WAMC c/o 2027 Int'l, Low Experience w/ 2nd degree, first-time app

[CarboKitty]

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I only decided to pursue vet med during COVID, so my animal and vet hours came from just the past 1.5 years. I suppose I'll have to explain this in VMCAS knowing it is significantly less than average.
My last 30/45 creds came from piling graduate engineering courses (inc. physiology) on top of 4th yr chemistry. I struggled in all of them and averaged a B/B+. I completed all my vet school pre-reqs--save physiology--before my last semesters. I know most applicants' GPA show an upward trend, but mine is quite prominently downward because of those engineering classes. I genuinely found them intellectually stimulating and tried to recreate a "vet school is hard" curriculum.

I want to specialize in Lab Animal Medicine. I am international, meaning OOS for every school. The schools that I am considering are Cornell, UCD, Ohio, Colorado, UW Madison, Iowa OR Kansas, U of Georgia, Tufts, Long Island, and Mississippi. Mainly unsure if Davis is out of my league and if my GREs can compensate for my lower-than-average GPA 🤔

Cumulative GPA: 3.75
Req'd science GPA: 3.71~3.97, depending on the school
Last 30/45: 3.67/3.75

Degrees:
BA in Biochemistry with a minor in mathematical sciences
In-progress MS in Biomedical engineering in Spring 2023

GRE results: Q/V/W
164/159/5 (81/78/91 percentile)

Veterinary Experience: 250 hours
- 110 hrs were at the lab animal facilities at my university, where the veterinarians performed surgeries, small procedures, and rounds on aquatics, amphibians, rodents, pigs, and non-human primates.
- 140 hrs from a specialty cat clinic. I worked with cats and interacted with the clients and referral veterinarians.

Animal Experience: 900 hours
- Most are from the lab animal and the cat hours, specifically when I'm handling and feeding the animals without the vets being there.
- 45 hrs from volunteering with horses at a non-profit riding school.
- 20 hrs from volunteering with reptiles and amphibians at a local children's museum.

Research Experience: 1350 hours across 4 yrs of undergrad
- 900 hrs from my current biomedical engineering research lab. I assist the rodent surgeries.
- 450 hrs from a computational chemistry lab in the past.

Awards/scholarships:
Medical Interpreter (Mandarin-English)
Honors List 6/8 semesters
University awards for research excellence, campus leadership, and a poetry competition
None outside of the university (there are only two available to international students that I know of)

Extracurriculars: across 4 yrs of undergrad
- 420 hrs teaching American Sign Language, leading Deaf advocacy workshops, and mentoring Deaf students
- 715 hrs dancing with the university ballet ensemble

Non-animal Employment: across 4 yrs of undergrad
- 160 hrs of peer tutoring
- 280 hrs teaching English as a Second Language

**Related Q: has anyone disclosed a disability in their application and was accepted?**
EDIT** GRE Score update (prev 166/156/NA (84/72/NA in percentiles))
EDIT #2** GRE Writing score + percentile update

 

[honeypot999]

You know that you're lacking in the veterinary experience areas which is not great when applying to vet school. I worry that regardless of your great gpa and other experiences that vet schools will believe you don't understand the career fully. I think you're a great applicant but you need those hours to make it to the top of the pile.

 

[=w=]

Although you are short on vet experience, you have a lot of research experience! I know some schools put research(with PhD or MD or DVM) under vet experience such as NCSU!