WAMC for NCSU, exotics hopeful

[drymarchon15]

So I'm a bit nontraditional in that I initially did not want to be a vet in undergrad, but started working in a vet dept right out of college and have really dove into it. Undergrad I was a biology BA major and environmental science minor at UNC-Chapel Hill. I work for the lab animal veterinary department at UNC and am a specialist with the amphibians, I primarily manage several labs with husbandry and medical care but do assist with other projects (mouse microbiome project, zebrafish projects). I have also done research (third author on a tadpole euthanasia paper) and once COVID is over, I intend to pick up a few more research projects (toad body condition scoring and a zebrafish pain study with apical heart resections). I founded an animal outreach organization for students when I was a freshman at UNC and founded a nonprofit exotic animal rescue and education organization when I was a junior. I am still co-director of that organization, we specialize in reptile rescue and have taken in over 100 animals in 2 years of activity. We work intensively with local vets and have 2 vets on our board, and do a lot of medical cases. Several of the NCSU vets know me from volunteering at their turtle facility, referrals with my nonprofit, and my work here at UNC.

Planning to apply in 2021, and only applying to NCSU so that I can stay and run my nonprofit. Had to take 8 more classes after graduation to fulfill my pre-reqs, I finished 2 in the spring of 2020 and will work on the rest during the next 1.5 years (while working full time!). Of the 8 extra classes, 1 was at UNC (comm), 1 is at NCSU (animal nutrition), and the rest are at a local community college. My goal is A's in all of them.

Schools I want to apply to&home state: NCSU only, I'm a NC resident

Degrees: BA in Biology

cGPA: currently 3.51
Science GPA: currently 3.11, but potential to get it up to 3.34 with the classes I still need to take. Did not do well in UNC science classes.
Last 45 GPA: currently 3.61

GRE: have not taken but I will

Vet Experiences:
4 hours shadowing a horse vet doing dentals and physicals
About 400 hours under direct vet supervision at my job--rounds, meetings, necropsies, treatments, diagnostics
-->(Amphibian and reptile specialist, with experience doing fecals, blood draws, ultrasound, radiographs, meds and injections in many species)
-->(I work there full time 40 hours a week, but most of the week is routine husbandry and unsupervised treatments)
About 20 hours at vet appts with rescue animals, our primary vet is on the board

Animal Experiences:
400 hours doing reptile/amphibian husbandry and education at campus organization I founded
40 hours doing turtle rehab at Turtle Rescue Team (run by NCSU's CVM)
100 hours in a wildlife education internship working with ambassador animals (small mammals, raptors, reptiles)
40 hours in a wildlife hospital (small mammals and birds mostly)
100 hours at a local wildlife center working with ambassador raptors--husbandry and education
600 hours at a local raptor center training native and exotic raptors and doing husbandry/education
800+ hours: working with my nonprofit, doing animal husbandry, medical treatments, education
-->(animal care is typically 10 hours a week at this point, we did programs 2-3 times a month until COVID, have been in existence about 2 years)

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List last semester of undergrad
Third author on a tadpole euthanasia paper--trying to do more research after COVID
Speaker at a lab animal conference in the fall
Will have my raptor permits and hopefully native rabies vector rehab permits when I apply (I intend to do some bat rehab)

Letters of recommendation:
Vet--one of the board vets who is also my supervisor and has worked extensively with me both at work and in the nonprofit
Vet--one of the board vets who is our primary exotics vet for rescues, thinks highly of our work!
Third--not sure yet, thinking my nonprofit co-director?


Questions
1. I've really specialized in herps/exotics, and don't really have any dog/cat/livestock experience. How important is it for me to get dog/cat experience shadowing? Unfortunately I just don't have a lot of time with the rescue so it would have to be really worth my while.
2. Will it be okay if my last 8 classes are mostly at a community college? I can't afford to pay for post-bacc classes at UNC, they're 2-3x as much.
3. Any advice specific to NCSU?

Thank you so much!

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[DVM2024]

Hi! I'm an incoming first year at NCSU I'll do my best to answer!

1. NC prizes experience in multiple arenas of vet med. You have lots of fantastic experience with exotics, which will definitely make you stand out. I'm not an expert, of course, and your unique background might make up for it. However, I would highly recommend getting some experience with both small and large domestic animals if at all possible. It doesn't have to be a ton of hours--quality over quantity--but I would be wary of applying to such an ag-focused school with no experience outside exotics.

2. It shouldn't matter! I know students and alumni who attended only community college or were accepted without a degree at all. They really don't care where you take your classes.

3. Your GPAs are hovering slightly below average for an IS applicant. NC looks at your cumulative, last 45, and prerequisite GPAs. I'm not sure how many prereqs you have left to take, but do your absolute best to get A's in all of them! That said, NC is a bit more forgiving to IS applicants than OOS in regards to GPA if you have an otherwise strong application. Several current students have told me NC if shifting more in favor of older, nontrad applicants (I'm a young, fairly cookie cutter applicant and was initially waitlisted), so I think you have a good shot! I also know they favor research experience, so your time in the laboratory will likely help you as well. Good luck and feel free to reach out!!!

 

[drymarchon15]

Hi! I'm an incoming first year at NCSU I'll do my best to answer!

1. NC prizes experience in multiple arenas of vet med. You have lots of fantastic experience with exotics, which will definitely make you stand out. I'm not an expert, of course, and your unique background might make up for it. However, I would highly recommend getting some experience with both small and large domestic animals if at all possible. It doesn't have to be a ton of hours--quality over quantity--but I would be wary of applying to such an ag-focused school with no experience outside exotics.

2. It shouldn't matter! I know students and alumni who attended only community college or were accepted without a degree at all. They really don't care where you take your classes.

3. Your GPAs are hovering slightly below average for an IS applicant. NC looks at your cumulative, last 45, and prerequisite GPAs. I'm not sure how many prereqs you have left to take, but do your absolute best to get A's in all of them! That said, NC is a bit more forgiving to IS applicants than OOS in regards to GPA if you have an otherwise strong application. Several current students have told me NC if shifting more in favor of older, nontrad applicants (I'm a young, fairly cookie cutter applicant and was initially waitlisted), so I think you have a good shot! I also know they favor research experience, so your time in the laboratory will likely help you as well. Good luck and feel free to reach out!!!

Thank you! I know a few vet students at NCSU right now, good luck with everything! I will definitely be trying to get A's in all of the rest of my classes to pull my GPA up, and I'll see if I can add on more livestock or domestic hours. Thanks!