Vet Prep / Masters Programs?

[Rathalos]

( HI I am so sorry if this is not the right format, I literally just joined SDN today. I am happy to request to move or delete this if it's not the right place! )

Hello! I am a senior undergraduate who is about to graduate with a B.S. in Biology next year. I switched from a general Biology degree to a Pre-Veterinary track at the beginning of 2024. I am not applying to vet school at the next cycle - this is mainly due to my sheer lack of experience with animals in a veterinary context. My cGPA is not the most competitive either, but my last 45 GPA (around 3.5 at the moment, will hope to raise it to at least 3.7-3.8 by the time I graduate) is competitive. My science GPA is higher than my cGPA. However, my point still stands in the fact that I have very little veterinary experience - or any animal experience out of a research context, really.

I have been looking into Master's programs that aim to train me to enter vet school and/or make my application more competitive. Right now, I know of the programs at LMU, ISU, CSU, and KSU. I have been looking extensively at LMU's program especially, since it seems like it is the most suited for my needs academia-wise. If you went through or are currently in these programs, please tell me about the rigor and student life! I want a chance to prove that I am able to handle hard classes. Due to many extraneous circumstances, my performance in undergraduate classes has not made for a competitive application - but my upward trend should hopefully speak for itself that I have matured as a person!

Let me know if more information is needed. I'm new to SDN so I'm not used to any formats or anything.

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[BlackCatsRuleTheWorld]

If what you're lacking is animal experience you may be better off taking a gap year to get veterinary experience like working in a practice a few days a week and maybe shadowing another practice or volunteering a day a week elsewhere. The master's program would help GPA (your current GPA sounds fine) but you'd still want to have more clinical experience.

 

[Rathalos]

Thank you for the answer! Do you think that my current Last 45 GPA is competitive enough for vet school (I'm trying to see if I should raise my grades by retaking classes I got Bs/Cs in)? I know there are some schools, like MSU and UC Davis, that only factor in the Last 36/45 GPA (at least if my memory serves me right...). I have at 3.5+ upper-division GPA. I struggled pretty hard in General Chemistry (I and II) and Organic Chemistry (I, but surprisingly not II!). The rest of my upper division classes, I have gotten nothing lower than a B and most of my UD grades are in the B+/A- range.

Regardless, I am not going to be entering vet school immediately out of graduating with my B.S., and not for at least a year or two. So I'm trying to see what the most productive thing to do with my time is! I was planning on volunteering or working for a veterinary clinic full-time too because I was going to take a gap semester no matter what.

 

[BlackCatsRuleTheWorld]

You can try posting your stats/additional info on the "what are my chances" page (link below)! It depends what schools you are interested in, and whether their GPA calculations use grade replacement or just add the new grade into the calculation. A 3.5 last 45 with well rounded other aspects of the application can be competitive, there are a lot of factors that go into the app.

What are my Chances? WAMC Veterinary

Looking to improve your veterinary school application? Ask fellow students and SDN Experts for their recommendations.

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[jsmitty2]

I am currently in the Masters of Veterinary Science program at the University of Illinois. The one of the program's goals is to strengthen your application into vet school which is why I chose the program. Additionally, the program is only one year and is offered both online and in-person on campus consisting of 32 credit hours which is very do-able. The on-campus portion of the program is new so there is not a lot of hands-on learning when it comes to animals but if you want to get more hands-on learning experience, you should look into getting a job or volunteer experience through the vet school teaching hospital or a nearby clinic. Additionally, there is a wildlife clinic on campus that allows students to gain experience and work as long as there are open positions. The curriculum consists of classes that take you through the first few years of vet school such as classes in animal anatomy and physiology and biology of veterinary pathogens. All classes are taught by either DVMs and/or people who work in the vet school which offers an opportunity to pick their minds about how you can best succeed not only in getting into vet school but also how to thrive once you are there. As for campus life, it is pretty much what you make of it; there are opportunities to walk around the vet school, get jobs on and off campus, participate in extracurricular activities, and make numerous connections in the animal health world. However, there is also the opportunity for you to have the stereotypical college experience which is why I say the college life here is what you make of it because you really do have a choice of what you want your social and academic life to look like. Below is a link that you might find helpful when looking into the program. If you have any questions, you can message me for more information or contact our program directly at [email protected].

Program website - Home - Master of Veterinary Science

 

[Rathalos]

@BlackCatsRuleTheWorld Thanks so much! My cGPA is lower but it is over 3.0. I'm attempting to get it as close to 3.5 as I can be retaking classes that I didn't do well in, after I graduate. Unfortunately I know the answer to "What are my chances" will be a resounding NO due to my sheer lack of veterinary experience (and I assume my GPAs would have to be 4.0+ all around to circumvent that). But I appreciate it! Maybe I will do that once I get more veterinary experience.

@jnist I was looking into that program as well! I actually emailed one of the directors(?) about it. The only stipulation is the fact that there is no thesis option and I would prefer a program with that because I have a research-heavy background. We'll see what happens though!

 

[JaynaAli]

@BlackCatsRuleTheWorld Unfortunately I know the answer to "What are my chances" will be a resounding NO due to my sheer lack of veterinary experience (and I assume my GPAs would have to be 4.0+ all around to circumvent that).

There is no circumventing the need for veterinary experience, even for someone that has a 4.0 GPA.

Every applicant needs vet experience to prove they know what they’re signing up for. I’m not saying that people with very high GPAs don’t potentially have a slight advantage and maybe don’t need quite as many hours as someone who has a lower GPA, but everyone needs significant experience to be competitive.

 

[katiemcat]

I don’t think I would recommend pursing a masters that would solely serve to get you into veterinary school with little to no veterinary experience. After working in the field, people often find it’s not what they expected. I will say even working as a veterinary assistant in multiple fields of veterinary med prior to vet school still didn’t really prepare me for what it would be like. I know people in my class that regret going to veterinary school. I would try to get a job as a veterinary assistant to increase your hours and make sure this is really what you want to do.