Process of becoming a specialist

[sph417]

Hello!

I will be attending vet school next year and I would love to hear some feedback about the process and how hard it is to become a specialist.

I’ve been working under board certified surgeons as a scrub assistant for the past 3 year and have had a passion for surgery since I was young. I have been pretty dead set on specializing in either surgery or radiology eventually.

I have heard a lot about your grades in vet school really matter for residency and it’s super competitive.

Can anyone tell me how I can excel in vet school or what I can do so the odds will be in my favor?

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[VIN-Foundation]

The quickest path is vet school -> rotating internship ->residency

Most rotating internships and surgery residences in North America go through VIRMP (the match). Internships are fairly competitive and some residencies are very competitive, small animal surgery and radiology being two of them ... competitive enough that some applicants end up doing a specialty internship after a rotating internship before getting a residency.

Academics are important but it's also important to learn the material and do well in clinical rotations in order to get good recommendations.

I'm sure the surgeon you've worked with can offer some advice so I would stay in touch with them. Once you start veterinary school there will be mentors and other faculty who can help.

Good luck!

 

[SocialStigma]

Make an effort to get to know and stand out on surgery rotations, get involved in research, and do your best to maintain a high GPA/class rank.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions, I'm a surgeon (small animal).