Where are you in your road to vet school?

[CatTech]

I'm new on SDN, (although I have been on quite a few times to browse the threads) and am just curious where everyone is at in the all-important quest leading to vet school.


I'll start out...
I'm currently a veterinary technology student in my 2nd year. I was an english major for 2 years, because I was too chicken starting undergrad to go for what I really wanted. So after 4 yrs of school, I will only have an associates.

I knew I wanted to do pre-vet when I switched over to vet tech, but I thought the vet tech degree could help me out in the long run by opening up more vet experience opportunities for me and such. not to mention I get a lot of experience as part of my classes... and will already know a lot about restraint, hematology/routine clin path, placing catheters, surgical assisting, etc. (i even just did my first ever rectal palpation/ultrasound preg-check of a cow yesterday! lol) before even applying to vet school--rather than just having done restraint and shadowed others--not that there is anything wrong with that.

so I opted for the 2 extra years of school... even though that means I will be an undergrad for at least 6.5 to 7 years... (hope the admissions commitees of the future understand my reasoning... lol)



(oh, and if any current vet students/vets/admissions people could give me their opinion on my decision to take the extra couple years to do vet tech, that would be GREAT! especially because i worry that my fear to pursue my passion in the first place may have put me crucially behind in getting experience for applying to vet school.)


anyway, enough about my experiences... where are you guys at in your journey?

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[VeganChick]

Welcome CatTech!

I am one of those ol' career changing types. Had been saying to myself for years "If I had to do it all over again..." and finally decided (at 35) that was ridiculous and started from ground zero with Bio 101! So now I am 38, quit my cushy office job a year ago to make diddlysquat as an assistant in an animal hospital, have my prereqs done, and now am hoping against hope that I do get to do it all over again!

And don't worry about what you are doing and decisions you have made! Everybody has a different way of getting to the goal and no one way is better or worse than another!

 

[CatTech]

thanks for the encouragement vegan! i do have the advantage that i am still only 21, so i guess i am not really behind.

i just picture those lucky few who start getting experience in high school, and go straight into undergrad knowing exactly what they want and sticking to it... and it just makes me feel stupid for not going w/ my gut to begin w/. lol

but considering i will be in undergrad for the next couple years anyway, i still have time to get more experience. probably not during school much, because i am way too OCD about grades (gotta shoot for as close as possible to that 4.0, right?).... but at least i have a few breaks/summers to get experience.

and one thing i love is the program i am currently in is at a school with it's own farm, so our classes give us decent large animal exposure too. something i would otherwise have a hard time getting, not living on a farm or having many large animal vets in my home area.

 

[lailanni]

There are plenty of techs that get to vet school, I know a few in my class. I wish I had their knowledge, so good for you! I think it's great to have the hands on experience and you'll have a better appreciation of how a clinic runs. You'll also have plenty of job opportunities all through undergrad - many of us have to scrounge around for a way in. Is tech school very expensive?

Welcome to SDN : )

 

[CatTech]

well, the tech program i am in is offered through main campus of a 4 year university, so it's the same tuition as their regular. but the school itself isn't all that expensive anyway, at least not compared to some, such as the bigger state schools. (for example, i'm from ohio, and it's cheaper for me here as an OOSer than if i would have gone to ohio state). and i think for what i'm learning it is definately worth it. even though the thought of being a 7th year senior down the road plagues me.... lol

thanks for the welcome.

 

[twelvetigers]

I tried to get in once, and will try again during the next cycle. Haha. I've always known what I wanted to do, I just haven't made the best of it thus far. I'm a 5th year senior now! Don't worry about the path you take. I'm sure the admissions committees are used to seeing all kinds of different backgrounds from applicants.

 

[NittanyKitty]

I'm currently finishing up my last year of undergrad at a state school. I'm planning on living at home next year (my mom is actually and surprisingly thrilled though my father isn't quite so happy) to focus on my apps and work. Work where I'm not sure, but I'm hoping either in pharmaceutical research or as a vet tech/assistant. But really, any job that decides to pay me would be awesome so I can make a little bitsy dent in forthcoming loans. Sooo, yeah, this year isn't nearly as stressful for me as it is for my other pre-professional friends. And looking at it now, I don't think there's any way I could have been applied without a nervous breakdown. Way too uch going on to handle both school stuff and app stuff.

 

[elefante7]

I'm also relatively new to SDN, but I am starting to post a bit more.

I'm also in my last year of undergrad at a state school...and I am currently applying (done with vmcas except evaluators and now working on my supplementals). I have a completely non-trad major (math) and I'm one of those crazy people trying to get into conservation/zoological medicine even though you have to wait until someone dies or retires to get a job at a zoo or similar place. Its still my dream and I am still going for it.

 

[168135]

I'm in my second year of university. I want to get my BSc before applying to vet school. If I don't get accepted into vet school, I want to go into the vet tech program. I want to work with animals, and I love the atmosphere of a vet clinic.

 

[LucyLoo]

Like Veganchick, I am a career changer and jumped the business job track about 3 years ago and am finishing my second bachelors in Microbiology this May. Applying to vet school is something I've wanted to do since I was young but was too chicken and the regret of that decision got to be too much. BUT, I just finished submitting all of my app material last week for the first time and now have my fingers crossed!

 

[CatTech]

Sounds like there are all kinds of different paths people are taking... glad to know I'm not the only one whimped out in the beginning. lol
But as LucyLoo said, I don't think I could live the rest of my life regreting not taking the plunge, and wondering what might have been.

To those who are applying this year--good luck!
I can't imagine how stressed I will be in a few years when I finally do get to apply. I'm sure I will become one of those mailman stalkers!

 

[CurrySpice]

I've just started my first year at college (although I entered with almost a full semester's worth of pre-req credit), and I'm LOVING biology. I'm not 100% sure that veterinary school is the path for me, but I'm focused on getting great grades to keep it in the cards for me in case I want to go later. I suppose I just want to explore careers more before I lock myself down. I've been obsessed with horses for years, so I have tons of equine experience, including shadowing an equine surgeon (coolest thing ever!). I'm going soon to talk to my biology professor about maybe helping with his research somewhat, which would get some more animal experience in (he studies evolution in turtles).

I think it's crazy the GPA that you "need" for vet school, but I also think the European schools are pretty awesome, so I don't worry too much. I'm a bit of an obsessive studier, but mostly because I find the material interesting rather than being grade obsessive (Although I procrastinate madly for French).


I'm hoping to get an internship or shadowing or job experience this summer at a veterinary clinic to see whether it is really something that I'd be interested in.

 

[cozycleo]

I chickened out too about 8 years ago. Went into the legal field instead as a secretary and paralegal. Now I've come back to it. I'm doing my BS first in clinical lab science and then I'll be applying to vet school. My interests may change, but right now I'm very into the public health idea, so I think the BS will be a good start.

 

[pupsforseeing]

In many ways, I am a traditional applicant (first career), but in other ways, not so much. I graduated high school early, took a year off and worked in a small SA clinic full time. I always figured I wanted to be a vet, but didn't want to go through college with that in mind, then actually get some vet experience and realize I hated it. Thankfully, I loved it even more than I imagined I could Anyway, I graduated with my BS (in molecular biology) this last May, and I had applied to vet school last year, and was accepted to a couple schools. So, everything was set for me to go. Then I was given another opportunity of a lifetime: to be a missionary at a school for the deaf in Mexico for a year. It hit me then that I am 20 (well, 19 at the time, but whichever, haha) and have my whole life ahead of me to be a vet, but will be tied down with school, then internship/residency possibilities, not to mention debt, for a VERY long time and won't be able to pursue other passions. So, I ended up declining my first choice school, deferring my second, and heading to Mexico. Now, instead of learning dissection techniques and biochemistry, I am learning (through doing!) how to teach little kids math and grammar...in Mexican sign language and Spanish I just submitted my VMCAS last week for this next cycle and I will start vet school next fall. I am really anxious to start, but I am glad I took this opportunity to come down here.

That's my story, sorry for rambling

 

[sambone]

Wow, cool story Pupsforseeing!

I graduated college in 04 with an art degree, spent a year trying to figure out what to do with myself, then spent the last 3 years working (biomedical research, vet hospitals and farms) and doing my prerequisites.
I started checking out SDN 3 years ago when I first started, managed to get rid of the addiction, but gave in now that I'm applying! I'm SO psyched to finally be applying at 27 years old with some really great life experiences behind me.
Yay nontrads!

 

[NittanyKitty]

Pupsforseeing, I think you could tell your story a million times over, and I would still be blown away. You're amazing!

 

[CatTech]

wow pupsforseeing! a BS in molecular biology, and you were only 19???!! That's crazy! Even for having a year of pre-reqs behind you when you finished high school. Were you one of the younger students in your class in high school that graduated at 17, or did you take a lot of summer classes?

I just can't imagine being able to get a B.S. in that short of time... especially in molecular biology. lol

Although I guess if you knew what you wanted early on in high school and took advantage of your HS's college collaboration classes/AP classes, it's possible.

But still, that's impressive. Congrats.




And I think it is a good thing to go out and get some different experiences while you can. I know that even though I started out in the wrong major for me, the experience did help me grow personally.

 

[LucyLoo]

And I think it is a good thing to go out and get some different experiences while you can. I know that even though I started out in the wrong major for me, the experience did help me grow personally.

I think that's very true because you never know where that experience will come in handy. I'm glad for my business management experience because now I think I have the skills necessary to run my own pratice where a lot of vets struggle with that end of it.

 

[CatTech]

haha, well, i don't know where my english education classes will help me.... unless someone wants to discuss shakespeare.... and even then, sparknotes got me through that class anyway... lol

i do think i still like the idea of teaching though. maybe someday after i've been in practice a while i can teach at a university? idk.

the good thing is i hadn't gotten very far into the english/education (only a couple classes), because i did all my gen. ed. requirements first. so at least i won't feel like i wasted those classes too much.

 

[pupsforseeing]

wow pupsforseeing! a BS in molecular biology, and you were only 19???!! That's crazy! Even for having a year of pre-reqs behind you when you finished high school. Were you one of the younger students in your class in high school that graduated at 17, or did you take a lot of summer classes?

Yeah, my high school experience was a bit abnormal (it seems to be a theme of my life, haha). I went to a really tiny high school that didn't have many advanced classes, so I started really young taking classes at the local community college (which consequently meant receiving dual high school and college credit). So, because of that, I unintentionally finished high school right before I turned 16. But then I took a year off from school because I didn't want to be the ridiculously young one anymore when I went to college. And then because of the credit from community college, I was able to finish undergrad in 3 years. And no, I don't believe in taking summer classes...it's one thing I refuse to do It's all complicated and sounds way more intense than it actually is. Basically, I've been really blessed to be given some pretty amazing opportunities that have allowed me to have some awesome experiences.

 

[Badger Girl]

Another non-trad, career-changer here! My undergrad and grad degrees are both in social work and I have been working in child protection for the past 4 1/2 years. I have worked with/dealt with many families who are in very bad places in their lives, removed children from their homes etc., so I am going to really focus on my ability to work with people during my applications. I have about 2 1/2 years to go before I finish my pre-reqs (part-time). During that time, I'm trying to crank out as many veterinary and volunteer hours as I can.

Welcome and good luck! I'm sure you have seen by now that everyone has their own path to vet school. I think you are off to a great start!

 

[WishingnHoping]

Welcome to SDN!!! There are a lot of techs in my class. I say it can't hurt! : ) Plus, they know way more than me about lots of things so I can pick their brains about things like proper small animal handling techniques. And I can help them out when handling horses! It is nice to have a diverse class.

 

[jennywren]

hey y'all!

this seems as good a place as any to introduce myself...i guess i'm a sort of non-traditional student. i got my undergrad in anthropology after completely chickening out on a bio degree (and the pre-reqs for vet school, despite the fact that it was the only career path i had focused on for my whole life). during university i worked at a small-animal practice and spent summers doing fieldwork in strange places, then i did a semester abroad in kenya studying wildlife management. when i graduated i moved down to new orleans to work at a shelter, then after a few years there (and one great big hurricane) i finally left a year and a half ago to go back to kenya, this time doing fieldwork with baboons. while i was there i had plenty of time and space to think about life, and realized that research was just...never going to be my thing. i loved living in the bush, i loved the lifestyle of a wildlife biologist, but i just didn't love the work. after making a list of all the things i wanted in a career (and it was EXTENSIVE, maybe verging on ridiculous): you guessed it. i'm back on the vet school track. it was about as much of a revelation as i've ever had, i guess.

i got back from kenya just about a month ago, and i'm living at home with my parents and enrolled in my first few pre-reqs (gen bio AGAIN, and organic chem. yuck.). seems like there are loads of classes still on the list, and i'm kicking myself for not taking my intro science classes more seriously during undergrad. but hindsight is 20/20, i guess. it means i'll probably be applying next fall for admission to the fall 2010 class.

i'll be twenty-eight by then, which felt old for, like, two days. but every time i tried to complain, some wise wrinkled elder would smile down at me, pat my shoulder, and say things like "my dear, you don't know what old is. and anyway, why are you so scared of it? knowing what makes you happy only come with age." that, and the reaction of every single one of my oldest friends (one great big "FINALLY!") helped to seal the deal.

good to meet you all--so glad to have the rest of you for inspiration!

 

[nyanko]

i'll be twenty-eight by then, which felt old for, like, two days. but every time i tried to complain, some wise wrinkled elder would smile down at me, pat my shoulder, and say things like "my dear, you don't know what old is. and anyway, why are you so scared of it? knowing what makes you happy only come with age." that, and the reaction of every single one of my oldest friends (one great big "FINALLY!") helped to seal the deal.

Welcome to SDN! I'll be applying (for the second time) for Fall 2010 as well, and will be 29 when I enter if I get in, so you are definitely not alone! Your experiences sound like so much fun! Good luck with the application stuff, and you definitely have an advantage because you can poke around here during the application time and get a feel for timelines and when schools tend to contact you for when it's your turn to apply and such.

I think most people here know my story, but for anyone who doesn't:

I finished a degree in Computer Science, didn't want to work in the field, went back to school and got a second BS in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, moved to Davis, CA, applied to UCD for this year and interviewed but was not accepted, and am doing a 2 year thesis-based masters here at UCD under one of my interviewers from the vet school admissions process and applying again (possibly to more schools) for fall 2010. Phew!

edit:

Welcome to you too, CatTech!

 

[CatTech]

Thanks for all the welcomes! I'm loving the stories... makes me feel pretty boring though. I've definately never had the blessing to travel, and regretfully am a little bit of a hermit, so I don't get out and do much. (Definately need to change that before long so I can be a more "well-rounded" person on my apps! lol) And I wish I could go on some of the amazing travels so many of you talk about!



WishingnHoping:

Would you happen to know the average number of hours experience your class has? Cornell is one of the places I am considering (love the idea of problem-based learning, and would be really curious about the feline clinic), but I am wondering if I will be too far behind on experience hours when I start applying to even be considered there.

I currently only have about 200hrs. (Unless they will let me count my lab hours for vet tech class/clinicals--then after the end of this school year I should have about 550 hrs total).

I'm curious because after exploring my options and working out plans at different undergrad schools, I discovered I may be able to get all my pre-reqs in and be able to apply in the fall of 2010. Which is great... except that gives me a whole year less than I thought to get my experience in!