WAMC? Updated since my last post a while ago

[jw1221]

Hi! I am a senior Biochem major (animal science/bio minors) at Mississippi State, and I am applying this cycle. I posted on this thread a while back and was told I shouldn't even think about applying, but I have improved my app since then! Let me know what yall think, all feedback is appreciated. Applying to Mississippi State (IS) and Mizzou (OOS)!

GPA: 3.6
Science GPA and Last 45 are around 3.6

Veterinary experience (this is where I'm most lacking)
Vet assistant intern at a specialty surgery center: 305 hours
GP Shadow: 40 hours
Veterinary dermatology shadow: 15 hours
Shelter Med shadow: 8 hours
Zoo vet shadow: 5 hours

Animal Experience
Intern at Memphis Zoo (sea lions, polar/grizzly/black bears, eagles, wolves, elk, various bird species) 460 hours (unpaid)
Pet sitting: 120 hours

Research:
230 hours in biochemistry/plant pathology research. I am in a scholars' research program that I had to interview to be accepted into. I also presented in the symposium and have the potential to be listed on the publication
Starting a new project that should get me this many hours or more this year. It's a biochemistry project regarding mice and diabetes

Extracurriculars:
Panhellenic sorority
Tennis in high school, on my sorority team, and recreationally
Undergraduate research scholars program
Mississippi State Vet Camp in high school

Awards:
Deans list
Academic scholarships
Leadership scholarship
Over the years I have gotten a lot of scholarships from the College of Agriculture and Life Science at MSU for academics and I listed all of those

Employment:
Waitressed at a country club for 2 summers

I have 3 LORS: 1 from my research mentor (phd), one from my boss at my zoo internship, and a joint letter from the two married DVMs that own the surgery center I interned at. I'm expecting that all of these will be strong letters

I also think I have a strong personal statement, but I'm not sure how much ad coms look at those.

I know I don't have thousands of hours... Do I have any chance at either of those schools?
Thanks so much!!!!!

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[honeypot999]

Mizzou you might have a chance at with gpa, but your veterinary experience hours are pretty low in terms of the average for applicants. So they might nix you on that, but every year is different.

Mississippi being IS will definitely help but same idea with the low veterinary hours. Everything else on your application is great. Plus a strong personal statement can push you over the edge on a lot of schools to get you that interview.

 

[supershorty]

Vet assistant intern at a specialty surgery center: 305 hours
GP Shadow: 40 hours
Veterinary dermatology shadow: 15 hours
Shelter Med shadow: 8 hours

Are these all small animal?

That's going to be a big hindrance, IMO, if you have low hours and they're low diversity on top of it. You need to see more of the industry. What are your plans for getting some equine or other large animal experience?

 

[jw1221]

Mizzou you might have a chance at with gpa, but your veterinary experience hours are pretty low in terms of the average for applicants. So they might nix you on that, but every year is different.

Mississippi being IS will definitely help but same idea with the low veterinary hours. Everything else on your application is great. Plus a strong personal statement can push you over the edge on a lot of schools to get you that interview.

Thanks for the feedback !!!

 

[jw1221]

Are these all small animal?

That's going to be a big hindrance, IMO, if you have low hours and they're low diversity on top of it. You need to see more of the industry. What are your plans for getting some equine or other large animal experience?

Yes they are, other than the zoo hours. Will it help me that I have a lot of hours in animal experience that are with zoo animals? & will it be taken into consideration that even though my vet hours are all small animal they are from different areas of small animal med?

I shadowed maybe 10 hours in food animal/therio but it ultimately wasn’t a good fit and I didn’t continue. I’ve tried reaching out to equine clinics but no luck- there are not many near me sadly

 

[jw1221]

Yes they are, other than the zoo hours. Will it help me that I have a lot of hours in animal experience that are with zoo animals? & will it be taken into consideration that even though my vet hours are all small animal they are from different areas of small animal med?

I shadowed maybe 10 hours in food animal/therio but it ultimately wasn’t a good fit and I didn’t continue. I’ve tried reaching out to equine clinics but no luck- there are not many near me sadly

And I do have around 20 hours of livestock experience from a class that I took sophomore year.

 

[MMLJT3]

Hello!
I think that you are lacking hours in the employment section. Is there any way you can get more experience there? Can you find a job at a veterinary clinic? Any other jobs that you can think about adding that you haven’t? I think you have a greater chance at Mississippi State as your IS. Mizzou is competitive for OOS applicants. That being said though, I have two friends ( one just graduated, and one going into her 3rd year at Mizzou) who both had almost zero veterinary hours and they both were OOS applicants. It really just depends on the program and what they are looking for that year. Best of luck to you!

 

[supershorty]

I think that you are lacking hours in the employment section. Is there any way you can get more experience there?

I can't speak for all programs, obviously, but this has never been a factor in any admissions decisions I have assisted with and is not something that is part of the evaluation process. I would be very surprised if it was elsewhere.

Employment can help give context to low experience hours, and can give you some info about someone's capacity to hold responsibility, but hours being evaluated in the way that veterinary experience hours are? No.

 

[jw1221]

Hello!
I think that you are lacking hours in the employment section. Is there any way you can get more experience there? Can you find a job at a veterinary clinic? Any other jobs that you can think about adding that you haven’t? I think you have a greater chance at Mississippi State as your IS. Mizzou is competitive for OOS applicants. That being said though, I have two friends ( one just graduated, and one going into her 3rd year at Mizzou) who both had almost zero veterinary hours and they both were OOS applicants. It really just depends on the program and what they are looking for that year. Best of luck to you!

Hi! I have had a job in college in the plant pathology lab, but I put that under research experience.

 

[jw1221]

I can't speak for all programs, obviously, but this has never been a factor in any admissions decisions I have assisted with and is not something that is part of the evaluation process. I would be very surprised if it was elsewhere.

Employment can help give context to low experience hours, and can give you some info about someone's capacity to hold responsibility, but hours being evaluated in the way that veterinary experience hours are? No.

I appreciate you saying this!! Thank you!