<p>I am a high school senior who will be attending Drew University come fall as a biology major with the intent of applying to Vet School. I have been doing research for quite some time now as to what requirements are needed to get into vet school and as to what courses I will need to take while doing my under-grad studies. In the midst of all this reading I have noticed that it is recommended to have a lot of hands-on experience. Could someone who has experience with this whole process please explain to me what is actually meant by that?</p>
<p>Are vet-schools looking for individuals who have worked at a vet office? Or for individuals who have worked as non-licenses vet assistants? Or are vet schools looking for individuals who have spent any sort of time with animals? </p>
<p>What is the best option? What looks most impressive and what offers the most valuable hands-on experience? </p>
<p>Hi, seems no one answered your question… so I thought I would Well, my daughter will be a senior in high school this year (2009-2010) and as we speak, she is volunteering with a local vets office 2x a week. It is a vet we use and we mentioned it one time…about possibly having her volunteer, etc. ., and at the time, she was too young (16) but now almost 18, we brought it up again - she prepared some school references and a resume - and the vet called her (after 2 weeks of waiting) and agreed to have her volunteer (observe and get some hands on as he sees fit )…and so far so good.</p>
<p>Prior to that, she hooked up with an equine vet locally that agreed to let her ride with him as he has a “route” - he goes from barn to barn where his various "patients " are…and she has done that on various occasions in the past couple years on school breaks etc. since he does this primarily during the week and she is usually in school.</p>
<p>Another good option is to contact the local humane society and see what they will let you do. Ours here has vet techs that my daughter could have “shadowed” with, but you have to be 18, and since she won’t be 18 until Nov., that has to wait.</p>
<p>Hi, sorry for just dropping on this board, but I also have a question.
Looony2nz -
I am a senior in high school and have always wanted to be a vet/doctor.
I have been volunteering at a hospital for about a year, and it is not my thing. I want to volunteer at a vet office/clinic/shelter, but they all want 18 year olds. By the time I am 18, I will be in college. Should I wait to volunteer for 4 years in college? or is that too late?</p>
<p>I know you weren’t directing the question to me, but I think I can help. The sooner you get experience, the better of course, but if you don’t start til college that’s still plenty of time. It’s definitely not too late. Vet schools expect a lot of experience, but I think you definitely have enough time to get that experience during your 4 years of college. After all, there’s people who don’t even decide they want to be a vet until they get to college, so you already have a leg up knowing that’s what you want to do.</p>
<p>I also will be a freshman studying prevet med next year. I’ve been working at a local vet hospital for the past three years. i’ve learned so much from working there and i can do a lot of stuff the vet techs can do- ie run blood work, collect blood, assist the vet in exams and procedures, care for hospitalized patients, and run various other health tests. the vets i work with are great and always explain everything to me. that’s what vet schools are looking for when they require “experience.”</p>
<p>update - my daughter got lucky enough to volunteer / assist with that vet the whole summer…I would say at least 12-15 hours a week for about 8 weeks. It just happened to be the vet that we used (for my bird and he agreed to talk to her in June now that she was closer to 18 (in Nov) and we gave him a copy of her resume we had been preparing for colleges anyway and some references … and well, it worked out great. She loves it and they like her !! They are disspointed that she is starting school next week…however, she can still come in Saturdays for a couple hours. (she has a regular part time job so that comes first) but this is still a great opportunity. </p>
<p>I would say that most vet offices would want the 18+ year olds for liability reasons, but its at their discretion, I guess my daughter got lucky to get in before she was 18.</p>
<p>UCD publishes a summary the stats of their recent acceptees into their vet school and the total number of hours of the current class is over 3000! That’s a lot of time to spend in just 4 years so I am thinking that working for a shelter, any documented work you have done with your own animals…4-H, FFA, training programs sponsored by the AKC like Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Animal would count if they were done in high school. I don’t know that and haven’t called the school but how else can a kid complete a really rigorous course of study with a 3.0 or better, work, volunteer and an have a social life?</p>
<p>I think I will have my D call UCD and ask then I will let you know.</p>
<p>Can some of you students call the vet schools in your area and ask them?</p>
<p>I believe the hours only count once you’re in college. I volunteered at a vet my senior year in high school for over 80 hours but was told by the pre-vet advisor at my college that those hours won’t be accepted in a vet school application. However, I volunteered all summer at a local vet near my university and they are now employing me as a technician. I’m getting more experience now than I was as a volunteer because I am able to learn more/do more and it’s a nice bonus to get paid for it. A lot of the other techs I work with applied/are applying to vet school and certainly have a LOT of experience hours (and subsequently were accepted to UPenn). You also have to take into consideration that people may work full time as a tech or gaining other experience before going to vet school which would up the avg number of hours for an incoming class.</p>
<p>You most definitely don’t have to be 18 to work in a vet’s office. I started volunteering at an Animal Hospital in early July and was hired in August as a part time veterinary technician. Sure, it no longer counts as volunteer work, but I now have a paying job in one of my desired career fields.</p>
and he agreed to talk to her in June now that she was closer to 18 (in Nov) and we gave him a copy of her resume we had been preparing for colleges anyway and some references … and well, it worked out great. She loves it and they like her !! They are disspointed that she is starting school next week…however, she can still come in Saturdays for a couple hours. (she has a regular part time job so that comes first) but this is still a great opportunity. </p>