UPenn vs. RVC

[alysedunnwald]

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Hi! I am from Southern California and currently deciding between UPenn and RVC. I am interested in wildlife/ conservation medicine and research. Besides cost, what are some pros and cons of each school? I am struggling to make a decision, as both schools are great options. Any input would be much appreciated!

 

[PastelEl42]

Hi there! I am not a student at either school but I did visit Penn for the welcome event and asked some questions about wildlife. I myself have no experience but it’s one of those things I’d like to dip my toes into before finishing vet school. It seems they do some research up at wildlife futures up at the New Bolton Center, an hour away from main campus, but it’s not very hands on, tagging species, researching environmental impact, etc. So if you wanted more of a wildlife clinic experience, Penn may not be the school for you. That being said, there is a special species club and a wildlife club. They seem to organize a lot of educational events and lunch and learns. This is just my outsiders perspective though. I thought I’d just start of the reply section with what I learned this weekend 🙂

 

[5Hs5Ts]

i personally think RVC will be disappointing for you if all you want to do is wildlife & conservation. im trying hard to think of anything relevant, we get one single little exotics lecture per big topic we study (exotic anaesthesia, exotic endocrine, etc etc) but its such a superficial glance. i know some people on the zoo track rotations and they dont do anything/get sent home at noon most days. it sounds literally awful. the only thing i think you might enjoy is anatomy club which does occasional extracurricular dissections and a handful of people get to work on exotic/wild species that way, but you dont get any substantial anatomic training in those species.

i dont generally recommend RVC to anyone, as I've not enjoyed my experience at all.