What is the difference between the higher ranked and lower ranked vet schools?

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savethecows

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Hi y’all,
I was just wondering, does it matter which vet school you go to?
Will going to a lower ranked vet school affect the likelihood of me getting an internship or residency in the future?
What determines vet school ranking?

I’d like to get everyone’s opinions on this topic.
Thank you.

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@SkiOtter to rant.
TLDR-rankings don't matter. What vet school you go to doesn't matter for internship & residency. Rankings are an arbitrary evaluation with many parts that include things such as faculty ranking schools, research $, etc-some schools choose not to participate

If you're curious why you were denied from state schools I would reach out to them and ask for file reviews. Myself as a candidate when I applied only applied to state schools that had reasonable tuition because I refused to pay over a specific $ amount for this education before going into a different field and for that reason private institutions were automatically out of the equation for me as were several state schools I would have been OOS to. If it's AVMA accredited it will get you the education you need.
 
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Tagging on to the original question - I understand that ranking generally doesn't matter for job hunting and internship/residency application. But how about faculty size/reputation? How about case load of the VTH? If I already know what specialty I'm going into after graduation, will choosing a school that is particularly known for that specialty, or a sub-field in the specialty, help me in my future career?
 
Tagging on to the original question - I understand that ranking generally doesn't matter for job hunting and internship/residency application. But how about faculty size/reputation? How about case load of the VTH? If I already know what specialty I'm going into after graduation, will choosing a school that is particularly known for that specialty, or a sub-field in the specialty, help me in my future career?
imo no, because of the match which is how you apply for internship and residency. What matters most is your LORs, activities, networking you do as an individual, and performance in school (this last one is up for debate some atm depending who you talk to). I would not take on additional debt for a school with a higher case load in one field or another of for a person renowned in that field especially because you have to go through a rotating internship first.
Also remember for the match you apply to various places and have to hope you match. You may not match to your top choices if at all and eventually when you apply for residency you may end up matching for a 2nd internship instead of residency and where you end up matching that's where you end up no choices persay.
Maybe one of our specialists will drop in and give some input. @JaynaAli
 
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I already know what specialty I'm going into after graduation, will choosing a school that is particularly known for that specialty, or a sub-field in the specialty, help me in my future career?
I can see the logic in this question, and I'm going to use my school as an example.

Something like 55% of first years go to Illinois with the intention of going into zoo med or companion exotic medicine. We have a phenomenal zoo med program from an objective point of view and have a residency and specialty internship. There are loads of opportunities at our school to make connections and work with our faculty. A decent 10-20 students per year make it to the point of going for getting boarded. Not a single person in 2018, 2019, or 2020 has matched into a zoo med residency. Of the 7 hard core people in 2020, only 3 remain and they all matched into zoo med specialty internships this year (to be fair, a 4th person in 2020 found her dream job as an aquarium vet without getting boarded).

And that is all with the assumption an individual does stick with a specialty all through school. Everyone going to vet school should have the back up plan of GP and integrate that into the more complex dreams like getting boarded. There is a huge risk in going somewhere more expensive with the hope of getting a residency, just to end up in GP with all the extra debt.
 
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Everyone going to vet school should have the back up plan of GP and integrate that into the more complex dreams like getting boarded. There is a huge risk in going somewhere more expensive with the hope of getting a residency, just to end up in GP with all the extra debt.
Thank you for the thoughtful and informative response! Yes I'm open to the possibility of GP after graduation. And I figured by attending a school that's 70k cheaper I have better financial security to pursue specialty training. My parents are willing to dig a big hole in their savings to make up for that COA difference if I decide to go to the more expensive (but higher ranked, they really love the idea of me going to "the best vet school") school, but if they were to get sick or something during my school, I'd like to know they're well covered and I don't have to live in guilt for not immediately making big money.
 
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imo no, because of the match which is how you apply for internship and residency. What matters most is your LORs, activities, networking you do as an individual, and performance in school (this last one is up for debate some atm depending who you talk to). I would not take on additional debt for a school with a higher case load in one field or another of for a person renowned in that field especially because you have to go through a rotating internship first.
Also remember for the match you apply to various places and have to hope you match. You may not match to your top choices if at all and eventually when you apply for residency you may end up matching for a 2nd internship instead of residency and where you end up matching that's where you end up no choices persay.
Maybe one of our specialists will drop in and give some input. @JaynaAli
Would you mind elaborating more about networking? The school I'm heavily leaning to right now has a really small faculty in the two specialties I'm interested in. Apart from working extensively with the faculty, shall I try summer scholar with other schools? Externships? Anything else?
 
Would you mind elaborating more about networking? The school I'm heavily leaning to right now has a really small faculty in the two specialties I'm interested in. Apart from working extensively with the faculty, shall I try summer scholar with other schools? Externships? Anything else?
Theres lots of conferences, getting involved with the speciality association, clubs, any and all the things you mentioned.
 
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Would you mind elaborating more about networking? The school I'm heavily leaning to right now has a really small faculty in the two specialties I'm interested in. Apart from working extensively with the faculty, shall I try summer scholar with other schools? Externships? Anything else?
I'd say that conferences/seminars and summer experiences will be just as important when it comes to networking, so even if you dont have a large number of specialty faculty (or any) there's plenty of opportunities to make connections. For example I'm personally interested in exotics GP and the UMN doesnt have an exotics service, so my summer shadowing and work experiences have been the most important for networking to me.
I've attended conferences that allowed me to reach out to other schools' exotics faculty as well
 
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I can see the logic in this question, and I'm going to use my school as an example.

Something like 55% of first years go to Illinois with the intention of going into zoo med or companion exotic medicine. We have a phenomenal zoo med program from an objective point of view and have a residency and specialty internship. There are loads of opportunities at our school to make connections and work with our faculty. A decent 10-20 students per year make it to the point of going for getting boarded. Not a single person in 2018, 2019, or 2020 has matched into a zoo med residency. Of the 7 hard core people in 2020, only 3 remain and they all matched into zoo med specialty internships this year (to be fair, a 4th person in 2020 found her dream job as an aquarium vet without getting boarded).

And that is all with the assumption an individual does stick with a specialty all through school. Everyone going to vet school should have the back up plan of GP and integrate that into the more complex dreams like getting boarded. There is a huge risk in going somewhere more expensive with the hope of getting a residency, just to end up in GP with all the extra debt.

Kinda going off with what battie is going with here. Purdue has very LIMITED exotics experience. You get some on small animal community practice but that's it. However, a class of 2019 grad and a class of 2020 grad matched to zoo residencies this cycle. Therefore, I think it has more to do with an individual's experience/drive/package than the school they go to. I was in a similar boat on deciding if I should go IS or go to a place with more lab animal exposure since that institution was where I was interested in going to for residency. Turns out I ended up matching there anyways and I chose to go to my IS school for vet school bc it was the cheapest option. I still don't regret my decision at all. I'm in less than 100k of debt and that's what mattered to me the most when going to vet school. Now I'm going to my dream place for a lab animal residency. You're only there for a set number of years anyways and everyone who completes a program gets a DVM.
 
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Thank you for the thoughtful and informative response! Yes I'm open to the possibility of GP after graduation. And I figured by attending a school that's 70k cheaper I have better financial security to pursue specialty training. My parents are willing to dig a big hole in their savings to make up for that COA difference if I decide to go to the more expensive (but higher ranked, they really love the idea of me going to "the best vet school") school, but if they were to get sick or something during my school, I'd like to know they're well covered and I don't have to live in guilt for not immediately making big money.

Vet school rankings aren't based on anything education related. There's no such thing as "the best vet school", they all provide a good education. I promise there aren't enough differences to justify dumping extra money into a particular vet school. It just isn't worth it. It would be like paying extra to get a green car instead of the silver one but everything else about the cars are the same. Just get the silver car and get it painted whatever color you want later for cheaper. Go to the cheaper school and seek out externships and experiences in the field you're interested in, it is much cheaper that way and honestly probably better when applying for match.
 
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I was just wondering, does it matter which vet school you go to?
Will going to a lower ranked vet school affect the likelihood of me getting an internship or residency in the future?
What determines vet school ranking?
What specific ranking are you referring to?
 
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Thanks. In that case, ignore. Nobody takes those rankings seriously ... other than whatever school happens to be number 1 that particular year.
I'm smelling there is another ranking that says something real?
 
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But the methodology is based on research publications and perception. Nothing really based on curriculum or education
Yeah because “research citations per paper” definitely says how good of a vet school education they provide 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Wow.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Rankings don't freaking matter.

Go to the cheapest school.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
just turned down my offer at cornell to go to a cheaper “lower ranked” school. i think my quality of education is gonna be just fine, thanks.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Lmao ok. I've met department heads of competitive specialties at these so called high ranking universities who attended island schools, and graduates from high ranking universities that end up working at Banfields inside of a petsmart. Not that there is anything wrong with banfield, but just because you go to a high ranked school does not garuntee you uber success, nor does it mean you will definitely be better off than people from lower ranked/unranked schools (such as international).

I recommend parking this attitude at the door, if you think of yourself as better than and look down on your colleauges for going to one school over another, you're not going to get very far, regardless of where you went.

I'd hire someone without a pompous attitude from a low/unranked school over someone who has these sentiments from a high ranking school any day of the week.
 
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Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind.
I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Come back to us in ~5 years once you start repaying your debt and let us know if you still feel this way then. I'd be curious to know.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Honestly ranking doesn't matter at all. I go an island school and we spend our clinical year at other vet schools that can be considered higher ranking and we do just as well as the students who spent all of their education there. Every vet school prepares you no matter what ranking they are. I have yet to hear any of my colleagues say they were not as educated as anyone else at the school they attended.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
I mean, I’ve heard that Cornell grads are book smart but lack the ability to apply that knowledge in a practical sense once they get into the “real world.” I’m not saying I necessarily believe that (I think I’ve only actually worked with one Cornell grad but idk bc no one actually really cares or discusses it regularly beyond an initial meeting), but people are going to have opinions about every school, right or wrong. At the end of the day if you pass NAVLE you’re good to go. It doesn’t really matter what school got you there. (Even for internships and residencies, before it’s asked). Very few people care where your degree came from. I would wonder how long ago whoever told you this graduated...I’m guessing it wasn’t in the last 10 years? The debt and subsequent reality was much different ten years ago. Now, as someone who is 6 years out trying to pay loans off all while saving for a house and all that...go to the cheapest school. The school rankings are based on things like publications and research dollars and outright opinion. Quite frankly the courses I was taught by the super-duper important basic science researchers who bring in the big grant money were the ones I struggled in because they maybe weren’t vets or were more focused on their research than teaching. There aren’t any rankings that actually measure competency of students besides NAVLE pass rate. More power to you to choose whatever school you want though, it’s your money. Let us know how that special school name on your diploma helps pay the bills. Oh and I spent time at a lower ranked school for my vet school and was at a decently high ranked school (in the top 10) for residency. I preferred the well rounded education I got at my school over what I saw during my three years at the higher ranked school.
 
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@Omaha_brother serious question: why do these ranking systems matter to you when they do not use measurements based on student success? None of them are based on the NAVLE pass rate (or average score for that matter); attrition rates; repeat rates; rates of students that end up as a boarded specialists or clinic owners; the average salary of grads 1, 5, or 10 years out; how much philanthropy their students perform; number of *students* with publications during and after school; etc.

These rankings have nothing to do with the actual student outcomes. Thats why they don't matter.
 
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“Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.”

Hil AR ious.

Confirmation bias, much?
 
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Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.

For decades, Cornell has been telling their students they invented veterinary medicine. Penn does the same. So does Davis. So does Auburn (my alma mater). I don't really have a problem with that because I think it's good for grads to be proud of their school. It also helps the school get alumni donations.

Does that matter? Sometimes. For example, I know several Kentucky equine practitioner/owners who prefer to hire only Auburn grads (Kentucky has a contract with Auburn). I'm sure there are practice owners in other regions that have similar viewpoints.

But regarding rankings like US News, think about it for a minute. Do you really think a reporter for this magazine has a clue as to which veterinary school is the "best"? It's not like there is a national tournament every year (like NCAA basketball) to determine the best veterinary school.

Rather, they come up with some criteria and try to ranks schools based on that. Obviously that ranking is all depended on the criteria. Spoiler alert: the criterion is never quality of education.

Do you know the criteria for US News?

It's the opinion of administrators and/or faculty. That's it.

That's like asking some people, "Who's the best singer?" OK, it's Beyonce ... but ... you get my point Opinion is not data.

None of this would matter and I wouldn't even bother to respond except for this:
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind.

Saying a student should go to a more expensive school because it's "higher ranked" is epically bad advice. The only excuse would be if the student is wealthy enough to not need student loans. Otherwise advising a student to not go to their in-state school in order to go to a more expensive school is student advice malpractice.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.
Yeah... I could've gone to CSU as my IS-didn't (my OOS is cheaper). Will be gladly taking the NAVLE from a school with a pass rate equal to or better than CSU(ranked #3). Will be graduating with more hands on experience especially with COVID things. Will be graduating with way less debt because of my choices and will likely have it paid off within ~5yrs or less of graduation so I can move on with my financial life.

However, @MOOSEygoosey @vetmedhead @Coopah since you want opinions from "high ranked school" peeps
 
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Saying a student should go to a more expensive school because it's "higher ranked" is epically bad advice. The only excuse would be if the student is wealthy enough to not need student loans.
This may be a semi-controversial opinion, but honestly, even in this specific scenario, I still think going to the least expensive school is the wisest option. Why pay more (sometimes exorbitantly so) for what is effectively the same product: a DVM? Better to put that extra money towards that would have been spent on OOS tuition towards savings or a down payment on a house, etc.

...then again, maybe I'm just bitter that I will likely never be able to actually mortgage/own a home with the massively imbalanced debt:income ratio I have. Hrmm.
 
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semi-controversial option
Smart opinion since us aging millennials can't yell at Gen Z to get off our lawns when we can't afford to buy a house! 🤣
 
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I mean, I’ve heard that Cornell grads are book smart but lack the ability to apply that knowledge in a practical sense once they get into the “real world.” I’m not saying I necessarily believe that (I think I’ve only actually worked with one Cornell grad
Let's not take it out on Cornell grads because one said their school is great. I've been chair of our intern selection committee for 25+ years and have hired over 100 new grads, from pretty much every North American vet school. We've had great doctors from all the schools. Even Cornell :)

I've not noticed any consistent correlation between quality of the intern and the school they went to.
 
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Don't forget @ajs513!
I don’t really know what’s going on here, but I’ll confirm what pretty much everyone else is saying and say go to the cheapest school.*

Penn is fantastic in that there are tons of research opportunities. We have some of the best clinicians in the world on many of our services. Our clinicians and other researchers have done and continue to do some really amazing things. But that’s true of many, many other vet schools. By virtue of being one of few veterinary schools in the country, you’ll typically have faculty that are the best of the best. Penn as a whole is a great research school, and that does extend into the vet school. But I genuinely can’t say if it’s better or worse than other schools. I just know that if you want to do research on something, you can usually find someone who’s doing it to be your PI. If that’s true of other schools, then awesome. It probably is.

The Penn name really only carries a lot of weight in the surrounding area to people who are middle aged and older who grew up only knowing about the VMD. In reality, the same is true of wherever you’re from. Usually the school that supplies the most vets to that area will be the one people know of and hold in high regard. If you live in Michigan, pet owners probably think Michigan State vets are the best vets in the country. If you live in Texas, pet owners probably think the same about TAMU.

A positive about Penn is that our match rates, from what I’ve been told, are really good. Pretty much everyone who applies matches. Again, I have no idea what it’s like at other schools. That’s kind of the theme here. People tend to know the positives and negatives about their schools but because you can only ever go to one vet school (short of transferring halfway through), you’ll only ever know your own school’s info unless it’s publicly available.

Moral of the story: Penn, like other “high ranked” schools, is a great school. But all the schools are great. You’ll be a vet at the end of the day. Just go to a school that can foster your interests and it’ll work out. Don’t focus on rank. Unlike med school, it’s genuinely not important. There are only 30 (something) schools. Whichever one you go to will make you a great vet.

*Go to the cheapest school unless there are some really, really important reasons you’ve decided outweigh the cost. For example, family support. My entire family, my girlfriend’s family, and all of my support live within an hour of me. My girlfriend was able to get her masters at a nearby school and live with me. Penn is NOT cheap. Like, at all. But it was my best option because I’m familiar with the area, love the school, and needed my family and support system with me. I don’t regret it.
 
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Thank you for easing my worries everyone. :)
 
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I’ve heard that Cornell grads are book smart but lack the ability to apply that knowledge in a practical sense once they get into the “real world.”
I’d like to think I’m not in this group myself, but a large portion of my class definitely falls into this category. I’ll tack on lack of good communication skills, too.
 
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I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?
Not really. In reality, I think ranking somewhat ties into the funding capabilities of the school. Being at one of the top vet schools means that we have a lot of engagement and involvement with the public and are able to afford to renovate things when our hospital or school needs an addition to it. The other factor is the reputation that goes along with the top schools. People, peers, and clients will make immediate judgements about you based on your school, good and bad. But the quality of your education and the ability of the clinicians teaching you is not going to be associated with rank. You’ll have good teachers and bad, and you will be better prepared in some subjects more than others.
Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
Hah. Sounds like a Cornellian. And I would know. I went here for undergrad, too. The amount of ego and privilege here is super high.
Like I said, if you want to pay more for the reputation and the name, be my guest. But that’s really it.
I will say that I think the curriculum at Cornell is where it shines. But problem-based learning is not exclusive to “top ranked“ schools to my knowledge.
 
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I feel like All the people that I've seen saying "Ranking doesn't matter" are usually from lower ranked schools.
I don't try to offend anyone here, but I'd like some insights from those who attend the higher ranking schools.
Would you say that ranking doesn't matter as well?

Because one of my vets graduated Cornell and she said ranking matters and the quality of education is different.
She also said you only get the degree once so she would pay extra to get a DVM degree from a higher ranked school.
I was going to go to my in-state school but this changed my mind. I want to hear from other students who go to higher ranked schools.

I technically attended one of the highest ranked vet schools in the world. Then transferred to a lower ranked US school. There's no significant difference in education. The slight differences in opportunities can be made up by doing externships which is better in regards to networking and meeting as many people in the area of medicine you're interested in.
 
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For decades, Cornell has been telling their students they invented veterinary medicine. Penn does the same. So does Davis. So does Auburn (my alma mater). I don't really have a problem with that because I think it's good for grads to be proud of their school. It also helps the school get alumni donations.

Does that matter? Sometimes. For example, I know several Kentucky equine practitioner/owners who prefer to hire only Auburn grads (Kentucky has a contract with Auburn). I'm sure there are practice owners in other regions that have similar viewpoints.

But regarding rankings like US News, think about it for a minute. Do you really think a reporter for this magazine has a clue as to which veterinary school is the "best"? It's not like there is a national tournament every year (like NCAA basketball) to determine the best veterinary school.

Rather, they come up with some criteria and try to ranks schools based on that. Obviously that ranking is all depended on the criteria. Spoiler alert: the criterion is never quality of education.

Do you know the criteria for US News?

It's the opinion of administrators and/or faculty. That's it.

That's like asking some people, "Who's the best singer?" OK, it's Beyonce ... but ... you get my point Opinion is not data.

None of this would matter and I wouldn't even bother to respond except for this:


Saying a student should go to a more expensive school because it's "higher ranked" is epically bad advice. The only excuse would be if the student is wealthy enough to not need student loans. Otherwise advising a student to not go to their in-state school in order to go to a more expensive school is student advice malpractice.

Cornell invented vet med. That is funny. I'm sure they contributed to what vet med has become but with the first ever vet school in France and the first US vet school being Iowa State, I think Cornell had a long leap off that pedestal, those that think Cornell invented vet med, that is.
 
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Let's not take it out on Cornell grads because one said their school is great. I've been chair of our intern selection committee for 25+ years and have hired over 100 new grads, from pretty much every North American vet school. We've had great doctors from all the schools. Even Cornell :)

I've not noticed any consistent correlation between quality of the intern and the school they went to.
I’d like to think I’m not in this group myself, but a large portion of my class definitely falls into this category. I’ll tack on lack of good communication skills, too.
Yeah, the one Cornell grad I can think of that I’ve personally worked with was an excellent medicine resident. I hope my comment didn’t come off too serious...maybe the sarcasm didn’t come through as much as I’d hoped.

And @jaboo I’m sure you’re fabulous in real life! I definitely didn’t mean to unnecessarily rag on Cornell grads, just meant to illustrate that you can’t always believe someone’s opinion.
 
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So if I don't plan to work in the area where my vet school is going to be (am planning to do residency in a "higher ranked" and better located school), I hope this doesn't negatively impact my future job outlook?

I don't think it will negatively impact your future job outlook at all. A lot of the vets in Michigan are MSU grads (for example), but there are plenty who aren't and they're doing just fine.

When I confirm that pet owners in Michigan think MSU makes the best vets it's more so they'll make comments to that effect if I mention Michigan State. If I say I'm a student there then someone might say "Oh yeah, I hear that's one of the best vet schools" or whatever. But it's not like the average pet owner is running around asking their veterinarian where they went to school or using that to decided who they're willing to see. And certainly the employers generally don't care because they're well aware that it doesn't matter where you went to school.
 
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Yeah, the one Cornell grad I can think of that I’ve personally worked with was an excellent medicine resident. I hope my comment didn’t come off too serious...maybe the sarcasm didn’t come through as much as I’d hoped.

And @jaboo I’m sure you’re fabulous in real life! I definitely didn’t mean to unnecessarily rag on Cornell grads, just meant to illustrate that you can’t always believe someone’s opinion.
Sarcasm heard, don’t worry ;)

And no worries! It’s partly based on truth at least in my experience. That may go away more once we’re more experienced in clinical skills.
 
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In reality, I think ranking somewhat ties into the funding capabilities of the school. Being at one of the top vet schools means that we have a lot of engagement and involvement with the public and are able to afford to renovate things when our hospital or school needs an addition to it.
My low ranking (apparently garbage 🙄 ) school is currently also going through a multi-million dollar renovation to our hospital (including a brand new CT, linear accelerator, and 3T MRI), in addition to a recent renovation maybe 5 or so years ago of our year 1&2 classrooms and vet med library.
Just adding for others that “lower ranking” schools do still get nice-ass **** and renovations too :laugh:
 
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