Hi everyone! I'm having a tough time deciding what experience I should go for this fall during my gap year. I had originally planned to fill it with internships but my current internship has changed my mind a little bit and now I'm conflicted.
I'm currently doing an internship that has turned out to be a bad experience for many reasons, and I have another one already planned for the fall that is a similar type of job (both in zoos). I've come to realize that I don't enjoy doing the general animal husbandry, cleaning/feeding 40 hrs/wk (for free) kind of work that these internships are, and I'm dying to get back in a clinic. I moved away from home for the internship and have been looking for vet assistant jobs in this area and found one that I really want to apply for that does small animal/exotics. Any exotics experience is hard to find where I'm from and I feel like I should jump on the opportunity, but I also don't know if it's a bad idea to give up the second internship if I were to get a job. The fall internship would be my 3rd zoo experience since I thought pursuing zoo med was what I wanted but current circumstances are changing my mind (along with reconsidering debt, time, etc. for that path). My application is also heavy on animal experience compared to vet experience, so I don't know if more time in a different clinic would be better than another zoo internship.
Let me know if you have any thoughts! My stats are below for reference 🙂
22 y/o female, Ohio resident, traditional first-time applicant, taking a gap year after graduation.
Applying to/ considering: Ohio, Iowa, Florida, NC State, Michigan, Mizzou, Mississippi
Cumulative GPA: 3.63
science GPA: 3.56
last 45: 3.84
Calculated with grades from 3 different schools, so hopefully this is pretty accurate
Any degrees achieved BS in Agriculture May 2021
GRE results: Q/V/W
not taking
Veterinary Experience:
(4) Zoo vet shadowing
(30) Equine handling class, for credit
(30) Food animal handling class, for credit
(8) Exotic vet shadowing
(43) Small animal/exotics gp shadowing
(60) Zoo/wildlife vet in South Africa
(1136) Small animal gp vet assistant
Animal Experience:
(400) Dog Daycare kennel assistant
(3500) Vet Clinic 1 kennel assistant
(225) Pachyderm intern
(70) Work at school’s food animal farm, for credit
(60) Zoo/exotic animal husbandry in South Africa
(487) Vet Clinic 2 kennel assistant
(164) Vet Clinic kennel as needed (also clinic where I am a vet assistant)
(17) Wildlife Center volunteer
(17) Equine Production class, for credit
(196) Calf Feeder at school’s dairy farm
(6) Dairy Production class, for credit
(20) Beef Production class, for credit
(640) Zookeeping Intern at AZA zoo (in progress)
Research Experience:
None 🙁
I have some “informal” research that I’ve done during my time as a zoo intern to help determine activity and habitat use of the animals in order to help improve their care.
Awards/scholarships:
Academic Scholarship based on grades and act score
Scholarship Competition Award
NTPA Scholarship
CFAES Scholarship
Dean’s List 5 semesters
BQA Certified
Extracurriculars:
Pre-vet Club (4 yrs)
Block & Bridle (2 yrs)
Student Government (1 yr)
Pet sitting (300 hrs?)
Mission Trip Volunteer (60 hrs)
South Africa Study abroad volunteer (80 hrs)
Sandwich making for the homeless (5hrs)
Reading (786 books since 2016)
Yoga
Employment:
No non-animal employment
I'm currently doing an internship that has turned out to be a bad experience for many reasons, and I have another one already planned for the fall that is a similar type of job (both in zoos). I've come to realize that I don't enjoy doing the general animal husbandry, cleaning/feeding 40 hrs/wk (for free) kind of work that these internships are, and I'm dying to get back in a clinic. I moved away from home for the internship and have been looking for vet assistant jobs in this area and found one that I really want to apply for that does small animal/exotics. Any exotics experience is hard to find where I'm from and I feel like I should jump on the opportunity, but I also don't know if it's a bad idea to give up the second internship if I were to get a job. The fall internship would be my 3rd zoo experience since I thought pursuing zoo med was what I wanted but current circumstances are changing my mind (along with reconsidering debt, time, etc. for that path). My application is also heavy on animal experience compared to vet experience, so I don't know if more time in a different clinic would be better than another zoo internship.
Let me know if you have any thoughts! My stats are below for reference 🙂
22 y/o female, Ohio resident, traditional first-time applicant, taking a gap year after graduation.
Applying to/ considering: Ohio, Iowa, Florida, NC State, Michigan, Mizzou, Mississippi
Cumulative GPA: 3.63
science GPA: 3.56
last 45: 3.84
Calculated with grades from 3 different schools, so hopefully this is pretty accurate
Any degrees achieved BS in Agriculture May 2021
GRE results: Q/V/W
not taking
Veterinary Experience:
(4) Zoo vet shadowing
(30) Equine handling class, for credit
(30) Food animal handling class, for credit
(8) Exotic vet shadowing
(43) Small animal/exotics gp shadowing
(60) Zoo/wildlife vet in South Africa
(1136) Small animal gp vet assistant
Animal Experience:
(400) Dog Daycare kennel assistant
(3500) Vet Clinic 1 kennel assistant
(225) Pachyderm intern
(70) Work at school’s food animal farm, for credit
(60) Zoo/exotic animal husbandry in South Africa
(487) Vet Clinic 2 kennel assistant
(164) Vet Clinic kennel as needed (also clinic where I am a vet assistant)
(17) Wildlife Center volunteer
(17) Equine Production class, for credit
(196) Calf Feeder at school’s dairy farm
(6) Dairy Production class, for credit
(20) Beef Production class, for credit
(640) Zookeeping Intern at AZA zoo (in progress)
Research Experience:
None 🙁
I have some “informal” research that I’ve done during my time as a zoo intern to help determine activity and habitat use of the animals in order to help improve their care.
Awards/scholarships:
Academic Scholarship based on grades and act score
Scholarship Competition Award
NTPA Scholarship
CFAES Scholarship
Dean’s List 5 semesters
BQA Certified
Extracurriculars:
Pre-vet Club (4 yrs)
Block & Bridle (2 yrs)
Student Government (1 yr)
Pet sitting (300 hrs?)
Mission Trip Volunteer (60 hrs)
South Africa Study abroad volunteer (80 hrs)
Sandwich making for the homeless (5hrs)
Reading (786 books since 2016)
Yoga
Employment:
No non-animal employment
