Hey everyone! It’s been taking me a while to get these blog posts out, but I am ready to get back on track. Today I will talk about the application process for veterinary school: the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS for short).
Here is a little background on my experience with VMCAS. I submitted one application in 2019. With that application, I applied to 5 schools total. University of Florida, University of Michigan, Lincoln Memorial University, Western University of Health Sciences, and Purdue University.
There were supplemental applications that I had to submit to some of the schools outside of VMCAS. The only one I will go into more detail will be for the University of Florida in a separate post. I will also divide this section of the series into several posts just because there is a lot of tips and information regarding the application service.
First off, what is the VMCAS? The name explains it well. It is an application service that that, once completed, will be sent out to the schools of your choosing that will receive and process the application. This application will determine if you move forward to the next step (whether it is an interview or admission). There are several sections to the VMCAS. Since there is a lot to talk about, I will divide these sections into different posts so that it is not entirely overwhelming.
My number one tip is to figure out when the application opens up so you can plan out the amount of time you need to fill out the application. I suggest the earlier the better so that you can have plenty of time to create a strong application.
This post will discuss what you should do before starting up an application.
- Do some research on the veterinary schools that interest you
- Read up on their requirements: what kind of evaluation letter(s) do they want? What are the course prerequisites needed to for admittance? What are the class overall stats? (Here is a great link to answer this question https://www.aavmc.org/additional-pages/admitted-student-statistics.aspx). How many hours do I need of veterinary/animal experience?
- Research the cost of attendance. Out of state vs. In state tuition. Can the school change from out of state to in state tuition when you live in that state fora certain amount of time.
- Keep in mind the location. Would you want to live in a state that snows? Is very hot all year round? Can I afford rent/find housing in that location?
- What are their values? Do they embody what I want to be as a veterinarian? Do they have courses for the specific field I would like to pursue?
2. Diversify your experiences
- This tip is for way before even starting the application process journey, but this is very important to help you stand out as an applicant.
- When researching schools, check to see what field they are known for or have. (e.g. UF (University of Florida) has a great exotic program and has ties to Animal Kingdom which is what interested me).
- Gain small animal experiences as a start. I suggest getting exposure to general practice. To become an even stronger candidate, get a job as a veterinary assistant or technician for at least 6 months. Paid experience is great because it shows that you were good enough to be hired (as opposed to the uncertainty of your performance as a volunteer).
- Get experience outside of small animal. Volunteer at places like: an animal shelter, zoo, wildlife rehab, an exotic animal clinic, equestrian center, etc. I would say dedicate at least 6 months at each experience. Most schools focus on dogs, cats, horses, and cattle. It’ll be good to get experience in those fields.
- Get research experience if that is something that interest you. I did research at a monkey conservancy where I studied the behavior of Owl monkeys. I had so much fun and it helped me stand out as a candidate.
- Gain experience out side of veterinary medicine. Be involved in a sport or hobby. Make sure to keep not of any achievements or accomplishments that have come out of it.
3. Be as prepared as possible
- Email/call/ask the individuals that you would like an evaluation letter from. Make sure to include your resume/CV, the value that you brought to the place or any accomplishments, anything that will help them remember why you are a rock star.
- I suggest you choose people that you know will write you a good recommendation letter. This is because when you send them the link you choose whether or not you would like to see what they said about you. I suggest you choose not to see it because it shows that you are confident that you’ll receive stellar evaluations. From what I believe, it is a questionnaire type link that is sent to the evaluators, but they have the option to include a written evaluation from them as well.
- For my evaluation letters, I asked one veterinarian, one wildlife rehabilitation manager, and one zoo nutritionist. Research the school requirements on who to get your letters from. I selected the individuals that I spend most of my time with. I made sure that I dedicated at least 6 months of my time at their side helping out with whatever they needed.
- Check to see what schools require the GRE and take it months in advance. Get the prep books and focus on time management. Make sure you understand the test and how it is formatted. You are essentially learning how the test works more than anything. If you did not do as well as expected, make sure you gave yourself enough time for a second test.
- Save up some money for the GRE, VMCAS, and for the supplemental applications. Applying is not cheap. Take that into account when you are creating your application. Keep in mind that it also cost money to travel for interviews.
This is all the helpful tips and information that I have for today. I think preparation is very important when it comes to this application. It is great mentally because you are already as prepared as you can be prior to applying. This can help take away the overwhelming feeling that you can get when filling out an application. I hope this helps and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.
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