r/prevets

so i’m in the process of applying to vet schools right now. i am a lower gpa applicant - right now im at a 3.44.
- i have around 3000 vet hours including vet assistant, shadowing in high school, and currently working in an ER.
- i have over 2000 research hours, working in a lab since my freshmen year receiving graduate credits.
- i have 5 LORs - two from two vets, one from a professor, one from my lab PI, and another from the phd student i work under in my lab. I have a C- in general chemistry 2, and a C in general biology 2. besides that im a B-A- range student. im worried my gpa is too low.
I’m applying to around 15 schools, yes i know thats kind of crazy but im shortening the list as i go. realistically, what are my chances? should i wait and apply next year?
(i’ll have 2 pre reqs - biochem and physics 2 planned/in progress).
i’m just lost rn tbh 😫

My wife wants to go back to school and fulfill her dream of being a vet. We dont live anywhere near a vet school though and have two young children.

I have read you can complete all the courses online but what are her options for actual clinic hours?

Hi everyone! Looking for your thoughts. I’m (29F) currently considering a career change to become a veterinarian. I grew up wanting to be a vet but I had no family support since 16, and ultimately I wanted/needed to be able to support myself sooner. I graduated with a degree in finance and I’ve been working in finance since I was 18. While I have worked in corporate, I also worked at high performance equestrian barns as a part time groom and also I had a successful petsitting business during Covid. Could I count all of these hours as animal care hours even though they are a few years old?

I didn’t take my finance degree seriously, so I graduated with a 3.0. I was working full time as well as going to school full time. So I am worried about raising my GPA enough to be competitive.

I’m currently looking at a formal post bacc for career changers or a DIY post bacc at community college and local state college (which has a vet school). Has anyone done this path with success? Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone I just recently graduated college with a BS in Animal Science for pre vet with a GPA of 2.96 ( ik ik im stupid). I was thinking of taking classes over the summer to boost my gpa as a post bacc option but just looking at VMCAS and other competitive students I realize maybe im not cut out for this. My GPA is already a sign to admissions i'm not good enough intelligence and competitiveness wise for a rigorous program, seeing my fellow peers in my class accepted into schools with 3.8-3.9 made me realize maybe i'm not cut out for this program and it was such a far fetch idea to consider graduate with a degree i know it would be useless to consider applying to vet school with but also thinking i had a shot to improve and to get in too with compeititve candidates. All my life i wanted to care for animals have my own clinic, maybe its a sign my intelligence wasn't there for me to get that goal. Granted I could apply to island school but i feel embarrassed even considering it because I wasn't good enough for a state school.

All in all, is there any jobs to consider like big pharma companies to consider ? I'm at my ends meets with vet school knowing retaking pre reqs and or masters wouldn't make me good enough for any admissions just a laughing stock or a perfect example of " what not to do".

Hi all,
NC State is my target school. I live in Durham nc and I’m a verified NC resident. I have over 200 hours of veterinary and animal handling experience. I’ve been an animal control officer for 3 years which has allowed me to deal with a large range of animals, including farm, exotic, wild, and companion. I have solidified all pre-reqs with the exception of microbiology lab (my school didn’t offer the lab) and organic chem 2, which will be done by the time applications are due. I just graduated magna cum laude, (3.8 gpa), receiving my BS in Animal Science. I have several dreams that are literally all over the place as far as what I want to accomplish upon graduating vet school (going into veterinary forensics to assist in animal cruelty cases, working with the endangered Key Deer species in the Florida Keys, zoology, among other things…). Now with all of that being said, my concern lies with my LOR’s. According to their admissions, 3 LOR’s are required with two of them that are “highly recommended” to be from a vet. I know I have at least one in the bag and I have a very strong couple of supervisors at the sheriff’s office who can write some as well. My problem is that one of my previous veterinarians, who I wanted to request a letter from, passed away very suddenly last summer and I had a history of two years with her, and another vet that I worked with is untrustworthy. I worked with him for over a year and yet he claims that he “barely knows me”. That’s besides the point. My question is, how screwed am I about that second LOR from a vet? There’s still time for me to get one but these apps are due in 5 months and I feel like that isn’t enough time. Idk.
My second question, obviously I’m applying to more than one school. With these pre-reqs and circumstances in mind, are there other schools that are worth applying to given my history?
And my final question…which topic sounds the best for me to talk about in my vet school application ( going into veterinary forensics to assist in animal cruelty cases, working with the endangered Key Deer species in the Florida Keys, zoology, wild animal rehab, animal sanctuary veterinarian…)

Pls help I’m spiraling lol.

Hi y'all! This is off topic from what's normally on this subreddit, but I wanted to ask what you guys feel is most helpful for you as a prevet student in a prevet club at university. Me and a few friends started a completely new prevet club at our uni, and I feel lost as to what to do with our general meetings. Right now I'm proposing we operate on a biweekly meeting schedule with a 1 workshop every month. We already have class registration advising as a given workshop when registration opens, and I was thinking of others being like advice for writing a personal statement, making a 4 year plan for our freshmen, mock interviews, suture kit day etc. I'm thinking the workshops should be more soft things related to being prevet that we can do on campus. Obviously outside of that we are trying to partner with some local clinics to try to get a few shadowing spots we can rotate members through so everyone can build their vet hours and we are looking into local shelters for volunteering spots to gain animal hours.

I feel pretty solid in this plan but I don't know what to do during the biweekly meetings. They're at night and run an hour because a lot of us have the last lab timeslot any given day of the week, so I want them to feel worth going to for everyone. In theory right now the general meetings are meant to build community so all the prevets can actually meet each other and connect. My only thought is making these meetings like study and hangout nights, but I do think that's going to lose people. What do you guys think and what would make you guys feel like wanting to go (especially if youre an upperclassman)?

I have quite a severe fear of bugs, to the point where I try to avoid going outside during the warmer months of the year. I can go outside, but it's still really stressful for me and I'd strongly prefer not to. By bugs, I mean anything that could be considered a "creepy crawly" animal, not just insects.

Realistically speaking, would it make sense for me to pursue vet med?

Hey!
I don’t really know how to start this but I’m kinda going through a crisis rn. I’m applying to vet school but I’m really burnt out and I’m starting to maybe consider that vet med isn’t for me. I’ve been in this for 4 years. I have devoted everything (oh and I mean everything) to going to vet school but I mean is it even worth it?
My old best friend just got her dental hygienist and gets paid 100k a year to brush teeth. Literally. In vet med rn as a vet assistant I have been everything from pharmacy tech to nurse to budget manager to plumber to dental hygienist to x ray tech to phlebotomist to optometrist to medical records to bedside care… the list goes on. and on. And I get paid basically minimum wage ($19 an hour). I work hard. Very hard. But what comes the line where I’m getting myself in a profession where I am just working for free? On top of that am I getting myself in a career where I’m sacrificing my physical health, time w family, flexibility, financial freedom etc for what? The animals I help are very meaningful to me and it’s why I’ve stayed in it for four years but there’s SO many problems w the system. How am I supposed to as a vet justify being a corporation’s b*tch limiting discussions w owners to 15 minutes getting product out the door as fast as possible to meet quotas? How am I supposed to justify being a LITERAL DOCTOR FOR MULTIPLE SPECIES getting paid the same as some dummy clicking a button on an MRI machine for ppl and telling them to stay still? How as a literal multi species doctor can I justify getting paid the same as a dental hygienist?!? Someone who brushes your teeth… I can’t help but acknowledge this glaring reality…

On top of that I’m financially stressed rn. Badly. To put gas in my car rn that’s an entire 10 hour shift. Gone. Out the window. I’m $1000 in credit card debt. (I know I’m in college it’s normal to be broke…) but still… I’m begging my parents for basic groceries…

TBH if I don’t get into vet school this cycle I literally financially cannot stay as a vet assistant forever. It’s a dead end job. What I go get my vet tech to get paid $2 more an hour?!? Yippee. Still as a vet tech make maybe $23 an hour… if I don’t get in this cycle i hate to say it but I need to move careers… I’m an adult now I can’t stay in a job w no room for advancement or growth perpetually year after year applying over and over again…

But I can’t help but feel like I’m giving up on them. My patients. My dedication to the field… everything.

I’m studying ecology and graduating w my undergraduate degree in that at the end of the summer (IK stupid degree that has no jobs available- also contributes to my stress of no plan B if vet school doesn’t work) and so rn I’m doing everything I can to make that degree hire-able? I’m pursuing a geospatial information certification (5 more classes) and trying to get a bunch of OSHA certifications too. (To start breaking into environmental roles essentially). I’m on scholarship to school and have two years of eligibility left. (I drop the last year if I get accepted this cycle). So on top of that cert I’m gonna try my best to get a degree in molecular cellular and developmental biology (I only need to take 8 more classes). This is if I hate GIS then it’s another pivot out of vet med to something I guess?

Or do I sell out be another vet med burnout story and take a 12 month advanced RN course to become a nurse. Boom 100k. Course to become a damn dental hygienist? Lemme tell u if I can take a tooth out of a dog I can take a tooth out a human be fr. Go become a CT person and click a button and reign in the dough? Idk have a family, kids I can see, animals of my own?

Not to say human RN etc roles are easy to do but when you are EVERY human healthcare role at once for every species ever getting paid 75% less it hurts… I’m sure I could work way less hard and get paid triple what I do in this field as it is now.

Vets please am I crazy?!? How do you all deal with it?!? Ppl say vets burn out bc of euthanasia but tbh I’m burning out bc this is literally just working for free and I’m financially struggling despite having the scope of like every human healthcare profession?!? There’s no advancement and honestly the field lacks so much respect.

Idk what to do… I’m still applying this cycle and in this next year that i wait for decisions to come out I got a lot of big adult life choices to make. As idealistic as vet school committees want me to be…only being a vet assistant forever is not real. I can’t survive and be an adult off the money of vet assisting year after year application cycle after application cycle.

Does this make sense? Idk any advice helps. I do love the field I really really do. But I don’t want my bleeding heart to get in the way of the correct financial choice. And I’m not a punching bag. I’m not community toilet paper. My skillset should not be used for free.

I appreciate any guidance. Thank you.

so I just started working at a clinic to get vet hours and I feel embarrassed/shy that I am not as experienced as everyone and curious to see if anyone has gotten in with little hands on experience to vet school?

Hello everyone, I am on my second to last semester at ASU, studying for vet med, but even if I get all As in my remaining classes, I still will only have about a 3.37 GPA. I know the general cut off is 3.4, so is there anything else I can do to increase my chances at getting accepted? I have only been working/ volunteering in this field recently, but I have plans to take a year or two off from schooling to really build my experience level, and I am actively volunteering in regular vet clinics, exotic vet clinics, and animal sanctuaries/ farms that have larger animals. I was also planning on taking some post bacc classes to hopefully get my GPA higher. Will doing all this help my chances out? Any other recommendations? Thank you to everyone who responds! I will literally take any and all advice!🙏

(Reposted/ edited to include extra information)

hi! i’m currently an undergrad student and applying to vet school this cycle, specifically to WSU vet school. WSU doesn’t say anything about needing a professor LOR but do you think in general if i NEED a professor LOR from a stem course or is it fine if i have one from a non-STEM class that would be a lot stronger. all my stem courses are giant so it’s been very difficult to build a close relationship with the prof for a strong LOR and i’m in my last quarter as well…

I plan to apply to VMCVM in the fall (I am in-state), and figure that if/when I get rejected, I can at least use it as a learning experience for the next cycle. But, I like to plan ahead.

I am currently working about 70 hours a week in addition to working on certifications for my non-vetmed day job and am about to start one of the prereqs needed for admission to the DVM program, so I can’t add anything else to my plate at the moment. (Edit for clarity: I will be able to take on different experiences starting in the late fall/early spring, I am just not in a position to do more before this cycle ends)

Below is a summary of what I’m working with for this year’s app. I am partly wondering if I have more than a snowball’s chance in hell at acceptance this cycle. Mostly, I would love to know what you think would be the most efficient improvements I can make for the next application cycle. I would love to shadow more vets and particularly get some experience with exotic vets. I have heard mixed opinions on the effectiveness of certs like fear free.

Academics

• Overall GPA - 3.7 (Graduated 2018)
  • Anthropology, w/ medical anthropology focus
  • Honors College - thesis on indigenous women’s access to reproductive healthcare; volunteer work was included
• Science GPA - 3.3
• Last 45 GPA - 3.6
  • I took a lot of BS classes during this time, as I just needed hours
• I also went back to school for web design 2019-2021 and got a similar GPA, not sure if details are relevant

Animal Experience (estimated # of hours by early fall)

• 700+ general hours
  • 150 hrs @ zoo (2013/2014)
  • 125 hrs @ wildlife rehab (2023/2024)
  • 425 hrs @ pet store (current)
  • I also helped raise chickens, and I occasionally help out a friend with a horse farm, so I have some livestock experience. Hoping to shadow a bovine vet soonish
• Only 175 clinic hours as mobile vet receptionist (current)

+ Some additional non-animal volunteer work; I also sponsor some local families' pet care costs through a non-profit

Sometimes I think I am a good, well-rounded prospective student with a lot of hobbies, life experiences, maturity, etc. that will help set me apart. Other times, I think I'm absolutely dreaming about being able to get into vet school at all.

I'm currently a sophomore at university, and after reflection, I decided to switch from the pre-med (MD/DO) path to the pre-veterinary path. Pre-vet aligned significantly more with my passion, so I made the switch. I didn't grow up around animals at all, and genuinely had no veterinary/animal experience at any kind when making the switch. However, since I decided on changing routes 2 weeks ago, I've already received multiple acceptances into volunteer programs at my local animal shelter.

Outside of Animal experience, my gpa is solid at a 3.7 (and hopefully will increase by the time I apply). I have EXTENSIVE research experience as I started in my freshman year and work in a biomedical mouse lab. I also had a paid internship over the summer to do research at my university. I'm additionally a peer mentor at my university where I represent the science college and get to teach my own freshman advising course to 60 students! On top of these, I'm also very involved in student organizations on campus, (specifically I'm the president of an organization), where I've actively contributed to improving the research scene for undergraduates at my school, making it more accessible to the diverse student population.

The one thing I really lack is animal hours. I want to know if this a plausible switch at this time, and if I could realistically get into a vet school on this track. I'd love to hear any feedback regarding what I would need to pursue veterinary medicine, and how to improve my application as a whole! :)

I just finished my spring semester of my junior year in undergrad school and I failed Organic Chemistry I. This isn’t the first time I have failed a class but those previous classes I have retaken and passed with better grades but it’s at the point where I do not think I am academically gifted enough to pursue vet school.

If it’s important to add, whenever exams were held in orgo, no more than five (5) people would finish the exam in the allocated time (I never finished except almost once).

Academically, I am very weak, I had a 2.7 GPA and have now been dropped to a 2.5 GPA. At my school, I am considered a double major in Animal Science and General Science. I excel incredibly well with my Animal Science courses but struggle with my General Science courses despite trying hard to pass those classes. For Orgo, I went to tutoring, met with my professors AND still failed.

Beyond academics, I believe I am stronger. I’ve accumulated the following:
• 500-600 hours working in a small anima clinic.
• 5 hours shadowing at a Zoo. (I asked if they would let me come back to shadow more but they said they only allow people to do it once due to the high influx of requests they get.)
• 20 hours in community service (animal shelters) and am gaining more over the summer.
• Currently 100 hours working at a daycare/boarding facility for dogs (still working there).
• Freshman year I was secretary of Pre-Vet Society, moved up to vice president by my sophomore year and now I am president.
• Shadowing/interning with an equine vet.
• I have a farming family background of growing up with cattle, farming, and equine.
• Pet sitting experience.
• Animal care experience (cat, dog, reptile, fish).

I’ve never thought about anything else besides vet school and don’t know what to do especially if I decide to not continue the path of vet school. I also was technically supposed to apply to vet school this cycle but ultimately decided against it because I am staying an extra semester and wish to get my GPA up but it’s clearly a struggle (I will graduate in December of 2027). I’m also struggling with getting more hours within an actually animal clinic/hospital despite already having hours but I know it’s better to have more to strength my chances.

I suppose I’m looking for advice on what to do because I feel like such a failure academically as a student and as a person too. I know that people have managed to get into vet school with a GPA on the lower end but I still feel as if I have no chance. I’m not sure if I just have some sort of learning disorder or am simply just stupid.

I’m a high school junior who wants to be a vet. I lost almost all my motivation this year, but have been working on getting it back. I plan on working at a vet office this summer to remind of why I wanted to become a vet. I plan on working at my uncles company where he sells insurance in my undergraduate years while majoring in public health. I even plan on getting my license for selling health insurance during that time period. I wanted to know if having that license and major with all the other stuff vet school requires would make me stand out to UF or any other vet school when I finally apply.

Currently working on my vet school app for this cycle. I’m feeling really down on myself and would like to hear some success stories! Particularly from those with below 3.0 GPAs. Tell me about your journey and where you got in. I know it’s so much harder to get in, but I know it’s not impossible.

I am an applicant who is applying with below a GPA below 3.0 due to extenuating circumstances. I have a 3.3 ish last-45 GPA as I’ve worked my butt off in the last two years to try and get my GPA up by retaking classes and taking new upper level science courses. My downfall is my cumulative GPA. Advice is also welcome!

TIA for sharing!!

As the title stated I feel so lost. I just graduated my college with a 3.17 GPA and was hoping to get into UPenn's post bachelor's program this upcoming Fall in order to have guidance with the admissions and with boosting my GPA. I just received my email stating that I did not gain a seat for their program and I am just at a lost.

I know I need to retake my classes, but I am unsure where exactly to retake them. I even booked an emergency advising meeting with my advisor to find out my next steps. I just feel so empty right now. I don't even know what to do. My transcript is such as mess as I have retaken Calculus 1 THREE TIMES just to end with a C. My Orgo grades are just passing, and I need to retake Physics 2 and Genetics as I had a C-. I feel like vet school is out of my grasp at this point due to my grades.

My experience hours isn't even much to compare either. I have only roughly 600 hours of shadowing and 200 hours of volunteer work.

As of right now I hope my meeting with my advisor on Friday can give me more guidance to know what classes I could possibly retake. I heard taking courses in community college is typically looked down upon for admissions :( so I am trying to avoid that even though it would be financially more viable.

I don't know, if anyone have any ideas of what I can do or helpful advice im opened to listen.

Hi guys! I am looking for some advice on my application and if it is strong enough to apply this cycle.

I just got my transcript from dual enrollment in high school and it is stressing me out since I underperformed. At my college currently I have a 3.93 GPA but if the dual enrollment classes (I took 24 credits) factor in it drops it all the way to a 3.84. I know that is still a strong GPA but I was hoping to have above a 3.9 since I put in the work the last four years. I did not realize those classes would factor in from high school until recently.

I am a full time student athlete (track/xc) at my institution and during the school year that takes up so much of my time. I love being an athlete and on the time but now I feel like it might have hindered me since I do not have as many vet hours as I would like. I looked this past year to get some but no one would hire me due to timing.

My stats:

Animal Science Major Dean's List all four years

GPA: 3.93-->3.84

Animal hours: work at a dairy farm every summer for three years now, fostered goats, work at a horse barn + ride horses, did some equine research (1000+ hours total)

Vet experience: shadowed Cornell senior year of high school (340 hours), shadowed Tufts ambulatory service this year (40 hours), shadowed a GP small practice once a month during this school year (20 hours)

Jobs: Current Animal Science tutor at my school, worked at dunkin freshman year

Extracurriculars: Current track + xc athlete, track athlete in HS, soccer athlete in HS, FFA in HS

I am really interested in large animal/food animal medicine and I wish I had more clinical hours. However, I do feel the ones I have are strong and good quality. I learned a lot there. I was really hoping to apply as a high GPA candidate to counteract my lower hours. Any advice for my application would be appreciated.

hi hi! so i’m applying this cycle and im having a bit of trouble with the experience section of the application.
so obviously, vmcas gives you 700 characters to explain “description/key responsibilities”. however, ive received some conflicting information from my pre-vet advisor about what they actually want.

so my pre-vet program at my college isn’t super big and we mostly just get rounded up with other pre-health professions. my pre-vet advisor is also a pre-health advisor for like 50 other students across many future health careers. she has been telling me that VMCAS actually wants me to “to briefly mention what your role was but mostly reflect on why the experience was impactful”. (her direct words).

i’m seeking guidance from anyone who has actually got accepted in to vet school because i just want to make sure i do this all correctly. my advisor has only been minimally helpful in the past and i don’t want to fully trust her when she is juggling knowledge from so many other types of applications :)

thank you so much for any advice!!!

Hello, I am currently in the finance/accounting field. I have my Masters in Accounting and I know this career can be extremely lucrative if I stay for a long time. However I am not passionate in it.

I started volunteering for an animal shelter and I also TNR a cat colony. I am currently fostering a litter of kittens as well. I know I am passionate about the safety and care of animals. But my volunteer experiences has been a wild ride and filled with emotional experiences (euthanasia, sick dogs/cats etc.)

A few years ago my cat was hospitalized for feline lower urinary tract disease. The procedure was done in front of me (that’s how the emergency hospital worked) and I honestly very impressed with the dedication and expertise when the vet treated my cat. I was not queasy at all (surprisingly since I can’t watch procedures done on people.)

I know I am interested in the field. But I also know that I will have to take all the prerequisite classes and possibly take over 200k of loans (keep in mind I currently have 60k of loans left to pay off).

1. For those who did a career change into veterinary medicine, how did you come to that conclusion?

2. What other experience should I get before making the jump?

Sorry for the long intro but any responses will help me figure things out. Thank you! 🙏