What to do with my animal science degree?

"I am a Senior at UCD with a major in Animal Science & Management. I have been having trouble deciding what to do with my life after graduating since my GPA is less than 3.0 and I have little experience at veterinary hospital or animal clinic. I have finally decided to perhaps enroll in a Veterinary Technician program so that I can take the Veterinary Technician examination, but my major adviser and the pre-vet adviser did not know anything about it. I did some research on my own, but I am still very confused, and I am not quite sure who else can I ask about it.

I have found out that there are many colleges in California that offer accredited Veterinary Technician programs, but UC Davis is not one of them.

http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/california.asp

So I assume that the courses I took to fulfill my Animal Science & Management degree are not sufficient, and I am not able to take the exam until I complete the program?

Even though I will be studying Veterinary Technology, I still hope to go to a vet school afterwords. Is there anything else I should do besides gaining more experience with animal-related internships or jobs?"

 

Having trouble deciding what to do with your life after graduation is a very important question that I am sure a lot of people have (especially animal science and pre-veterinary majors).

I think the first question I would ask you is what ARE your goals? Do you want to go to veterinary school? Do you know where you want to see yourself in 10 years? I don't think you should let a GPA lower than 3.0 prevent you from pursuing veterinary school if that is your goal/dream/passion. I have friends that got in with GPA's lower than 3.0 and are doing well (although working hard) in vet school.

Second, I would like to address your question about pursuing a veterinary technician program. Why do you want to do this? I'm wondering what you think you will get out of attending a technician program on top of your animal science degree at UC Davis. You do not have to be a licensed veterinary technician to work at a veterinary clinic. I think the technician program would be great (although expensive/time consuming) when you could just get employed working and learning veterinary technician skills at a veterinary clinic. I would also recommend internships first or volunteering at an SPCA to gain veterinary clinic technician experience if you cannot find a job in a veterinary clinic, chances are there is something out there for you. Maybe even start by working the front desk and gradually work your way to helping with patients in the back. It's important to see how all aspects of a veterinary clinic run anyways. I'm guessing that after you graduate, you might want to begin earning money, but if you are set on the technician program, I know of a local one offered by consumes river community college. http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Areas_of_Study/Careers_and_Technology/Veterinary_Technology.htm
In order to get an RVT (registered veterinary technician) you have to attend an RVT school. UC Davis animal science courses are not sufficient for that program. Some of my classmates in veterinary school were RVT's, but most of us just worked in veterinary clinics with essentially the same responsibilities as an RVT. 

 

How to Become an RVT in California

Third, before you graduate, take the chance to get involved (or more involved) in the vet aides club which will help you get experience at the MERCER clinic or feral cat clinics, actual veterinary experience with animals. This club is really great and it's only available to you while you are at Davis. If you are considering veterinary school, most applicants have over 1,500 hours of VETERINARY related experience. They want to make sure you understand the profession and demands required of a veterinarian/veterinary school.

Fourth, look at prospective veterinary schools you would like to attend. See what they require of their applications (general to specifics) and find out what they want in applicants. It is also important to select a school that you want to go to. For example, do you want to stay in the US or are you willing to go out of the US to pursue veterinary school. Most veterinary schools have the same prerequisites, but some of them are different. 

 

Fifth, why not pursue a Master's or PhD program or gain experience working with animals in a laboratory setting? I would highly suggest researching your options with higher education as I know that veterinary school admissions committees hold higher education very high on their list when selecting new applicants. I'm not saying you shouldn't also get veterinary-related experience, that is also ESSENTIAL and VITAL should you choose to pursue veterinary school.

 

Also, consider other animal science related careers, one of my back up plans was to become an agriculture education (FFA) instructor. I've always been interested in educating, but there are additional jobs as well out there as well.  

Another Helpful Link: Animal-Related Careers

 

I would highly recommend anyone in graduating in this economy start looking for jobs/careers early upon graduating. There is some intense competition out there for good jobs. Make sure you get the full experience from your education/university before graduating. Use their advising services, use their tutor centers, use their career centers, these are valuable resources right at your finger tips. School can be overwhelming (especially with science courses), but don't forget to get valuable hands-on experience that will be useful to your future. Apply for internships, make connections at job fairs, explore possible career/academic choices.  

Please let me know if you have any more questions: hamaleo11@gmail.com

 

They Grow Up So Fast!

 

Before

After

It's hard to believe little Oliver is almost one year old! He is about 10-11 months old now, and growing up to be a big boy! (I'm glad he is neutered!). He lives his life peacefully and carefree at my boyfriend's house in the Roseville area. They have 5 acres, two dogs, 3 cats, 7 horses, and a few chickens. It's the perfect place for Oliver, he spends most of his time hanging out on the back porch sitting on a large cat post watching the hummingbirds feed. I have no idea how he thinks it might be possible to ever catch one, but a cat can dream.

I got Oliver last year around the time I graduated from undergrad at UC Davis. He's always been adorable, but silly at times. He sure is one lucky cat. His name came from Oliver Twist, cause he was always a sad little beggar cat, "Please Sir, Can I have Some More?" was his motto. He is a cute little ginger kitten that was rescued from living in a Sacramento area barn. His momma was a feral cat and luckily all his brothers and sisters found loving homes, while momma was spayed. There are so many cats in the world without homes, I encourage anyone looking for a cat to adopt and if you can, adopt an older cat, kittens always find homes, but older cats don't as often and they often make better pets because they are socialized, litter trained, and know how to behave like a cat. Oliver was a bit of a challenge and appeared at the right time. 

Food Animal Nursing and New Life

I had my food animal nursing class and wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary introduction to "C" barn (the food animal medical barn). 

Most of my classmates told me that food animal nursing would be quick and easy, I'd be done with the shift in about an hour. Again, like when I had my E-team shadowing shift, they were wrong! I was lucky enough to see several patients in C-barn and assist with PM treatments while we were waiting for the surgery technician to show up. There were several goats in the barn, mostly with post-kidding complications (kidding=giving birth in goat terms) and one older pygmy goat that had recently stopped eating. There was a ewe (female sheep) and her lamb, in addition to a Pot Belly pig.

Two gorgeous baby Boer goats were born via C-section. They were both girls. I got to watch and help with the surgery. It was very exciting, I remember the anticipation like it was my sister having a baby or something. I was so stoked!  

http://2funboergoats.com/2009_babies_for_sale_does__wethers

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine 2011 Interview Workshop

I was on the panel for the UC Davis interview workshop. I had a great time answering questions about veterinary school and the vet school interview process. Our student panel and interview workshop was recorded, as well as a talk about the new curriculum. I even had the opportunity to eat lunch with interviewing applicants for the class of 2015. Looking at my blog, I realized I had not finished my "How to Rock Your Vet School Interview Part 2", so I thought the student panel I was on could help answer your questions if you are still wanting more of an explanation of how to "rock" your vet school interview.  

SEE OUR VIDEO RECORDING OF THE INTERVIEW WORKSHOP VET STUDENT PANEL HERE

Vet School Choices

“I'm a senior biology major at the University of Portland in Oregon. I was recently admitted to 3 vet schools through the WICHE program: Washington State, Colorado State, and Oregon State. I decided not to accept my UC Davis interview because going to school there would be prohibitively expensive, but I wanted to see if you could make some generalizations about vet school for me.

I guess I want to know what you like about your school and what you think could be better. What makes your school special and what do you wish you had?

I visited CSU this past weekend, but I have no way to assess what I saw, since it was my first visit. What kinds of things should I be asking about when I am trying to make my decision?

I also want to ask specifically about class size. OSU has a class of 56 while CSU has a class of 140. If I am reading UC Davis' site correctly, it appears that you have about 130. Do you wish your class were smaller? It appears that you get enough time with your professors.

I am interested in zoological medicine. I respect your work with horses! Horses scare me a little because the only "large" animals I have ever been around are giraffes, but we're never allowed directly in with them. Hooves are frightening.”

First off, you pose some very good questions that I’m sure many people are wondering themselves. Second, congratulations on being admitted to three different veterinary schools! That is not an easy feat.

I understand your worry about UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine being so expensive, but frankly I wouldn’t have wanted to go to any other veterinary school. I have kind of a biased opinion on this, cause I was born and raised less than an hour away from UC Davis. Plus my family still lives close by and I am kind of in love with California. I'm also lucky to pay in state tuition. I don’t like the freezing cold, and I don’t think I could handle the amount of snow that other vet schools get. I love being near my family, the ocean, the mountains, San Francisco, LA, basically I’m a California girl, so that is my personal opinion. I also chose Davis though because of their program, although we rank 3^rd top veterinary school nationally, I still think we’re the best school! My experience at UC Davis as an undergrad was phenomenal. The university is very involved in research and has a wonderful veterinary program. Several of my classmates who are from out of state also say the same things about Davis, they love the program, and they love the location. I can only make some generalization about my school’s program and what I have researched about others. Many of the world’s top professors work at Davis and most of our professors are also clinicians. They are often at the top of their field of interest and have a passion for teaching.  

I would like to begin with telling you that when you select a school, it should be somewhere you really want to go (and live for the next four years). It should have the programs that you are interested in and allow you to gain the experiences you will need for your desired field. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you get your D.V.M. from, once you graduate, you are a D.V.M. So having that said, I think it is vital to get the experiences and knowledge you want from your education. Get what you are paying for so to say.

My class has 135 students and from what I understand they plan on raising that figure to allow more out of state students and therefore make more money since they pay additional out of state tuition. I honestly don’t have a problem with such a large class size; I still have one on one contact with my professors and feel as though I benefit from having 135 colleagues and friends to get through vet school with. I don’t doubt that smaller class sizes allow for more individual time and learning, but on the other hand, I don’t at all think a large class size inhibits my ability to learn and get experience (at least from my experience at Davis).

In selecting a future school it is a great idea to ask questions and be able to assess what you see. I would suggest making a list of the pros and cons of each school you are interested in. I did this in the beginning, but quickly came up with the conclusion that Davis and only Davis was for me. For example, when you visited CSU what was your initial gut feeling? Did they make you feel welcome, did you like the location, and did you get a chance to see the campus and veterinary teaching hospital. I would do a little research on the professors that teach there and find out which ones might specialize in Zoo/Wildlife medicine and contact them through email asking their opinion on CSU’s program for this specialty field. See what kind of research they are involved in, what zoo’s they may have affiliations with. For example, I know UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine works closely with the San Diego Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, San Francisco/Oakland zoo’s and Sea World to offer veterinary students specialized training with Zoo/Wildlife animals. We also do research in other countries. For example, a second year, Ryan Sadler, shares his experience working with Gorillas in Uganda: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ip/students/experiences/summer_2010/sadler.cfm

He was able to do this research project by getting funding from our international program and STAR program (students in advance research). UC Davis is also on the lead of the emerging “One Health” idea of grouping Human, Animal medicine, and environmental conservation under the same umbrella. So find out what programs your prospective schools have to offer and what funding they have available.

Also, consider what your class schedule will be like. Typically at every vet school, your first two years is primarily learning the basics (the book work) and learning mostly about dogs and cats with some species comparisons. Ask if the school is more traditional or offers a more case-based learning approach. I know that I am the last of the old traditional curriculum at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Next year the incoming class of 2015 is starting the new curriculum. I am excited but not at all jealous of the new curriculum. It poses a more case-based learning curriculum and switches from the quarter system to the semester system. Subjects will be grouped in blocks rather than having individual classes, there will be more time for students to work in small groups solving cases that pertain to class material rather than just being lectured at. There will be more focus on specializing in a certain kind of medicine during their 3^rd and 4^th years (like small animal OR wildlife OR equine, ect.) rather than allowing students to be able to track multiple types of medicine. So as I believe the new curriculum will have its advantages, I know the old one works just fine and Davis students have a high passing rate for Veterinary Licensing Exams (or Boards). I am confident in my education although I think the opportunity to have more case-based learning would be advantageous. I just don’t think I would want to be one of the first students in the new curriculum as I assume it will have some bumps along the way.

What it really comes down to is your personal opinion. Personally I can only give you my opinion based on my experiences. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about the school’s programs you are pursuing and weigh out the pros and cons of each as you make your decision. I hope I answered your questions and let me know if I can help you any more and good luck!

Top Ranked Schools:

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/veterinarian-rankings

Tips On Finding a Great Mentor

 

If you are considering a career in Veterinary Medicine it is important to find a mentor at any stage of your program, whether you are a pre-vet (planning on pursing veterinary school), current veterinary student, or recent veterinary school graduate. The veterinary profession is one that relies on continuous learning (i.e. you never stop learning in this career). I know a lot of people learn things on their own, but that's not what the veterinary profession is about either. It is about collaboration of professionals that are working together collectively to solve problems and help animals. Like I have mentioned in previous posts, once you start veterinary school you are part of a professional cohort. 

A lot of pre-vets ask me HOW to get valuable veterinary experiences (which is required for your veterinary school application). I believe that getting valuable experiences starts with finding a great mentor. Having done it myself, I would have to say that finding a mentor is not always easy. It is easier if you have access to local veterinary clinics/practices or research universities/laboratories like UC Davis. 

I have had many mentors in my life, but I will comment on how I found a few of them. My most recent mentor was a professor at UC Davis SVM. I contacted her regarding her research and laboratory interests. I had previously read some of her published papers and her online biography so I knew what I was getting into. I introduced myself as a junior student at UC Davis and told her that I was interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. She was willing to meet and after meeting, allowed me to join a project in her lab. It is important to continue facilitating a working mentor ship. For example, I didn't just disappear in my mentor's lab never to see her again, I routinely met her about once a week or every two weeks and discussed everything with her from my research project, to my pursuit of veterinary school/research, and even horses. Almost 2 years later, I am in veterinary school and I ride one of her horses. We still continue to have a great mentor/mentee relationship. 

Another great mentor I had was a local equine veterinarian who happened to be my horse's vet. After beginning my education at UC Davis I approached him to ask if I could do a ride along with him over the summer and told him of my intent to pursue veterinary school. He said he would be happy to have me along, but as summer approached I had to call him multiple times and email several times to secure a date I could do a ride along. I guess the point I am trying to get across is that you have to be willing to go out on a limb to find your potential mentors, if they show interest in you from the start, but then disappear off the radar for a bit doesn't mean that they don't care about mentoring you. Most veterinarians live very busy lives and it comes down to you just having to be persistent. I ended up getting a job as an ambulatory technician with my new found mentor and am glad I didn't give up trying to contact him!   

If you are interested in reading more about the importance of mentor-ship and how to engage and develop a successful mentor-ship relationship (specifically in vet med), please read this article: http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/MentoringGuidelines.pdf

http://www.popgive.com/2008/02/big-vs-small-animals.html

 

A really great Quote from a really great Blog

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Gandhi

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3184444_illustration-of-man-and-horse-on-mountain-ridge-at-sunset.html

Speaking of my post today, here is a great addition to my game plan of surviving vet school: Please check out this blog post by the learning vet for inspiration, vet student or not!  

"Vet school in particular, as they say, is like “trying to drink water from a fire hose”. It is NOT enjoyable. Vet school represents a finite amount of pain and suffering, which you must endure so you can have the rest of your life to love learning."

http://thelearningvet.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/why-i-love-veterinary-medicine-reason-2/