Walk me through the educational process to become a vet...

[Medikal21]

Let me start by letting you know where I am at now...

In 2004 (fall) I started a 4 year University as Pre-vet. Only completed 1 year, which was just my general classes...nothing pertaining to a veterinarian degree at all really. I didn't go back because I got pregnant and got e coli....what a nightmare that e coli was! (from lettuce I must add...vegetarian!)

Then in 2006 I switched to a business college and this fall will have an associates in Business Administration.

I still think of being a vet EVERY DAY! What do you think I should do from here? Should I get by bachlors in BA...or start back up at the 4 year University and finish my pre-vet...

Very torn...big decision....any advice would be great!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Angelo84]

It doesn't matter what you major in as long as you do the pre-req's for vet school. People generally major in something related so the classes they have to take for vet school also count for their degree.

 

[RaptorRehaber]

Let me start by letting you know where I am at now...

In 2004 (fall) I started a 4 year University as Pre-vet. Only completed 1 year, which was just my general classes...nothing pertaining to a veterinarian degree at all really. I didn't go back because I got pregnant and got e coli....what a nightmare that e coli was! (from lettuce I must add...vegetarian!)

Then in 2006 I switched to a business college and this fall will have an associates in Business Administration.

I still think of being a vet EVERY DAY! What do you think I should do from here? Should I get by bachlors in BA...or start back up at the 4 year University and finish my pre-vet...

Very torn...big decision....any advice would be great!

Getting a pre-vet degree or emphasis doesn't make you a veterinarian or get you a veterinarian degree. You can major in whatever you want as long as you satisfy the sciences and other requirements for vet schools. One of the vets I worked with had a bachelors in english.

 

[Duke07]

Like others have said, it doesn't matter what you major iyour major is, as long as you complete the pre-requisites. I'm planning on applying next year and majored in English and psychology. That being said, I didn't take any of the pre-requisites as an undergrad, so I had/have a lot of courses to take afterwards.

Anyway, I'd visit the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges website for more info on the educational requirements for vet school, jobs in the field, etc.:

http://www.aavmc.org/

 

[Emio]

Let me start by letting you know where I am at now...

In 2004 (fall) I started a 4 year University as Pre-vet. Only completed 1 year, which was just my general classes...nothing pertaining to a veterinarian degree at all really. I didn't go back because I got pregnant and got e coli....what a nightmare that e coli was! (from lettuce I must add...vegetarian!)

Then in 2006 I switched to a business college and this fall will have an associates in Business Administration.

I still think of being a vet EVERY DAY! What do you think I should do from here? Should I get by bachlors in BA...or start back up at the 4 year University and finish my pre-vet...

Very torn...big decision....any advice would be great!

the big decision is obviously all yours, but i can help with the process options:

as someone else already mentioned, you just need to complete the prerequisites. however, many schools would recommend that you complete at least a few years at a university full time. this shows that you can succeed with a full course load.

a bs in business admin wuoldnt be a terrible idea, but you definitely would have to show a great science GPA in your prereqs.

two questions: why'd you choose to do an associate's in business admin?

and have you looked into vet tech school? a lot less hassle, and its a veterinary job.

 

[projekt]

The traditional path that most students take is to go for a B.S. in Biology or Chemistry and take all the prerequisites for the schools they want to apply to. Almost every vet school requires: General Biology (1 year w/lab), General Chemistry (1 year w/lab), Organic Chemistry (1 year w/lab), Biochemistry (1 semester), Genetics (1 semester), Physics (1 year w/lab or AP Physics C), Calculus I and II, a solid English background, and some upper-division Biology classes and labs. Some schools require
foreign language, Animal Science and Animal Nutrition (1 semester each), Speech (Texas A&M I'm looking in your direction), Microbiology, Statistics, etc. Find out which schools you will apply to, make a comprehensive list of all their prereqs, and go to a 4-year school that will teach them to you. You will also need to take the GRE, and some schools require the Biology GRE.

Note that getting a bachelors is rarely required. It's just that you have a B.S. in biology pretty much after you've taken all of these classes, plus a few core competencies like social science and art history. Some schools like Cornell have an "early admission" program where you take a concentrated curriculum of prerequisites for a couple of years and then they admit you if you have high grades, making it unnecessary to finish out your Bachelors.

Many offshore and overseas schools will do the whole shebang and you can apply as a freshman undergrad and finish in 7 years or so. That's because in Europe and Australia, vet school and med school are programs you enter right after you pass your leaving cert from secondary school.

Apparently full-time undergraduate work is best, that's just what I've heard. And, you want to get the highest possible grades in every class, even the ones that aren't prerequisites. If you really make a go of it, you might not have much time for your child, so you have to figure out which goals are the most important. Vet schools apparently like to see a single-minded devotion to the career. Is that fair? Who knows, but it's how they work.

On the other hand, if your grades are good and you get into an overseas vet school, living in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, etc., could be a wonderful experience for your child.

I don't recommend vet tech school. I think that the pay sucks, and the jobs are high in drama and not very rewarding. (Feel free to disagree, that's just my opinion.) Much better to put your business degree to work managing a practice, improving the quality of care, and helping vet techs live lower-drama, happier, better-paid lives.

Oh, and don't even consider going pre-vet unless you have observed surgeries. What a waste to get your heart set on vet school and find out that you throw up in the OR!

Anyhow, that's my $0.02. I'm the guidance counselor to the world.

 

[lailanni]

I don't recommend vet tech school. I think that the pay sucks, and the jobs are high in drama and not very rewarding. (Feel free to disagree, that's just my opinion.) Much better to put your business degree to work managing a practice, improving the quality of care, and helping vet techs live lower-drama, happier, better-paid lives.

Oh, and don't even consider going pre-vet unless you have observed surgeries. What a waste to get your heart set on vet school and find out that you throw up in the OR!

Anyhow, that's my $0.02. I'm the guidance counselor to the world.

While tech pay isn't fantastic, it's still money. I've seen tech hourly rates from $14 - $23 in my state.

AND several places will offer health care benefits, dental, and those goodies.

Plus when you consider the fact that tech school can be done online, or within 1-2 years you're going to make money much sooner than you would if you'd gone through vet school. Probably without geting into big debt, like most vet students. Which may be an important factor for someone who needs to provide for a child. So I would not discourage her from tech school.

Also, I would hardly say that being a tech isn't rewarding. Where I work, all the techs love what they do. They get along fantastic. Not all clinics have 'drama'. In some ways, being a tech can be more hands-on than being a vet.

About the throwing up in the OR-- I would expand that to say: get experience in vet med before you decide to go into it.

General academic walkthrough of becoming a vet:

pre-vet courses, 4year degree may be required --> apply --> 4 yrs vet school --> practice or optional internship/residency approx 4 yrs

This doesn't include all the animal experience you need. Or research experience, if that's what floats your boat.

to the O/P: it is very possible, if you really want to do it. I'll tell you about my friend. She also got pregnant while in college. A few years after having her child, she went to tech school and became a tech at our clinic. After being a tech, she decided she really wanted to become a doctor. So she moved to our instate vet school and took pre-vet classes there, while working and taking care of her child. She's doing great and applying to vet school in the next round.

 

[Medikal21]

Thnks, this is all great advice. I guess I just have to really sit back and decide where to go from here....

I have 5 years of experience working in an animal shelter. Can't say I have had a lot of hands on during surgery...but I've seen my share of grousome situations! lol Not to mention a spay and neuter clinic once a week...so I've experienced some of the basics.

I thought about being a tech for a while....but I don't think that would satisfy me. Don't get me wrong...I would enjoy the work...but would have more opportunities as a vet (not to mention be able to provide for my daughter on a much higher level)

Just in case any one is from my neck of the woods...I will finish my undergraduate studies at the University of Southern Indiana...and work my butt off to be accepted at Purdue if I choose this major. Any tips on getting accepted into Purdue would be interesting!

 

[rustysmom]

Let me start by letting you know where I am at now...

In 2004 (fall) I started a 4 year University as Pre-vet. Only completed 1 year, which was just my general classes...nothing pertaining to a veterinarian degree at all really. I didn't go back because I got pregnant and got e coli....what a nightmare that e coli was! (from lettuce I must add...vegetarian!)

Then in 2006 I switched to a business college and this fall will have an associates in Business Administration.

I still think of being a vet EVERY DAY! What do you think I should do from here? Should I get by bachlors in BA...or start back up at the 4 year University and finish my pre-vet...

Very torn...big decision....any advice would be great!

I have a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in information systems. I currently work in IT although I am being outsourced... I also thought of being a vet everyday - it wasn't until my company started sending work overseas that I had the courage to follow my dreams and start working on my pre-reqs!

If you are close to being done with your bachelor's BA, I would finish it up and then start taking pre-reqs. As long as you have a bachelor's degree, you should be ok - just make sure your science grades are high... and do well on the GRE/MCAT... and if you go back to do your pre-reqs after finishing your bachelor's while taking care of your child, you have an excellent answer for what is your greatest achievement!

 

[cyrille104]

Note that getting a bachelors is rarely required.

While getting a bachelors is not usually required, keep in mind that very few people are admitted without one. I personally would recommend going back for a bachelors. That's just me though, maybe some non-trads would disagree.

 

[VAgirl]

While getting a bachelors is not usually required, keep in mind that very few people are admitted without one. I personally would recommend going back for a bachelors. That's just me though, maybe some non-trads would disagree.

I completely agree with you (for once). In fact, I'd say that I think my masters (which is in the field that I want to go into in vet med) has been a huge help to me in the admissions process so far. Not to say one needs post-bacc degrees or anything, but I do think that having a degree or degrees can help.

As far as a Bachelors, I think people who get in without one must be exceptional candidates in all other ways. So by having a Bachelors, at least your other excellent credentials aren't having to balance out the lack of a degree. They can be used to balance out other weak areas. (Of course, that's just my opinion.)

 

[projekt]

While getting a bachelors is not usually required, keep in mind that very few people are admitted without one.

I agree, but I'd like to mention a couple things. Virtually all competitive applicants got the Bachelors anyway, they didn't try it without. So, the statistic is skewed.

Also, Many schools have early admission programs. I don't know how many people enter in this way, but if they were unused they'd probably get rid of them.

If a school doesn't say a degree is required, I think the best option is to call them up and ask if they really mean that. If you can get a 4.0 in pre-req classes, but finishing a degree and taking breadth requirements will give you a 3.5, you're probably doing yourself a disservice getting the degree if you're applying to a school that doesn't require it.

 

[cyrille104]

If you can get a 4.0 in pre-req classes, but finishing a degree and taking breadth requirements will give you a 3.5, you're probably doing yourself a disservice getting the degree if you're applying to a school that doesn't require it.

I don't find this a good reason not to get a bachelor's. In today's competitive applicant pool, I think you need to aim for high grades in both your pre-req classes and your degree classes as a whole.

 

[Duke07]

I don't find this a good reason not to get a bachelor's. In today's competitive applicant pool, I think you need to aim for high grades in both your pre-req classes and your degree classes as a whole.

I agree with this statement. I tend to believe it's better to get your bachelor's anyway, as admissions is rigorous and it's good to have a "back-up plan." I'm not really sure what kind of job you can obtain with an associate's in business administration, but if you don't get in your first try, it could be useful having a BA to get a job while waiting for the next cycle.

If you don't want to get the bachelor's and just want to take the pre-reqs, I would go on the schools' websites and see if they have statistics for how many people are accepted w/o UG degrees, then apply to the ones that have the highest numbers. Of course, these numbers will probably be skewed b/c they most likely are schools that also have early entry programs.