Pre-Vet Club is run by students to help provide the information necessary to have the best possible veterinary school application. We hope to help students obtain the experience they need and expose them to the world of veterinary medicine. This year in Pre-Vet Club we plan on increasing the amount of hands-on learning. We plan on having a suture lab, numerous dissections, the hoof workshop, and the lameness exam. During meetings we plan on practicing interview questions, learning on how to analyze case studies, doing case studies, and discussing schools. We also plan on all sharing our experiences so we can learn from one another. If you are at all interested in the veterinary profession, animals, or just a great time, then Pre-Vet Club is for you. We hope to see you there!

President: Emily DeSouza (Elected Spring 2019) 

Vice President: Emily Fletcher (Elected Spring 2019)

Treasurer: Chelsea Carcoba (Elected Fall 2019)

Secretary: Katie Yandle (Elected Fall 2019)

Webmaster: Pending - Facebook , Instagram, Twitter. 

Event Coordinator: Maya Samuelson (Elected Fall 2019) 
 

This is a compilation of all of the colleges that have American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) approved DVM programs. Vet schools favor applicants that are residents of their respective states, so you have a better chance of getting into the vet school in your home-state versus another out-of-state vet school (about a 20-25% chance versus a 5-10% chance, based on the percentage of total applicants that get accepted data  in the VMSAR). In-state tuition is often lower as well.

What happens if you are from a state that doesn't have its own vet school? No fear, you may have a few options.

Some vet schools have contracts with other states without vet schools in which they will reserve seats for students from that state. They include:

• Iowa State University: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Connecticut residents
• Louisiana State University: Arkansas residents
• Oklahoma State University: Arkasas and Delaware residents
• Washington State Univerisity: Idaho and Utah residents
• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Students from Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming can get funding to go to certain vet schools. WICHE Schools include University of California-Davis, Colorado State Univerisity, and Washington State University.

You can also consider international schools. These may be easier to get into, and you will get a unique experience learning about medicine from a different perspective. Because these schools are AVMA-accredited, you will still be able to take your licensing exam and practice in the states after you graduate. Many DVM-equivalent programs at international schools are actually called bachelore or undergraduate degrees due to different educational models overseas, so keep this in mind as you peruse their websites.

UVM students are fortunate in that they can apply to Tufts during their sophomore year through its early acceptance program (more about that here). The few applicants that are accepted are guaranteed a space at Tufts once they graduate. Cornell also has an early acceptance program. Kansas State University, Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, University of Missouri and Oklahoma State Unverisity have similar programs, but they are restricted to their own undergrads.

The Essentials

• The American Association of Veterinary Medicine (AVMA): This site has everything you want to know about a career in veterinary medicine.  Here you can find  information on current  issues in the field, salaries of  first year vets  fresh out of vet school, and  much more. You can also access the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA).
• Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS): When you apply to vet school, this is the site you'll need.  It contains the common application used by most accredited vet schools.
• Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC): The AAVMC oversees the VMCAS site.  This site also has a lot of information on different opportunities available to prevet and vet students.
• ETS : Before you apply to vet school you will need to take the GREs, a college-level version of the SATs.  This site will tell you everything you need to know about the exam, as well as how to register for it once you're ready to take it.
• Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR): This is a book published by the AAVMC that provides a description of every AVMA-accredited vet school, including information on requirements and admission rates.  A new edition is released every year, so it's a good a idea to wait until the year you apply to purchase one.

Internships and Opportunities 

• UVM ASCI Dept. Internship & Careers Page: Here you'll find a pretty extensive collection of  internships and careers from all over the world organized by concentration. Many of the internships have been done by other UVM students and have testamonials about their experiences.  Keep in mind that if you are an ASCI major you may be able to get credit for an internship that you do. You can find information about how to go about doing that here as well.
• Cooperative for the Real Education in Agricultural Management (CREAM):  CREAM is a two semester, 8 credit course at UVM during which 15-16 students learn to milk and make management decisions  for a 34 lactating cow dairy farm.  No matter what level of experience you have with cows, CREAM is a great way to learn about the dairy industry, make connections, and gain valuable leadership and time-management skills.  Talk to your advisor or previous CREAMers to see if it's right for you.
• EQUUS:  This is a UVM course in which students gain hands-on experience riding and working with horses as well as learning how to make management decisions about horses and horse barns. It's a great way to gain experience with horses if you've never worked with them before. You can choose to do one or two semesters. As with CREAM, talk to your advisor or those that have taken EQUUS before to see what it's all about.

Advice

• The Student Doctor Network: You can find forums for any type of medical student at this site, but the veterinary forums are the most relevent. Here pre-vet and vet students can ask questions and other students or veterinarians answer them.  You can also find the inside scoop on vet schools from students currently going there.  There's some great info here if you have the time to peruse it.
• Alternatives to Veterinary Medicine: You may find that veterinary medicine is not for you somewhere in your undergraduate career, but no fear! The same courses and experiences that you undertook as a pre-vet student are very applicable to other fields. This page contains a list of other possibilities.  It is tailored after animal science majors so it is not a complete list of things you could do. 
• How to Study for the GRE: Example Questions, Resources, and Study Hacks: Your GRE score will be a major component for a good vet school application, so it's important you go into the exam prepared and confident. Study guides like this one can help you score as high as possible. Many companies also offer tutoring or group classes for an even bigger push
• Several vet schools have pages providing great tips on how to be a successful applicant.  They include The Ohio State,  University of California-Davis and Washington State University.

For Fun

• The Merck Veterinary Manual: This a go-to guide on many of the diseases and ailments you may run into as a vet, including the  etiology, clinical findings, diagnoses, and the treatments for them.  In other words, the veterinary bible.
• U Penn Computer Aided Learning: This site outlines how to give physicals to a variety of large animals, as well as restraint techniques, vaccination techniques and a wealth of other information.