WAMC c/o 2029 non-science major

[vcuvet2028]

Hi, first time poster, long time lurker here.

21 y/o male, Virginia resident, I will graduate from a large state school sometime in 2024, I haven't ironed out the details yet. I will start my app in Spring 2024 but I will still have pre-reqs to complete into the Fall of that year. I am a humanities major (Anthropology), and I didn't start taking my pre-req classes until this last fall, I had some struggles in the intro classes, C's in Chem 1 and 2, and B's in Bio 1 and 2. I am getting into the upper level courses this coming semester and I am worried that I'm going to dig my science GPA into an even bigger hole if I don't get my act together. I just finished Physics 1 and got a B, so that is raising my spirits but I'm still worried. My cumulative GPA has also taken a hit from a D that I got this last semester in one of my major classes, I had some health issues going on towards the end of the semester and took a bad grade on the final, which hurt me tremendously. I'm wondering if instead of vet school applications I should be looking towards a graduate school or post-bacc program to raise my science GPA and last 45. I'm interested in small animal surgery, public health, and working animals; I plan on commissioning to the Army during the first year of school. Any and all advice would be helpful. I don't really have a list of schools I'm interested in, I just want one that will take me that isn't further west than Kansas, I'll consider Western/UofA but the cost of living is too high for me out west if that isn't my only option.

BSc in Anthropology, minors in Chemistry and Biology (2024)

Current Science GPA (8 upper level classes remaining + labs): 3.04
Cumulative GPA (4 class + internship remaining in degree): 3.34
not going to include last 45 as this will largely be determined by the upcoming school year, my current trend is downward though.

Veterinary experience
~1700 hours (300+ planned) at local busy small animal practice as an assistant/unlicensed tech
~200 hours small animal surgical observation w/ two doctors at same clinic
~20-30 hours ambulatory equine shadowing
~300 hours (planned) - taking a new job this coming semester with a single Dr. practice (he is also my club's advisor), keeping my old job but just working weekends
- I plan on working at the equine clinic I shadowed at next summer, est. about 300 hours.

Animal Experience
- My dad owns/runs a service dog organization for disabled veterans, I have worked for him and with the dogs off and on since I was about 13, I have no idea how many hours this may be as I was never paid/never kept track, but it's a lot. My duties were essentially as a kennel tech, but I also have had a large hand in training the dogs as well and as serving as an instructor for the veterans and their dogs. I've been working a lot more with him in the last year and this has re-sparked my interest in working animals.
- pet sitting since I was a kid
- I plan on taking a work study research assistantship in the spring with one my biology professors, she's doing some research on frogs which will require their handling, this should run me about 200 hours

Research
~300 hours - I was a research assistant for one of my Archaeology professors for two semesters, he had me create actual inundation maps and inundation risk maps for an area he was investigating in Zambia using ArcGIS, some coding in Python was also required for this. I will be credited in the paper, but it's not going to be published for a while as its new research.

Extracurriculars
College:
President and founder of school's pre-vet club - this will be 4 semester's worth of experience when I graduate
Big brother - big brother big sister's program - I started this in the Spring, I hang out with my "little brother" a few times a month - good experience that I wanted to have since I was in the program when I was younger
Presidential Student Ambassador - selective position, I am a line between the University president and the student body, we meet once a week - I also am required to do clerical work in the president's office once a week
Intramural basketball

Highschool:
Varsity Captain of 2 sports, State DECA champion, DECA world's finalist, raised a lot of money for Stand Up to Cancer for DECA

Non animal work
I have been working since I was 14 to help the fam out with bills, my first job was at Publix bagging/stocking, and I did that for 2 years. Various other food service jobs between then and now, pizza delivery, ice cream, another grocery store. Certainly builds character. - Probably around 1000-1500 hours for all this.

Awards
- selective military affiliation scholarship for college
- Varsity letters in high school
- Dean's list x4

Essay
My surgical shadowing was really my most eye-opening and developing experience, I want to take anecdotes from this experience to explain career choice and relate it to my plans of joining the military. Really haven't thought hard about this much, so it could change.

LOR
I have a lot of choices, mainly because I work with a lot of good people and they have all given me the indication they would write a LOR for me, I need to narrow my choices down.
1) Dr that I shadowed under for surgery
2) Hospital's medical director/oldest Dr. - I also have watched a lot of his surgeries, he also teaches ultrasonography at various schools
3) Pre-vet club advisor, also a Dr, will be working at his clinic this Fall
4) Lead LVT - 25 years experience - she is probably the one that can speak best to my drive and ability to work with animals, she has taught me essentially everything I know in this field from a technical standpoint
5) Vet I assist the most for at main clinic - also can speak to my drive/ability

Like I said earlier, I'm approaching my senior year, and need to make the decisions on what I'm actually going to do, my advisors are next to no help as I go to a state school with too many people and no vet program, and my parents aren't professionals so they have no idea either. So, post-bacc/grad school, take a gap year, or apply and see what happens?

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[eleanor713]

I think a post bacc or masters program would definitely be something to look into. A lot of schools post their GPA cutoffs and average GPAs for the incoming class so if you start making a list of schools definitely try to find that information. Any program like a masters or post bacc would also show schools that you’re able to handle the vet school curriculum. The rest of your application looks really good so I think the GPA boost should be a big focus. Also if you’re able to get any farm experience that would be an added bonus

 

[woofers7]

A downward trend does not look good for admissions because some schools will look into last 45 alone. I would look into schools that do grade replacement. You need to retake the prerequisite that you did not do well in and you need to get kick butt. You can apply to master programs but even master programs has gpa cutoffs as well.

I completely understand that you do not want to move far but if you have to maybe come into terms that you may have to move states or even out of country if this is what you want to do. You need to apply strategically but also realistically.

As someone who has a autoimmune disease, I would make sure your health is first. Vet school will also be there.

 

[vcuvet2028]

A downward trend does not look good for admissions because some schools will look into last 45 alone. I would look into schools that do grade replacement. You need to retake the prerequisite that you did not do well in and you need to get kick butt. You can apply to master programs but even master programs has gpa cutoffs as well.

I completely understand that you do not want to move far but if you have to maybe come into terms that you may have to move states or even out of country if this is what you want to do. You need to apply strategically but also realistically.

As someone who has an autoimmune disease, I would make sure your health is first. Vet school will also be there.

Say the trend is upward instead, considering the next 3.5 semesters I have to take will equal about 45 credits, what then? should I still consider retaking those classes that I didn’t do so well in?

 

[woofers7]

Say the trend is upward instead, considering the next 3.5 semesters I have to take will equal about 45 credits, what then? should I still consider retaking those classes that I didn’t do so well in?

Absolutely. You should be retaking the pre-reqs that you did not do well in. Since you are a VA resident, VMVC does state that any pre-req course that is repeated, the highest grade will be used. But any repeated and original grade will be averaged with cumulative and last 45 gpa. I would also calculate your VMCAS GPA to see where you may possibly stand if you haven't done so already.

Source: Calculating Your VMCAS GPAs

 

[vcuvet2028]

Absolutely. You should be retaking the pre-reqs that you did not do well in. Since you are a VA resident, VMVC does state that any pre-req course that is repeated, the highest grade will be used. But any repeated and original grade will be averaged with cumulative and last 45 gpa. I would also calculate your VMCAS GPA to see where you may possibly stand if you haven't done so already.

Source: Calculating Your VMCAS GPAs

Thanks, and yeah I used the table they provided to calculate my science GPA