This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Susqu chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Veterinary medical school is a hard program to get into, but you can make it easier by doing a few things.
- Make a list of the schools you want to apply to. For application processes, I like to cross-reference what is needed from each school as prerequisites. The way I have done this is by making a list of the schools I want to apply to and the requirements for applying. I then made a list of the courses I have taken and what requirements they fulfill. This list allows me to check all the school’s application requirements and what I have done in school to see what I still need to do or if I have gotten all the prerequisites to apply to veterinary school!
- I have reached out to some of the schools. This allowed me to have one-on-one conversations with the admissions staff at some of the schools I am applying to. Through those meetings, I was able to gain some insight about some of the requirements, which were a little less specific, like clinical hours or certain course requirements.
- One of the biggest things I have done is gain clinical experience and animal experience in general. It is best to start early because the more hours you have with animals and veterinarians, the better you look when applying, but those hours also make sure you understand the field of veterinary medicine to the fullest capacity. I have job-shadowed and worked in various veterinary clinic settings, this was so I could get a range of what the clinics are like in different areas, and with different staffing. Clinical hours have made sure I know what I want out of veterinary school, and that I definitely want to be in the field of veterinary medicine.
- Recommendation letters are also important! I think these are important so that the application reviewers can get to know you as a person. Therefore, I really like to choose carefully when picking those who write those letters for me. I want people who know me on a personal and professional level. That way, they can fully know what I am doing, trying to go into the veterinary medicine field, and that I would be a good person to join that workforce. Overall, make sure you get to know the people you want to get recommendation letters from to make sure that they fully understand your drive to be a part of the field of veterinary medicine and who you are as a person!
- Lastly, your own personal letter! Personal letters are going to be an important part of the application since it’s how the reviewers see you and get to know you. Your personal letter needs to be on a depth that is appropriate for the letter, but that also can make sure the reviewer knows you by the end of it. The biggest point you need to get across is what makes you want to be a part of the veterinary medicine field and how you can assist the field of veterinary medicine. So, make sure to think long about why you love veterinary medicine and why that is the right path for you!