I have just been dismissed from vet school after only one semester. While going through many personal issues, I did not give it my all and now am paying the heavy price. I have been given the option by my school to take the following undergrad classes for spring and summer semesters in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and calculus all with grades of minimum 80% and then retake the fall semester while maintaining 80% or higher in all courses. I feel stuck in a crossroads between choosing to continue and letting go. I am not sure what to do, since I know it will be a struggle just to get back into the program with taking these classes. If anyone has similar experiences or any sound advice on what you would do in my position I would love to hear it. I really wish this never happened and could continue on with my class, but because of this I am not sure this is for me anymore, if I should take the loss and move on.. I have a B.A. in biology and if I did decide to move on what would be my career options with the situation I am in. Would I be able to get accepted to European schools?
thanks
Greetings, OP:
I struggled significantly in my first semester of veterinary school. I am a true non-trad student (was 34 when I began vet school), and had been out of the classroom for 10 years prior to my return. To say the least, I was academically very rusty. Vet school was different than any other academic pursuit I had tried in the past (also have a graduate degree in physiology), and I struggled to adjust. Vet school moves very fast- if you blow the first or second exams in a course, it's very difficult to get the train back on the tracks while the engine is still in motion. I did quite poorly in anatomy I, and was placed on academic probation following my first semester.
In my case, this poor performance had nothing to do with lack of effort- I was working my tail off. I did, however, need some assistance in 'learning how to learn' in vet school. I had full confidence that I was sufficiently intelligent to master the material, but was at a loss as to how to manage the speed. During winter break, between 1st and 2nd semesters, I took a study skills course (
https://www.thestatprogram.com/) specifically for students struggling in medical school. This class had nothing to do with course content, and everything to do with learning strategy. It made a night and day difference in my performance. I have done very well in my coursework from 2nd semester forward, and will be applying for residencies in 2017.
You need to assess how committed you are to a career in vet med. For me, failure was not an option. I would have done anything-ANYTHING-to improve my performance. I proved that to the academic performance committee by seeking out my own strategies for improvement, following through on them, and investing every drop of effort in my being.
It's unclear from your message how committed to turning your situation around you are. Where there's a will, there's a way. It takes a lot of will.
PM me with any questions. Best of success!
