Hi, everyone! I am so grateful to have been accepted to veterinary school for this upcoming fall semester. Now that the initial excitement is slowly dissipating, I am curious if any veterinary students have tips or advice for the spring/summer leading to vet school. Also, is there anything I should include in my wishlist of supplies that may be useful for vet school? I appreciate any help you can provide!
Tips for Incoming Veterinary Students
- Thread starter mycatkiwi
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Number one tip: Do NOT try to pre-study or do anything this summer. Enjoy your time off to veg out and do nothing. Rest up, do fun stuff, travel and visit people. But don’t study. Whatever you could possibly teach yourself will be a drop in the bucket and not worth the time. The school will teach you what you need to know when you need to know it. Enjoy your summer.
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There's really not anything extra you need for vet school didactics that you didn't already have for undergrad. You may need to relearn how to study depending on the subject. So maybe the school supplies will change. But didactics in vet school are fundamentally the same, just larger volume in shorter time
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The school will usually provide a list of actual supplies you need…things like rubber boots and lab coats and a dissection kit. But some places want you to buy specific things or like specific colors, so I’d just be patient and wait until they start sending out info packets that include stuff like that late this spring.
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Biggest advice I have: Learn to meal prep because there are many days I will go to bed hungry because I’m too tired to cook dinner. Get into an exercise routine, this will help with mental health and giving yourself time to unwind. Finally, start talking to a therapist or working with a doctor about mental health issues. My doctor has been a god send in keeping me sane during vet school.
FrogAndToad
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Does anyone have a favorite meal prep recipe book/site? Any advice on the food/exercise routines and boundries with studying that worked for people during vet school?
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It came down to having a consistent schedule. You can do anything in vet school *if you prioritize it*. So I made a list of what was important and made my schedule around that.
A really common example is having pets during vet school. I knew I would not want to prioritize a pet's care compared to other things (lunch lectures, evening labs/events, traveling, etc.). So I didn't bring a pet or adopt one during school.
A really common example is having pets during vet school. I knew I would not want to prioritize a pet's care compared to other things (lunch lectures, evening labs/events, traveling, etc.). So I didn't bring a pet or adopt one during school.
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Is it normal to feel kind of disenchanted after committing to vet school?
I don't think I'm to the point that I'm having thoughts about declining my seat. but now it's hitting me, ill be in school for four years and at the end of it practicing in veterinary medicine will still be as emotionally draining and challenging as it ever was and maybe even moreso with the added responsibility of being the clinician.
I don't think I'm to the point that I'm having thoughts about declining my seat. but now it's hitting me, ill be in school for four years and at the end of it practicing in veterinary medicine will still be as emotionally draining and challenging as it ever was and maybe even moreso with the added responsibility of being the clinician.
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Yeah, I'll second this. I'm an athlete and throughout vet school (and grad school), I maintained a regular training schedule, even now while I'm on clinics. It meant that I had to decide what I was going to sacrifice (I put sleep on the chopping block because I can function well on lower sleep hours) and actively make time for what I do, but it's been essential for my mental health.
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Meal prep: pinterest recipes. If I had chicken breast and some ingredients I'd just type those in and have a recipe. Or I'd make big stir fries and rice for a week. Or stews are easy as well. I also eat the same breakfasts for month on end (usually oatmeal or toast and fruit)
Exercise: I live a 40 minute walk from school so made it priority so I'd spend time outdoors and got a good walk in. But outdoor time is MUCH more important to me than hard exercise. (Coming from a farm/equine almost vet).
Boundaries: school stayed at school. Whether I was there 7am-7pm or 10am-3pm. I rarely did school at home unless I was not feeling well. If I was really sick then I wouldn't open my laptop and stayed off screen to relax.
My program had exams only at ends of the semesters though. So might need to adjust the boundaries to your program.
