hello! i am a 23F texas resident, recently graduated and going into my non-thesis masters program this august! I am interested in shelter med, community med, and possibly emergency.
unfortunately i started gaining hours later than most due to COVID, and waited until i was fully vaxxed to even seek out opportunities; my advisor also told me i only needed 300-500 hours, which is obviously incorrect, but for most of undergrad i worked a food service job on top of school, volunteering, and during summers a 2nd job at a shelter. i only really have small animal hours and a handful of large animal from labs, as it has been difficult for me to find time to gain any, but im also not super motivated for it since im strictly interested in small animal (im afraid this will be the nail in my coffin). I have 3 C's to my name (both ochem's, microbio; terrible professors) but my school doesnt allow us to re-take those courses since its technically "passing".
This past cycle I was accepted to Ross' VetPrep, but im not willing to take out a personal loan and it just seemed too risky to accept on the first cycle. instead im pursuing a one year nonthesis masters in a brand new program, which is super exciting.
applying to: TAMU & TTU (IS), NC state, Kansas State, Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Tufts, Ross
cGPA: 3.41
sGPA: 3.27
last 45: 3.45
GRE: none, most of the schools im applying to wont even look at it anyways.
Vet XP: 336 total
- expected to be somewhat past 600 by the time applications are due since I now work at a clinic
- 138 hrs shadowing at a clinic; not a lot of hands-on experience
- the rest is from & will be from the clinic i work at now, much more hands on and im learning technician duties!
Animal XP: 388 total
- 200 hrs as fostering coordinator for our school's feral cat coalition
- 94 hrs as a summer caretaker at a shelter
- 40 hrs volunteering at a different shelter
- the rest is me doing kennels at the clinic; i dont include them into my vet hours since the vet is not there and im not doing tech stuff.
Research XP: 43 total
- various studies on dog preferences for scents in toys, water bowl sleeves to improve water intake, sponsor's toy vs competitor's for puppies.
Awards/scholarships:
- merit scholarship every year
- deans list one semester
- presidents list one semester
Extracurriculars:
- 3000+ hours color guard, 8 years (HS and college), includes all marching and indoor seasons.
- ~150 hrs in a service-based sorority. i was on exec for one year as the secretary, where i kept track of attendance, meeting topics, and coordinated meetups with other chapters.
Employment: idk the hours
- one summer as a barista
- 2 years chipotle
- one summer at a shelter (94hrs)
- now at a small animal clinic!
I also want to add that I didn't go into undergrad completely on-board with vet med, i originally wanted to do something with shelters and behavior. i solidified my interests through working with rescues and shelters and eventually veterinarians. i think my hesitance also led me to having low hours.
Additionally, I got diagnosed with ADHD halfway through my senior year of college. debating whether or not i want to bring this up in my explanation statements/anywhere else/at all?? im hoping now that im doing a masters i can prove that, with medication and counselling, i actually am able to make better grades and be a more desirable candidate.
unfortunately i started gaining hours later than most due to COVID, and waited until i was fully vaxxed to even seek out opportunities; my advisor also told me i only needed 300-500 hours, which is obviously incorrect, but for most of undergrad i worked a food service job on top of school, volunteering, and during summers a 2nd job at a shelter. i only really have small animal hours and a handful of large animal from labs, as it has been difficult for me to find time to gain any, but im also not super motivated for it since im strictly interested in small animal (im afraid this will be the nail in my coffin). I have 3 C's to my name (both ochem's, microbio; terrible professors) but my school doesnt allow us to re-take those courses since its technically "passing".
This past cycle I was accepted to Ross' VetPrep, but im not willing to take out a personal loan and it just seemed too risky to accept on the first cycle. instead im pursuing a one year nonthesis masters in a brand new program, which is super exciting.
applying to: TAMU & TTU (IS), NC state, Kansas State, Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Tufts, Ross
cGPA: 3.41
sGPA: 3.27
last 45: 3.45
GRE: none, most of the schools im applying to wont even look at it anyways.
Vet XP: 336 total
- expected to be somewhat past 600 by the time applications are due since I now work at a clinic
- 138 hrs shadowing at a clinic; not a lot of hands-on experience
- the rest is from & will be from the clinic i work at now, much more hands on and im learning technician duties!
Animal XP: 388 total
- 200 hrs as fostering coordinator for our school's feral cat coalition
- 94 hrs as a summer caretaker at a shelter
- 40 hrs volunteering at a different shelter
- the rest is me doing kennels at the clinic; i dont include them into my vet hours since the vet is not there and im not doing tech stuff.
Research XP: 43 total
- various studies on dog preferences for scents in toys, water bowl sleeves to improve water intake, sponsor's toy vs competitor's for puppies.
Awards/scholarships:
- merit scholarship every year
- deans list one semester
- presidents list one semester
Extracurriculars:
- 3000+ hours color guard, 8 years (HS and college), includes all marching and indoor seasons.
- ~150 hrs in a service-based sorority. i was on exec for one year as the secretary, where i kept track of attendance, meeting topics, and coordinated meetups with other chapters.
Employment: idk the hours
- one summer as a barista
- 2 years chipotle
- one summer at a shelter (94hrs)
- now at a small animal clinic!
I also want to add that I didn't go into undergrad completely on-board with vet med, i originally wanted to do something with shelters and behavior. i solidified my interests through working with rescues and shelters and eventually veterinarians. i think my hesitance also led me to having low hours.
Additionally, I got diagnosed with ADHD halfway through my senior year of college. debating whether or not i want to bring this up in my explanation statements/anywhere else/at all?? im hoping now that im doing a masters i can prove that, with medication and counselling, i actually am able to make better grades and be a more desirable candidate.
