vet school

how can i get into vet school and wat are some good ones?

I looked into this awhile ago. I would do a google search on schools and see what the prerecs are. I know its pretty tough to get into but hey everythings possiable As far as good ones go it would all depend on what area you want your main area of medicne to be, I am guessing herps though. I read some where that you should look more for teachers the speacialize in herps. None of the schools offer herp degrees, you would need to have an empisis on reptile medicine. There was a really good article on reptile carrers in Reptiles magazine a few issues ago. Check that out, it might help. Good Luck!!!

There's a decent one in Fort Collins, CO, affiliated with Colorado State University.
They have some good herp stuff, too.

Originally Posted by hediki

how can i get into vet school and wat are some good ones?

Seeing as your in NY!!! Why not Try Cornell in Upstate NY, It one of the best Schools on The East Coast just a thought

Michigan State University (The Cow College) has a top notch vet school. Start studying now, because admissions are very competitive.

Iowa State university has an EXCELLENT veterinary program, I've been told it's one of the best in the nation. I would assume you could go online and find out any prerequisites, but I do know that they have pretty high academic standards. Considering the studies, I suppose they have to.

I am currently a 3 rd year Veterinary Student at Iowa State Veterinary School. So you want to know how to get into one? It actually requires a lot. Here's kinda a summary list of what you'll need to get in.

1. Animal experience
2. Working either for a veterinarian or shaddowing a vet - time required depends on the school.
3. A GREAT GPA in undergraduate studies - You'll need a 3.0+ GPA in your undergrad studies just to be considered
4. A good GRE score.
5. KNow what you need to take to get into a vet school. Requirements are all listed on their webpages.

So where are you in your education? If you're not in college yet, get started with your experiences now. Call your vet and see if you can shadow them. Vet colleges want to know that you have spent a LOT of time making sure you REALLY REALLY want this. Why? Cos veterinary school will cost you over $75,000 on the low end and up to $200,000 on the high end. PLus it's REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY.... hard. It's emotionally and mentally draining. It's considered one of the hardest, if NOT the hardest not only to get into, but one of the hardest to actually take. My class started in 2003 with 105 students and we have already lost 8 due to inadequate performance. I'm am serious, vet school is HARD!
SO... make sure this is REALLY what you want. Being a veterinarian isn't just about loving animals. It's about having massive amounts of information in your head. It's about hard work and long hours. Its about blood and poop and urine. You will do things that are SO gross you cannot talk to anyone else except other vets about them. It's about being able to tollerate smells that would make a normal person vomit up their breakfast. It's about being able to communicate with PEOPLE. This is NOT a carrier for those who don't like people, because who brings the animals in? who do you have to tell to do this or that? People. So this is a BIG decision to make.

Another thing to do is prepare yourself now, learn how you learn best. Learn HOW to study. Cos you'll need to know this. Otherwise you will find it hard to handle the massive amount of information you're given.

So... which vet school is the best? See the ranking system is all relative based on who they ask and who answers. I don't trust the current rankings, that doesn't tell you if you'll be a good vet or not. Really they all make you a vet, it's what you DO with what they teach you that's important. So what you do is compare each school's programs and see which one you like better. Another thing to consider, which one is cheeper for you? I don't know about you, but I know I'm not looking forward to paying $1000 a month for my loans until I'm 60, and that is what you will end up with at an out of state school.
So here are some things to consider:
the first two years at any vet school are for the most part the same. The first year you learn normal, the second they cram you with lots and lots of information about diseases. But the 3rd and 4th year are where the differences are.
In your third year you'll learn to be a surgeon, or should. Each school does this a bit differently. Some schools have you learn on animals that are already dead. Some on live animals that are euthanized (put to sleep) when the surgery is done, this is called terminal sugery. Some on animals that aren't put to sleep, but you are limited to only learning spay and neuter surgeries on them.
Now terminal surgery sounds mean I know, that's actually the type I will start in the fall. But here's the thing, the dogs that go into this program are dogs that will die anyway. These are dogs that end up at the pound that are too mean or too sick for new homes or dogs from research that cannot be adopted to new homes either. So they will be euthanized regardless of what happens. So what happens in my program is the animals is put under anesthesia, just like any animal going into surgery is. They don't feel anything that the students are doing and they are treated with respect. When the surgery is done, instead of being woken up they are put to sleep. SO they dont feel any pain. So why not just wake them up? I don't know about you, but I don't trust my surgery skills first time I do anything, how bad would it be if I messed up and that dog has to sit there living in pain cos I accidentually attached his small intestine to his bladder or something (I hope I don't do that). So it's better cos no animal suffers.

I'm continuing this on another post...
So what is the benefit to the student versus just a spay/neuter or a cadaver animal program? Well you learn how to do MORE than spays and neuters, which is a plus compared to spay/neuter. And in compared to cadaver surgery, you learn how to do surgery on something alive. Living tissue is VERY different than dead tissue.
So why would someone choose the other two ways? Some people have ethical issues with terminal surgery. They think it is wrong for an animal to be killed for that purpose. I can understand that is does sound very mean. Other programs CAN teach you to be a good surgeon too, but at the same time they can fall short. If you have an ethical problem with terminal surgery and choose another form, just make sure you get the experience you missed in other ways, I'm not going to go into that now.

So why did I choose terminal surgery? Well as you read above I am biased. Unlike human doctors, vets don't have residencies required at graduation. They are expected to be a vet fresh out of school. I want to know what I am doing. When it comes down to it, thee dogs are dying anyway. It's a very sad truth, at least this way they have a purpose still and my future patients will be thankful that they gave their lives so I know what I am doing. And that's how I think of it.

Anyway, I ramble on and on.

Another difference is some schools do what is known as "tracking" where you choose one field and kinda "ignore" the rest. Like you learn only small animal things or only large animal things. I recommend against that type of learning cos you'll need to know it ALL. When you get to your 4th year everyone has to take a big test known as "boards" and that test can have any question on any animal... and I mean any. If you only know dogs and cats, you'll be in trouble if you get a bunch of horse questions. So if you go to a tracking school, what should you do? They take time and teach THEMSELVES the other stuff, instead of the school teaching it to them.
See I figure if I am going to have a debt big enough that I could have bought a house with it, I expect the school to do a fair job teaching me.

So I think I'm going to stop here, cos as you see there is a lot of information you need to know when considering schools. One last thing is, when you start applying to vet schools, don't apply to only one. Since you start off with a 1/100 chance of getting into each school, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

If you have any specific questions about vet school (or anyone else does), I will be happy to reply to you in email (ccthera@iastate.edu). I am not THE authority, I just am living it.

Texas A & M university Vet School one of the tops in the US... like ranked under five or less.
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/

Again, the actual rankings don't really mean as much as people think because they are severely biased by who they ask and who takes time to reply. The best vet school for YOU is...
The one you get into.
The one you can most afford.
And most of all... the one with the program you like.

Now as far as herps are concerned, none really have good programs specifically for that. You have to learn everything else too. Most schools will offer exotic animal electives. And... if you get into a school that doesn't have much, don't worry. You don't get your herp training IN normal vet school anyway. You'll get that exposure your 4th year when you choose preceptorships and internships and after graduation in the real world.