Vet School Comparisons

[zuzupetals]

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Hi Everybody,

I was wondering if there are any resources out there that objectively differentiate schools based on their academic quality, clinical reputation, internship stats, etc. The usnews stats aren't very helpful (as they don't say what criteria were used in the ranking process). I've been told it doesn't really matter which school you attend since they are all strong. Is this true? I've been able to narrow my decision down to Cornell and CSU, but keep going back and forth on my decision, since the differences of each school are also their strengths. Unfortunately as an out-of-stater, the costs are pretty similar. Cornell has such a strong academic reputation, though I'm not sure if its strong undergrad and additional grad programs seep into the public consciousness when viewing the vet school. I've also 'heard' that CSU is more clinically-driven--has anybody heard similar things;and if so, do you know how they got this reputation?

Anyway, thanks for your help and good luck to all of you as you make your decisions!

 

[Bill59]

I was wondering if there are any resources out there that objectively differentiate schools based on their academic quality, clinical reputation, internship stats, etc.

not really

The usnews stats aren't very helpful (as they don't say what criteria were used in the ranking process).

I would go even further and say they are pretty useless (other than to sell magazines.)

I've been told it doesn't really matter which school you attend since they are all strong. Is this true?

Well all the North American schools are strong and a degree from any one is considered pretty equivalent as far as quality of training, jobs, internships, etc.

Now that doesn't mean they are all the same -- they aren't. Each school has it's strengths and weakness. Some have more food animal emphasis in clinics, some are stronger in exotics, some have more or less emphasis on problem-based learning than others. Some have more focus on teaching, some more focus on research. So any sort of linear ranking from best to worst is unreliable. It really depends on what the individual student wants.

And reputation with the public tends to vary depending on where you are. For example, people in New York tend to think Cornell invented veterinary medicine. In Colorado, they think CSU is the end-all, be-all for vet med. And so on.

Ultimately though, success depends much more on the individual student than on the particular school they went to.

 

[zuzupetals]

Some have more focus on teaching, some more focus on research. So any sort of linear ranking from best to worst is unreliable. It really depends on what the individual student wants.

thanks for your help--do you know if either school focuses more on teaching than on research? from visiting both, it seems that both would argue that teaching and research are equally valued.

i appreciate your help

 

[wishes]

Congratulations on your acceptances! I know that there are alot of people out there who wish that they were in your shoes.
Let me say that Colorado has always been my dream school. I love the state of Colorado, particularly the Boulder area, although I cannot vouch for Ft. Collins where the veterinary school is located because I have never been there. Colorado has a very strong equine program and, as I have heard, an amazing teaching hospital. They also have a very large caseload, especially on the small animal side of things, due to their proximity to the Denver area.
Cornell, in contrast, has a much lower caseload as Ithaca is somewhat isolated and I also suspect that Cornell loses some potential cases to U. Penn. Cornell's teaching hospital is nice, but not as busy as Colorado’s. Ithaca, however, is a beautiful area, as I'm sure you saw when you were there.
When making your choice, consider that Cornell has a very different curriculum from most schools with their problem-based system. Not everyone likes the idea of PBL so it could be viewed as a pro or a con. Also, there is a huge difference in entering class size between the schools as Cornell typically takes about 80 students and Colorado took around 130 last year.
I know that Cornell focuses heavily on research, perhaps even to a detriment as many faculty are also researchers and thus are trying to balance time for students with time for research, however there are many opportunities for students to be involved in research if you have an interest (as I do). I do not know about research opportunities at Colorado.
If you have any more questions, especially about Cornell, please ask me. I am unfortunately still an alternate at Colorado State, but I was accepted into Cornell so I will probably be going there this fall. Initially, I was very skeptical of Cornell’s program and shared some of your concerns about if the prestigious reputation of the veterinary school was legit or if their Ivy League status/undergraduate programs provided smoke and mirrors for the veterinary school. I was also concerned with faculty time constrains due to research, the problem based learning system, and the low caseload. I have tried to go over Cornell’s DVM program with a fine tooth comb so if you have specific questions, I might be able to help you answer them.
Good luck either way. Both programs are really excellent so I don't think you would be sorry with either choice. I would recommend going where you had the most positive impression and pick an area that you would like to live in for the next four years.

 

[wishes]

Like the other people on this forum, I am not a big advocate of U.S. News & World Report's veterinary school rankings, but I did want to include the information below which describes (albeit not in great detail) how the schools were ranked.

Keep in mind that veterinary schools have not been ranked since 2002. The fall 2002 study included all AVMA accredited institutions, however only 67% of the schools responded.

I also included a link to a page on U.S. News & World Report's website that includes some more information on rankings.

The health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. All schools surveyed in a discipline were sent the same number of surveys. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5 points); strong (4); good (3); adequate (2); or marginal (1), based on their assessment of the curriculum, faculty, and graduates. They were instructed to select "don't know" if they did not have enough knowledge to rate a program. Scores for each school were determined by computing a trimmed mean (eliminating the two highest and lowest responses) of the ratings of all respondents who rated that school; scores were then sorted in descending order. Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period are ranked. Those schools with the highest average scores appear here.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/about/index_brief.php

 

[HorseyVet]

I love how, eventhough most of us don't swear by them, that those old rankings always make such a fuss


also...I believe that the scores were also based the average GPA and GRE scores and percentage of students that pass boards in 4 years.

 

[Bill59]

thanks for your help--do you know if either school focuses more on teaching than on research? from visiting both, it seems that both would argue that teaching and research are equally valued.

And if you asked about service, they would say "Oh yeah, that's a priority too." 🙂

I've never been at either school so I really can't say. They both have excellent reputations for research in certain areas, for example oncology at CSU, infectious disease at Cornell.