially accepted my seat! Is there anywhere I could get PennVet apparel?

 

[ajs513]

Just officially accepted my seat! Is there anywhere I could get PennVet apparel?

If you search PennVet apparel there might be a page from an athletic apparel company that has some things like a hoodie, light jacket, beanie, hat, etc. That’s where I got a few things last year before starting school. Typically orders are available to be shipped through our merch reps but they suspended all orders due to the fact that we’re not allowed back at school right now. Apparel is also available for purchase in the lobby of the hospital but I think that’s also a no-go right now.

 

[grebes4lyfe]

Just officially accepted my seat! Is there anywhere I could get PennVet apparel?

The bookstore has 1 pennvet T-shirt for sale otherwise you’re SOL until we’re allowed back on campus sry

 

[hopeful2024vet]

Can a current student give some insight on what the breakdown of lecture vs hands-on time is? I know some other schools are mostly lectures the first 2-3 years and then 4th year is strictly clinical with no written exams at all. What’s UPenn like?

 

[ajs513]

Can a current student give some insight on what the breakdown of lecture vs hands-on time is? I know some other schools are mostly lectures the first 2-3 years and then 4th year is strictly clinical with no written exams at all. What’s UPenn like?

1st year here. It’s mostly didactic with a few hands-on things thrown in as part of the curriculum. Unlike some other schools, we’re allowed to shadow in the hospital basically whenever we want, so there’s plenty of time for extra hands on stuff if you want. So I’ll make that quick note and say you can do as much as you want, and move on. I’ll only talk about what’s in the curriculum now.

We’re typically in class 9-5 everyday first semester. We have a few hands-on things in the form of scheduled shadowing and wet labs. This happens a handful of times. You go out to New Bolton Center once during first semester. You also have a shadowing shift during first semester in Ryan and are assigned a specialty to shadow for a few hours. You also have a cat and dog physical exam lab. Other than that, your hands on stuff is in the form of anatomy lab which ranges from three hours a day every day, to once or twice a week depending on the week. You can also take the wildlife elective and get a little hands on experience, but not much. Most of it is in your free time for that class.

Second semester you’re finishing up anatomy and start physiology and ICVM II. You have another shadowing shift plus two nursing labs. So you get experience doing basic nursing skills like placing catheters on models. Fourth quarter is essentially all didactic, plus a couple hands on things during ICVM III. You go out to New Bolton Center again and do some other large animal things in small groups, then have a full day out there as an entire class. We didn’t do any of this because the world is currently ending.

Second year is clinical skills, med surg, and a bunch more didactic stuff. You also have ICVM and do a little hands on stuff linked to that.

Third year is didactic until second semester. You can then do early entry and go into clinics for the next year and a half, or do other didactic courses for the next semester. It becomes sort of mix and match if you don’t do early entry since things like large animal block are very hands on whereas small animal block is very didactic, so I’ve been told.

So that’s basically it. You get a little hands on experience as part of the curriculum early on. But if you want, you can shadow a ton, reach out to clinicians, get a job doing clinical things, or not do any of that and just do what’s in the curriculum. Then you can do anywhere from one year to one and a half years of clinics.

 

[hopeful2024vet]

1st year here. It’s mostly didactic with a few hands-on things thrown in as part of the curriculum. Unlike some other schools, we’re allowed to shadow in the hospital basically whenever we want, so there’s plenty of time for extra hands on stuff if you want. So I’ll make that quick note and say you can do as much as you want, and move on. I’ll only talk about what’s in the curriculum now.

We’re typically in class 9-5 everyday first semester. We have a few hands-on things in the form of scheduled shadowing and wet labs. This happens a handful of times. You go out to New Bolton Center once during first semester. You also have a shadowing shift during first semester in Ryan and are assigned a specialty to shadow for a few hours. You also have a cat and dog physical exam lab. Other than that, your hands on stuff is in the form of anatomy lab which ranges from three hours a day every day, to once or twice a week depending on the week. You can also take the wildlife elective and get a little hands on experience, but not much. Most of it is in your free time for that class.

Second semester you’re finishing up anatomy and start physiology and ICVM II. You have another shadowing shift plus two nursing labs. So you get experience doing basic nursing skills like placing catheters on models. Fourth quarter is essentially all didactic, plus a couple hands on things during ICVM III. You go out to New Bolton Center again and do some other large animal things in small groups, then have a full day out there as an entire class. We didn’t do any of this because the world is currently ending.

Second year is clinical skills, med surg, and a bunch more didactic stuff. You also have ICVM and do a little hands on stuff linked to that.

Third year is didactic until second semester. You can then do early entry and go into clinics for the next year and a half, or do other didactic courses for the next semester. It becomes sort of mix and match if you don’t do early entry since things like large animal block are very hands on whereas small animal block is very didactic, so I’ve been told.

So that’s basically it. You get a little hands on experience as part of the curriculum early on. But if you want, you can shadow a ton, reach out to clinicians, get a job doing clinical things, or not do any of that and just do what’s in the curriculum. Then you can do anywhere from one year to one and a half years of clinics.

I’m kind of confused because everyone says the first year is 9-5 but how is that possible? Is it literally that you’re sitting in one classroom non stop during the time, besides lunch, then you go home and study up before repeating the next day? How do you have time for anything else? Thanks!

 

[ajs513]

I’m kind of confused because everyone says the first year is 9-5 but how is that possible? Is it literally that you’re sitting in one classroom non stop during the time, besides lunch, then you go home and study up before repeating the next day? How do you have time for anything else? Thanks!

It sounds like it sucks and, well, it does. I’ll give a rundown of a typical first-semester day.

9:00 am: go to an anatomy chalk-talk (pre-lab) in room A (that century-old lecture hall they showed you on interview day). Spend around an hour in there. Go up to anatomy from 10-12. Some days you don’t have a chalk-talk and you’re in the lab from 9-12. However, you can leave if you’re done early and your group doesn’t want to stick around. At least in the beginning, definitely stick around because you don’t really know how to work efficiently and you WILL fall behind a bit. But you’ll catch up.

12-1: Lunch. Usually Wawa for me, but a lot of people pack from home. Or go to different places around the area. There are dozens of places. Often there are lunch talks that are hosted by different companies through different clubs. They sometimes provide really good lunch like Panera, Chipotle, Qdoba, etc. And it’s free.

1:00 pm: Go to class until 5:00 pm. Each lecture is 50 minutes so you have 10 minutes in between for a break. It’s not too bad. For higher credit classes you’ll usually have 2 lectures in a row. For smaller classes you’ll sometimes have 2, but often only 1. So these four hours of class is anywhere from 1 to 3 different courses. You’re typically in the same lecture hall (H131) for that whole time. If it’s histology, you’ll often go into the MDLs for the last couple hours for lab. So you’re not in a lecture hall for four hours in a row everyday. Just some days.

At 5:00 you’re free to do whatever you want. A lot of people end up just skipping class and watching the lectures on their own. It makes things much easier and faster. You can speed up the lectures as well which is great. So if each lecture is 50 minutes but you have 40 minutes of breaks when added together, you actually have 3 hours and 20 minutes of lecture each afternoon. I often watch on 1.5x speed and can still catch everything. Now it’s only 2 hours and 13 minutes of lecture instead of sitting around for 4 hours. You can use that extra time to study, shadow, watch tv, etc. I have a lot of friends who just never go to class except for labs and just watch lectures at home. It’s especially practical for second semester when you don’t really have to be at school once anatomy is over.

 

[hopeful2024vet]

It sounds like it sucks and, well, it does. I’ll give a rundown of a typical first-semester day.

9:00 am: go to an anatomy chalk-talk (pre-lab) in room A (that century-old lecture hall they showed you on interview day). Spend around an hour in there. Go up to anatomy from 10-12. Some days you don’t have a chalk-talk and you’re in the lab from 9-12. However, you can leave if you’re done early and your group doesn’t want to stick around. At least in the beginning, definitely stick around because you don’t really know how to work efficiently and you WILL fall behind a bit. But you’ll catch up.

12-1: Lunch. Usually Wawa for me, but a lot of people pack from home. Or go to different places around the area. There are dozens of places. Often there are lunch talks that are hosted by different companies through different clubs. They sometimes provide really good lunch like Panera, Chipotle, Qdoba, etc. And it’s free.

1:00 pm: Go to class until 5:00 pm. Each lecture is 50 minutes so you have 10 minutes in between for a break. It’s not too bad. For higher credit classes you’ll usually have 2 lectures in a row. For smaller classes you’ll sometimes have 2, but often only 1. So these four hours of class is anywhere from 1 to 3 different courses. You’re typically in the same lecture hall (H131) for that whole time. If it’s histology, you’ll often go into the MDLs for the last couple hours for lab. So you’re not in a lecture hall for four hours in a row everyday. Just some days.

At 5:00 you’re free to do whatever you want. A lot of people end up just skipping class and watching the lectures on their own. It makes things much easier and faster. You can speed up the lectures as well which is great. So if each lecture is 50 minutes but you have 40 minutes of breaks when added together, you actually have 3 hours and 20 minutes of lecture each afternoon. I often watch on 1.5x speed and can still catch everything. Now it’s only 2 hours and 13 minutes of lecture instead of sitting around for 4 hours. You can use that extra time to study, shadow, watch tv, etc. I have a lot of friends who just never go to class except for labs and just watch lectures at home. It’s especially practical for second semester when you don’t really have to be at school once anatomy is over.

Thank you so much for the breakdown! Silly question but in undergrad we did in-class quizzes like TopHat. Is there any sort of attendance or quizzes in lecture that would kind of force me to go everyday?

 

[ajs513]

Thank you so much for the breakdown! Silly question but in undergrad we did in-class quizzes like TopHat. Is there any sort of attendance or quizzes in lecture that would kind of force me to go everyday?

It depends on the class, but for around 90% of lectures, no. ICVM I and II take attendance through little comment quizzes at the end of class, asking one question like “what is one thing you found interesting about [subject]” just to make sure you were there in any capacity. Wildlife (an elective) takes written attendance. Research class takes attendance as well. Aside from that, there’s not really any attendance taken, and the ones that do meet very infrequently and don’t have exams. So for the vast majority of classes, you don’t need to go if you feel like you can do everything in your own time.

 

[Amburrito]

It sounds like a lot and it is a lot. Some people go to every single lecture every single day. Others I basically only saw during mandatory classes and exams. I personally found my own balance of attending lectures when there was less going on during the semester and studying on my own in the library during more exam-heavy times. I feel like most people end up finding what works for them. No matter how you cut it, you will spend a LOT of time listening to lectures and studying.

 

[horsedog98]

Have any waitlist people heard?

 

[adyxd]

Have any waitlist people heard?

I reached out yesterday and they told me that it has moved 1 spot so far

 

[horsedog98]

I reached out yesterday and they told me that it has moved 1 spot so far

Oos?

 

[adyxd]

Oos?

The rep I talked to told me that there is one list that everyone is on rather than IS vs OOS

 

[horsedog98]

The rep I talked to told me that there is one list that everyone is on rather than IS vs OOS

Thank you! I’ll let you know if I hear any waitlist movement!

 

[staff_wielder]

I’m kind of confused because everyone says the first year is 9-5 but how is that possible? Is it literally that you’re sitting in one classroom non stop during the time, besides lunch, then you go home and study up before repeating the next day? How do you have time for anything else? Thanks!

You don't have time for anything else. It's LOTR -- you want to end up like Frodo/Sam by the end of Vet school and not like Gollum. He really got ****ed. If you're really not good, it's gonna be a Boromir sitch. Prepare to become a basket case and a lot of days you aren't going to feel like you're winning. If you are better than this, then, more power to you and glad you're able to do better!

It sounds like it sucks and, well, it does. I’ll give a rundown of a typical first-semester day.

..... It’s not too bad.

.......

Brosef. You're super smart and are killing it, got yoself a lady, money in da bank for that wawa lifestyle, looking like a G living in the city like a baller etc etc, but not everyone is as awesome/smart/sexy/handsome/with spectacular vernacular as you, nah mean? It's bad for me (Ok, I mean, I'm making a sweet omelette at 12:30 right now, but still, yo) It's like, bad bad, like bad bad baddity bad bad. Keep it real on the streets for thew newbs. And when they do better than baseline it's all bonus points.

 

[ajs513]

You don't have time for anything else. It's LOTR -- you want to end up like Frodo/Sam by the end of Vet school and not like Gollum. He really got ****ed. If you're really not good, it's gonna be a Boromir sitch. Prepare to become a basket case and a lot of days you aren't going to feel like you're winning. If you are better than this, then, more power to you and glad you're able to do better!



Brosef. You're super smart and are killing it, got yoself a lady, money in da bank for that wawa lifestyle, looking like a G living in the city like a baller etc etc, but not everyone is as awesome/smart/sexy/handsome/with spectacular vernacular as you, nah mean? It's bad for me (Ok, I mean, I'm making a sweet omelette at 12:30 right now, but still, yo) It's like, bad bad, like bad bad baddity bad bad. Keep it real on the streets for thew newbs. And when they do better than baseline it's all bonus points.

I’ll accept the compliments. But by “it’s not too bad” I mean you’re unlikely to fail out of school. You have to compare it to vet school in general. It’s not really much better or worse than anywhere on average. It sucks. It will always suck. Nothing can change that. But the vast majority make it through, which is not true of everywhere (well, maybe one or two places)

 

[EngrSC]

I’ll accept the compliments. But by “it’s not too bad” I mean you’re unlikely to fail out of school. You have to compare it to vet school in general. It’s not really much better or worse than anywhere on average. It sucks. It will always suck. Nothing can change that. But the vast majority make it through, which is not true of everywhere (well, maybe one or two places)

110% have the “am I smart enough for this?” feels since accepting my seat

 

[ajs513]

110% have the “am I smart enough for this?” feels since accepting my seat

Is anyone really smart enough for this? Lol. You’ll be just fine. By which I mean you’ll find a study routine that works for you, you’ll figure out how to best approach each professor’s material, and you’ll make it out on the other side. Statistically speaking. Is it likely you’ll have an exam or two or a few that go worse than you’re used to? Yes. Is it likely you’ll fail a class and have to repeat it? No. But it does happen to a couple people every year. And don’t get intimidated by people that come in with insane Masters degrees in incredibly specific and useful areas. For example, I have friends who are like immunology wizards. They studied this stuff for years. If they didn’t go to vet school they’d be doing that for a living. So when I talk about immunology with them I feel very, very stupid. I think that they’re so smart and I’ll never be at their level. But then there are subjects that came really easily to me that my friends had a very hard time with, and I realize that they thought the same about me as I did about them. There are a lot of really smart people in vet school. But the vast majority of them are extremely smart in one or two areas and have a ton to learn about everything else. It’s likely that that applies to you too, and you’ll figure out along the way which things you’re great at and which things you feel like you’ll never understand. But you will, and that’s the whole point.

 

[grebes4lyfe]

No one is smart enough for this and everyone feels the same way. Ajs and I are close IRL and those 2 immuno wizards of whom he speaks are my bffls too. You'll have major imposter syndrome but it makes it a little more bearable when literally everyone else does too. And everyone finds their niche eventually. It may not be 1st semester or even 1st year, but you WILL find where you fit and thrive in vet med. I was really lucky and found my jam 1st semester with histo/path. Histo just clicked for me and it got me through literally all of my other classes. I started going to path rounds, getting to know the path residents and found histopath/immunology research to do over the summer so that I had something to look forward to to keep motivating myself to study for classes like anatomy, which did NOT click with me at all but really did for ajs. It helps to make a good group of friends with different strengths and experiences and it all becomes really collaborative and we all just want to help each other because all of your classmates will be your future colleagues in just a few years.

 

[NotYerAvgBanana]

This may have been asked before, but how are people finding housing in the area? Hopefully finding rent below 800/mo but idrk what rent looks like in university city

 

[ajs513]

This may have been asked before, but how are people finding housing in the area? Hopefully finding rent below 800/mo but idrk what rent looks like in university city

There are a few ways. You can find one on many different websites like Zillow, Trulia, Apartments, etc. You can also find one through the V’24 Facebook page. I believe a google doc was posted of people looking for housemates. Living alone is guaranteed to be more expensive, and using a website is the best way to find a rental. Living with a roommate is by far the cheapest, depending on where you live and how many people you live with. It’s possible to find an apartment with housemates and have your own room for about $600 a month. I definitely recommend that if you can.

 

[Cer120]

Have any wait listed applicants heard anything?

 

[hopeful2024vet]

Do we need some sort of attire in everyday class? On the PennVet sales page I see everyone selling a ton of polos and NBC clothes?

 

[ajs513]

Do we need some sort of attire in everyday class? On the PennVet sales page I see everyone selling a ton of polos and NBC clothes?

Absolutely nothing. It’s pretty nice.
You only have required attire for your ICVM shifts or when you’re at NBC (khakis and polo +/- coveralls and tingleys)

 

[staff_wielder]

Absolutely nothing? You must cause quite a sensation in class, sir

 

[ajs513]

Absolutely nothing? You must cause quite a sensation in class, sir

I was waiting for that. And I knew it was going to be you!

 

[als52698]

Since there isn’t a dress code, what do most people wear everyday? Do people wear the same thing for labs and lecture or do they change?
Also what “school supplies” do you recommend?
Sorry if these both sound silly just trying to be prepared for August

 

[ajs513]

Since there isn’t a dress code, what do most people wear everyday? Do people wear the same thing for labs and lecture or do they change?
Also what “school supplies” do you recommend?
Sorry if these both sound silly just trying to be prepared for August

I’m going to pretend like everything is staying the same this fall and there will be no changes for the purposes of this comment lol.

People wear whatever they want. To class it’s anything from pajamas to khakis and a button down. I don’t really recommend pajamas unless you sit in the back, but you do you. For lab, you have to wear long pants and close toed shoes. For anatomy I’d recommend wearing scrubs and then changing after. You’re welcome not to, but I just didn’t love wearing clothes that smell like formaldehyde.

As far as supplies goes, whatever you think will help you study and organize things best. For anatomy lab, make sure you buy gloves and a dissection kit. The one that’s advertised to you is good and contains almost everything you need, but a pair of dissection scissors is useful. Get a beefier pair for when you’re doing most of your dissecting, and I really liked having a pair of iris scissors for the finer dissection. Make sure you stock up in gloves and blades and change blades frequently so you don’t have to put in a lot of effort to cut.

For histology lab, I’d recommend asking on the Facebook page which microscopes people bought off of Amazon and how they liked them. You can buy and own one for a few hundred dollars rather than spending $500 on a 2 year lease from I Miller. The I Miller one is super high quality but I don’t think it was much better than what some people bought off of Amazon.

A planner can be useful if you’re that kind of person. Also things to color code notes if you hand write them. Definitely get a few pairs of scrubs so you always have some to use for anatomy and some to use while shadowing. It’s not a great idea to show up to shadowing while smelling like formaldehyde. Other than that I can’t think of things I bought for school because I’m a pretty low maintenance person. I don’t use a lot of things outside of what we need to have.

 

[Amburrito]

I will only add that I would not invest in a pair of Figs or anything expensive for anatomy lab (save those for shadowing!). They will get gross, you will put a lot of wear on them from washing, and the smell never really came out of the junky scrubs I wore. Wear something old and cheap. As someone who is always freezing cold, I also recommend having a ratty sweatshirt or sweatpants that you're not attached to, because it can get very cold in the lab during the winter. People really do wear everything from runway to sweatpants to class; I would wear whatever you like best!

The school supplies list they send out is very thorough, too. I would only buy the required textbooks for anatomy. Unless you have a specific interest, the suggested texts for every class all added up would cost a fortune and I don't think I would have had time to do any extra reading anyway. As for other supplies (notebooks vs. iPad, planner, etc) I would start with whatever you used in undergrad and just know you might reassess as the year goes on. I was a diehard handwritten notes student in undergrad, but I switched to using an iPad and Apple pencil this semester and I really liked it.

I rented the Miller scope for a few reasons. One, I moved across the country and I didn't want to futz around with combing through reviews and transporting something delicate. Two, if you ever need repairs, they will deal with it swiftly at no extra cost, which is important because you will use your own scope during exams. Three, I don't have to worry about selling it at the end of second year. It is by far the most expensive option, but worth it in my circumstances IMO.

 

[hopeful2024vet]

I’m going to pretend like everything is staying the same this fall and there will be no changes for the purposes of this comment lol.

People wear whatever they want. To class it’s anything from pajamas to khakis and a button down. I don’t really recommend pajamas unless you sit in the back, but you do you. For lab, you have to wear long pants and close toed shoes. For anatomy I’d recommend wearing scrubs and then changing after. You’re welcome not to, but I just didn’t love wearing clothes that smell like formaldehyde.

As far as supplies goes, whatever you think will help you study and organize things best. For anatomy lab, make sure you buy gloves and a dissection kit. The one that’s advertised to you is good and contains almost everything you need, but a pair of dissection scissors is useful. Get a beefier pair for when you’re doing most of your dissecting, and I really liked having a pair of iris scissors for the finer dissection. Make sure you stock up in gloves and blades and change blades frequently so you don’t have to put in a lot of effort to cut.

For histology lab, I’d recommend asking on the Facebook page which microscopes people bought off of Amazon and how they liked them. You can buy and own one for a few hundred dollars rather than spending $500 on a 2 year lease from I Miller. The I Miller one is super high quality but I don’t think it was much better than what some people bought off of Amazon.

A planner can be useful if you’re that kind of person. Also things to color code notes if you hand write them. Definitely get a few pairs of scrubs so you always have some to use for anatomy and some to use while shadowing. It’s not a great idea to show up to shadowing while smelling like formaldehyde. Other than that I can’t think of things I bought for school because I’m a pretty low maintenance person. I don’t use a lot of things outside of what we need to have.

If you own your microscope and you either have to suddenly get a new one or send it off for repairs, are there back-up ones in lab you can use?

 

[hopeful2024vet]

I will only add that I would not invest in a pair of Figs or anything expensive for anatomy lab (save those for shadowing!). They will get gross, you will put a lot of wear on them from washing, and the smell never really came out of the junky scrubs I wore. Wear something old and cheap. As someone who is always freezing cold, I also recommend having a ratty sweatshirt or sweatpants that you're not attached to, because it can get very cold in the lab during the winter. People really do wear everything from runway to sweatpants to class; I would wear whatever you like best!

The school supplies list they send out is very thorough, too. I would only buy the required textbooks for anatomy. Unless you have a specific interest, the suggested texts for every class all added up would cost a fortune and I don't think I would have had time to do any extra reading anyway. As for other supplies (notebooks vs. iPad, planner, etc) I would start with whatever you used in undergrad and just know you might reassess as the year goes on. I was a diehard handwritten notes student in undergrad, but I switched to using an iPad and Apple pencil this semester and I really liked it.

I rented the Miller scope for a few reasons. One, I moved across the country and I didn't want to futz around with combing through reviews and transporting something delicate. Two, if you ever need repairs, they will deal with it swiftly at no extra cost, which is important because you will use your own scope during exams. Three, I don't have to worry about selling it at the end of second year. It is by far the most expensive option, but worth it in my circumstances IMO.

How much is the rental microscope for two years?

 

[ajs513]

If you own your microscope and you either have to suddenly get a new one or send it off for repairs, are there back-up ones in lab you can use?

I don’t know if there are extras. I’m sure if there was an issue for an exam for example they wouldn’t hang you out to dry, but I also wouldn’t bank on there being an extra. I do think that the convenience of the rental is great. However, if you can buy one from amazon for like $300 like some of my friends have done, you not only save $200, but you have it forever and can use it in practice or sell it and make most of your money back.

 

[Amburrito]

How much is the rental microscope for two years?

I believe it was $400 with an additional $75 security deposit - like I said, it’s the most expensive option, and I basically paid extra for convenience.

One of the second years borrowed my scope for one of her exams when hers was out for repair, so I would not bank on there being extras available.

 

[alygar]

I will only add that I would not invest in a pair of Figs or anything expensive for anatomy lab (save those for shadowing!).

Is there a certain color students need to wear while shadowing? Was looking to get a pair of Figs.

 

[Amburrito]

Is there a certain color students need to wear while shadowing? Was looking to get a pair of Figs.

Nope! Whatever you like

 

[ajs513]

Is there a certain color students need to wear while shadowing? Was looking to get a pair of Figs.

The only color I can think of to avoid is purple. There aren’t assigned colors except for purple, which is worn by Harcum vet tech students in the hospital. You can still wear purple, but you may get confused for the tech students.

 

[hopeful2024vet]

Would any current students be able to post the requirements for the microscope please? Thanks!

 

[Amburrito]

Would any current students be able to post the requirements for the microscope please? Thanks!

I just went back and looked - it's a 3 page PDF, so it's a little long to post here (don't worry, it's not very technical, it's just wordy). We got that information mid-July, so they should be sending it to you soon. I would look on the Facebook page to see if anyone is selling theirs, or if anyone has a model they used and recommend.
EDIT: I just actually reread it and a lot of that document was optional. Here's the actual requirements: