What are my chances?

[SkiOtter]

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Thank you for your advice! I am working at a small animal hospital, but I plan on doing some volunteer work with a wildlife rescue near the University I'm transferring to in the fall. There aren't many large animal vets where I live currently, but I will look around when I transfer. The Uni i'm going to for my bachelor's degree (Oregon State) also has a vet school that i'm going to apply for. Will they look at me more favorably if I'm already attending OSU?

Not sure, but you’ll definitely have a leg up being a resident of the state since there’s separate in state and out of state student pools!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Thank you for your advice! I am working at a small animal hospital, but I plan on doing some volunteer work with a wildlife rescue near the University I'm transferring to in the fall. There aren't many large animal vets where I live currently, but I will look around when I transfer. The Uni i'm going to for my bachelor's degree (Oregon State) also has a vet school that i'm going to apply for. Will they look at me more favorably if I'm already attending OSU?

OSU doesn't favorably or unfavorably look at OSU undergrad students. I've asked them this question because I didn't go there and didn't want to be at a disadvantage. A big percentage of students do go to OSU for undergrad just because of the type of students they attract, IMO.

However, OSU really looks at GPA in their admissions process. A good GPA is very important.

 

[max_wildlife]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at VA-MD, Tufts, Michigan, maybe Guelph, maybe Ross, maybe Cornell (it's my in-state, I know my odds aren't great there) for 2020 cycle with admission of 2021.

I applied pre-maturely while I was working on my Master's and wildlife bio certificates. I crammed pre-vet in as well and did fairly okay all things considered -- but now I have a 3.4 GPA. Tufts contacted me to ask me about pre-reqs (still need a few) but was so burned out from doing my thesis and bio certificate at the same, and working, I didn't update my transcript. I realized I needed to pace myself. I can absolutely handle the work, but trying to do three degree programs at once was not fair to myself.

I've been working as a wildlife tech in different capacities for the past 6 years and want to specialize in wildlife/conservation medicine, so probably around ~3000 hours of experience. I'm also doing Lyme disease research this summer, and getting my tech license as well so that I can save up some cash before going to school again. So I'm also interested in DVM/PhD programs, and also considering just doing a PhD in zoonotic disease; so that field experience will be really important. I will likely apply to a variety of programs in that year.

Here's what I'm working with
GPA: 3.4
GRE: Not great. 80th percentile in writing, but 70th for verbal and 35th for math. I've taken it multiple times and struggle with the math portion, even though I do math on a regular basis (quantitative population biology). I know I could qualify for extra time in the math section, but it's expensive and I'm not sure I want to jump into taking it again when there are schools phasing it out.

Completed Pre-reqs: Physiology, genetics, ornithology, statistics, humanities, English, social sciences, chem I & II, physics I.
Questionable Pre-reqs: Biology I & lab, ironically. I was an undergrad thinking I'd do theatre technology, blew it off and got a C. Could retake if looks sketchy. Applied wildlife; not sure if that actually counts for anything, but we learn some pretty advanced stuff. I have a botany course -- plant ecology -- and I saw VA-MD accepts botany courses as well.
Not Completed: Orgo I lecture (lab is completed and got a B+. Withdrew from lecture during my burnout this past. Worried that 'W' will haunt me but a retake should help). Orgo II if needed. Physics II if needed. I also want to take microbiology for the sake of it. Algebra?

Questions:
Is it okay to use UNE courses for so many that are uncompleted? I'll be working full-time over the next few years.
Has anyone used zoology courses instead of Bio I & II? Because I feel weird without that Bio II in my sequence, even though some schools have said it's no problem

Does this seem like an okay start? I also have ~400 hours in small animal practice, ~200 exotics, maybe like ~10-~20 in barn, wrangling chickens and helping with goats and horses.

Does research have to be biomed? I'm way more disease ecology. I'd love to count my work with Lyme and my thesis -- could I list thesis research as number of thesis credits taken?

Does my wildlife experience only count as medical the times that I was working directly with my vet mentor? Or does being a supervisor in a clinic also count?

 

[Mattcj]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at VA-MD, Tufts, Michigan, maybe Guelph, maybe Ross, maybe Cornell (it's my in-state, I know my odds aren't great there) for 2020 cycle with admission of 2021.

I applied pre-maturely while I was working on my Master's and wildlife bio certificates. I crammed pre-vet in as well and did fairly okay all things considered -- but now I have a 3.4 GPA. Tufts contacted me to ask me about pre-reqs (still need a few) but was so burned out from doing my thesis and bio certificate at the same, and working, I didn't update my transcript. I realized I needed to pace myself. I can absolutely handle the work, but trying to do three degree programs at once was not fair to myself.

I've been working as a wildlife tech in different capacities for the past 6 years and want to specialize in wildlife/conservation medicine, so probably around ~3000 hours of experience. I'm also doing Lyme disease research this summer, and getting my tech license as well so that I can save up some cash before going to school again. So I'm also interested in DVM/PhD programs, and also considering just doing a PhD in zoonotic disease; so that field experience will be really important. I will likely apply to a variety of programs in that year.

Here's what I'm working with
GPA: 3.4
GRE: Not great. 80th percentile in writing, but 70th for verbal and 35th for math. I've taken it multiple times and struggle with the math portion, even though I do math on a regular basis (quantitative population biology). I know I could qualify for extra time in the math section, but it's expensive and I'm not sure I want to jump into taking it again when there are schools phasing it out.

Completed Pre-reqs: Physiology, genetics, ornithology, statistics, humanities, English, social sciences, chem I & II, physics I.
Questionable Pre-reqs: Biology I & lab, ironically. I was an undergrad thinking I'd do theatre technology, blew it off and got a C. Could retake if looks sketchy. Applied wildlife; not sure if that actually counts for anything, but we learn some pretty advanced stuff. I have a botany course -- plant ecology -- and I saw VA-MD accepts botany courses as well.
Not Completed: Orgo I lecture (lab is completed and got a B+. Withdrew from lecture during my burnout this past. Worried that 'W' will haunt me but a retake should help). Orgo II if needed. Physics II if needed. I also want to take microbiology for the sake of it. Algebra?

Questions:
Is it okay to use UNE courses for so many that are uncompleted? I'll be working full-time over the next few years.
Has anyone used zoology courses instead of Bio I & II? Because I feel weird without that Bio II in my sequence, even though some schools have said it's no problem

Does this seem like an okay start? I also have ~400 hours in small animal practice, ~200 exotics, maybe like ~10-~20 in barn, wrangling chickens and helping with goats and horses.

Does research have to be biomed? I'm way more disease ecology. I'd love to count my work with Lyme and my thesis -- could I list thesis research as number of thesis credits taken?

Does my wildlife experience only count as medical the times that I was working directly with my vet mentor? Or does being a supervisor in a clinic also count?

Not gonna lie, just reading all the things you're doing made me tired. I don't know how you do it. I don't think you can sub in zoology in place of bio (for some schools), but I would just take bio for the easy A's. Don't worry about the W haunting you because I have 2 W's and a D- and still got into vet school. Your GPA is higher than mine, so I think you'll be okay, but definitely work on bringing it up higher if you are going to apply to Tufts and/or Cornell. If you are worried about the GRE than you should apply to VMCVM, MSU, and/or MWU as they all don't really look at the GRE at all. Your hours seem pretty decent; schools really like diversity in experience. I would keep working on diversity, but then have one field (small animal or exotic or large, etc.) with a lot more hours to show them you are well-rounded in experience, but have something in particular you are good at. MWU stated they want everyone who applies to have in-depth experience in at least one field. Research of any kind is looked highly upon so definitely list it in your applications, esp. if you are trying to go for a PhD of any kind in vet school. There aren't many students that got into the dual degree program at VMRCVM. Hope some of this helps...I know I ramble sometimes 🙂

 

[Mattcj]

al

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at VA-MD, Tufts, Michigan, maybe Guelph, maybe Ross, maybe Cornell (it's my in-state, I know my odds aren't great there) for 2020 cycle with admission of 2021.

I applied pre-maturely while I was working on my Master's and wildlife bio certificates. I crammed pre-vet in as well and did fairly okay all things considered -- but now I have a 3.4 GPA. Tufts contacted me to ask me about pre-reqs (still need a few) but was so burned out from doing my thesis and bio certificate at the same, and working, I didn't update my transcript. I realized I needed to pace myself. I can absolutely handle the work, but trying to do three degree programs at once was not fair to myself.

I've been working as a wildlife tech in different capacities for the past 6 years and want to specialize in wildlife/conservation medicine, so probably around ~3000 hours of experience. I'm also doing Lyme disease research this summer, and getting my tech license as well so that I can save up some cash before going to school again. So I'm also interested in DVM/PhD programs, and also considering just doing a PhD in zoonotic disease; so that field experience will be really important. I will likely apply to a variety of programs in that year.

Here's what I'm working with
GPA: 3.4
GRE: Not great. 80th percentile in writing, but 70th for verbal and 35th for math. I've taken it multiple times and struggle with the math portion, even though I do math on a regular basis (quantitative population biology). I know I could qualify for extra time in the math section, but it's expensive and I'm not sure I want to jump into taking it again when there are schools phasing it out.

Completed Pre-reqs: Physiology, genetics, ornithology, statistics, humanities, English, social sciences, chem I & II, physics I.
Questionable Pre-reqs: Biology I & lab, ironically. I was an undergrad thinking I'd do theatre technology, blew it off and got a C. Could retake if looks sketchy. Applied wildlife; not sure if that actually counts for anything, but we learn some pretty advanced stuff. I have a botany course -- plant ecology -- and I saw VA-MD accepts botany courses as well.
Not Completed: Orgo I lecture (lab is completed and got a B+. Withdrew from lecture during my burnout this past. Worried that 'W' will haunt me but a retake should help). Orgo II if needed. Physics II if needed. I also want to take microbiology for the sake of it. Algebra?

Questions:
Is it okay to use UNE courses for so many that are uncompleted? I'll be working full-time over the next few years.
Has anyone used zoology courses instead of Bio I & II? Because I feel weird without that Bio II in my sequence, even though some schools have said it's no problem

Does this seem like an okay start? I also have ~400 hours in small animal practice, ~200 exotics, maybe like ~10-~20 in barn, wrangling chickens and helping with goats and horses.

Does research have to be biomed? I'm way more disease ecology. I'd love to count my work with Lyme and my thesis -- could I list thesis research as number of thesis credits taken?

Does my wildlife experience only count as medical the times that I was working directly with my vet mentor? Or does being a supervisor in a clinic also count?

so forgot to mention that your experience only counts as veterinary experience if you are working directly for or under a veterinarian

 

[max_wildlife]

al

so forgot to mention that your experience only counts as veterinary experience if you are working directly for or under a veterinarian

It is, she's just not always there -- Don't know how that works. 95% of the time I'm there with her, the times she's not she's on-call. Though, over the last few years I was at the larger one and she was there only once or twice a week. so only the hours that I was like assisting her in surgery or other medical processes with her in person count?

 

[Mattcj]

It is, she's just not always there -- Don't know how that works. 95% of the time I'm there with her, the times she's not she's on-call. Though, over the last few years I was at the larger one and she was there only once or twice a week. so only the hours that I was like assisting her in surgery or other medical processes with her in person count?

That is correct

 

[cgr1818]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at VA-MD, Tufts, Michigan, maybe Guelph, maybe Ross, maybe Cornell (it's my in-state, I know my odds aren't great there) for 2020 cycle with admission of 2021.

I applied pre-maturely while I was working on my Master's and wildlife bio certificates. I crammed pre-vet in as well and did fairly okay all things considered -- but now I have a 3.4 GPA. Tufts contacted me to ask me about pre-reqs (still need a few) but was so burned out from doing my thesis and bio certificate at the same, and working, I didn't update my transcript. I realized I needed to pace myself. I can absolutely handle the work, but trying to do three degree programs at once was not fair to myself.

I've been working as a wildlife tech in different capacities for the past 6 years and want to specialize in wildlife/conservation medicine, so probably around ~3000 hours of experience. I'm also doing Lyme disease research this summer, and getting my tech license as well so that I can save up some cash before going to school again. So I'm also interested in DVM/PhD programs, and also considering just doing a PhD in zoonotic disease; so that field experience will be really important. I will likely apply to a variety of programs in that year.

Here's what I'm working with
GPA: 3.4
GRE: Not great. 80th percentile in writing, but 70th for verbal and 35th for math. I've taken it multiple times and struggle with the math portion, even though I do math on a regular basis (quantitative population biology). I know I could qualify for extra time in the math section, but it's expensive and I'm not sure I want to jump into taking it again when there are schools phasing it out.

Completed Pre-reqs: Physiology, genetics, ornithology, statistics, humanities, English, social sciences, chem I & II, physics I.
Questionable Pre-reqs: Biology I & lab, ironically. I was an undergrad thinking I'd do theatre technology, blew it off and got a C. Could retake if looks sketchy. Applied wildlife; not sure if that actually counts for anything, but we learn some pretty advanced stuff. I have a botany course -- plant ecology -- and I saw VA-MD accepts botany courses as well.
Not Completed: Orgo I lecture (lab is completed and got a B+. Withdrew from lecture during my burnout this past. Worried that 'W' will haunt me but a retake should help). Orgo II if needed. Physics II if needed. I also want to take microbiology for the sake of it. Algebra?

Questions:
Is it okay to use UNE courses for so many that are uncompleted? I'll be working full-time over the next few years.
Has anyone used zoology courses instead of Bio I & II? Because I feel weird without that Bio II in my sequence, even though some schools have said it's no problem

Does this seem like an okay start? I also have ~400 hours in small animal practice, ~200 exotics, maybe like ~10-~20 in barn, wrangling chickens and helping with goats and horses.

Does research have to be biomed? I'm way more disease ecology. I'd love to count my work with Lyme and my thesis -- could I list thesis research as number of thesis credits taken?

Does my wildlife experience only count as medical the times that I was working directly with my vet mentor? Or does being a supervisor in a clinic also count?

Some good advice above, but two more points:
- I was accepted at Tufts and waitlisted at Cornell with a 3.41, so that GPA can definitely be competitive based on the rest of your application.
- Tufts does not accept UNE's courses. If you are taking an online course, I would call each school you are thinking of applying to and specifically confirming that your pre-req will be accepted there. There should be several other online options besides UNE though.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

I live in south Florida so getting large animal experience, aside from equine, is difficult as there aren't really farms around here. There is a three day AI course being held in central Florida over the summer to learn about fertility, heat detection, semen handling, insemination techniques, herd synchronization, pregnancy palpation, etc. It's very hands-on. Do you think this would be sufficient large animal experience? Do you think It would be better to save the $200 cost of the course and make a few week-long trips up to northern Florida where there are more opportunities to shadow a veterinarian? Not sure if this would be the place to ask, but any input would be appreciated!

 

[cameronluna]

Hey everyone! I'll be applying this upcoming cycle and am looking for some feedback! I plan on applying to UPenn (IS), Cornell, VAMD, Tufts.

PA resident
Major: Biology
Minor: Chem
Graduating: May 2019

Cum GPA: 3.671
Science GPA: 3.652

I haven't crunched the numbers yet, but I'm in the ballpark of 1,000+ hours of veterinary experience. I have worked in private practice and shelter medicine as a veterinary assistant (very hands on) part-time for the past 3 years. The same goes for animal experience. I've volunteered/fostered through my local city animal shelter for about 3 years and estimate 1,000+ hours. I also have around 50 hours involved with Busch Gardens wildlife camps.

I have not taken the GRE yet. I plan on taking the GRE when my semester ends. I've been using Magoosh to study, however, standardized tests are not my strong suit :/

I do not have any research as of right now, but I landed a research internship this summer at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center and am very much looking forward to that experience!

If all goes as planned, my cum GPA should go up to a 3.7 again at the end of the semester and my science GPA will go up as well. I will be taking biochem and micro in the fall.

Lately I've been very concerned about two Ws and a C+ on my transcript. One of them was from my Junior year in High school when my current university offered a nursing class and clearly nursing was not for me. The second was from my first semester in college. I withdrew from general chemistry and received a c+ in a college math course. I've never received another W or C after that first semester, but I can't seem to stop worrying about it.

I just wanted to give a quick summary, so I'm sorry if I'm forgetting a lot!

 

[max_wildlife]

That is correct

okay that makes sense. thanks!

 

[max_wildlife]

Some good advice above, but two more points:
- I was accepted at Tufts and waitlisted at Cornell with a 3.41, so that GPA can definitely be competitive based on the rest of your application.
- Tufts does not accept UNE's courses. If you are taking an online course, I would call each school you are thinking of applying to and specifically confirming that your pre-req will be accepted there. There should be several other online options besides UNE though.

That is really good to know. Thank you.

 

[SkiOtter]

It is, she's just not always there -- Don't know how that works. 95% of the time I'm there with her, the times she's not she's on-call. Though, over the last few years I was at the larger one and she was there only once or twice a week. so only the hours that I was like assisting her in surgery or other medical processes with her in person count?

Here is how vmcas defines each type of experience and a fun little flow chart for how to determine what type of experience it is. In the first link they specifically say “experiences listed as Veterinary Experience should be different from those entered for Animal and Employment experiences,” which sounds like if you have something listed as vet experience, it can’t also be put under animal experience for doing the same tasks. So I would contact your in state and see if they would want you to split the hours where she’s not there out or just keep them all together since it’s all one experience, assuming the things you do when she’s NOT there you also do when she IS there.

 

[max_wildlife]

In the first link they specifically say “experiences listed as Veterinary Experience should be different from those entered for Animal and Employment experiences,” which sounds like if you have something listed as vet experience, it can’t also be put under animal experience for doing the same tasks. So I would contact your in state and see if they would want you to split the hours where she’s not there out or just keep them all together since it’s all one experience, assuming the things you do when she’s NOT there you also do when she IS there.

Awesome, thank you. And yes, I do. It's pretty constant. I will check.

 

[britzen]

Here is how vmcas defines each type of experience and a fun little flow chart for how to determine what type of experience it is. In the first link they specifically say “experiences listed as Veterinary Experience should be different from those entered for Animal and Employment experiences,” which sounds like if you have something listed as vet experience, it can’t also be put under animal experience for doing the same tasks. So I would contact your in state and see if they would want you to split the hours where she’s not there out or just keep them all together since it’s all one experience, assuming the things you do when she’s NOT there you also do when she IS there.

As long as the veterinarian is the supervisor for the work and the work is related to the animals' veterinary care, I would say it counts as veterinary. I did a lot of veterinary check up appointments as a volunteer for animals at a shelter (general exam, shots, microchipping, dispensing meds, updating records) - the veterinarian wasn't there during the appointments and often didn't even see the animals herself unless there was a problem, but it fell under her department so I counted it all as veterinary hours.

If you think only some of your hours count at a job, you can split the hours on the app. I worked at a shelter previously too (in addition to the volunteer work above). The vast majority of my hours were animal related only. However, I did separately list anything that I did under the supervision of the shelter veterinarian. For example, I went through training so that I could be certified to euthanize animals. All of that training and the final certification is done under the supervision of a veterinarian (for obvious reasons), so I counted those hours as veterinary on my app.

Definitely call and ask for clarification, but I don't think anybody reading your app will hold it against you if you list something as veterinary if it seems reasonable that you listed it that way. If they think it should be animal-related instead of veterinary, they'll probably just rate it that way in their final decision.

 

[SkiOtter]

As long as the veterinarian is the supervisor for the work and the work is related to the animals' veterinary care, I would say it counts as veterinary. I did a lot of veterinary check up appointments as a volunteer for animals at a shelter (general exam, shots, microchipping, dispensing meds, updating records) - the veterinarian wasn't there during the appointments and often didn't even see the animals herself unless there was a problem, but it fell under her department so I counted it all as veterinary hours.

If you think only some of your hours count at a job, you can split the hours on the app. I worked at a shelter previously too (in addition to the volunteer work above). The vast majority of my hours were animal related only. However, I did separately list anything that I did under the supervision of the shelter veterinarian. For example, I went through training so that I could be certified to euthanize animals. All of that training and the final certification is done under the supervision of a veterinarian (for obvious reasons), so I counted those hours as veterinary on my app.

Definitely call and ask for clarification, but I don't think anybody reading your app will hold it against you if you list something as veterinary if it seems reasonable that you listed it that way. If they think it should be animal-related instead of veterinary, they'll probably just rate it that way in their final decision.

Yeah, I agree that it should count as vet too, but figured OP should call their IS and get their opinion to be safe

 

[dract]

Hey everyone! I'll be applying this upcoming cycle and am looking for some feedback! I plan on applying to UPenn (IS), Cornell, VAMD, Tufts.

PA resident
Major: Biology
Minor: Chem
Graduating: May 2019

Cum GPA: 3.671
Science GPA: 3.652

I haven't crunched the numbers yet, but I'm in the ballpark of 1,000+ hours of veterinary experience. I have worked in private practice and shelter medicine as a veterinary assistant (very hands on) part-time for the past 3 years. The same goes for animal experience. I've volunteered/fostered through my local city animal shelter for about 3 years and estimate 1,000+ hours. I also have around 50 hours involved with Busch Gardens wildlife camps.

I have not taken the GRE yet. I plan on taking the GRE when my semester ends. I've been using Magoosh to study, however, standardized tests are not my strong suit :/

I do not have any research as of right now, but I landed a research internship this summer at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center and am very much looking forward to that experience!

If all goes as planned, my cum GPA should go up to a 3.7 again at the end of the semester and my science GPA will go up as well. I will be taking biochem and micro in the fall.

Lately I've been very concerned about two Ws and a C+ on my transcript. One of them was from my Junior year in High school when my current university offered a nursing class and clearly nursing was not for me. The second was from my first semester in college. I withdrew from general chemistry and received a c+ in a college math course. I've never received another W or C after that first semester, but I can't seem to stop worrying about it.

I just wanted to give a quick summary, so I'm sorry if I'm forgetting a lot!

Your stats are pretty similar to mine and I got into my IS first try.

Don’t worry too much about the 2 Ws and a C. I think it’s better than having say, two D’s and a C... I had a D and a C+ and still got in. Especially since the C was presumably not a pre req, they will not care. If you’re really worried about it, you could retake it but IMO that would be wasting time/money at this point since your GPA is good/retaking would not improve it much and a grade above a C is likely not required in that class anyways.

Your experience is good, but I would recommend trying to get some equine or large animal experience to diversify a little because it looks like your only experience is SA. Your research opportunity sounds great as well. Focus on finding meaningful experiences that you can write about for your application essays. Also- don’t forget about non-vet related extracurriculars, clubs, etc. I feel strongly that having a very well-rounded
application along with lots of vet and animal experience really helped me out with interview questions and standing out from other applicants.

 

[binxbot]

I'm 23 and have my Bachelors in Biology with an emphasis in marine biology. I don't remember my GRE scores exactly but combined they are 295 for the quantitative and qualitative portions. I'm not sure what schools I would like to apply to yet, just trying to get a feel for how I might stand. Not feeling as confident in my total experiences as I probably should. Considering going back to get my Masters also. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cumulative GPA: 3.34
Last 3 GPA: 3.30

Veterinary Experience:

Shadowed at a mixed animal practice: ~1400hrs

Shadowed at an emergency clinic: ~40hrs

Shadowed at a mixed exotic practice: ~100hrs

Animal Experience:

Kennel attendant: ~250hr

Pet ownership: raised beef cattle

Petsitting: ~100hrs

Animal caretaker for sugargliders and flying squirrels for schools bio dpt: ~200hrs


Research Experience

Histologically preparing and fixing reproductive organs of salamanders onto slides to better evaluate and understand their functions. ~110hrs

Placing geo tags and drawing blood samples from elasmobranchs in the Gulf to better evaluate movement patterns and the effects of stress due to handling. ~60hrs

Sequencing of the SGLT1 gene in a Bonnethead Shark.~80hrs

Other Work Experience

Vet Assistant: ~1000hrs

Animal Caretaker: 100hrs

Student Worker in the Biology Department: ~250hrs

Laboratory Technician: ~1000hrs (ongoing)


Extracurricular Activities:

Alpha Chi Sigma: Secretary 2yrs, Outreach leader 1yr, Member 3.5yrs
-Science community outreach: ~800hrs

Pre-vet club: Member 3yrs

Centenary College Group: Member 4yrs
-Helped lead youth knit/crochet night

 

[JustPaws]

I'm 23 and have my Bachelors in Biology with an emphasis in marine biology. I don't remember my GRE scores exactly but combined they are 295 for the quantitative and qualitative portions. I'm not sure what schools I would like to apply to yet, just trying to get a feel for how I might stand. Not feeling as confident in my total experiences as I probably should. Considering going back to get my Masters also. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cumulative GPA: 3.34
Last 3 GPA: 3.30

Veterinary Experience:

Shadowed at a mixed animal practice: ~1400hrs

Shadowed at an emergency clinic: ~40hrs

Shadowed at a mixed exotic practice: ~100hrs

Animal Experience:

Kennel attendant: ~250hr

Pet ownership: raised beef cattle

Petsitting: ~100hrs

Animal caretaker for sugargliders and flying squirrels for schools bio dpt: ~200hrs


Research Experience

Histologically preparing and fixing reproductive organs of salamanders onto slides to better evaluate and understand their functions. ~110hrs

Placing geo tags and drawing blood samples from elasmobranchs in the Gulf to better evaluate movement patterns and the effects of stress due to handling. ~60hrs

Sequencing of the SGLT1 gene in a Bonnethead Shark.~80hrs

Other Work Experience

Vet Assistant: ~1000hrs

Animal Caretaker: 100hrs

Student Worker in the Biology Department: ~250hrs

Laboratory Technician: ~1000hrs (ongoing)


Extracurricular Activities:

Alpha Chi Sigma: Secretary 2yrs, Outreach leader 1yr, Member 3.5yrs
-Science community outreach: ~800hrs

Pre-vet club: Member 3yrs

Centenary College Group: Member 4yrs
-Helped lead youth knit/crochet night

Why is your vet assistant experience listed under other employment? Didn't a vet work there?

 

[binxbot]

Why is your vet assistant experience listed under other employment? Didn't a vet work there?

One did but there was also a lot of time where he wasn't there and it was me and the techs doing other work; answering phone calls, talking to clients and selling flea and heartworm prevention, refilling prescriptions, taking animals for boarding, etc. Because this was paid work and not necessarily vet work I listed it as work experience.

 

[Skimble]

One did but there was also a lot of time where he wasn't there and it was me and the techs doing other work; answering phone calls, talking to clients and selling flea and heartworm prevention, refilling prescriptions, taking animals for boarding, etc. Because this was paid work and not necessarily vet work I listed it as work experience.

I believe that should still be listed at vet experience.

 

[migc]

One did but there was also a lot of time where he wasn't there and it was me and the techs doing other work; answering phone calls, talking to clients and selling flea and heartworm prevention, refilling prescriptions, taking animals for boarding, etc. Because this was paid work and not necessarily vet work I listed it as work experience.

I had experience similar to this and I listed it under vet experience and had no issues. Vet experience can be volunteer or paid, it doesn’t matter!

 

[JustPaws]

One did but there was also a lot of time where he wasn't there and it was me and the techs doing other work; answering phone calls, talking to clients and selling flea and heartworm prevention, refilling prescriptions, taking animals for boarding, etc. Because this was paid work and not necessarily vet work I listed it as work experience.

I agree with skimble and migc above. Also your animal caretaker should likely be in animal experience? Cuz you worked with animals I assume

Think about the lab tech job as well, did it have animals? Was it supervised by a veterinarian? (Hard to say since it could be anything, human med, etc)

 

[binxbot]

I agree with skimble and migc above. Also your animal caretaker should likely be in animal experience? Cuz you worked with animals I assume

Think about the lab tech job as well, did it have animals? Was it supervised by a veterinarian? (Hard to say since it could be anything, human med, etc)

Ok. My lab tech job I am working as a med tech in a reference lab for many of the surrounding clinics and hospitals, so human med. I run tests on a large variety of samples that are brought it and give the results to our client service department to give to the doctors. I've considered that this could fall under research but there isn't really any research being conducted, just normal testing on specimens. (There is occasionally an animal specimen brought in but those are few and far between.)

 

[JustPaws]

Ok. My lab tech job I am working as a med tech in a reference lab for many of the surrounding clinics and hospitals, so human med. I run tests on a large variety of samples that are brought it and give the results to our client service department to give to the doctors. I've considered that this could fall under research but there isn't really any research being conducted, just normal testing on specimens. (There is occasionally an animal specimen brought in but those are few and far between.)

Well with your experiences rearranged a bit, it seems like you have a decent amount, 1000h mixed, 1000h vet assistant. Continue to bulk that up. You said your last 30(?) GPA is a 3.3, how are your science pre-reqs?

I don't know about GRE scores so someone else will have to chime in there, though several schools have dropped that requirement and several more are talking about dropping it for next cycle.

It's important to pick schools to apply to strategically. What is your in state?

You may opt to do a master's, just keep in mind that the debt load will get very big fast with that, vet school, and undergrad. I've definitely seen people with lower gpas get in this cycle.

 

[JustPaws]

I'm 23 and have my Bachelors in Biology with an emphasis in marine biology. I don't remember my GRE scores exactly but combined they are 295 for the quantitative and qualitative portions. I'm not sure what schools I would like to apply to yet, just trying to get a feel for how I might stand. Not feeling as confident in my total experiences as I probably should. Considering going back to get my Masters also. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cumulative GPA: 3.34
Last 3 GPA: 3.30

Veterinary Experience:

Shadowed at a mixed animal practice: ~1400hrs

Shadowed at an emergency clinic: ~40hrs

Shadowed at a mixed exotic practice: ~100hrs

Animal Experience:

Kennel attendant: ~250hr

Pet ownership: raised beef cattle

Petsitting: ~100hrs

Animal caretaker for sugargliders and flying squirrels for schools bio dpt: ~200hrs


Research Experience

Histologically preparing and fixing reproductive organs of salamanders onto slides to better evaluate and understand their functions. ~110hrs

Placing geo tags and drawing blood samples from elasmobranchs in the Gulf to better evaluate movement patterns and the effects of stress due to handling. ~60hrs

Sequencing of the SGLT1 gene in a Bonnethead Shark.~80hrs

Other Work Experience

Vet Assistant: ~1000hrs

Animal Caretaker: 100hrs

Student Worker in the Biology Department: ~250hrs

Laboratory Technician: ~1000hrs (ongoing)


Extracurricular Activities:

Alpha Chi Sigma: Secretary 2yrs, Outreach leader 1yr, Member 3.5yrs
-Science community outreach: ~800hrs

Pre-vet club: Member 3yrs

Centenary College Group: Member 4yrs
-Helped lead youth knit/crochet night

Here's a thread related to gre: Advice on low gre scores

 

[Carlslee]

Okay so previously I was pre-med, then pre-PA because I couldn't find any satisfaction or genuine joy/excitement in either of those fields. I had a revelation in the last two months and I've decided to pursue vet med. A little background:
BS with honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mississippi State (typically a 4 year program, I graduated in 3)
cGPA: 3.7
sGPA: 3.7
45GPA: 3.8
I've only shadowed about 8 hours at an equine clinic, but I intend on shadowing a TON after making calls on Monday.
I do have over 2000 hours in human medicine - employed hours
I have 103 hours volunteering with an equine therapy program and 20 hours at a humane society.
For the past 8 months, I've been working 3 days/week at a HJ barn in exchange for riding lessons. I grew up with animals (mom was a GSD breeder and I got my first dog at 5 y/o - she had diabetes and required twice daily insulin injections, all my responsibility).
I was involved in etymology and epidemiology research throughout undergrad and can ask that PI for a very strong rec letter for sure. Have several adult friends that are vets and am hoping to shadow a few of them and obtain a letter from one of them.
Obviously I am lacking in shadowing hours which, as soon as I make calls and arrangements, I will start catching up on Monday morning; but how would my app look?
I don't have any certs, but should I pass up this upcoming cycle (opening May 2018) and try to get a job as a noncertified vet tech or what would be the best route here?

*EDIT* I have not taken GRE just yet, and I would be applying to Mississippi State but would consider others, but def prefer to stay in MS.

*2nd EDIT* I also foster through an adoption agency and volunteer at their adoption events, probably have about 50 hours there.

TIA for suggestions! Please don't be rude though! I'm 22, married, and much more mature than my numerical age.

 

[SkiOtter]

Okay so previously I was pre-med, then pre-PA because I couldn't find any satisfaction or genuine joy/excitement in either of those fields. I had a revelation in the last two months and I've decided to pursue vet med. A little background:
BS with honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mississippi State (typically a 4 year program, I graduated in 3)
cGPA: 3.7
sGPA: 3.7
45GPA: 3.8
I've only shadowed about 8 hours at an equine clinic, but I intend on shadowing a TON after making calls on Monday.
I do have over 2000 hours in human medicine - employed hours
I have 103 hours volunteering with an equine therapy program and 20 hours at a humane society.
For the past 8 months, I've been working 3 days/week at a HJ barn in exchange for riding lessons. I grew up with animals (mom was a GSD breeder and I got my first dog at 5 y/o - she had diabetes and required twice daily insulin injections, all my responsibility).
I was involved in etymology and epidemiology research throughout undergrad and can ask that PI for a very strong rec letter for sure. Have several adult friends that are vets and am hoping to shadow a few of them and obtain a letter from one of them.
Obviously I am lacking in shadowing hours which, as soon as I make calls and arrangements, I will start catching up on Monday morning; but how would my app look?
I don't have any certs, but should I pass up this upcoming cycle (opening May 2018) and try to get a job as a noncertified vet tech or what would be the best route here?

*EDIT* I have not taken GRE just yet, and I would be applying to Mississippi State but would consider others, but def prefer to stay in MS.

*2nd EDIT* I also foster through an adoption agency and volunteer at their adoption events, probably have about 50 hours there.

TIA for suggestions! Please don't be rude though! I'm 22, married, and much more mature than my numerical age.

Definitely shadow a bunch before fully deciding if this is the field for you. If you shadow your friends, make sure they don’t hold anything back and give you a full picture of this field.
As for applying this cycle, that is something no one can fully tell you what to do about. On one hand, your GPA is strong and your vet experience could be strong by the end of the summer and would give you a fighting chance, but on the other hand, you should really make sure this is the field for you before dropping a decent amount of money on vet school apps. It may be possible for you to figure that out by the end of the summer, but it may not be. If you do want to still apply this cycle, you could lower the risk by only applying to your in state as more of a “trial” and if you get in, great, if you don’t, you’ll have a full year to ensure this is where you want to be before dropping way more money on applications.

Have you looked at the financial aspects of vet school? Including the average debt and the average income for new vets? If you haven’t, I would strongly recommend doing that because it is a huge financial commitment for not a huge financial payoff.

 

[deleted676737]

Okay so previously I was pre-med, then pre-PA because I couldn't find any satisfaction or genuine joy/excitement in either of those fields. I had a revelation in the last two months and I've decided to pursue vet med. A little background:
BS with honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mississippi State (typically a 4 year program, I graduated in 3)
cGPA: 3.7
sGPA: 3.7
45GPA: 3.8
I've only shadowed about 8 hours at an equine clinic, but I intend on shadowing a TON after making calls on Monday.
I do have over 2000 hours in human medicine - employed hours
I have 103 hours volunteering with an equine therapy program and 20 hours at a humane society.
For the past 8 months, I've been working 3 days/week at a HJ barn in exchange for riding lessons. I grew up with animals (mom was a GSD breeder and I got my first dog at 5 y/o - she had diabetes and required twice daily insulin injections, all my responsibility).
I was involved in etymology and epidemiology research throughout undergrad and can ask that PI for a very strong rec letter for sure. Have several adult friends that are vets and am hoping to shadow a few of them and obtain a letter from one of them.
Obviously I am lacking in shadowing hours which, as soon as I make calls and arrangements, I will start catching up on Monday morning; but how would my app look?
I don't have any certs, but should I pass up this upcoming cycle (opening May 2018) and try to get a job as a noncertified vet tech or what would be the best route here?

*EDIT* I have not taken GRE just yet, and I would be applying to Mississippi State but would consider others, but def prefer to stay in MS.

*2nd EDIT* I also foster through an adoption agency and volunteer at their adoption events, probably have about 50 hours there.

TIA for suggestions! Please don't be rude though! I'm 22, married, and much more mature than my numerical age.

GPAs are good, so there shouldn't be any issues there so long as you have all of the pre-reqs. A lot of schools are starting to ditch the GRE, apparently, but I'm not sure if Mississippi State is one of them. If so, then that's one less thing to worry about come application time if you decide to only apply there.

Regarding the veterinary hours, it seems that you know what you need to do. The benefit of having a higher end GPA is that you probably won't need the thousands of hours that, say, I did in order to stand a chance of getting in somewhere (I had a 3.2), but I agree with Ski. Try to get hours in several different species areas if you can, to show that you've branched out and have seen multiple facets of the profession. I'd also ask the vets good questions regarding their time in vet school, how much it cost them, what the day-to-day nitty gritty is like, and whether they'd do it over again. I think that it's good to have realistic expectations at the end of the day. Unfortunately, DVMs do not start anywhere near starting MD or PA salaries but on average have just as much---if not more---debt. If you do end up attending Mississippi State, your IS school, then your debt level should be fairly manageable compared to if you attend somewhere OOS, especially if you don't have any undergrad debt. But it's still a lot. Like Ski, I recommend that you search around both Pre-Vet and Vet forums for topics about the debt:salary ratio in vet med and how it's affected both vet students and vets. It's not a trivial issue.

This isn't to say that I don't think that you should go for it if you find that you enjoy the work; I simply advocate for going in with eyes wide open knowing what you might face. Even though I left vet school and vet med as a whole for good a while back, there's definitely some things I really miss about it, but ultimately it was probably the best decision for my mental and financial well-being to walk away and move on.

You could potentially apply this year. I would try to have at least several hundred hours of vet experience before submitting VMCAS, though. If you don't think that you can manage that, perhaps look into applying next year.

Edit: Unless you want to actually work long term as a vet tech, I can't recommend going for certification. You don't need to work as a tech to get into vet school (shadowing or volunteering is sufficient) and it's a waste of time and money if you know that your end-game goal is a DVM. By all means, if you find through shadowing that you feel more drawn towards the role of a tech and would prefer that as a career, then go for it. Otherwise, no, I don't think it is worth it.

 

[Carlslee]

Definitely shadow a bunch before fully deciding if this is the field for you. If you shadow your friends, make sure they don’t hold anything back and give you a full picture of this field.
As for applying this cycle, that is something no one can fully tell you what to do about. On one hand, your GPA is strong and your vet experience could be strong by the end of the summer and would give you a fighting chance, but on the other hand, you should really make sure this is the field for you before dropping a decent amount of money on vet school apps. It may be possible for you to figure that out by the end of the summer, but it may not be. If you do want to still apply this cycle, you could lower the risk by only applying to your in state as more of a “trial” and if you get in, great, if you don’t, you’ll have a full year to ensure this is where you want to be before dropping way more money on applications.

Have you looked at the financial aspects of vet school? Including the average debt and the average income for new vets? If you haven’t, I would strongly recommend doing that because it is a huge financial commitment for not a huge financial payoff.

Thanks! Finances, thankfully, are not an issue for me. I fully intend on shadowing/volunteering all of my spare time. I've just never felt such a drive to pursue a career. Don't get me wrong, I'm not your average college grad. I went straight into work and never looked back but I retained every bit of info I learned in Biochem. I thought I had "passion" for the human medical field but I've just never experienced the drive that I'm having now. I've considered this for about 2 months and every day since my husband asked "why do you wanna be a dr and not a vet if you are obsessed with animals?" I have woken up thinking about becoming a vet. Sounds childish I'm sure, but its the most genuine thing I've experienced in my 22 years of life. Thank you for your input! Greatly appreciated!

 

[Carlslee]

GPAs are good, so there shouldn't be any issues there so long as you have all of the pre-reqs. A lot of schools are starting to ditch the GRE, apparently, but I'm not sure if Mississippi State is one of them. If so, then that's one less thing to worry about come application time if you decide to only apply there.

Regarding the veterinary hours, it seems that you know what you need to do. The benefit of having a higher end GPA is that you probably won't need the thousands of hours that, say, I did in order to stand a chance of getting in somewhere (I had a 3.2), but I agree with Ski. Try to get hours in several different species areas if you can, to show that you've branched out and have seen multiple facets of the profession. I'd also ask the vets good questions regarding their time in vet school, how much it cost them, what the day-to-day nitty gritty is like, and whether they'd do it over again. I think that it's good to have realistic expectations at the end of the day. Unfortunately, DVMs do not start anywhere near starting MD or PA salaries but on average have just as much---if not more---debt. If you do end up attending Mississippi State, your IS school, then your debt level should be fairly manageable compared to if you attend somewhere OOS, especially if you don't have any undergrad debt. But it's still a lot. Like Ski, I recommend that you search around both Pre-Vet and Vet forums for topics about the debt:salary ratio in vet med and how it's affected both vet students and vets. It's not a trivial issue.

This isn't to say that I don't think that you should go for it if you find that you enjoy the work; I simply advocate for going in with eyes wide open knowing what you might face. Even though I left vet school and vet med as a whole for good a while back, there's definitely some things I really miss about it, but ultimately it was probably the best decision for my mental and financial well-being to walk away and move on.

You could potentially apply this year. I would try to have at least several hundred hours of vet experience before submitting VMCAS, though. If you don't think that you can manage that, perhaps look into applying next year.

Edit: Unless you want to actually work long term as a vet tech, I can't recommend going for certification. You don't need to work as a tech to get into vet school (shadowing or volunteering is sufficient) and it's a waste of time and money if you know that your end-game goal is a DVM. By all means, if you find through shadowing that you feel more drawn towards the role of a tech and would prefer that as a career, then go for it. Otherwise, no, I don't think it is worth it.

Thanks for your input and like I mentioned in my reply to Ski, finances aren't an issue for me, thankfully! I'm not a spoiled brat, because I've held a job since I was 16 years old through high school, college, and after, so I'm very grateful for my situation. My only question is how many would "several hundred" hours be, like 500, 900, 200? Obviously I want to get as many as I can but I don't want to submit my app at the last second. Also does it matter if I submit right when the cycle opens or in the summer? I didn't see anything about rolling admissions for MSU but I'm not sure if vet schools do that

 

[Georgethecat]

Thanks for your input and like I mentioned in my reply to Ski, finances aren't an issue for me, thankfully! I'm not a spoiled brat, because I've held a job since I was 16 years old through high school, college, and after, so I'm very grateful for my situation. My only question is how many would "several hundred" hours be, like 500, 900, 200? Obviously I want to get as many as I can but I don't want to submit my app at the last second. Also does it matter if I submit right when the cycle opens or in the summer? I didn't see anything about rolling admissions for MSU but I'm not sure if vet schools do that

While finances might not be an issue, you should consider the vast difference in cost between IS and OOS. The difference could easily be over $100k.
Entrance Requirements

Student Debt Center - VIN

Your gpa is a match for what Miss St lists on their web site and their average GRE score is listed at Verbal 153 Quant 152.

I didn’t see an average number of vet hours on their website and maybe someone from Miss St could chime in there? Your goal should be to demonstrate that you have a solid understanding of the profession and most schools like to see a variety of hours, i.e. small animal, large animal, exotic, emergency etc Each school is different but I’d guess that if you got 500 hours that would probably be enough for at least this application cycle.

Generally speaking the stateside vet schools do NOT do rolling admissions. The exceptions being the newer programs like Midwestern and LMU. If you search through the individual threads you can see the timelines for specific schools. It would be to your advantage to wait till closer to the VMCAS deadline to log as many vet hours as you can and to develop relationship skills with the vet/vets that you plan to ask for recommendations.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Rowan1020]

Thanks for your input and like I mentioned in my reply to Ski, finances aren't an issue for me, thankfully! I'm not a spoiled brat, because I've held a job since I was 16 years old through high school, college, and after, so I'm very grateful for my situation. My only question is how many would "several hundred" hours be, like 500, 900, 200? Obviously I want to get as many as I can but I don't want to submit my app at the last second. Also does it matter if I submit right when the cycle opens or in the summer? I didn't see anything about rolling admissions for MSU but I'm not sure if vet schools do that

My GPAs were very close to yours and I ended up applying with around 700 veterinary hours. They were all small animal too (oops, do not recommend this lol) but I definitely recommend diversifying your hours and getting in the mid/upper hundreds if you want to apply this cycle!

 

[SkiOtter]

Thanks! Finances, thankfully, are not an issue for me.

Even though finances are not an issue for you, I still would recommend going to the cheapest school you can so that you can limit the amount of money you or your family DOES have to pay and you are able to have more fun money to be able to do things like travel and whatnot.

Also does it matter if I submit right when the cycle opens or in the summer? I didn't see anything about rolling admissions for MSU but I'm not sure if vet schools do that

Vet schools don’t really do rolling admissions for most schools so there isn’t much of a benefit to applying super early. A lot of schools don’t look at apps until the deadline, so waiting to fully submit until a bit later in the cycle is only to your advantage because you’ll be able to rack up more experience hours and get to know vets better in a professional setting and they’ll be able to write better recommendations for you because they’ll see your interest in the field longer. I’m not wait until September 14th to submit (unless you really need to for hours and such), but you could wait until the middle or end of August and be completely fine.

 

[Amanasoul]

Okay so previously I was pre-med, then pre-PA because I couldn't find any satisfaction or genuine joy/excitement in either of those fields. I had a revelation in the last two months and I've decided to pursue vet med. A little background:
BS with honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mississippi State (typically a 4 year program, I graduated in 3)
cGPA: 3.7
sGPA: 3.7
45GPA: 3.8
I've only shadowed about 8 hours at an equine clinic, but I intend on shadowing a TON after making calls on Monday.
I do have over 2000 hours in human medicine - employed hours
I have 103 hours volunteering with an equine therapy program and 20 hours at a humane society.
For the past 8 months, I've been working 3 days/week at a HJ barn in exchange for riding lessons. I grew up with animals (mom was a GSD breeder and I got my first dog at 5 y/o - she had diabetes and required twice daily insulin injections, all my responsibility).
I was involved in etymology and epidemiology research throughout undergrad and can ask that PI for a very strong rec letter for sure. Have several adult friends that are vets and am hoping to shadow a few of them and obtain a letter from one of them.
Obviously I am lacking in shadowing hours which, as soon as I make calls and arrangements, I will start catching up on Monday morning; but how would my app look?
I don't have any certs, but should I pass up this upcoming cycle (opening May 2018) and try to get a job as a noncertified vet tech or what would be the best route here?

*EDIT* I have not taken GRE just yet, and I would be applying to Mississippi State but would consider others, but def prefer to stay in MS.

*2nd EDIT* I also foster through an adoption agency and volunteer at their adoption events, probably have about 50 hours there.

TIA for suggestions! Please don't be rude though! I'm 22, married, and much more mature than my numerical age.

Thought I'd give my two cents since I was in a fairly similar place a year ago. I was pre-med up until my senior year in undergrad with a bunch of misc. work hours in fields that had nothing to do with either animals or medicine in general. My GPA was slightly higher than yours, but I did manage to get in this cycle with veterinary hours that I accumulated over a fairly short period of time (approximately 600 hours in 8 months). Like others have suggested, the best thing to do is get in those hours and make sure it's truly the profession you think it is. Diversity in hours is something that I would work on if I could (however, my hours are a split between mixed and small animal and not much else).

Honestly, it sounds like you have a solid plan and I think you could have a pretty good chance once you do get some hours achieved 🙂

 

[janefresheyre]

Hey guys! This is my first time posting, so it's nice to meet you all. 🙂

22 y/o female, Colorado resident

Degrees:
B.A. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M.S. Microbiology (graduate in May)

Cumulative GPA: 3.39, Science GPA: 3.39, Last 45: 3.71

Veterinary Experience:
300 hours SA
100 hours LA
100 hours pathology (volunteered in necropsy)

Vet experience hours are on the low side, I did work study all four years of undergrad/went to a school that made it hard to get places which didn't leave me much spare time to volunteer except during the summer.

Animal Experience:
~400 hours riding horses on and off for 10 years
50 hours working in assisted riding therapy
200 hours small animal handling experience
100 hours working with sheep, chickens and beef cattle

Research Experience:
200 hours in a developmental biology lab
650 hours in a cancer biology lab
700+ hours in a virology lab

GRE:
155 quant, 160 verbal, 5.0 writing


-I'm interested in going into anatomic pathology with a research emphasis, but I'm still questioning whether or not I'd like to go into academia or just work in diagnostics.
-I'm most concerned about my lack of veterinary hours and GRE scores. Should I get more experience hours in the time leading up to submitting my application and/or should I re-take the GRE?

Thanks you guys 🙂

 

[Chili_Cat]

I'm most concerned about my lack of veterinary hours and GRE scores. Should I get more experience hours in the time leading up to submitting my application and/or should I re-take the GRE?

Thanks you guys 🙂

Hi! I would definitely recommend getting more vet hours, both for your application and the benefits of more experience. Especially having a lower GPA I think it’ll be really important to have more. As for the GRE, I’d do more research on the schools you want to apply to and what their applicants’ GRE scores look like, especially with some schools phasing it out.

 

[SkiOtter]

Hey guys! This is my first time posting, so it's nice to meet you all. 🙂

22 y/o female, Colorado resident

Degrees:
B.A. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M.S. Microbiology (graduate in May)

Cumulative GPA: 3.39, Science GPA: 3.39, Last 45: 3.71

Veterinary Experience:
300 hours SA
100 hours LA
100 hours pathology (volunteered in necropsy)

Vet experience hours are on the low side, I did work study all four years of undergrad/went to a school that made it hard to get places which didn't leave me much spare time to volunteer except during the summer.

Animal Experience:
~400 hours riding horses on and off for 10 years
50 hours working in assisted riding therapy
200 hours small animal handling experience
100 hours working with sheep, chickens and beef cattle

Research Experience:
200 hours in a developmental biology lab
650 hours in a cancer biology lab
700+ hours in a virology lab

GRE:
155 quant, 160 verbal, 5.0 writing


-I'm interested in going into anatomic pathology with a research emphasis, but I'm still questioning whether or not I'd like to go into academia or just work in diagnostics.
-I'm most concerned about my lack of veterinary hours and GRE scores. Should I get more experience hours in the time leading up to submitting my application and/or should I re-take the GRE?

Thanks you guys 🙂

Hi! I would definitely recommend getting more vet hours, both for your application and the benefits of more experience. Especially having a lower GPA I think it’ll be really important to have more. As for the GRE, I’d do more research on the schools you want to apply to and what their applicants’ GRE scores look like, especially with some schools phasing it out.

I’d also recommend applying to places who focus more on last 45 gpa than cumulative

 

[WildZoo]

Hey guys! This is my first time posting, so it's nice to meet you all. 🙂

22 y/o female, Colorado resident

Degrees:
B.A. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M.S. Microbiology (graduate in May)

Cumulative GPA: 3.39, Science GPA: 3.39, Last 45: 3.71

Veterinary Experience:
300 hours SA
100 hours LA
100 hours pathology (volunteered in necropsy)

Vet experience hours are on the low side, I did work study all four years of undergrad/went to a school that made it hard to get places which didn't leave me much spare time to volunteer except during the summer.

Animal Experience:
~400 hours riding horses on and off for 10 years
50 hours working in assisted riding therapy
200 hours small animal handling experience
100 hours working with sheep, chickens and beef cattle

Research Experience:
200 hours in a developmental biology lab
650 hours in a cancer biology lab
700+ hours in a virology lab

GRE:
155 quant, 160 verbal, 5.0 writing


-I'm interested in going into anatomic pathology with a research emphasis, but I'm still questioning whether or not I'd like to go into academia or just work in diagnostics.
-I'm most concerned about my lack of veterinary hours and GRE scores. Should I get more experience hours in the time leading up to submitting my application and/or should I re-take the GRE?

Thanks you guys 🙂

Agree with the recommendation to get more vet hours - 500 tends to be the minimum for most schools that state things like that (few exceptions come to mind but they tend to have higher GPA requirements). Your research experience may be helpful, especially with your stated interest. I assume since you're a CO resident you'll be applying to CSU, but are there other specific schools you are looking to apply to?

 

[janefresheyre]

Agree with the recommendation to get more vet hours - 500 tends to be the minimum for most schools that state things like that (few exceptions come to mind but they tend to have higher GPA requirements). Your research experience may be helpful, especially with your stated interest. I assume since you're a CO resident you'll be applying to CSU, but are there other specific schools you are looking to apply to?

I'm also thinking about applying to Oregon State, but at this point I'm leaning more towards CSU since it's my IS. I've heard they're pretty holistic when it comes to applications but I'd like to strengthen my application as much as possible, so I'll look into getting more vet hours.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it!

 

[Manders221]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience applying for vet schools without a bachelor's degree. I'm hoping to apply to both U of M and UW-Madison as IS and Mizzou as OOS. I will be done with all of my pre-reqs in 2 more semesters, but I have 4 semesters to go to finish my bachelors degree. Is it worth applying early or should I just wait. Currently I have about 800 hours of veterinary experience in shelter, about 5 hours of time with the pre-vet club (I just joined this semester), 200 hours riding horses, 350 hours volunteering in a shelter, and 30 shadowing hours. I also currently have a 3.7 GPA and I expect that to go up this semester. This summer I will be asking my local vet if I can shadow her with large animal visits and I am also applying for an internship in a vet's office. Any advice you might have is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience applying for vet schools without a bachelor's degree. I'm hoping to apply to both U of M and UW-Madison as IS and Mizzou as OOS. I will be done with all of my pre-reqs in 2 more semesters, but I have 4 semesters to go to finish my bachelors degree. Is it worth applying early or should I just wait. Currently I have about 800 hours of veterinary experience in shelter, about 5 hours of time with the pre-vet club (I just joined this semester), 200 hours riding horses, 350 hours volunteering in a shelter, and 30 shadowing hours. I also currently have a 3.7 GPA and I expect that to go up this semester. This summer I will be asking my local vet if I can shadow her with large animal visits and I am also applying for an internship in a vet's office. Any advice you might have is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I recently decided to finish out my pre-reqs and not finish my bachelors degree. I met with an advisor at UMN a few weeks ago and asked them about this. I was told that having/not having a bachelors degree isn't part of the criteria we're "graded on" for our application. So at least for MN, it's worth a shot! I would contact the specific schools you want to go to and ask them any questions because each is different. Violeta Bonneville at MN is a great resource!

 

[Manders221]

I recently decided to finish out my pre-reqs and not finish my bachelors degree. I met with an advisor at UMN a few weeks ago and asked them about this. I was told that having/not having a bachelors degree isn't part of the criteria we're "graded on" for our application. So at least for MN, it's worth a shot! I would contact the specific schools you want to go to and ask them any questions because each is different. Violeta Bonneville at MN is a great resource!

Thanks Gaby, I'll definitely look into meeting with her!

 

[VetRunner6044]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience applying for vet schools without a bachelor's degree. I'm hoping to apply to both U of M and UW-Madison as IS and Mizzou as OOS. I will be done with all of my pre-reqs in 2 more semesters, but I have 4 semesters to go to finish my bachelors degree. Is it worth applying early or should I just wait. Currently I have about 800 hours of veterinary experience in shelter, about 5 hours of time with the pre-vet club (I just joined this semester), 200 hours riding horses, 350 hours volunteering in a shelter, and 30 shadowing hours. I also currently have a 3.7 GPA and I expect that to go up this semester. This summer I will be asking my local vet if I can shadow her with large animal visits and I am also applying for an internship in a vet's office. Any advice you might have is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

If you can get in without a bachelor's, I would definitely recommend it. Saves time and more importantly, money. The DVM is an expensive degree, so saving money elsewhere is crucial. If you don't have monetary concerns, I would recommend still applying with the prereq's done, as it will still save you time. If you don't get in, you can always finish your degree, no harm no foul.

Source- My father matriculated into podiatry school with no bachelor's and thanked himself for saving the tuition money when he went to purchase a practice.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

Thanks Gaby, I'll definitely look into meeting with her!

Also, not sure if this applies at all vet schools, but she also told me that you automatically receive a bachelor's degree in veterinary sciences after completing your first year of vet school if you didn't come in with one completed!

 

[Manders221]

Also, not sure if this applies at all vet schools, but she also told me that you automatically receive a bachelor's degree in veterinary sciences after completing your first year of vet school if you didn't come in with one completed!

I know UofM has a 3+4 program but I was just wondering if people thought that it would even be worth it to apply. I didn't know if maybe they were more harsh on students who haven't yet graduated but if they don't care either way then that's good to know.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

I'm also thinking about applying to Oregon State, but at this point I'm leaning more towards CSU since it's my IS. I've heard they're pretty holistic when it comes to applications but I'd like to strengthen my application as much as possible, so I'll look into getting more vet hours.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it!

As a CO resident that applied this year successfully I definately think you should think about schools with a last 45 focus (Iowa is a great example). CSU is generally hollistic, but my friend who applied last cycle had a higher cum gpa with more experience and didn't even get an interview. Obviously every cycle and applicant is different though! I don't know I would apply to Oregon just because they accept generally fewer OSS students than some schools. Take schools into account that take a large number of OSS students can help as well. Schools that come to mind right off hand are Mizzou and K state. My pm box is always open!

 

[janefresheyre]

As a CO resident that applied this year successfully I definately think you should think about schools with a last 45 focus (Iowa is a great example). CSU is generally hollistic, but my friend who applied last cycle had a higher cum gpa with more experience and didn't even get an interview. Obviously every cycle and applicant is different though! I don't know I would apply to Oregon just because they accept generally fewer OSS students than some schools. Take schools into account that take a large number of OSS students can help as well. Schools that come to mind right off hand are Mizzou and K state. My pm box is always open!

Awesome, thank you!! I'll definitely keep that in mind. I really appreciate the feedback 🙂

 

[Moanswoptr]

Hello everyone!
So I’m a non traditional student with a 3 year gap in my education. I have a much lower GPA than the average applicant due to my original grades at my university before I took some time off due to financial issues. Unfortunately I was balancing a full time job, another part time job and medical issues when I was in school prior to now and it heavily impacted my grades. I withdrew and became a tech for 3 years and became financially stabile before returning to school this time. I am 23 and applying this summer to a larger number of schools. My maximum in my budget is 10. I know it sounds crazy but I’m desperate to get in.
Overall GPA: 3.1
Last 45: 3.35
Science: 3.00
I just returned to school last Fall 2017 and have had very strong grades since, mostly A/A-‘s.

Experience:
I have been a veterinary technician for 3 years at two different a SA practices. Main duties are surgery and hospitalized patients but I do everything. So over 6000 hours of experience in medicine now. My hospital is also involved with the humane society so I’m familiar with shelter medicine.
I have shadowed equine vets on several occasions, but in two weeks I will begin working as a technician with one 4 days a week 7hrs/day at a race track through the summer.
I have a lot of different experiences with animals to tally up like volunteering with therapeutic riding centers, humane society, etc.
LOR’s:
The vet surgeon I tech for now who also is in charge of 32 company hospitals
The other vet I work with
The equine vet I am shadowing
My academic advisor

My GRE is scheduled for May 18th right now. I did take a practice run and scored a combined of 306 without studying.

I have a couple questions for you guys:

What are some of the best schools I can apply to that will increase my chances due to my weird circumstances?

Do you know of any schools that omit grades after 3 years?

What can I do to increase my chances of getting in at this point? I’ve been getting great grades since I returned to my college, so that’s the best I can do there. But experience wise what could I expand or will that be enough?

 

[SkiOtter]

Do you know of any schools that omit grades after 3 years?

I doubt any would because that would become an endless loop of people taking and retaking prereqs. I think there is at least one or two schools that allow you to petition to have your freshman year grades ignored but that’s about it. But if you took any prereqs in that time you would be required to retake them if they accepted your petition. I feel like Illinois might be one but I’m not positive.