Diversifying experience

[gingertabby99]

So I'm applying this upcoming cycle and have 822 hours of veterinary experience at a small animal GP clinic as a vet assistant. I'm currently doing a sea turtle rehab internship and we don't work with the vets that much, so it'll probably only give me 5-10 hours of vet experience by the end of it. I would like to eventually return to the clinic I was working at before my internship, but should I try to get some equine/large animal/exotics experience first to diversify my experience a bit? I do have about 15 years of horseback riding experience, so I know how to handle horses at least, but that's obviously not the same as veterinary experience. My GPA is on the low end (3.48 cGPA and 3.21 sGPA), so I feel like I need to boost my application as much as possible on the experience side. Thanks!!

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[Border Goat Bananas]

So I'm applying this upcoming cycle and have 822 hours of veterinary experience at a small animal GP clinic as a vet assistant. I'm currently doing a sea turtle rehab internship and we don't work with the vets that much, so it'll probably only give me 5-10 hours of vet experience by the end of it. I would like to eventually return to the clinic I was working at before my internship, but should I try to get some equine/large animal/exotics experience first to diversify my experience a bit? I do have about 15 years of horseback riding experience, so I know how to handle horses at least, but that's obviously not the same as veterinary experience. My GPA is on the low end (3.48 cGPA and 3.21 sGPA), so I feel like I need to boost my application as much as possible on the experience side. Thanks!!

Yes! Get more experience in other areas. Schools want to know that you are confident in pursuing vet med. Experience in exotics, research, ruminants, food animal, equine, etc. With that said, get QUALITY experience. I wouldn’t recommend just doing a few hours in each. Commit time weekly to these new experiences.

 

[eacsy]

^^ but also show interest in things outside of vet med/ animals, they want to see that you are well-rounded. I personally don't have a ton of vet hours but have a lot of research experience, and I think that helped my application and set me apart... I'd recommend it if you can get your hands on any opportunities!

 

[deleted1153530]

So I'm applying this upcoming cycle and have 822 hours of veterinary experience at a small animal GP clinic as a vet assistant. I'm currently doing a sea turtle rehab internship and we don't work with the vets that much, so it'll probably only give me 5-10 hours of vet experience by the end of it. I would like to eventually return to the clinic I was working at before my internship, but should I try to get some equine/large animal/exotics experience first to diversify my experience a bit? I do have about 15 years of horseback riding experience, so I know how to handle horses at least, but that's obviously not the same as veterinary experience. My GPA is on the low end (3.48 cGPA and 3.21 sGPA), so I feel like I need to boost my application as much as possible on the experience side. Thanks!!

Hi! I say this not to brag because there is nothing to brag about here but I had better GPAs and significantly more experience than you and it was in specialty medicine. I was denied from every school this cycle I applied to. You have to keep in mind variables that are outside your control, for instance Covid significantly changed what the application process looked like and what was required so you need to stay up to date on what is needed for each school. Also keep in mind a lot of people did not apply during 2020 and 2021 due to Covid but yet this year saw one of the largest ever applicant pools.
Never stop looking for experiences and opportunities to make yourself look like the best potential applicant and be sure to contact any schools you may be interested in ahead of time to find out more helpful information.

 

[abc6]

I applied this cycle and so far have gotten into 2 schools: Midwestern and Oregon! I say get as much experience as you can get your hands on, but also make sure to write a good personal statement! My veterinary experience was not diversified, as I had over 2000 hours of vet experience but it was ALL small animal GP. I only had 34 hours of shadowing an exotic vet. I had diverse animal experience and research experience, including working on my own research project. My GPA was 3.97. So, I don't think my veterinary experience is what got me in, but I do think my personal statement was rather strong and my research kind of set me apart.

 

[gingertabby99]

Thank you all for your replies, they're super helpful!! I'm going to look into finding an equine vet/possibly an exotics vet to shadow once my internship is over

^^ but also show interest in things outside of vet med/ animals, they want to see that you are well-rounded. I personally don't have a ton of vet hours but have a lot of research experience, and I think that helped my application and set me apart... I'd recommend it if you can get your hands on any opportunities!

I have an ongoing job completely unrelated to animals or vet med that I've been doing for a while, plus some non-animal-related hobbies, so I'm hoping all that will make me look well-rounded 😅

I applied this cycle and so far have gotten into 2 schools: Midwestern and Oregon! I say get as much experience as you can get your hands on, but also make sure to write a good personal statement! My veterinary experience was not diversified, as I had over 2000 hours of vet experience but it was ALL small animal GP. I only had 34 hours of shadowing an exotic vet. I had diverse animal experience and research experience, including working on my own research project. My GPA was 3.97. So, I don't think my veterinary experience is what got me in, but I do think my personal statement was rather strong and my research kind of set me apart.

Yes! I had less than 1000 hours of experience but I have no doubt my personal statement carried me in getting several acceptances. The importance of a good personal statement cannot be overstated! Also, consider what makes you unique as an applicant and make that the central theme of your application (tying all essays and experiences back to it).

I've definitely heard the personal statement is more important than a lot of people realize, do either of you (or anyone else lol) have any advice for writing a really solid one? I've been told I'm a pretty good writer but I don't even know where to start with it!

 

[dogtormanda25]

Hi! Adding onto this thread (I didn't want to start a new one for similar thoughts), I am waiting to hear back from 6 vet schools still but wanted to know how I could broaden my experience and make myself a better applicant in case of another application cycle. My cGPA is what is hurting me I assume.. freshman and sophomore year of undergrad I got mainly C's. I retook 2-3 of those science courses for better grades. My last 45 GPA is about a 3.6-3.7. I am currently in UF's shelter medicine certificate and will finish this April. I work at a small animal practice currently as an assistant/ technician for almost 2 years. I have volunteer hours with farm animals and at an equine facility. I am wondering where else I could improve? Should I shadow an equine veterinarian, maybe look into exotics or marine / wildlife? Any advice is helpful, thank you so much in advance !!

 

[Polocrosse2017]

Also look at schools that prioritize the Last 45 hours. Some schools do. Your sGPA could hurt you on cutoffs for some schools. Some schools won't even look at the rest of the application if you don't meet a minimum. The problem is that this minimum can change each year depending on the applicant pool. Call and talk to the schools. Most are more than willing to talk to you.

 

[that redhead]

Hi! Adding onto this thread (I didn't want to start a new one for similar thoughts), I am waiting to hear back from 6 vet schools still but wanted to know how I could broaden my experience and make myself a better applicant in case of another application cycle. My cGPA is what is hurting me I assume.. freshman and sophomore year of undergrad I got mainly C's. I retook 2-3 of those science courses for better grades. My last 45 GPA is about a 3.6-3.7. I am currently in UF's shelter medicine certificate and will finish this April. I work at a small animal practice currently as an assistant/ technician for almost 2 years. I have volunteer hours with farm animals and at an equine facility. I am wondering where else I could improve? Should I shadow an equine veterinarian, maybe look into exotics or marine / wildlife? Any advice is helpful, thank you so much in advance !!

I would look into diversifying your vet experience, not just animal experience. Like who does the farm animal or equine facility use for their vet? Start with them.

The idea is that you appreciate and respect the breadth of veterinary medicine. So getting both large and small experience is valuable to demonstrating that you have an idea what vet med is like outside of the GP/specialty clinic setting.

 

[katiemcat]

Honestly, for people with <3.8 GPA, your state school is going to be your best shot. I moved back home with my parents a few months ago so that I would be in-state for a school I thought I could get into/ use as a safety school. If it is realistic for you, maybe consider moving to a state where your stats fall in line with admitted IS students' statistics and working at a local animal hospital the year you are applying. This way, you can be considered "in state" for a school other than UF since it seems like UF is not prioritizing their in-state kiddos like most vet schools do.

UF does accept more (usually double) IS than OOS students. I am IS.

 

[abc6]

Thank you all for your replies, they're super helpful!! I'm going to look into finding an equine vet/possibly an exotics vet to shadow once my internship is over

I have an ongoing job completely unrelated to animals or vet med that I've been doing for a while, plus some non-animal-related hobbies, so I'm hoping all that will make me look well-rounded


I've definitely heard the personal statement is more important than a lot of people realize, do either of you (or anyone else lol) have any advice for writing a really solid one? I've been told I'm a pretty good writer but I don't even know where to start with it!

I started writing mine a year before the application was due, and I had A LOT of people read it. I had people from SDN, Reddit, and multiple counselors from my school read it. They gave amazing feedback but it definitely got a little overwhelming bc they were all telling me different things. The prompt this last cycle was to write about what made you interested in veterinary medicine, so I would start with that and work on it as you go!

 

[Border Goat Bananas]

UF does accept more (usually double) IS than OOS students. I am IS.

Really? I’ve heard the exact opposite of UF and that they prefer OOS.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

I'm currently doing a sea turtle rehab internship and we don't work with the vets that much, so it'll probably only give me 5-10 hours of vet experience by the end of it.

Break this up into animal experience and vet experience so they can see how many hours total you spent doing rehab!

 

[katiemcat]

Really? I’ve heard the exact opposite of UF and that they prefer OOS.

I don’t think that’s true at all.

https://education.vetmed.ufl.edu/wordpress/files/2022/08/Class-of-2026-Statistics-Report.pdf

My class is 98 IS 42 OOS
It’s not on the report but I believe the OOS accepted GPA was higher than IS as well.

 

[anxiousanimallover]

Do you have to have research to get in? I got rejected from 3/5 schools, waiting to hear from one and waitlisted at another. I had a terrible experience with required research for a freshman year lab where the TA was horribly mean to me and that averted me from research my whole undergraduate making me never want to do it again.

 

[JaynaAli]

Do you have to have research to get in?

absolutely not.

 

[anxiousanimallover]

absolutely not.

it doesn't avert admissions at all? Should I pay attention to applying to schools my next application cycle that aren't research focused?

 

[JaynaAli]

it doesn't avert admissions at all? Should I pay attention to applying to schools my next application cycle that aren't research focused?

I mean if you’re saying you want to be a researcher and you don’t have any experience that might be a negative but the vast majority of applicants won’t have any major research experience nor will they go into a research field. Can it be a good experience to have? Sure. But I guarantee an adcom will be able to tell whether you’re just doing it to check a box or something you’re actually interested in and passionate about. If it were required to be admitted it would be a requirement and it is not.

Edit to add: I mean, technically it sounds like you DO have research experience? I also did a freshman research thing and hated it. I phrased it on my app/when asked that I learned a lot about how labs function and reaized during the experience that non-clinical bench research is not for me. No more no less. If you’re phrasing your experience like you did in your post I can see that being a turnoff.

 

[anxiousanimallover]

I mean if you’re saying you want to be a researcher and you don’t have any experience that might be a negative but the vast majority of applicants won’t have any major research experience nor will they go into a research field. Can it be a good experience to have? Sure. But I guarantee an adcom will be able to tell whether you’re just doing it to check a box or something you’re actually interested in and passionate about. If it were required to be admitted it would be a requirement and it is not.

Edit to add: I mean, technically it sounds like you DO have research experience? I also did a freshman research thing and hated it. I phrased it on my app/when asked that I learned a lot about how labs function and reaized during the experience that non-clinical bench research is not for me. No more no less. If you’re phrasing your experience like you did in your post I can see that being a turnoff.

I see, thank you. That helps a lot, and a good explanation behind it. And no I will not be going into research.... EVER lol

 

[lbcsg1030]

Has anyone done the GAP/ Certificate in Vet Science from Illinois? Is it worth it?

 

[VeggieTrex]

Has anyone done the GAP/ Certificate in Vet Science from Illinois? Is it worth it?

I have a write up on it back a few pages. I really love the program and would recommend it. Summer sounds hard though.

 

[alabamaslamma]

Really? I’ve heard the exact opposite of UF and that they prefer OOS.

There’s really no such thing as “prefering” IS vs OOS. Schools have a set number of IS seats, contract seats if applicable, and a set number of OOS seats. The pools are completely separate and you’re not competing against anyone outside of the pool you are in based on residency.

 

[lbcsg1030]

I have a write up on it back a few pages. I really love the program and would recommend it. Summer sounds hard though.

In this thread? or on another? Thank you!

 

[VeggieTrex]

In this thread? or on another? Thank you!

It's in another thread titled something like "A halfway review of Illinois Post-Bac' or something like that. I can also answer questions in DMs!

 

[lbcsg1030]

It's in another thread titled something like "A halfway review of Illinois Post-Bac' or something like that. I can also answer questions in DMs!

Found it thanks! I’ll definitely reach out!