Western University of Health Sciences Vet School current students please answer

[MDegos]

Hi all,

I heard bad things about Pomona. To be honest, I prefer cities safer than the one I live in now. How bad is crime?

There aren't many reviews on Western since it is so new and, from what have have seen, they have ether been really bad or really good. They, for the most part, do not specify which school, so I'm not sure what applies to the vet school. How are the teachers? I know most students had no problem passing boards this year.

Thanks. 😛

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[Savethewhales]

I cant comment on the curriculum yet since I havent started but as far as the area, I personally dont find it scary at all. But... I also grew up in LA and I own a house in an area more "scary" than pomona. I do know that there is a security guard that can walk you to your car whenever you feel the need. I think as far as the area being shady its kind of relative to what is normal for you. If you are used to a neighborhood where you dont lock your doors well then pomona will be scary but its not like compton or downtown la. I definitely feel safe walking around the area.

 

[Nissan]

Hi all,

I'm still deciding whether to apply to human med school or vet school.

Western's founding principles really seem to fit with mine. However, I have two major concerns: quality of teaching and safety.

I heard bad things about Pomona. I go to school in a college town that is relatively safe for cities. To be honest, I prefer cities safer than the one I live in now. How bad is crime? Have you fallen victim to it? I more concerned about getting mugged/assaulted then having my stuff stolen though any of the above is bad. I would carry California approved pepper spray with me at all times.

There aren't many reviews on Western since it is so new and, from what have have seen, they have ether been really bad or really good. They, for the most part, do not specify which school, so I'm not sure what applies to the vet school. How are the teachers? I know most students had no problem passing boards this year.

Thanks. 😛

The campus is very safe. They have security guards all the time willing to walk you to your car or through campus if you need them to, and the streets surrounding campus are generally very quiet (if you're concerned about living at the Helix or Met). You don't have to live in Pomona if you don't want to, and if you do, just lock your doors. It's not bad at all. While on campus, you won't have to worry about safety, and if you really don't want to live in Pomona, there are cities/towns less than 10 min. away that are much more affluent / less urban. Don't let Pomona's location deter you from applying to WesternU. I have classmates that commute 2 hours each way every day to go here, and I also have classmates that have lived in Pomona all their lives without incident.

You will get a broad range of professors at Western, both brilliant and some less so, but frankly, I feel as though any shortcomings any of them have are quickly overshadowed by the fact that it's PBL (you're teaching yourself anyway), and the other professors are so so so so accessible that you'll always have someone to turn to if you're completely lost. People who complain about PBL have either never even tried it, have tried it but were resistant to making it happen, or were too uncomfortable with changing their learning styles to succeed.

 

[MDegos]

Thanks so much! Western really sounds like an amazing place. 🙂

 

[Savethewhales]

I think ultimately only you can decide what works for you. One school that might feel amazing for one person, could be icky to another. Good luck. You mentioned med school vs vet school, do you have experience in both fields?

 

[MDegos]

I think ultimately only you can decide what works for you. One school that might feel amazing for one person, could be icky to another. Good luck. You mentioned med school vs vet school, do you have experience in both fields?

I have quite a bit of med experience and am shadowing a vet this summer. I shadowed one many years ago (so it doesn't really count). Prereqs are very similar, so it works out.

 

[jmo1012]

You're probably going to need a lot more vet experience than just shadowing this summer and a few years ago just as a heads up (especially if its just one discipline like small animal)

 

[Savethewhales]

I have quite a bit of med experience and am shadowing a vet this summer. I shadowed one many years ago. Prereqs are very similar, so it works out.

I agree with the previous post. I'm not sure about the exact statistic....maybe someone will correct me... I think the minimum number of hours required is something like 300hrs but the average number of hours that an accepted applicant has done in the field is somewhere between 1000-1500.

Also, depending on the school, some schools would like to see experience in multiple aspects of veterinary medicine even if you already know what "track" you want to pursue. The reason is, you have to study many species in school so more exposure to a variety of species will definitely help you. For example,I don't have a lot of large animal experience (about 90 hrs) but I definitely know more about the different diseases and problems that they have and I feel a lot more comfortable around larger animals than I did when I started.

And one more thing...again, I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure some schools require ELors from 1 or 2 veterinarians so it is definitely in your best interest to really get to know the ones you are working with so they can attest to your character and abilities.

Good luck!

There should be threads you can find on people that switched from pre-med to pre-vet and I would suggest looking through these. In your vet med interview they will really be looking to see that you are committed and passionate about the field.

 

[jmo1012]

I agree with the previous post. I'm not sure about the exact statistic....maybe someone will correct me... I think the minimum number of hours required is something like 300hrs but the average number of hours that an accepted applicant has done in the field is somewhere between 1000-1500.

Also, depending on the school, some schools would like to see experience in multiple aspects of veterinary medicine even if you already know what "track" you want to pursue. The reason is, you have to study many species in school so more exposure to a variety of species will definitely help you. For example,I don't have a lot of large animal experience (about 90 hrs) but I definitely know more about the different diseases and problems that they have and I feel a lot more comfortable around larger animals than I did when I started.

And one more thing...again, I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure some schools require ELors from 1 or 2 veterinarians so it is definitely in your best interest to really get to know the ones you are working with so they can attest to your character and abilities.

Good luck!

There should be threads you can find on people that switched from pre-med to pre-vet and I would suggest looking through these. In your vet med interview they will really be looking to see that you are committed and passionate about the feel.

Yup, totally agree with all of this. Every school I looked into last year required at least 1 eLOR from a vet (and I looked at well over a dozen).

Some schools set minimum reqs for # of vet experience hours, but almost all of the admitted students have thousands of hours. They want to know that you are flexible in working with species-after all, you're going to be licensed to work with them all-and flexible with your career path. They also want to know that you can work around the animals. you'll be working with them in school, they want to know that you aren't going to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous because you didnt know better. there are so many fields (research, SA private practive, SA specialty, LA private practice, LA specialty, zoo, aquatic, wildlife, shelter, the list goes on and on) so definitely try to pick at least a few!

 

[MDegos]

Thanks for the advice. I am aware of the stats. I just wanted to hear about Western from current students.

 

[Savethewhales]

if you have any more specific questions I would recommend sending a PM to some of the current students because they have been enormously helpful. if look through some previous threads you will probably find a few names

 

[Roshan3510]

Does anyone know any details about the Helix?
I wont be bringing a car for the first year, and it really seems like the best option for me at this point. Is the internet really that slow that people don't want to live there?
I am getting a bit hesitant now....any suggestions?

 

[libster06]

There aren't many reviews on Western since it is so new and, from what have have seen, they have ether been really bad or really good. They, for the most part, do not specify which school, so I'm not sure what applies to the vet school. How are the teachers? I know most students had no problem passing boards this year.

Have you considered actually visiting the school? If you're really indecisive about it, visiting could really help narrow it down and answer many more questions than SDN could, and also give you a different perspective than the ones from either satisfied or disgruntled students. Sometimes students views are very clouded by their personal experiences with the school/program/faculty and can't really give impartial thoughts about the school.

I would steer clear of emotional reviews, and just visit the place yourself. It would probably also help in your med school vs. vet school decision making. I don't know about Western, but LSU gives tours during the week if you call the admissions office or student affairs and set one up, and I am sure Western would be more than happy to show you around, if you are able to make a trip out there.

 

[neocia]

Sorry to bump up a "really old" thread, but I am having some qualms about Western as well. Not so much the location as I am from Chicago, but when I toured, they have a small animal hospital, but no large animals or exotics on campus. I am open to all fields of vet med right now (haven't really decided on a path although I am pretty interested in fisheries/marine med). Can any current Western students share their thoughts on having a limited pallet of animals to work with on campus? thanks!

 

[deleted498041]

We don't have a "limited pallet of animals to work with." We travel to Chino Valley Equine and Mt. Sac for our equine patients and we travel to Mt. Sac and Cal Poly as well as a Chino Hills dairy for our food animal patients. These places are less than 10 minutes from campus.
We do have exotics on campus. A couple months ago, we had two kangaroos come in to be neutered.

 

[AE373]

Yea, I agree with @Rwwilliams ... We definitely do *not* have a limited pallet. I haven't felt slighted in the least bit in my experiences. I've already been on multiple dairy farms doing rotations, physical exams, and pregnancy checks. Mt. Sac and Cal Poly have also been really great facilities to work with sheep and pigs, and they're only a short 10-15 min drive from campus. Not having large animals on campus isn't that unusual. If you look at other schools in cities, you will find you have to do a bit of driving to get to those facilities regardless. And you can't get much more exotic than kangaroos! 😉

 

[neocia]

Thanks to both of you for your input 🙂 Western looks like a great school.

 

[AE373]

Thanks to both of you for your input 🙂 Western looks like a great school.

Not a problem. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me anytime!

 

[rmh22]

I was wondering if any current students have some advice on where to live? I've been accepted to the 2020 class and am curious about what nearby cities other vet students live in, since Pomona doesn't seem like the best place to live.