Holidays for Pre-Veterinary Students

The holidays.. ahhh, a chance to leave the studies behind for a brief moment and focus on family & friends.

Here at the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS), we're hard at preparing the new application for the VMCAS 2017 Application Cycle. There are lessons learned, tweaks to make and information to get out to you so you can be best positioned to submit the highest quality application possible. 

As we do every year, let's start things off at the begining with "Veterinary School Admissions 101." 

Grades

Duh, you say. Of course you have to have good grades to be competitive. Although a 4.0 will certainly help you, it's not an absolute necessity.

Why are grades important? They can indicate your intelligence, your study habits, and your dedication and drive to succeed. Those are all qualities veterinary schools are looking for when they evaluate applicants. When a school sees an "A," they think you studied hard, did well, and learned.

Prerequisites

You could have a 4.0 GPA and still not get into veterinary school if you haven't completed the prerequisites required for admission. Make sure you know your prospective schools' requirements when you plan your undergraduate classes. Fortunately, most schools have similar requirements. For more information and links to U.S. veterinary colleges, visit the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) website at www.aavmc.org.

Majors

You don't have to be a pre-vet major to get into vet school – you just need to get the prerequisite coursework completed and do well. We've seen vet students whose undergraduate majors were math, engineering, English, and many others. Once you're in vet school, the playing field is equal. It's important to enjoy your undergrad studies by picking a major that you are passionate about—not simply the "best one" for getting into vet school.

Experience

If you've been in 4-H, FFA or a similar group, that's great experience that should go on your veterinary school admission form. Similarly, working with animals in any way can be of value. For example, volunteering at shelters or rescues can provide animal handling experience that will help make you a better candidate.

It goes without saying that volunteering or working for a veterinarian is very important. Not only does it expose you to your potential career (so you know what you're getting into, so to speak), but it also might provide a good recommendation for you from the veterinarian.

Leadership Skills

Leadership experience, such as holding an office in student government or other groups, is a big plus. Get involved in your pre-vet club, student government, fraternity/sorority, or other organization. If one of these doesn't exist, get some others together and start a club of your own!

Communication Skills

Because veterinarians' patients can't really talk and tell them what's wrong, people tend to think that communication skills are less important. That couldn't be more untrue. It's essential for veterinarians to have good communications skills so their clients can understand what's going on with their animals and do their parts to help resolve the problem. Coursework or extracurricular activities that improve your communication skills are definitely helpful...not to mention it can help you when it comes to the interview.

Letters of Recommendation

Get to know your professors. Sure, a professor can write a letter stating that you got an "A" in their class, but can they say anything else about you? A good letter of recommendation comes from a person who knows who you really are. You can get to know professors by attending office hours, volunteering in their research projects, or joining a club that they advise. Check with the vet schools you are applying to for their requirements of who they want the letters to come from—usually they want to hear not only from your professors, but also vets that you have worked with.

Standardized Tests

Standardized tests? Again? And you thought that was over when you finished high school! The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required by most veterinary schools, and some also require the Biology GRE. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is also accepted by some schools in place of the GRE. Find out where you can take the exam and what preparation you need to succeed. For a listing of each accredited veterinary school's requirements, go to the AAVMC site at www.aavmc.org. More information can be found at http://www.ets.org/gre/.

Have fun!

All work and no play can actually make you a less desirable candidate. Not all of your courses and extracurricular activities should be 100% focused on meeting the admission requirements. Do the things you like, join the clubs you find fun, and enjoy your life.

 

Important Tips from Penn Vet to Keep Pets Safe on Thanksgiving

[November 16, 2015; Philadelphia, PA] – Dr. Kenneth Drobatz, Chief of the Emergency Service at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital, offers the following tips to keep pets healthy and out of the emergency room this Thanksgiving:

Festive Foods

Maintain your pet’s regular diet. Treats of turkey, ham, gravy, cookies, and other goodies can lead to gastrointestinal upsets like diarrhea and vomiting.

Dispose of all bones carefully so that pets cannot get to them. Poultry bones are particularly dangerous, as they can splinter and cut the intestines or get lodged in your pet’s esophagus.

Guilty pleasures for humans, like chocolate and alcohol, can be toxic to pets. Keep chocolate, nuts, and alcoholic beverages out-of-reach from your pets, as they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or a condition called pancreatitis, which can be deadly. Grapes and raisins can be toxic to pets, as well.

Be sure that everyone in your family knows and understands what your pets can and cannot consume.

In Case of Emergency

As with any potential emergency, immediate attention from a veterinarian is imperative. Penn Vet’s Emergency Service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital is the only institution in the country recognized as both a Level I Facility and a designated Veterinary Trauma Center.

The Emergency Service is staffed by an integrated team of board-certified specialists who attend to each patient’s emergency and critical care needs. Call 215-746-8911 or visit Ryan Hospital at 3900 Spruce Street.

About Penn Vet

Penn Vet is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the only veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health Initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 30,000 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 4,000 patient visits a year, while the Field Service treats nearly 37,000 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.

 

 

Searching for Shelter

Veterinarians in Wisconsin fight homelessness while protecting the human-animal bond

Story and photos by R. Scott Nolen (Posted Nov. 17, 2015: JAVMA NEWS)

Once upon a time, Nicole was married and a homeowner. She had a catering business and plans to become a small animal veterinarian.

Then Nicole got sick. Chronic fatigue, muscle pain, and dizziness. She spent six years either hospitalized or bedridden. Eventually, Nicole’s disorder was diagnosed as adrenal insufficiency, a potentially fatal condition in which the adrenal glands fail to produce sufficient amounts of cortisol. By then, she was divorced, thousands of dollars in debt, and living on the streets of Madison, Wisconsin.

“You know people are homeless, that homelessness exists. It blew my mind when it was me,” said Nicole, 38, who asked not to use her last name. “I’m the kind of person the safety net is supposed to catch: educated, middle-class. I’ve worked my whole life, I don’t have any legal problems. I shouldn’t be sitting in a parking lot because I have no better place to go.”

Emma has been Nicole’s constant companion through it all. Nicole adopted the German Shepherd-Siberian Husky mix when the dog was 1 year old, just before Nicole’s world came crashing down. “I fell through the cracks. Everyone lost faith in me, everyone except for Emma,” she said. “If it wasn’t for her, I’m certain I wouldn’t be here.”

Nationwide, 578,424 people were homeless on a single night in January 2014, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s report to Congress that same year. While it’s difficult to say how many of them care for a pet, a 2009 study in the journal Psychological Reports put the number at 5.5 percent. However, the percentage of pet owners who are precariously housed—that is, experiencing housing instability ranging from facing eviction to living with friends or family—is likely much higher, homeless experts say.

Emma is now 15, and her health is starting to decline. Emma is arthritic, and a kidney illness requires that she eat a special diet. Nicole says her disability payments aren’t enough to cover the veterinary bills. “I’ve been just grieving because I couldn’t afford to take her to the vet,” she said.

Nicole recently learned about Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education, and Social Services, a program started by the University of Wisconsin-Madison schools of veterinary medicine and social work for local pet owners who are homeless or precariously housed. WisCARES’ ultimate aim is protecting the human-animal bond by providing disadvantaged pet owners with free veterinary care and social services support, including housing resources. [READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE]