<p>Are vet schools easier to get into outside of CA?</p>
<p>Hi, y'all.</p>
<p>I feel my thread has been hijacked</p>
<p>Have made it clear:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>son is avg to above avg student who is struggling to find who he is and what he wants</p></li>
<li><p>son comes from highly educated and literate family</p></li>
<li><p>son is adopted with special needs</p></li>
<li><p>son doesn't want and couldn't make either med school or vet school</p></li>
<li><p>son wants to explore not DVM education, hopefully at highest level so that he can afford to live and eat</p></li>
<li><p>we live on the east coast, so info on CA schools and their stats are not helpful at all</p></li>
<li><p>son is a good kid who hates the mean people he's surrounded by</p></li>
<li><p>son doesn't need a year off to reflect...who has money for that???</p></li>
<li><p>if son works fulltime, he might never return to school</p></li>
<li><p>while i respect each of you and what you are trying to do...son is neither so smart as to even discuss med/vet school, nor so stupid as to dig ditches</p></li>
<li><p>sadly (?) when i post it's usually to try to get meaninful help for a child who has struggled all of his life in one way or another. we all want a 4-yr program, because that seems to be essential these days...and not vocational...but we don't want to put him out over his head nor fail to challenge him</p></li>
<li><p>the thread has gotten way off base</p></li>
<li><p>thank you to those who tried to address our problem...we should be so fortunate to have a child who could be a doctor or a lawyer or be able to attend a highly challenging tier 1 school. I have to laugh at the whiny people on this board who complain that their DSs and DDs have to settle for schools my son could only dream of. I think that's the problem with society today...too many highly intelligent kids and parents complaining that they don't have more of the pie, while totally ignoring those kind and sincere others out their who are just earnestly seeking the crumbs.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry if I sound a bit jaded; I am.</p>
<p>OB</p>
<p>"Now he's working for a wonderful, well-respected, large veterinary clinic outside of Wash DC and is just loving every single minute of it. "
Why doesn't he ask some of the veterinary assistants at this clinic about THEIR schooling and recommendations. Around here there are never too many openings for assistants. The ones working there never leave. Some are allowed to become involved with some pretty sophisticated procedures. I would research locally at different clinics, especially through pet owners who "love" their clinic, to find out more about this occupation.</p>
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<p>hmm where to make the most out of my $.02, and point out that maybe the well intentioned path is not leading this student where he could go.</p>
<p>* son is avg to above avg student who is struggling to find who he is and what he wants*</p>
<p>many are- all the more reason to attend a school where a good broad based education can be earned ( note the earned- will come back to that later)</p>
<p>son comes from highly educated and literate family</p>
<p>great- sounds like lots of support and examples are available for further education.</p>
<p>son is adopted with special needs</p>
<p>Adopted isn't relevant- unless his parents have made it be, special needs can be relevant, his IEP from K-12 won't be applicable, but he should have a 504 which outlines areas to be addressed in college. You will find students with a wide range of circumstances earning degrees.</p>
<p>Both my kids are bright with learning disabilties, the oldest just graduated from a very tough college last year in biology. However, we don't have the background of being highly educated, ( I dropped out of high school- my husband only finished high school because of the vocational programs offered)
We both read a lot ( especially online!- I don't know if you would call it literature though ;) )</p>
<p>son doesn't want and couldn't make either med school or vet school</p>
<p>If he doesn't want vet school- then that information isn't needed, I agree. So a parent hypothesizing that he can't be accepted into a professional school, isn't applicable.
I do believe there are many community college type programs that offer vet tech work, but the people actually in the field can give the best info.
Its been my belief, that college is not just or even primarily " about", getting a job. The acquisition of a 4 year degree places you in a still rarefied pool, and even if you then must undertake more specialized education to enter the field you want, you will be able to move much further than if you only had the narrow job related background.</p>
<p>son wants to explore not DVM education, hopefully at highest level so that he can afford to live and eat</p>
<p>what job he gets would be up to him, I don't think many programs, guarantee salary.</p>
<p>son is a good kid who hates the mean people he's surrounded by</p>
<p>must be rough-</p>
<p>son doesn't need a year off to reflect...who has money for that???</p>
<p>It sounds like he * could* benefit from a year off. Not all students tour Europe on their year off, some volunteer, as my daughter did, with government funded programs, some work, some work and take classes at a community college.</p>
<p>if son works fulltime, he might never return to school</p>
<p>Or he might return to a school more aligned with his dreams and goals as my daughter did.-
Fear of failure is a terrible thing- it holds so many back.</p>
<p>while i respect each of you and what you are trying to do...son is neither so smart as to even discuss med/vet school, nor so stupid as to dig ditches</p>
<p>Choosing to earn a living through physical labor does not indicate the intelligence of the individual, and deciding whether or not an adult child should attempt professional school, when the first year of college has been barely completed is not within the purview of a parent.</p>
<p><a href="?">i</a> when i post it's usually to try to get meaninful help for a child who has struggled all of his life in one way or another. we all want a 4-yr program, because that seems to be essential these days...and not vocational...but we don't want to put him out over his head nor fail to challenge him*</p>
<p>I realize it is very tough to raise a child, and even more challenging to raise a child with special needs. I have two of them. Neither I nor my husband have a college background or much ( any) money. Our family has also had additonal challenges making it even more difficult to even get them through high school let alone looking at colleges, so I know it is frustrating.
But it is their life- they will have final say over what they can aim for, and hard work can take you farther along your path than brute intelligence.</p>
<p>Having learning challenges, teaches children perseverance, a quality that they can draw on again and again in their life.</p>
<p>* thread has gotten way off base*</p>
<p>Oh well, welcome to CC! :D check out the Duke laX thread sometime!</p>
<p>I'll leave you with two book recommendations
Psychology of Success</p>
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<p>Great chart comparing Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technologists, Pre-Vet Students, Veterinarian
<a href="http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/teamchart.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/teamchart.html</a></p>
<p>Duties of the Registered Veterinary Technician
<a href="http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/rvt.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/rvt.html</a></p>
<p>Purdue University, Indiana. On campus program deadline previous November 15. ** Distance Learning deadline July 20 There's still time. **
<a href="http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/%5B/url%5D">http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl/vtdlhome/</a> </p>
<p>Northern Virginia Community College. On-campus and online programs <a href="http://www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/scidiv/VTech/%5B/url%5D">http://www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/scidiv/VTech/</a></p>
<p>Programs accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) - 2007 <a href="http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/allprograms.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/allprograms.asp</a></p>
<p>Gaston College, North Carolina. Application deadline was May 31. <a href="http://www.gaston.cc.nc.us/programs/VetTech/index.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.gaston.cc.nc.us/programs/VetTech/index.htm</a> </p>
<p>Blue Ridge Community College, VA Can't find deadline <a href="http://www1.brcc.edu/vettech/program.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www1.brcc.edu/vettech/program.htm</a></p>
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<p>OrangeBlossom-</p>
<p>I reread your original post and now just read the one you updated #44.</p>
<p>I don't know if you read mine but I will post again with some thoughts.</p>
<p>My oldest daughter has always wanted to be a vet. As that I am a single parent with no college degree the thought of her pursuing that was a little scary.</p>
<p>But with reading books from the library about the subject and her pestering nature she figured out what to do as far as colleges go.</p>
<p>1) She started out at a community college because she knew going in the classes would be difficult and the science classes in particular would be VERY difficult for her. She knew this because math, science were always very, very hard for her. She is a very talented poet, artist and writer. But math and science- a NO GO.</p>
<p>2) She knew with hard work, committment and drive she would take each class one semester at a time. She managed Bio, genetics, Orgo, Physics and calculus. One step at a time. If you had asked her GC or math teacher if she could go to undergrad and get a BS in a science they would have answered with a resounding NO!</p>
<p>3) She completed her 60 units at the CC and transfered to a large state university and it is NOT a tier one school. She again took it one step at a time, one semester at a time. And she took classes in her major (animal science) that she LOVED. It was no longer studying and work. It was her waking up everyday so excited about her animal science classes.</p>
<p>4) She did well because she worked hard and because she was so passionate about it. She will be the first to admit that she trails far behind her 2 younger brothers intellectually (really far) but with that knowledge she knew what was needed from her to succeed in what she wanted to do.</p>
<p>6) While doing her research on equine reproduction she spent a great deal of time cleaning stalls. Required a strong back and a de-sensitized nose. Much like digging ditches. And she would again claim to be not the brightest crayon in the box (don't know if she would go as far to label herself stupid) but definitely not the brilliant label her brothers have. And as she points out daily, she lifts, drags, gets dragged, kicked, bit, scratched and chewed on by the vast majority of animals she treats.</p>
<p>She was stomped on by a very touchy thoroughbred, chased 4 runaway colts down the mainstreet of town at 2 in the morning, kicked by a mule, bit by several pit bulls, delivered many foals covered in blood and fluids, scratched by "kitty kitty" (also known as Mr. Evil), goats who chew her clothes and birds who like to peck, peck her, over and over and over.</p>
<p>I think sometimes she would think of digging ditches as a reprieve.</p>
<p>She didn't think of vet school or becoming a vet as the "Dr." she wanted to be. Rather she thought of it as how many living creatures who have no voice can she help. I encouraged her to do what she loved and to work hard no matter the obstacles and eventually the money will follow.</p>
<p>And maybe OrangeBlossom this is what your son sees and feels. He knows he can make a difference and of course that would bring a smile to his face each time he went into work. Because its NOT WORK. When it feels that good its not work, but joy.</p>
<p>My other daughter, at an OOS public is also a competitive swimmer and diver. She is a D1 athlete on an academic scholarship, while also remaining a collegiate athlete. She also is pre-med, a classics major and wading her way through physics, chem and genetics. She has made Dean's List every semester.</p>
<p>And she also has a learning disability and her SAT scores were many Hundreds of points from her brothers. She too knows that hard work, committment and a desire to overcome many obstacles will take her much farther than being just plain ole' smart. She knows that becoming a physician is much more than formulas and equations.</p>
<p>I related my older daughter's current experience (previous post) as a vet nurse/tech so you could get a feel for the compensation and future earning capacity.</p>
<p>We too live in the southern mid-atlantic so our geographic situation would be similar.</p>
<p>I again will re-iterate that if your son does wish to follow a path in vet med than he does have some options. Many the above posters listed.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son, and if he has found true happiness in a vocation that brings as much joy as an avocation then he is truly blessed.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
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<p>Re #38, were the OCC and OOSC "Applied" numbers not available?</p>
<p>OrangeBlossom:</p>
<p>Here's an interesting website which posts links to all the veterinary and vet tech programs in the country.
<a href="http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/colleges_accredited/colleges_accredited.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/colleges_accredited/colleges_accredited.asp</a>
<a href="http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/vettech_programs.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/vettech_programs.asp</a></p>
<p>The homepage has a links to lots of useful information: <a href="http://www.avma.org/default.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.avma.org/default.asp</a></p>
<p>Links to marketability and salaries for first year employment:
<a href="http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/%5B/url%5D">http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/</a></p>
<p>Your S might find this website valuable for finding suitable programs and evaluating his decision to enter this field.</p>
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<p>vossron
All data received from UC Davis Veterinary school was posted.</p>
<p>"If you son just likes to work with animals and you don't think he is cut out for vet school ( my D's fallback position is med school) after college he can go the voctech route to be a vet's assistant."</p>
<p>I think that was addressing your situation fairly well. If he wants a career working with animals but isn't cut out to be a vet, why not become an assistant?</p>
<p>Delaware Valley College has some good options in animal science. I would check it out. One of my former employees is having a wonderful experience there.</p>
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<p>Here's a typical position in the field:</p>
<p>Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, in the beautiful Finger Lakes area of upstate New York, and home to the College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the top-ranked institutions of veterinary medicine in the world. The mission of the College is to advance animal and human health through education, research, and public service.
The Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology at Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine seeks applicants for Residency in Anatomic Pathology to begin on July 1, 2008. The 3-year residency program is designed to prepare candidates for a career in veterinary pathology and certification by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. The successful applicant will be part of a selected group of 10 residents, mentored by 7 board-certified veterinary pathologists. Training involves exposure to the extensive case material available through the necropsy and surgical pathology services. Learning via responsibility for case material is supplemented by seminars, lectures and rotations through specialty laboratories. Opportunities exist to progress to graduate research training in one of the college’s many outstanding research laboratories. Beginning annual salary level is $33,900. </p>
<p>Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Donald Schlafer, Director of Resident Training, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, telephone (607) 253-3336, e-mail <a href="mailto:ap14@cornell.edu">ap14@cornell.edu</a>. Application materials (curriculum vitae including bibliography, original transcripts, 3 letters of professional reference and a statement of career goals and availability) are required by November 1, 2007. Information about the program is also available at <a href="http://www.vet.cornell.edu/biosci/pathology/residency.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.vet.cornell.edu/biosci/pathology/residency.htm</a>. </p>
<p>Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator </p>
<p>NOTES: Beginning salary level is $33,900</p>
<p>Redcrimblue, I believe that job is for vets, not vet techs. Highly specialized training beyond vet school for someone who wants to work in the academic setting.</p>
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<p>Oh, okay. Given salary I thought it was a tech level job. Thanks.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a sense of undergraduate programs that have proven success for acceptance at vet school programs?</p>
<p>swblocker-- I think there are a few vet schools out there that offer 6-year programs for exceptional hs seniors who want to obtain their dvm. One school that comes to mind that I believe does this is Purdue University.</p>
<p>swblocker: I think that Wells has a 3/2 partnership program w/ Cornell for a DVM</p>
<p>Here is the thing we have learned from our research on the west coast: The vast majority of students on the West Coast who attend the 3 public vet schools attended a public with an animal science degree program like UCD, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly SLO, Oregon State or Washington State. </p>
<p>In conversations with the Pre-vet advisors at west coast privates we have learned that though they have very few students who actually finish the pre-vet course of study that their acceptance rate into vet school is actually higher(approachng 80-90%) than that of the public educated vet school hopefuls. It seems that, while attending a state flagship give you more opportunity to be involved in a pre-vet club with direct access to animals as well as a potentioal "halo effect" when applying to vet schools the LAC experience gives you the personal attention, and hands on nternship and research opportunities that make the recommendation letters sing. It's all in how you look at the stats. </p>
<p>The overall %age of students accepted from publics is higher but the per capita %age of candidates accepted from LACs(at least the ones we have spoken with) is far greater.</p>
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<p>Maybe he should go to vet school to get a job teaching at vet school?
Also, I don't know if you need this helps you, but maybe it will help someone else, there are jobs in pet physical therapy and even animal acupuncher. Also nutritionist (probably more for large animals and pet food companies), dentist (I know there is a two year dentist program somewhere), or pharmacist.</p>
<p>Canine</a> and Equine Rehabilitation Gateway
physical therapy site from uni. Of Tennesse</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>My daughter gained early admission to vet school last year. A couple observations:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Preparing for vet school is hard. The prerequisite undergraduate course work is difficult: inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, physics, genetics, animal nutrition, animal anatomy and physiology, etc. Most vet schools won't even take a serious look at an applicant who has less than a 3.5 cumulative GPA, a very high science GPA, stellar GRE or MCAT scores and lots and lots of animal related work experience. </p></li>
<li><p>Getting into vet school is harder. At my daughter's school, nearly 1,200 applicants applied for 108 first year seats. The admissions stats at all U.S. vet schools are similarly daunting. If you're a non-resident, it's even worse. Many students apply 3 or more times and STILL don't get in.</p></li>
<li><p>Getting through vet school is harder still. At my daughter's school, the average course load is 21 credits per semester, and for the first two years, it's virtually ALL hard science courses (gross anatomy, micro-anatomy, embryology, virology, etc.). If your son doesn't LOVE science, he's going to HATE vet school. Remember this: a D.V.M. program is a SCIENCE based medical curriculum.</p></li>
<li><p>In a DVM program, your son would experience a lot of animal dissection, terminal surgeries (animals that are otherwise healthy are euthanized after students practice surgery on them) and exposure to sick and dying animals. It's not pretty. And many of the "cute" animals that preveterinary students often think of actually bite, kick and scratch. </p></li>
<li><p>Keeping all of the foregoing in mind, what I WOULD suggest is that your son consider getting a bachelor's degree in either animal science or zoology. This will open far more doors to him than will an associate's degree in veterinary technology. After completing the four year degree, if he finds that he really enjoys working with animals, and if he does well, he will be well prepared for applying to veterinary school. If he decides that vet school is not for him, a four year degree in animal science or zoology will give him access to many other animal related careers with good pay, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Not surpisingly, the best undergraduate programs for animal science and zoology are at the same universities where the vet schools are located.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you have further questions or need additional advice, feel free to PM me.</p>
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<p>I'd suggest taking a step back and thinking about what your son really enjoys about the job this summer. If part of what he enjoys is working with the animals, and caring for them, there are other careers that might offer the same sort of satisfaction besides becomming a vet or a vet technician. Here's a good link on careers for people who love animals: Animal-Related</a> Careers</p>
<p>Google amazon for a book called "jobs for people who love animals" or "jobs for people who love pets" -- can't recall the exact name, but it might give your son some other ideas.</p>
<p>But, don't stop there -- encourage your son to think of other ways he might also get the same enjoyment he gets from his current job. For instance, perhaps he might end up working as a teacher or social worker if he enjoys caring and helping. Or, he might do something completely unrelated, but enjoy living in the country and raising lots and lots of pets. Or, he might enjoy taking up a hobby such as horse-back riding where he would experience the same enjoyment of caring for and working with an animal. He may even be able to express that same warmth and caring through raising his own children.</p>
<p>In short, encourage your son to think broadly --- he has identified some qualities that his "ideal job" should have, but it's highly likely that there is more than one way (vet) to get those same qualities into his life. </p>
<p>One last thought, it is important to note that a lot of times when people, especially young people., don't know what the heck they want to do, they jump at the first solution that is presented --- your son is still very young. He may have totally different ideas for what he wants to do after a different but related internship or volunteer opportunity, or even an internship or volunteer opportunity in a completely different field. So, I wouldn't rush to change schools based solely on ONE job that has gone well. It is, after all, the first time he has experienced the excitement and fulfillment of working, and the feelings he is having might be more about that than about working as a vet per say. Encourage him to keep exploring, and trying new things. At the very least, he should get some experience working with animals in another setting besides his current internship just to test his committment and feelings about working with animals.</p>
<p>If McDaniel isn't right for him for other reasons, help him find a school to transfer to where he can be exposed to different careers, internships and volunteer opportunities. If money is an issue, don't feel guilty about letting him know that you'd rather he attend a less expensive option while he figures things out. We all need to make realistic choices for ourselves and our families.</p>
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