Getting Into Vet School - Undergraduate Preparation

Selecting A Major

As one may have undoubtedly heard many times already, gaining admission to veterinary school is not an easy task.  This is why preparation for veterinary school applications must begin as a freshman, even though applications are not submitted typically until the fall semester of the senior year. Applicants must earn hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of animal experience to have a competitive application. This is why as a pre-veterinary track student one should begin planning the undergraduate experiences as soon as possible.

Another concern some pre-veterinary track students have is what major to choose as most universities do not offer a “pre-veterinary” major; however, many of them, including Tuskegee University, offer a pre-veterinary track within a related degree program, such as Animal and Veterinary Sciences (at Tuskegee University).  For more information, CLICK HERE to visit the Animal and Veterinary Sciences Program website.  What is important regarding the undergraduate coursework is that one completes the veterinary school prerequisite courses along with the courses required for the respective majors.  Be advised that the prerequisites for veterinary school vary slightly between veterinary schools, and student considering multiple schools should take into consideration the prerequisites for each of the schools as early as possible to optimize the course selection process for the degree program.  A complete listing of prerequisites may be found at the following website: http://www.aavmc.org.  Be advised that these requirements change regularly; thus, students are encouraged to review these requirements at least once each year.  Although students may choose any major they wish so long as the specified prerequisites are covered, the most popular major chosen by pre-veterinary track students at Tuskegee University is  Animal and Veterinary Sciences, which includes the requirements for TUSVM and most other veterinary schools (housed in DAES, which partners directly with TUSVM for the PVM Scholars program and other activities); however, some students elect to major in Biology, which includes the majority of the TUSVM requirements.  

Grades are one of the most important aspects of a veterinary school application; thus, it is most important that a student chooses a major that is of interest to them.  This allows for alternate educational and career plans in a field of interest for students should they not be accepted into veterinary school.  Students should keep in mind that applicants do not need to earn a Bachelor’s degree to gain admission to a veterinary school.  It is only required that an applicant must satisfy the required prerequisite coursework and complete a minimum of number of semester credits of classes at an accredited institution; yet, applicants with degrees do not receive preference over those who have not completed degrees.  However, there are some jobs that require a Bachelor's degree in addition to the DVM degree (those with USDA for instance) and most admitted students have completed three or more years of the required coursework or have earned a degree.

Experience Matters

Although grades are of course the most important consideration for vet school applicants, pre-vet students should get varied experience working with animals, working with different kinds of animals in a variety of settings to obtain a hands-on view of the challenges and the rewards of this profession.  Although "animal experience" is important, pre-vet students should be sure to gain a significant amount of "veterinary experience," as it is required for a recommendation letter from a veterinarian is required for veterinary school admissions.  What's the difference?  Veterinary experience is that gained under the guidance of a veterinarian (DVM, VMD, BVSc, DVM/PhD, VMD/PhD and BVSc/PhD); whereas, animal experience is any experience gained while working with animals and can be divided into several categories, such as large animal, small animal, exotic animal, aquatic animal and others based on the species of the animal.

Veterinary schools across the country expect their applicants to be well-rounded and mature individuals who have an understanding of the expanse of the veterinary profession.  A typical applicant to veterinary school may have as much as 1000 or more hours of such experience, which can be paid or volunteer.  

In order to successfully complete and safely matriculate the professional veterinary medical curriculum, students must have abilities below, which can be obtained through the experiences described above. in the following areas:  

• Observation: The student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. Independently, a student must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. A student must be able to integrate all information received by whatever sense(s) employed.

• Communication: A student must be able to speak, to hear and to observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture and perceive nonverbal communications. A student must be able to communicate effectively, sensitively and rapidly with clients and with members of the health care team.

• Motor Coordination: The student must be able to independently elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. A student must be able to execute the motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatments to patients.

• Intellectual: A student must be able to problem-solve rapidly. This critical skill demanded of veterinarians requires the ability to learn and reason, and to integrate, analyze and synthesize data concurrently in a multi-task setting. In addition, the student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

In addition to animal and veterinary experience, students are also strongly encouraged to gain "Research Experience," which can be gained in a lab setting and is based on a query that is being answered by conducting experiments and analyzing data.  This experience can be gained working in any environment that provides such an opportunity, as admissions committees across the US do not discriminate between the research experience gained at a lab in vet school versus any other environments, which can include undergraduate research programs at the student's current school during the academic year, through summer programs at other universities during the summer, with governmental organizations or private industry.  To explore more about the research opportunities at Tuskegee University and beyond, visit the TU Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).

While the experiences above are very important to a competitive veterinary school application, leadership experiences are also key.  Thus, students are encouraged to demonstrate leadership in extracurricular activities, including clubs/organizations, athletics, community service opportunities, band, etc.  

Although all of the experiences outlined above enhance the veterinary school application, don't forget that above this GPA and GRE are extremely important and represent the "cake" of the application while the experiences above represent the "icing."  With that analogy in mind, the successful veterinary school applicant has a package that includes both!

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and Other Examinations                                       

The only standardized test required as part of the veterinary school application process is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).  The GRE is a completely electronic exam scheduled and taken through Education Testing Services (ETS) and can be taken at many testing centers around the country.  The test is comprised of three main portions: an Analytical Writing portion where the tester is responsible for composing two essays; a Verbal Reasoning section; and a Quantitative Reasoning segment.  We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE students to take the GRE at least one year before they plan to apply for veterinary school.  We recommend a preferred combined minimum score of 300 on the verbal and quantitative and 3.5 on the analytical; higher scores make students' applications more competitive for veterinary school.  In the event that the student does not obtain a desired score, there is time for additional preparation and a retake.  Students should be mindful that retaking the GRE can have different consequences based on each veterinary school's policies, as some institutions accept only the highest overall score from a single testing date; others accept the highest section scores, such as from multiple testing dates; while still other schools will average all scores received. GRE scores are valid for 5 years after the testing date.  For more information on the GRE, or to register for the exam, please visit http://www.ets.org/gre/.  Be mindful that GRE Prep Workshops are often hosted by Tuskegee University, often coordinated by Dr. Bolden-Tiller.  If you are interested in taking part in one of these workshops, please contact her for more information.

OTHER EXAMINATIONS:  Be mindful that although the GRE is the most common exam used as part of the application process, some veterinary schools will accept other exam scores, such as the MCAT and VCAT (less common), in lieu of the GRE.  Because this varies by institution, students are encouraged to consult the websites of each institution to confirm his or her requirements.  Additional information can be found at the AAVMC website - http://www.aavmc.org/testdeadlines.aspx.

Irrespective of the exam one chooses to complete his/her application, VMCAS recommends that applicants take all required standardized tests prior to the fall of the application cycle to ensure all institutional test deadlines are met. 

The Personal Statement...says a lot about YOU!

The personal statement is a required key component of the vet school application.  It also serves as the personal connection that an applicant is attempting to make with the admissions committee to convince them that he or she is an ideal candidate.   The personal statement is of even greater import for the admissions committee when a vet school does not have personal one-on-one interviews with the applicant, which is becoming increasingly common at many vet schools.  Although there are several ways that one might address the personal statement for the vet school application, below are tips to consider.  We recommend that students write the personal statement for the first time as a Freshman and continue to update it annually until the time of application.

TIP 1:  Tell a story about yourself.  This is a good starting point although remember, everyone has a story and your story should only serve as an introduction to your essay or the basis for other things that will be discussed in your personal statement essay.  With that in mind, you should think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. This an excellent way to catch your readers attention such that you do not bore them and distinguish yourself through your memorable story.

TIP 2: Be specific.  It is very important that you are able to convey to the admissions committee how/why you would make for an excellent DVM student and a future doctor or professional.  You want this to be substantiated by specific examples of experiences.   The desire to become a veterinarian should be logical, the result of overall specific experiences described in the statement. with the application emerging as the logical conclusion to explanation.  

TIP 3: Concentrate on the opening paragraph.  One always captures his/her audience at the beginning; thus, special attention should be paid to the opening paragraph.  It is key that you find an angle or a hook to lock in the reader.  As you know from English composition, this paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.  

Below is an example of an excellent opening statement from a successful applicant-

"I was hiding behind a bush; it was the best cover around. I didn’t need to see the tiger to know she was stalking me. I could feel her eyes on me, her 550-pound bulk rippling with muscles ready to pounce. I had two choices: stay hidden, or make a run for it. The shed wasn’t far away, so surely I could make it. I made my move. So did she. I was gaining on the shed, but I could feel her getting closer.  I was almost there when I saw the powerful, graceful leap in my peripheral vision, and my blood turned to ice. Thank goodness for the chain-link fence between us! I turned around, smiled at “India,” a playful eighteen-year-old Bengal tiger, and said “Tag! You’re it!” She took off running in the opposite direction with me on her heels." Author Unknown

TIP 4: Share the experiences gained over a period of time.  Altough the opening paragraph is very important, so is the rest of the personal statement.  The rest of the personal statement, especially the middle section. detail the interests and experiences in various aspects of the profession as well as some of knowledge of the field.  It is recommended that an applicant be as specific as possible in relating what they learned through their experiences while using the professional language used by veterinarians - this refers to the types of "experiences" detailed above, but also can include those taken from classes, interactions with individuals in the profession, seminars and workshops attended to name a few.  

TIP 5: Write well and correctly.  Pay attention to detail!  Be sure to proofread very carefully, and not only should you do so, we strongly recommend that you have others (at least 2-3 individuals), such as your mentor, peers, advisors, etc. critique it.   One never wants to be too long nor too short in these matters; thus, we recommend that applicants should adhere to stated character limits of 5000 characters. Strong communication skills (oral and written) are highly favored by reviewers.  Janet Sullen is available on the Tuskegee University campus to assist with reviewing personal statements and she can be reached at jsullen@mytu.tuskegee.edu.  

Students will complete the personal statement as a part of the APSC 120 course offered each Spring and required of all PVM Scholars.