What are my chances c/o 2027

[aspiringvet2027]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Cumulative GPA: 3.73
science GPA: Have not calculated, somewhere between 3.65-3.8
last 45: Not calculated

Any degrees achieved
- will have a BS in Biochem.

GRE results: Not taking

Veterinary Experience:
- Purdue Vet Research Scholars program: 500 hours doing research in vet clinical pathologist lab, expected to get a publication before application
- small animal shadowing: 40 hours
- clinical pathologist shadowing: 10 hours

Animal Experience:
- Equine volunteer: 20 hours
- Humane society volunteer: 10 hours
- Cattle: 100 hours

Research Experience:
- 100 hours in structural biology lab
- Lab noted above: 500 hours

Awards/scholarships:
- Agriculture scholarship from college institution

Extracurriculars:
- Executive board of a fraternity
- Executive board of a research club
- pre vet society

Employment:
- Factory worker for 2 years assembling agriculture equipment for livestock
- Tutor off and on

Letters of Rec:
- Assistant Professor of clinical pathology at Purdue Vet school
- Distinguished professor of biology who I did research with
- Veterinarian I shadow whom I am very close with
- Professor of biochem who taught me in class and is very familiar with me

Concerns/Comments:
I am a white male applying for the first time for 2027, and I am an Indiana resident. My primary concerns are lack of vet experience and animal hours. I will hopefully have a job at a vet clinic for summer of 2022 before I apply in September, if not I will continue research in the veterinary research lab I am currently in. Also, while my GPA is fine, I did get a C+ in physics, the only pre-req class I did poor in. What are my chances for Purdue (IS), especially considering I did their Vet Scholars Summer Research Program as a junior. Also, what do ya'll think my chances are for out of state schools such as UPenn, Ohio State, Cornell, Wisconsin, and Georgia? I appreciate any suggestions.

Thank you!

 

[JaynaAli]

The lack of vet hours is the glaring issue imo. I’m a clinical pathologist and while experience in a path lab is neat and a publication is nice, you need more vet experience. If you’re doing research in the path lab, it’s probably going to get categorized as research experience, not vet experience, so your total vet experience hours are only 50 which is extremely extremely low compared to other applicants. Even if your goals are pathology/research, you need more vet experience because plans change and you need to make sure vet med is right for you should you not be able to go into pathology. If you do want to go into pathology/research, I’d encourage you to think and be able to speak in your personal statement and interviews about these goals and also why you need a DVM to accomplish those goals versus opportunities in human med as a physician, med tech, PhD candidate etc.

You say your vet you shadow is writing you a letter because you’re very close with them, but if that’s the case why have you only shadowed 40 hours? Im not saying that this person shouldn’t be a letter writer or that you can’t be close to someone in 40 hours, but can you shadow them more before you start a small animal position this summer? Can you find another opportunity with an ER or large animal some other facet of vet med to experience this summer (or better yet ASAP) as well? Your GPA is fine and no one will care about a single C+ in physics but I do think that your lack of vet experience hours will negatively affect your chances this cycle and that’s where I’d focus on your energy in the remaining months +/- into next cycle. I don’t think an acceptance is impossible, but when other applicants have thousands of hours it becomes an even more glaring gap.

 

[aspiringvet2027]

Hi, thank you for your response. I agree, a lack of vet hours is definitely a gap in my application. The veterinarian I shadow was my basketball coach also for four years, and I am best-friends with his son, which is how we know each-other so well. I have been in the process of trying to get a job this summer at a veterinarian office, it is just a work in progress. Thank you again!!

 

[Kaharian]

Hi, thank you for your response. I agree, a lack of vet hours is definitely a gap in my application. The veterinarian I shadow was my basketball coach also for four years, and I am best-friends with his son, which is how we know each-other so well. I have been in the process of trying to get a job this summer at a veterinarian office, it is just a work in progress. Thank you again!!

I agree with the other response, as impressive as your Purdue Vet Research is, it will likely get categorized as research. Leaving you with a major lack of vet experience and animal experience.

If you’re that close with the veterinarian, I would take advantage of that relationship and do waaaay more shadowing. Paid experience would be nice, but keep volunteering and shadowing as much as you possibly can in the meantime. I wouldn’t wait until you get hired somewhere to work on getting more hours. I’m not sure about the specific schools you listed, but I know some schools require hundreds of hours of animal experience or veterinary experience at minimum, and the average applicant has significantly more than that.

Your GPA is great and the experiences and LORs you do have are awesome. I think if you can just drastically bulk up your hours, you’ll have a very competitive application!

 

[aspiringvet2027]

Hi! Thanks for the tips, I definitely agree and plan on continuing shadowing until I hopefully get a job. Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate the support!