Hi everyone!
I am a junior in undergrad and I will be applying to vet school next cycle!
Below is my information, please let me know what you think! Thanks in advance
Cumulative GPA: 3.73
Science GPA: I have not calculated this as I know that each school calculates it differently. Do most schools just consider their science prerequisite courses for the science GPA or would courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Orientation to Animal Science, and Livestock Exhibition Techniques count towards my science GPA?
Veterinary Experience:
910 hours as a veterinary assistant at a small animal practice (paid employee)
- I had a variety of responsibilities in this role. I drew blood for heartworm tests and send-out laboratory tests, prepared and read a variety of tests (ear cytology, heartworm tests, fecal floats, urinalysis). I took radiographs as ordered by the veterinarian (abdominal/cervical/hindlimbs/forelimbs), assisted the veterinarians during exams, drew up and administered a variety of medications and vaccines, placed intravenous catheters prior to surgery, monitored during surgery, and extubated patients after surgery. I also observed a variety of procedures such as spays, neuters, mass removals, amputations, cesarean sections, and laceration repairs. I also cared for hospitalized patients, discharged surgery patients, and provided clients with post-operative instructions for their pet.
42 hours as a veterinary assistant at an AAHA accredited small animal practice (paid employee)
- This is a job that I work at while I am home from school and on breaks and I will continue to work here whenever I am home from college.
- I collect blood, fecal, and urine samples for send-out laboratory tests, type patient's SOAP notes, fill medications and preventions at the in-house pharmacy, place intravenous catheters prior to surgeries and dental cleanings, premedicate patients for surgery, intubate patients for surgery, set up surgical monitoring equipment (EKG, blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter) and monitor anesthesia during anesthesia. I also perform dental cleanings using the tartar removing forceps, ultrasonic scaler, and polisher.
10 hours as a veterinary assistant at a small animal and exotics pracitce (paid employee)
- I started this job this week, hence the low number of hours. I will be working 10-15 hours a week throughout the school year so hopefully I will have around 150 hours by the end of spring semester.
I had an awesome large animal/equine veterinary internship set up for this semester but unfortunately, it fell through due to COVID-19. The clinic manager and I agreed that I will return when the COVID-19 pandemic has died down, likely during the spring 2021 semester. I will also be trying to find an equine/large animal veterinary internship this summer to get my large animal veterinary hours up!
Animal Experience:
Equine: 3,000 hours
- Taking riding lessons, riding on Clemson's IHSA team for 2 years, teaching beginner riding lessons, showing horses, attending riding clinics
Canine: 400 hours
- I dog sat for many of my neighbors and family friends during high school and throughout college
Dairy Cow: 30 hours
- I pet sat for one of my friend's dairy cows for a week while she was on vacation. I fed them twice a day, refilled their water and fly sprayed them multiple times per day.
Introduction to Animal Science Lab (Undergraduate course): 20 hours
- I took this course during my freshman year in undergrad. I learned basic husbandry and care of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, swine, horses, and poultry. I performed basic tasks such as trimming sheep's hooves, ear tagging cattle, freeze branding cattle, body condition scoring cattle, and bathing pigs.
Livestock Exhibition Techniques - Swine (Undergraduate course): 45 hours
- This was a semester long course that I took during my freshman year. I was assigned a pig to care for throughout the semester and I went to the swine farm once a week to feed all of the pigs and clean their pens. Throughout the semester, I learned how to properly show a pig for a livestock show and at the end of the semester I had the opportunity to show her at my university's livestock show.
Domestic Bunny Rescue Volunteer: 58 hours
- I currently volunteer at a domestic rabbit rescue that takes in abandoned and abused domestic rabbits. I clean their cages, refill their food, hay, and water and trim their nails and brush them. I also manage the rescue's social media pages, coordinate adoptions, drive the rabbits to and from their surgeries, and perform many other tasks for the rescue.
Raccoon Rescue Volunteer: 18 hours
- I currently volunteer at a wildlife rescue where I work with the raccoons. I was required to be rabies vaccinated for this position and I bottle feed the baby raccoons, refill the raccoons food and water, and provide them with their medications. I also vaccinated all 100 raccoons against Distemper under the instruction of the rescue's veterinarian.
Research:
I am currently on a pseudoscience research team and I am researching veterinary pseudoscience and common pet care misconceptions. I compiled a list of about 30 true/false questions regarding basic pet care that I believe all owners should know. I had 2 veterinarians that I work for look over and sign off on my questions to ensure that they were all accurate and up to date medical information. I have put together two surveys, one for cat owners and one for dog owners and each contains true/false statements regarding veterinary care misconceptions. I will distribute these surveys to the public and once I receive a target number of responses, I will analyze the data to discover what misconceptions pet owners believe. I am very passionate about the client - veterinarian relationship and client education and the goal of this research project is to highlight some of the veterinary myths that pet owners believe. I will continue to work with the veterinarians on this research project and we will attempt to create more surveys in the future. My professor and I plan to have our findings published in a scientific journal and we hope to present our project at a conference in the spring.
Achievements and Awards:
South Carolina Life Scholarship Recipient
John C. Shelley Memorial Scholarship Recipient (Departmental Scholarship)
Albin S. Johnson Memorial Scholarship (Departmental Scholarship)
Dean's List (4/4 semesters)
Little North American Grand Champion
American Red Cross Adult CPR/AED Certified (through a course in undergrad)
American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Certified (through a course in undergrad)
Extracurricular:
FFA Secretary (high school)
FFA Vice President (high school)
IHSA Equestrian Team Competition Member: 550 hours
IHSA Equestrian Team Treasurer: 430 hours
Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Living Learning Community Member: 125 hours
Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Living Learning Community Mentor: 12 hours
Pre-Veterinary Club: 46 hours
Thank you for your advice
I am a junior in undergrad and I will be applying to vet school next cycle!
Below is my information, please let me know what you think! Thanks in advance
Cumulative GPA: 3.73
Science GPA: I have not calculated this as I know that each school calculates it differently. Do most schools just consider their science prerequisite courses for the science GPA or would courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Orientation to Animal Science, and Livestock Exhibition Techniques count towards my science GPA?
Veterinary Experience:
910 hours as a veterinary assistant at a small animal practice (paid employee)
- I had a variety of responsibilities in this role. I drew blood for heartworm tests and send-out laboratory tests, prepared and read a variety of tests (ear cytology, heartworm tests, fecal floats, urinalysis). I took radiographs as ordered by the veterinarian (abdominal/cervical/hindlimbs/forelimbs), assisted the veterinarians during exams, drew up and administered a variety of medications and vaccines, placed intravenous catheters prior to surgery, monitored during surgery, and extubated patients after surgery. I also observed a variety of procedures such as spays, neuters, mass removals, amputations, cesarean sections, and laceration repairs. I also cared for hospitalized patients, discharged surgery patients, and provided clients with post-operative instructions for their pet.
42 hours as a veterinary assistant at an AAHA accredited small animal practice (paid employee)
- This is a job that I work at while I am home from school and on breaks and I will continue to work here whenever I am home from college.
- I collect blood, fecal, and urine samples for send-out laboratory tests, type patient's SOAP notes, fill medications and preventions at the in-house pharmacy, place intravenous catheters prior to surgeries and dental cleanings, premedicate patients for surgery, intubate patients for surgery, set up surgical monitoring equipment (EKG, blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter) and monitor anesthesia during anesthesia. I also perform dental cleanings using the tartar removing forceps, ultrasonic scaler, and polisher.
10 hours as a veterinary assistant at a small animal and exotics pracitce (paid employee)
- I started this job this week, hence the low number of hours. I will be working 10-15 hours a week throughout the school year so hopefully I will have around 150 hours by the end of spring semester.
I had an awesome large animal/equine veterinary internship set up for this semester but unfortunately, it fell through due to COVID-19. The clinic manager and I agreed that I will return when the COVID-19 pandemic has died down, likely during the spring 2021 semester. I will also be trying to find an equine/large animal veterinary internship this summer to get my large animal veterinary hours up!
Animal Experience:
Equine: 3,000 hours
- Taking riding lessons, riding on Clemson's IHSA team for 2 years, teaching beginner riding lessons, showing horses, attending riding clinics
Canine: 400 hours
- I dog sat for many of my neighbors and family friends during high school and throughout college
Dairy Cow: 30 hours
- I pet sat for one of my friend's dairy cows for a week while she was on vacation. I fed them twice a day, refilled their water and fly sprayed them multiple times per day.
Introduction to Animal Science Lab (Undergraduate course): 20 hours
- I took this course during my freshman year in undergrad. I learned basic husbandry and care of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, swine, horses, and poultry. I performed basic tasks such as trimming sheep's hooves, ear tagging cattle, freeze branding cattle, body condition scoring cattle, and bathing pigs.
Livestock Exhibition Techniques - Swine (Undergraduate course): 45 hours
- This was a semester long course that I took during my freshman year. I was assigned a pig to care for throughout the semester and I went to the swine farm once a week to feed all of the pigs and clean their pens. Throughout the semester, I learned how to properly show a pig for a livestock show and at the end of the semester I had the opportunity to show her at my university's livestock show.
Domestic Bunny Rescue Volunteer: 58 hours
- I currently volunteer at a domestic rabbit rescue that takes in abandoned and abused domestic rabbits. I clean their cages, refill their food, hay, and water and trim their nails and brush them. I also manage the rescue's social media pages, coordinate adoptions, drive the rabbits to and from their surgeries, and perform many other tasks for the rescue.
Raccoon Rescue Volunteer: 18 hours
- I currently volunteer at a wildlife rescue where I work with the raccoons. I was required to be rabies vaccinated for this position and I bottle feed the baby raccoons, refill the raccoons food and water, and provide them with their medications. I also vaccinated all 100 raccoons against Distemper under the instruction of the rescue's veterinarian.
Research:
I am currently on a pseudoscience research team and I am researching veterinary pseudoscience and common pet care misconceptions. I compiled a list of about 30 true/false questions regarding basic pet care that I believe all owners should know. I had 2 veterinarians that I work for look over and sign off on my questions to ensure that they were all accurate and up to date medical information. I have put together two surveys, one for cat owners and one for dog owners and each contains true/false statements regarding veterinary care misconceptions. I will distribute these surveys to the public and once I receive a target number of responses, I will analyze the data to discover what misconceptions pet owners believe. I am very passionate about the client - veterinarian relationship and client education and the goal of this research project is to highlight some of the veterinary myths that pet owners believe. I will continue to work with the veterinarians on this research project and we will attempt to create more surveys in the future. My professor and I plan to have our findings published in a scientific journal and we hope to present our project at a conference in the spring.
Achievements and Awards:
South Carolina Life Scholarship Recipient
John C. Shelley Memorial Scholarship Recipient (Departmental Scholarship)
Albin S. Johnson Memorial Scholarship (Departmental Scholarship)
Dean's List (4/4 semesters)
Little North American Grand Champion
American Red Cross Adult CPR/AED Certified (through a course in undergrad)
American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Certified (through a course in undergrad)
Extracurricular:
FFA Secretary (high school)
FFA Vice President (high school)
IHSA Equestrian Team Competition Member: 550 hours
IHSA Equestrian Team Treasurer: 430 hours
Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Living Learning Community Member: 125 hours
Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences Living Learning Community Mentor: 12 hours
Pre-Veterinary Club: 46 hours
Thank you for your advice
