Started with 37 transfer credits from AP and IB exams. I'm double majoring, but at Pitt (not sure about other schools) if you go over 150 total credits when you have a science major and an art major, you get two degrees. I'm averaging 16 credits a semester, so I should end up with around 165 credits. Booyah!
Still 😱 about all the AP/IB credits. Good planning to do that in high school!
Personally I would say to include it. I wouldn't say it's padding your hours; it's veterinary experience, and the way I see it, you want to include everything you've done because you never know what could give you an edge. I think what the doctor you talked to meant is to not make it sound in your description of the experience like you personally gave the IV fluids or whatever. You can say you assisted/observed, but just don't stretch the truth and say you did more than you did, or it could look bad if that comes up in an interview. If the doctor was saying not to list veterinary experiences on your app where you were just observing the vet do something, I don't think that's good advice. Some schools might not weight it as heavily as hands-on experience, but it's still something you should list.
I would again say list all of that. You want to have at least one or two experiences with a great deal of hours so you don't look uncommitted (or like the clinics hated you so much that they wouldn't let you come back!), but it's totally understandable in my opinion to want to check out a variety of clinics. Most schools want to see breadth of experience as well as depth.
Honestly I feel this would be more research than vet hours. What were your duties in the pathology lab? Were you staining? Evaluating samples? isolating protiens/DNA/etc? Even if it wasn't a specific project, the protocols you went through were probably more research than anything. And if it wasn't research, then I'd put it under employment.... if you aren't working with live animals, or even doing necropsys/tissue harvesting then I wouldn't put it as vet exp
I believe the total GPA that VMCAS calculates after your application is verified includes all of your coursework, so it's only the GPA that you input that will not include the grad school grades. And besides that, a lot of schools have their own ways of calculating GPA, so I wouldn't worry too much - I haven't heard of a school completely disregarding post-bacc or grad school coursework 🙂
I've worked through some of the supplemental apps so far and you're right - especially in most schools calculations of the last 45. Hopefully VMCAS does calculate their own total GPA with all my coursework!
I agree - my undergrad grades weren't bad but certainly weren't as good as my postbacc/graduate grades.
Your first question was addressed on the first page of this thread. If you worked with multiple vets, put down all of them, such as "Drs. Smith, Jones, Brown." As for the contact numbers, I'm not sure what to do if you don't have one at all. I also had some experiences from high school and got the numbers off of their websites, even though yeah, if someone called them up they probably wouldn't remember me since I was just there for a day shadowing. I think if you can find a number to put down, do so. I highly doubt VMCAS or the schools take the time to go through everyone's application and call up all of their experiences to make sure they're legit; it's probably more of a just-in-case if something sounds fishy or they have a question.
Thank you!
Your application must be submitted for your transcripts to begin being verified, but you can submit as soon as you have your portion of everything done, and as soon as ONE of your eLORs is submitted, VMCAS will begin verifying your transcripts. Then the rest of your evaluators just need to submit by the October 2nd deadline. If you're worried that all of your evaluators will wait until close to October 2nd, maybe you could let them know about the recommended September 2nd deadline and that you'd appreciate if they had things done early?
Yes, include things from high school! I'm sure applying to pharmacy school is a completely different process.
Nope, you can submit before all of your eLORs are in! So as soon as you do that they can start verifying your transcripts. 🙂
Thank you!
Does the same apply for published manuscripts we've coauthored? Or are those just included with our description of research experience?
I think the instructions for that section explain it pretty well. The way I think of it is interviews are for elaborating on your application and answering any questions schools have about why you would be a good candidate for admission, while the explanation statement is for addressing anything that might keep you from getting an interview in the first place. This is different from the personal statement in that the PS tends to be more creative, discussing why you want to be a vet, and is more about selling yourself.
