VMCAS questions

[jrwinsto]

Hey everyone!
This is my first year applying and I have a ton of questions about the application. Hope some of you can answer my questions soon! Otherwise I will have to give them a call!
For experiences, where do I put my time when I was employed at a vet clinic? Is that going to go under employment or veterinary experience?
In the background information, I am not sure how to handle the explanation sections. I do have a break between being in school/working due to illness of a family member. Does the explanation need to be in essay form? Not sure how to explain myself here! I also have had some health issues myself, so should that go in the longer explanation section? And again, is it supposed to be an essay-type thing?
Thanks guys! I know I will have more questions come up very soon!!

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[jrwinsto]

Oh and why do they need to know my parents information?? Not that I mind, but I think it's kind of weird.

 

[lostbunny]

Oh and why do they need to know my parents information?? Not that I mind, but I think it's kind of weird.

I thought this was a stupid question too- but on an older post (Titled "VMCAS-when", the VMCAS person explained that it has to do with school funding and where they decide they should put money (lol thats what I got from it).

There's actually a VMCAS forum, where I'm sure you will have all your questions answered- you'll have to search through the forum though, but it shouldn't be too far away only on the 2nd or 3rd page if not the 1st.

Good luck!

(sorry I'm not actually applying through VMCAS so I can't answer your specific questions 😀)

 

[NStarz]

Jrwinsto,

You want to classify your experience as the highest rank possible. So your time at a veterinary clinic would be considered veterinary experience.

Not sure about your other questions, sorry 🙂

Now for one of my own---

For the experiences section: under description of duties, are they expecting you to just list what you did? Or are you supposed to go into what you got out of the experience (like it is in med school apps)? Like "by cleaning kennels, I learned the importance of preventing the spread of disease..." etc etc.

Thoughts?

 

[Armymutt25A]

Oh and why do they need to know my parents information?? Not that I mind, but I think it's kind of weird.

Some schools consider whether your parents attended college as part of their admissions criteria. One of those diversity things.

 

[Armymutt25A]

Jrwinsto,

You want to classify your experience as the highest rank possible. So your time at a veterinary clinic would be considered veterinary experience.

Not sure about your other questions, sorry 🙂

Now for one of my own---

For the experiences section: under description of duties, are they expecting you to just list what you did? Or are you supposed to go into what you got out of the experience (like it is in med school apps)? Like "by cleaning kennels, I learned the importance of preventing the spread of disease..." etc etc.

Thoughts?

I used the Dragnet approach - "just the facts, ma'am". Using bullet statements and show the diversity of your experience. Wait for the essays to show how your experiences played into what you learned.

 

[jmo1012]

I used the Dragnet approach - "just the facts, ma'am". Using bullet statements and show the diversity of your experience. Wait for the essays to show how your experiences played into what you learned.

bullet lists are probably best because of the (really annoying and stupid!!!) character counts. it'll also allow the reader(s) to pull the important info out quickly

 

[CurrySpice]

Some schools consider whether your parents attended college as part of their admissions criteria. One of those diversity things.

That's not part of the VMCAS questions this year. You just need to name your parents and tell their residency status. My guess is that if your parents are a resident of a different state they may consider that you have a stronger draw to that state.

 

[jrwinsto]

Thanks guys! This whole process is a bit more time consuming than I thought it would be~

 

[Whyevernot55]

Thanks guys! This whole process is a bit more time consuming than I thought it would be~

Yeah...the data entry for entering allllll your coursework will take forever. Especially if you're a non-trad with 8 years of undergrad courses.

Maybe someday VMCAS will be nice to re-applicants and save your data from year to year! 🙄

 

[Minnerbelle]

Maybe someday VMCAS will be nice to re-applicants and save your data from year to year! 🙄

yeah seriously, what happened to that? They said that was going to happen 2 years ago... and last year no one's was saved. And they never said anything about that ever again.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I used the Dragnet approach - "just the facts, ma'am". Using bullet statements and show the diversity of your experience. Wait for the essays to show how your experiences played into what you learned.

Yep, I just listed all the techniques and duties I did on the job (e.g. intubation, phlebotomy, anesthesia monitoring, general husbandry duties, etc...). Then had a list of "assisted in..." for things like necropsies, where I helped but didn't necessarily do on my own.

But esp for experiences with multiple animal spp involved, I listed them at the bottom.

 

[Niri]

But esp for experiences with multiple animal spp involved, I listed them at the bottom.

Does anyone have experience with entering info on mixed animal experience? Mine was 75% Dairy, 15% Equine, 5% Small ruminants and 5% SA, so should I indicate that at the top of the description of duties section or where...?

 

[Minnerbelle]

Does anyone have experience with entering info on mixed animal experience? Mine was 75% Dairy, 15% Equine, 5% Small ruminants and 5% SA, so should I indicate that at the top of the description of duties section or where...?

Don't they have checkoffs for what spp were involved for each experiences? On top of that, I would personally just put "75% Dairy, 15% Equine, 5% Small ruminants and 5% SA" in your description of duties somewhere (top, bottom, middle, doesn't matter).

You don't necessarily have to put it that way, but I think it would def add to your credentials to emphasize the LA experience. 'Cause mixed animal can mean like a lot of things.

 

[Whyevernot55]

yeah seriously, what happened to that? They said that was going to happen 2 years ago... and last year no one's was saved. And they never said anything about that ever again.

I know! They have been conspicuously quiet on that front lately. Glad I'm not the only one who's noticed. I mean seriously, most applicants apply more than once. And I'm getting really sick of entering my coursework.

 

[rubygirl]

I am working on entering my course work, i have one class that i repeated, not for a better grade but because it was he only way i could ride horses while a freshman student, i was wondering if i should put repeated for both, or completed then repeated, or just completed? just curious if any one knows how to tackle this thanks

 

[HelloNello]

What would you put under Veterinary experience when it asks for the name of the doctor? I work at a hospital with multiple doctors. I also volunteer at an organization with 12 doctors. I don't have to list them all separately do I?

Also, if you have been on a VIDA trip how many hours did you enter?

 

[Whyevernot55]

What would you put under Veterinary experience when it asks for the name of the doctor? I work at a hospital with multiple doctors. I also volunteer at an organization with 12 doctors. I don't have to list them all separately do I?

Also, if you have been on a VIDA trip how many hours did you enter?

RE: multiple Dr practices, I typically just list the practice owner, or head vet.

 

[jmo1012]

What would you put under Veterinary experience when it asks for the name of the doctor? I work at a hospital with multiple doctors. I also volunteer at an organization with 12 doctors. I don't have to list them all separately do I?

Also, if you have been on a VIDA trip how many hours did you enter?

i externed at a hospital with 11 specialties. at an adcom advisors suggestion, i separated out the people i worked with the most i.e. emergency doc as one entry, the 5 surgeons as another, a radiologist, the exotic's doc, etc. i had well over a thousand hours there though and all the doctors were board certified and could easily fill the explanation sections.

 

[scb44f]

Also, if you have been on a VIDA trip how many hours did you enter?

If you didn't keep track of the time you spent in the clinics, just use the number they sent you at the end of your trip in the letter. I kept track with a journal, and since there were some days we worked longer than estimated, the number I entered turned out to be just a little higher. Either way will work.

 

[LittleWiz]

I am working on entering my course work, i have one class that i repeated, not for a better grade but because it was he only way i could ride horses while a freshman student, i was wondering if i should put repeated for both, or completed then repeated, or just completed? just curious if any one knows how to tackle this thanks

When I repeated a particular course, I put 'Repeated' the first time, then 'Completed' the second time. To me, this makes the most sense.

 

[thaowey]

Q: when submitting a request for the eLOR to your evaluator and at the very end it asks for "e-mail confirmation", am i suppose to re-type my evaluator's email again to confirm or put in my e-mail so that i can be confirmed that it got sent/completed?

 

[twelvetigers]

Retype theirs. I swear I asked that here too, lol.

 

[thaowey]

Retype theirs. I swear I asked that here too, lol.

haha thanks for the quick reply! i know i could've called VMCAS tomorrow -er, later "today" - but I was in a roll and just couldn't wait, so i knew i could count on the pre-vet forum for an answer lol.

 

[twelvetigers]

Its cool! Had you typed yours, it would have come back up and said, "Hey dumb*ass, this doesn't match." So, yeah. 🙂

 

[nuevaburra]

Question about the explanations section- I spent 1 semester in a graduate program for engineering but never finished, I instead started a master's program in microbio. Is this something that I would want to explain, like, why all the bouncing around? It feels like it would be hard to explain without repeating the stuff from my PS about why I decided to become a vet.

 

[LetItSnow]

Question about the explanations section- I spent 1 semester in a graduate program for engineering but never finished, I instead started a master's program in microbio. Is this something that I would want to explain, like, why all the bouncing around? It feels like it would be hard to explain without repeating the stuff from my PS about why I decided to become a vet.

Oof. Good question.

My gut says that so long as you did ok grade-wise, I wouldn't delve into it. I think you might just draw more attention to it and raise questions in their minds that they otherwise wouldn't have raised.

This might be a good one to wait and see what three or four people think.....

 

[twelvetigers]

If you mention it somewhere (even vaguely), I don't think it would be a huge deal to not mention it in the ES. If not... I dunno. If it were you looking at your file as a whole, would it raise any red flags? Is it pretty clear that you simply changed your mind?

 

[StartingoverVet]

IMO, there is no need to mention it again. The PS is the right place to explain it in my mind. If you didn't want to include it in the PS then that is another story (or if you need to save characters). I put stuff in the explanation section that I couldn't fit (and didn't want to fit) it in the PS, but only to the extent it was topical.

 

[jrwinsto]

So is it redundant to put why i have breaks in school/work under the explanation section and in my PS? Would one or the other be acceptable? I am still not sure how to deal with this explanation section...

 

[LetItSnow]

IMO, there is no need to mention it again. The PS is the right place to explain it in my mind. If you didn't want to include it in the PS then that is another story (or if you need to save characters). I put stuff in the explanation section that I couldn't fit (and didn't want to fit) it in the PS, but only to the extent it was topical.

👍

Mention it one place or the other but not both. My first time around, I addressed my weak early academic background (failing out of college) in both the PS and the explanation section. That was one of the (many) critiques of my app. The school said too much explanation just raises red flags and draws attention to the negative. Her suggestion was to leave it out of the PS or at least minimize the space dedicated to it.

My second time around, I didn't address it at all in the PS - I left it only for the explanations section. In the PS I focused on the strengths in my academic background, instead (I.e. the 4.0 after returning). Yes, it would be redundant to put it in both. Think of the explanation section as a freebie area to tie up any loose ends where you can see the application committee saying "But... what about THIS?" Your PS is the place to sell yourself, IMO, not try and do damage control on your past.

If it were me I'd leave it in the explanation section unless you were planning to frame it to show some strength or put it in some other positive context, but either way I agree with SOV that it only needs to be in one spot.

 

[lareinesoleil]

I was a French major, and I talked about that in the PS. However, it did fit naturally into my PS - if it seems awkward, leave it out and put it in the explanation section instead.

 

[labanimaltech]

Hi ~ so I'm new to the SDN, but I hope you guys can help because I couldn't get through to the VMCAS hotline and I have questions!! I have a Withdraw/Pass class and then re-took it later and completed it... I don't know what to put for the "Classification Description" of the class for each time... Incomplete? Repeated? Completed?

Also, I have taken "Plant Physiology" and "Comparative Human and Vertebrate Anatomy" -- would you classify these as Biology or Physiology?

 

[thaowey]

I have a Withdraw/Pass class and then re-took it later and completed it... I don't know what to put for the "Classification Description" of the class for each time... Incomplete? Repeated? Completed?

i called them the other day and asked the same Q...they said for the 1st time you took a class & withdraw, put it as incomplete....and for the 2nd time you took it & passed, put is as complete

 

[heylodeb]

Also, I have taken "Plant Physiology" and "Comparative Human and Vertebrate Anatomy" -- would you classify these as Biology or Physiology?

Classify both as biology. IMHO, the physiology classification is for mammalian physiology classes.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Would you classify mammalian Anatomy and Physiology under physiology?


I have a question about the school designation section:

I have selected 2 schools I definitely want to apply to and it shows my fees and has an esubmit option, but I am confused. Do I submit my selections before my VMCAS application is complete or do I wait until after I submit the application? And how does it work if you select 2 schools and later want to add another 1 or 2, do you just have to pay the remaining fee for the difference between 2 and 4 schools or do you have to pay the 2 school fee and then 1 or 2 school fee since you designated 2 then added more later?

Also, I have seen people are working on supplementals already, don't you have to submit the VMCAS application for that first as well, or do you get that after designating your schools?

One more question: If I took the GRE in Dec. and put in Ohio States code to have it sent to them, do they have it now, or do I have to resend it to them?

Oh, I lied, one more question: Can I send in transcripts now or won't the school know why they are getting it if I haven't submitted my VMCAS yet?

I am guessing if I designate schools now, then they will know I am applying and I can send everything in and they will know, but not sure.

 

[LetItSnow]

One more question: If I took the GRE in Dec. and put in Ohio States code to have it sent to them, do they have it now, or do I have to resend it to them?

Oh, I lied, one more question: Can I send in transcripts now or won't the school know why they are getting it if I haven't submitted my VMCAS yet?

I am guessing if I designate schools now, then they will know I am applying and I can send everything in and they will know, but not sure.

I'll leave the first few questions for others, because I either don't understand the question or don't know the answer.

But with regard to GRE and transcript: If you put the correct school code and the GRE folks didn't screw up, the school has them and you don't need to re-send.

You can send your transcripts any time (before or after) you submit via VMCAS. When the schools start receiving your materials (GRE, transcripts, whatever) they'll simply put the information into a file that they'll hold until all the various components are in and it's time to start evaluating candidates.

ETA: I know my school, and I presume others (though you'd want to verify!!!), had a short pseudo grace-period after application close ... they let us know whether they had all our materials and, if not, gave us a 10 days or 2 weeks or something to get them in. So even if there's a transcript screw-up, failed GRE hand-off, etc., you will have the opportunity to correct it. Making sure you get VMCAS done by the deadline is the biggest key, because that's the one you can't correct.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Would you classify mammalian Anatomy and Physiology under physiology?

That's a good question. I also took comparative vertebrate anatomy & physiology (where the lectures were all physiology and lab was anatomy). I think I listed it as biology and listed my other "animal physiology" course as physiology. I honestly don't think it really matters unless you're applying to schools that require physiology as a pre-req. If you are, and you're going to use this course as your physiology pre-req, I'd call those individual schools and make sure that your course will be accepted. This might be one of those questions the vmcas person could probably answer better than anyone else (even if the answer is to defer to the schools you're applying to).

Also, I have seen people are working on supplementals already, don't you have to submit the VMCAS application for that first as well, or do you get that after designating your schools?

That totally depends on the school. Some schools say send VMCAS first. Others don't care. Just go to each individual school's admissions page and look for what they require of you. Many of them will just have an online supplemental that you can start as soon as you register with them, regardless of when you submit your VMCAS.

One more question: If I took the GRE in Dec. and put in Ohio States code to have it sent to them, do they have it now, or do I have to resend it to them?

I'd just call/email and ask if they have it on file just to be sure.

Oh, I lied, one more question: Can I send in transcripts now or won't the school know why they are getting it if I haven't submitted my VMCAS yet?

I am guessing if I designate schools now, then they will know I am applying and I can send everything in and they will know, but not sure.

I definitely sent all my transcripts waaaay before my VMCAS was submitted. It's totally fine.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Also, VMCAS is really really wonderful about getting back to you via email (very prompt and informative and helpful). For anything a little out of the ordinary, I'd email them and ask. That way you get it straight from the source, and have written proof of what they've told you! Sometimes since different schools want different thing, but you can only submit one VMCAS app, it's nice to get a solid advice from them rather than a bunch of random people on the internet... esp if individual schools give you grief about it later. Not that that's common or anything.

 

[Howister]

Should we waive the right to see the evaluation for eLORs?

 

[Minnerbelle]

Should we waive the right to see the evaluation for eLORs?

I was told definitely yes by the pre-health committee at my UG. Rational being that each LOR will bear more weight if the evaluators are able to write them confidentially. If you ever want to know what an evaluator thinks of you, I think it's a lot more classy if you actually ask them feedback about your performance and what they think of you, rather than peeking at their letter.

Isn't it something really weird like if you don't waive your right, you can only see the LORs if you're accepted, and only from the school you go to anyway? Plus, a lot of LOR writers will even send you a copy if they really want you to see it.

 

[LetItSnow]

Should we waive the right to see the evaluation for eLORs?

You should search for some discussions about this in previous threads.

But my opinion is you should waive it. (Assuming the rules haven't changed from last year....)

1. You can't see what they actually wrote until after you *are admitted*. So you gain no real benefit. If you don't get in, you don't get to go looking at the LORs to see if one of them tanked you.

2. You ought to be 100% confident in each of your LOR writers. Be up front about asking if they can write you a glowing letter.

3. I feel like it's a gesture of trust/faith in them.

Mostly, I'm practical about it. By the time you can see what they wrote, you're already in school and probably don't care what they said. The only remaining reason to want to see what they wrote at that point is curiosity.

I got rejected my first time, and while the school wouldn't reveal the contents of the letters they were willing to generalize and say "your letters were excellent. In particular, make sure you use this one again" and that sort of thing. I ended up using two again and switching in a new one just because I had worked with her (the new one) more recently.

I'm with Minnerbelle: If you want to see what they wrote, how about just asking them personally if they'd be willing to share a copy with you?

With one of mine, we sat down over a lunch meeting and mapped out how to make her reference dovetail with the story I was presenting in my application. I never did see the final draft, but there's zero question in my mind about what it contained. She even bought lunch, so I figure the odds were high she was on my team. 🙂

 

[Howister]

Thanks! I thought that it was good form to waive the right to see LORs. Just a little bit of curiosity about what was in them!

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks! I thought that it was good form to waive the right to see LORs. Just a little bit of curiosity about what was in them!

There were a few people that disagreed with me last time the subject came up. I would describe their reasons, but I can't really remember them well enough and don't want to put words in their mouth. You can find the threads, though.

 

[aestrell]

when completing the "coursework" section if I have a W for a course, what do I click on for the classification description?

 

[twelvetigers]

The instructions at the top of the page for each section are really very thorough. I'm sure I found the answer to that in the VMCAS instructions...

 

[BlackDog618]

Hi All.
I've been lurking on here for awhile and have finally decided to introduce myself. I'm a bit of a non-trad, I graduated thinking I wanted to go to medical school because I thought dealing with sick animals would make me too upset.
Since then I've been working in a research lab dealing with mice and I've found I can handle treatment and euthanasia.
My question for you all is how to list my work experience on the VMCAS. I'd say about 30% of my job involves working with the animals, while the rest is tissue culture, lab managing, and other lab duties. I know we're only supposed to list each experience once on the application, but I can't say that my entire job is "animal experience". Any suggestions on what to do?

I have to say you guys are great with all the advice you give, but this site may give me an ulcer before I'm done applying 🙂

 

[NStarz]

Hi All.
I've been lurking on here for awhile and have finally decided to introduce myself. I'm a bit of a non-trad, I graduated thinking I wanted to go to medical school because I thought dealing with sick animals would make me too upset.
Since then I've been working in a research lab dealing with mice and I've found I can handle treatment and euthanasia.
My question for you all is how to list my work experience on the VMCAS. I'd say about 30% of my job involves working with the animals, while the rest is tissue culture, lab managing, and other lab duties. I know we're only supposed to list each experience once on the application, but I can't say that my entire job is "animal experience". Any suggestions on what to do?

I have to say you guys are great with all the advice you give, but this site may give me an ulcer before I'm done applying 🙂

Welcome to SDN! We're a fun bunch (much more supportive than the pre-meds 😛). Just a friendly little bit of advice (not sure if it applies, but you didn't mention it in your post): Have you had any other exposure to vet medicine besides lab medicine? If that's your end goal, that's great, but schools like/require more experience in the veterinary profession in small or large animal clinics, with wildlife or exotic animals, with equine or avian vets. You may already have all that--if so, great!

As for me, I would put that entire experience under animal experience (since it's research involving animals), and then put the breakdown under the description part--like 30% mouse sx or whatever, and then 20% tissue culture, etc. It's legitimate because the research involved animals, and the other techniques you've used are definitely helpful in being a vet (especially lab animal!). Good luck!

 

[Minnerbelle]

As for me, I would put that entire experience under animal experience (since it's research involving animals), and then put the breakdown under the description part--like 30% mouse sx or whatever, and then 20% tissue culture, etc. It's legitimate because the research involved animals, and the other techniques you've used are definitely helpful in being a vet (especially lab animal!). Good luck!

Yep I agree completely with NStarz. As long as you're not deceptive about it, these classifications are pretty loose at best anyway. Someone who worked in a dog boarding kennel could count their entire experience under animal experience even if half the time was spent behind a counter answering phones and such. It would get way too confusing if every single one of your jobs/experiences were broken up into multiple entries.

I could be wrong, but a lot of vet school adcoms seem to be very good about reading through your entire application and giving you credit for what you actually did, not just silly designations you check off on the applications.

 

[Dye It Purple]

Would you classify mammalian Anatomy and Physiology under physiology?


I have a question about the school designation section:

I have selected 2 schools I definitely want to apply to and it shows my fees and has an esubmit option, but I am confused. Do I submit my selections before my VMCAS application is complete or do I wait until after I submit the application? And how does it work if you select 2 schools and later want to add another 1 or 2, do you just have to pay the remaining fee for the difference between 2 and 4 schools or do you have to pay the 2 school fee and then 1 or 2 school fee since you designated 2 then added more later?

I think all of your other questions have been addressed and I agree with others that ultimately you should get answers from the folks who run VMCAS to protect yourself. Nevertheless, I do happen to know the answer to how to go about e-submitting properly. I believe if you read the application instructions as I did, it will confirm what I'm stating exactly, which is as follows: Once you hit e-submit your application is submitted! No changes or alterations are possible to the content of the application from that point forward and if you've left sections incomplete or not up to the standard you want, you CANNOT correct them. So, you should wait until after you completely finish your app before you e-submit to ANY school. As for the second part of your question, once you have e-submitted you can go back later and add schools, but you must pay the additional fees before your application will be mailed to them. That, and your contact information (I believe), should be the only things you can change after e-submission.

In regards to how to classify your mammalian physiology course, again I would advise you read those instructions. The purpose of the designation is to determine whether or not a course qualifies as general coursework or if it meets the SPECIFIC criteria of the various schools. You should only list it as "Physiology" if it meets the prerequisite requirement for physiology at any or all of the schools to which you are applying. Otherwise, it is listed using one of the other designations. Keep this in mind if you are planning on adding schools to the application later.