Editor’s note: Becoming a veterinarian is a challenging, but rewarding pursuit. Since there are only a handful of vet schools across the country, the hardest part can be finding someone to steer you along the right path. You are not alone! As a way of promoting Braxton’s 2012 Wellness Fair, which will feature a variety of pet experts including veterinarians, we have asked Emily Windle, a second year vet student at the University of Pennsylvania, to write a brief summary of her experience so far. Thanks Emily! – NCL
I have always been an animal person. Even though I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to vet school while in High School, I knew I wanted to go to a good college so I worked hard and got the best grades I could. Once in college, I started thinking more about becoming a veterinarian. I was interested in the sciences, and decided to major in biochemistry, which did well to prepare me for the types of courses one can expect to take in vet school.
After college, I finally decided that I wanted to become a veterinarian. I volunteered at a clinic and took a job as a veterinary technician assistant in order to get hands-on experience with animals, as well as an understanding of the responsibilities a veterinarian can expect on a day-to-day basis. This is something I highly recommend doing before you apply. It’s also not a bad idea to explore other areas of veterinary medicine, such as food animal medicine, wildlife medicine, and conservation medicine.
The Application Process: Once you are ready to apply to vet school, there is some preparation you can do to make the process as easy as possible:
- Make sure you know the prerequisites for the schools you are interested in. The best place to get information like this is the VMCAS website. Every school has different requirements, so make sure you are prepared before you apply and start interviewing.
- Get a clear idea about why you want to go to vet school. It is easier to write your personal statement if you have a good idea of why you are applying. Again, working with veterinarians in different settings, and with different types of animals, can help you get a better sense of what you want to do.
- Study hard for the GRE’s! A strong GRE score can help further your application to later rounds of the selection process.
Once you get to vet school, expect to study a lot and be ready for some weekends spent at the anatomy lab and library. There is a ton of information that you are expected to learn in a relatively short amount of time, which can sometimes be overwhelming, but once you make it through that first anatomy exam, the feeling of accomplishment is pretty awesome. In addition, going through such intense schooling with around 100 other students creates a strong sense of community and bonding. I have met some really incredible people in vet school that I know will be my friends for years to come. Overall, vet school is a great choice if you love animals, people, and science. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at ewindle@vet.upenn.edu.
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*Photo courtesy of American Mutt-i-grees Club.
Emily Windle is a second year veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She plans on working with small animals (dogs and cats) after graduation and possibly moving towards wildlife medicine sometime down the road.
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