So you want to be a Veterinarian?

By: Allyse S.

If you know that you want to be a Veterinarian, you should start preparing as soon as possible. As early as high school even. Getting accepted into a vet school is extremely challenging so you should pad your resume with as much stuff as you can to make yourself look more appealing to potential schools!

In the United States, there are 30 veterinary schools that are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In 2013, there were approximately 6,800 students fighting to be accepted into 2,700 available spots. If you get accepted, you are in the minority.

In highschool, classes like math and sciences like biology, chemistry, and physics are all important to try and take, even if they are not required for graduation! Taking some of the higher level or more advanced courses can make you look more appealing to undergraduate schools that you will be applying to in the near future.

After graduating high school, the next step is to attended a college or university that you can pursue an undergraduate degree at. If being a Veterinarian is what your end goal is, the most common undergraduate major is Animal Science. If this isn't the degree that you chose, it is important that you at least select one that will strongly focus in the biological and physical sciences. As you work your way through your undergraduate degree, there are a lot of things to keep in the back of your mind on almost a daily basis.
-GPA is one of the most important. Most veterinary schools prefer a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher while they pay the most attention to the last 3-4 semesters you have spent in school.
- Experience. Go out and volunteer or do an internship with a veterinarian in your area! Vet schools want to see that you have given this career pathway a thorough examination and are committed to it. They also want to see that you have clinical experience so go out and get a summer job in a vet clinic!
-Exams. After taking the SATs or the ACT in high school you might think that you have had your fair share of tests but if your applying to vet school, think again. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is widely accepted by most veterinary schools throughout the US. Each school has different requirements for this test.
-Letters of Recommendation are required for acceptance into veterinary school and the different requirements inside of this will vary from school to school.
-Leadership and Communication skills are key. Vet schools are not only looking for outstanding applicants, but tomorrows leaders. How can you make yourself stand out from everyone else on a piece of paper?

If you have met all of your Undergraduate course requirements, you can now apply to a veterinary school. Theres lots to choose from. Most students apply to the vet schools of their choice during the fall semester of their senior year because the deadline is October 1st. Typically, students apply to 5-7 different schools. April 15th is the general deadline to accept or decline offers for admission. Between these two dates, you will be receiving interview offers from different vet schools, this is your time to decide which school matches up best with your needs. Veterinary Medical Education is a 4+ year degree in the United States. After completing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) Degree, each student has to take the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) in order to practice in the US.

"Veterinary Humor." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
"Steps to Becoming a Veterinarian (Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Major)." Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Major (Penn State University). N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

MCAT

By: Megan Aldworth

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a somewhat scary topic for those prospective medical students that must take on the test in order to apply for medical school. The MCAT is a very important test for medical students that requires months of preparation to perform successfully on.

The MCAT is a standardized test administered and scored by the Association of Americal Medical Colleges (AAMC). The test is seven and a half hours long and has four main components: Scientific Reasoning: The Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning: The Biological Sciences, and an optional trial section. This test requires a significant background in science during undergraduate programs including courses in physics, biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry. The MCAT basically includes all of the information students learned during their undergraduate programs.

Recently the MCAT became a test performed on the computer and the questions asked are predetermined, or not chosen based on performance. Because this test is performed on a computer it is important to become accustomed to the style of the test in a similar setting before taking it. It is recommended by many who have taken the MCAT to take the full test in a similar setting as the proctored test before going in to take the real test. This is a reasonable recommendation, being that most test takers have never completed a test as long or intellectually involved as the MCAT. Many practice tests are available to complete in preparation for the test and it is important for test takers to take advantage of these.

The test is scored using a 118 to a 132 range for each section present and overall scores are centered at 500, ranging from 472 to 528. Performing well is imperative for staying competitive among other prospective medical students and is necessary for admittance into medical school. For any readers with friends or family interested in medical school, wish them the best of luck! And for those readers planning to take the MCAT, I wish you the best of luck!

"MCAT Overview." MCAT Overview. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"About the MCAT® Exam." About the MCAT® Exam. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 1: "About the MCAT® Exam." About the MCAT® Exam. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 2: "ISU Pre-Health Professions Advising Newsletter Archive: MCAT Score Guide (2015 MCAT)." ISU Pre-Health Professions Advising Newsletter Archive: MCAT Score Guide (2015 MCAT). Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Photo 3: "Medical Students in the Office: A Satisfying Choice." Https://www.themedicalbag.com/doctor-blogs/pierre-manzo/medical-students-in-the-officea-satisfying-choice. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Prompt 5: Observing Community

By: Megan Aldworth

As a Human Biology Major, I found it necessary to find campus organizations that will contribute to my undergraduate success. At a visit to my student advisor I saw a flyer for the Human Biology club and decided that would be a great club for me to join. So, I attended one of there meetings and found that they were very welcoming to new members and had a great sense of community within their club. At each meeting they have speakers from around the area who hold positions relevant to Human Biology. It is very interesting to hear from local doctors, professors, and various career counselors on their input in succeeding in the medical field.

Joining the Human Biology club has been a great experience for me. I have learned a great amount from many of the presenters that have spoken. My advisor spoke during one meeting and I was able to learn so much about getting through my undergraduate degree with the right courses to succeed on the MCAT. Not only did my advisor give great input, but she asked questions, shared her experiences, and gave a lot of advise. Because of the Human Biology club, I was able to learn far more about my major than I would be able to otherwise.

Other speakers that have presented include an internship advisor, a nurse practitioner, a panel of students from the Osteopathic Medical School, and many more great presenters. Although, every speaker was very interesting to listen to and really engaged the club in listening and learning, I found the panel of students from the med school to be very helpful. These students gave us real advice on how to get to medical school and shared their experiences as well. It was really interesting to hear about how the students decided to enter into medical school. They gave great advice for students in pre-medical undergraduate programs.

Anyone considering going into the medical field should reach out to organizations like the Human Biology Club, they offer great advice and really foster a sense of community among their members. Besides speakers, many clubs also perform service work and have small gatherings for members to socialize. My experience as an HBC member has been wonderful!

Photo 1:"MSU Human Biology Club." MSU Human Biology Club. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.