10 Things No One Tells You About Vet School

1. Vet school makes you feel like the stupidest person in the world.

You spend your entire academic career breezing through classes, hardly studying, making straight A's. Then you get to vet school, and suddenly, you're not the smart kid anymore. There are times you struggle just to pass (even when you study your butt off). You will genuinely celebrate C's (C's=DVM's after all). And making A's and B's? Better not spread that around because your classmates are going to want to kill you (except for those disgusting creatures with photographic memory that are still breezing through school... they just pity you). And don't be fooled when everyone assures you that you are eased into things your first year. First semester=weed out semester, and don't forget it.

2. Your pets become your specimens. And you'll never see them the same way.

During anatomy, you are encouraged to palpate structures in your pets. They hate you for it. All the poking and prodding and flexing and extending. Poor things. And really, after you've seen what they look like on the inside and have learned every single bone, muscle, artery, vein, nerve, etc., they aren't just your beloved pets anymore. They are these highly complex organisms with all these intricate systems with so many functions that can go wrong in so many ways. Your dog gets short of breath after running? Oh my god, what if he has congestive heart failure?! Your cat starts peeing more than normal? Must be diabetes..

3. You will be treated like a vet.

You'll be flattered, of course, but when someone finds out you're a vet student and starts asking you all kinds of questions about their pet's health, all you can do is shrug and feel like a worthless idiot. Yeah, you probably have more knowledge about animals than most people, but you don't know nearly as much as you want to know. Not yet, anyway. And you definitely can't make diagnoses or recommend treatment plans. So you say, "It sounds like things aren't normal; you should really take your pet to a vet," and then you get these weird looks of disappointment. Sorry, guys; I'm not a vet yet.

4. You will never fully trust a human doctor again.

I'm not saying human doctors aren't well-trained or don't know what they're doing... I'm just saying we might be a little more well-trained. First, it's harder to get into vet school than med school (near perfect GPA, thousands, yes, THOUSANDS of hours of volunteering/job shadowing/previous experience, high test scores.. it's not easy). And then you get in and realize that med school really would have been the easier choice. Here's a table to compare:

	Med School	Vet School
Instructional Periods	8 weeks	8 weeks
Testing	Only during finals week	Throughout all 8 weeks along with finals (and did I mention that we still have to attend our normal classes during finals week? Even though we are being destroyed by monstrous exams..)
Breaks	One week off after every finals week	Ha.
Grades	Pass or fail (with the opportunity to make up failed classes)	A-F, so there is still plenty of annoying competition and feeling stupid (and one F= kicked out)
Schedule	From what I’ve heard, they’re usually out by 3. At the latest.	Some days, we don’t get out until 7 pm (that’s 11-12 hours of being in classes/labs)
Material covered	One species	At least 10 species that we actively compare (and have to learn as in depth as the one species med students have to learn.. and in the same amount of time, I might add)

5. School isn't the only thing you'll have to worry about.

You're going to have all of these added responsibilities that you never thought might interfere with your studies. Like club obligations. Which doesn't seem so bad because clubs can be really fun, but then you are practically forced to join certain ones, and not only do you have to give them all your monies, but you also have to do all of this ridiculous volunteering for them (that is, mandatory volunteering). Then you have to help with school/class fundraisers and events and cleaning. And you thought you were done with those things when you finished undergrad. Silly you.

6. You will smell like death. Every single day for an entire year.

You are going to be spending a minimum of 9 hours a week in the anatomy lab (most of the time, it's more like 12-15). And you're going to get disgusting. Maybe cat dissections were nice, neat, and easy to clean up, but dogs that are almost as big as you are? And don't even get me started on the horses and cows. You are going to be wrestling with, rolling in, and diving into these smelly (sometimes moldy) embalmed animal carcasses. And let me tell you, the smell of formalin lingers. Especially in your hair. And did I mention that formalin (aka watered down formaldehyde) is a carcinogen? Yep, you're probably going to get cancer from this.
And you're going to get disgusting in ways you never expected. For example, when trying to put our freshly skinned, fat covered dog up after lab one day, my hand slipped as I was pulling the bag, and I punched my lab partner in the face with my slimy, fat/chemical covered hand (I was wearing gloves, but her face was not). And my hand was so slippery that after I punched her, all that goo slid right across her lips. Pretty sure she still hasn't forgiven me for that one...

7. Vet school consumes your brain.

Your life will = vet school. You don't realize how true that is until you're actually living it, I guess. But you will be eating, sleeping, dreaming, pooping, peeing, breathing, thinking vet school. It never stops. You will no longer function as a real human being. Everything in your life becomes referenced to vet school. Your urine is concentrated? Oh, anti-diuretic hormone.. look at you doing your job! You have to poop after eating a meal? That gastrocolic reflex is kicking in! You start seeing things that aren't really there... a picture of rainbow and a tornado looks like a uterus, a statue looks like an erythrocyte with prominent central pallor (must be from a dog). You forget normal, every day things. I forgot what a table was one day. I could tell you every single muscle in the pelvic limb, its origins, insertions, and innervations, but that thing over there... that you put things on... and it has legs... no idea. Your friends outside of vet school will be embarrassed to be seen in public with you because you won't be able to refrain from talking about parasites or necrosis or genitalia at the dinner table. You will literally become crazy.

8. You only get to play with dead animals.

For the first two years, you'll barely even see living animals apart from your own pets. Just dead things that you dissect and study. It's so sad, but you even start getting attached to your dead animals. We named our dissection dog Leroy. The cat was Ms. Kitty. Our horse is Richard. Our cow is Bessie. You even start giving them personalities ("Leroy is such a good boy! Look how well he's holding his leg up for us! While we cut into his muscles..."). If you didn't have a morbid sense of humor before getting into vet school, you'll develop one. You have to to keep from completely losing your mind in anatomy (well, that's arguable..). And let me tell you, things start getting weird in anatomy lab really quick. I caught one of my lab partners scratching his face with our dog's paw one day. And sometimes we make giant fat balls to play catch with. And there are so many penis jokes (when talking about which half of the animal each group got, an instructor came up to my lab partner that had the penis half our our horse and said, "Oh, you got the good side!" to which she replied, "Yeah, and they got the shaft, but they didn't get.... the shaft.").

9. It's terrifying.

Obviously you'll have this constant fear of failing (because one screwed up test could do it), but you also start getting a taste for how hard it is to be a vet financially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. People come in to talk to you about how broke you're going to be when you get out (as if you didn't already know), how hard it might be for you to find a job, and how little money you're going to make. And you just sit there thinking, "Why am I doing this again?" And then the reality of all the animals that have to die just so you can learn hits you (I'm not going to dwell on this one). And then another speaker comes in and tells you how she's been married 4 times because she works so much that she has trouble making family come first. It's an absolutely draining career choice. Yet we continue on... we must be crazy (I mean, the suicide rate for vets is pretty high...).

10. No one is going to get it.

You are going to have to sacrifice so much while you're in vet school. Family time, friend time, relationship time, you time, even animal time. All the things that were most important to you in life are going to have to take a (hopefully) temporary backseat while you're in vet school because that's what you'll have to focus on. It's heartbreaking how many of my classmates have already had loved ones pass away during our first year of vet school, and yeah, they got to leave for the funerals (and in doing so, put themselves at a huge academic disadvantage), but they never got to say goodbye. They didn't get the chance to spend time with them before they left their lives forever. And you can complain to your family and friends about how hard it is, but they won't understand. Not truly. The only ones that get it are your classmates. They become your temporary family and support system, and thank god for them because you probably wouldn't survive without them.

All these things being said; do I regret choosing this career path? Not for a minute. What can I say... I'm just completely insane.

The Interview.

Well. I survived. My mother said I was basically one giant hive when I walked out of the interview room, but at least I was still breathing/awake/not vomiting everywhere. I'm pretty sure I worried a hole into my stomach lining, though, because I still feel queasy whenever I think about the interview/vet school.

Overall, I didn't do very well. I stumbled through questions I had practiced over and over again, and I'm still kicking myself for it. That said, it could have been much, much worse.

For those of you that will be going through this on your own someday, I am going to describe everything (that I remember... I'm pretty sure I blocked some of it out) so maybe you won't be quite as terrified as I was (so yeah... prepare for a wall of text).

When I got there, I waited in the office with the students that were interviewing before me (I got there pretty early). It was somewhat helpful to talk to them and share your "well, I heard that they ask this..." stories, but it also psychs you out a little. You have to watch them get increasingly nervous as their interview time draws near. Then you have to watch them come out, nearly in tears, doubting everything they did/said. Or there are ones that are super confident and well-spoken, and you'll think, "I have to follow that?!?" It just makes it all the more nerve-racking.

Finally, when my time came, the committee's assistant came to get me (she was also a vet, and she asked questions, but didn't get a say in the scoring). We shook hands, introduced ourselves, and she led me to the interview room. I was introduced to each committee member (there were 3; all of which were male vets). Then I took a seat and the interogation began.

Side note: The seat I was given was a freaking swiveling computer chair of all things! Why on earth would you think it's a good idea to put an incredibly nervous person in a spinning chair for an interview?!?! I know I caught myself swiveling back and forth out of nervousness at least once, but I'm sure I did it more than that. It probably made me look insane. I don't even want to think about how many points that cost me...

Basically, each committee member asked a set of questions (one question right after the other, which helped a bit with the swiveling/eye contact because you didn't have to constantly refocus your attention). The first guy seemed kinda bored/uninterested/awkward (but I can't really blame him.. I'm sure he'd had enough anxiety-ridden students to listen to for the day). The next guy was more enthusiastic and engaging, and the third seemed like he was the most interested in what I was saying. They were all really nice, though, and I never really felt like they were trying to back me into a corner or anything.

So here's a list of the questions I was asked with brief descriptions of what I said, followed by what I should have said.

I see that you’ve been involved with a couple animal welfare groups, and you’ve taken a few animal ethics classes. Tell us about that.

What I said: "I took those classes as a part of an animal related minor because I thought that they would really help to broaded my views/knowledge about issues regarding animals becuase those issues are very important for me to be aware of as a vet."

What I should have said: I think my answer was okay for the most part (even if it did come out in one long, rambley sentence), but I totally forgot to explain anything about the animal welfare groups I was a part of. I should have added something like, "Through the welfare groups I've been involved with, I have fostered dogs/cats, helped/planned fundraisers for local animal shelters/rescue groups, and spread awareness about issues of animal overpopulation."

What are your views regarding animal rights?

What I said: I don't remember exactly. I just remember that is was poorly worded and rambley. I probably blocked it out for a reason. I think I might have rambled about people involved with animal rights, which didn't really answer the question. I ended it with something like, "Although I understand and sympathesize with some of their viewpoints, I tend to lean more towards animal welfarism. Animal rights views are sometimes a little to extreme for me." Ugh.

What I should have said (and I might have said snippets of this, but probably sounded like an idiot): "Animal rights is a movement to end all human exploitation of animals. This includes using animals as food, clothing, research, and entertainment, but there are varying levels of extremism associated with the people involved in animal rights. Although I sympathesize with and understand many of the reasons behind animal rights, and I do support some of the movement's goals, overall I tend to lean more towards animal welfarism, which is more about preventing the mistreatment and suffering of animals." I feel like an answer like this would show them that you know what you are talking about, but that your own personal views are not that extreme (because they if they think you are too extreme, they think it will interfere with you becoming a vet.. for example, you are going to have to do some form of animal research in vet school, and being completely opposed to it means you aren't going to finish school).

What are the ethics regarding python ownership?

What I said: "Well, I have a pet python.. a ball python. I think that as long as snakes are given the proper enclosures, diet, and care, having one as a pet isn't really any different than having another type of pet."

What I should have said (because I completely screwed that one up): I totally did not realize what they wanted from me with this question, and therefore, I gave a completely worthless answer. I think what they were looking for was something along the lines of, "Python ownership, if carried out correctly, does not have to be an issue. Unfortunately, many people do not provide the appropriate care for such large animals, which can be veiwed as very cruel, and some even release these exotic species into environments in which they do not belong, causing huge problems in already established ecosytems, not to mention, the potential death of the snake. There is also the issue of diet for pythons. Feeding live animals to them, for example, can be seen as cruel, as the prey suffers more and injuries to the snake can occur; however, in the wild, the same thing happens, just out of human view. Another issue is the breeding of animals specifically for the purpose of feeding snakes, which can be seen as cruel, but humans do that as well (factory farming, for example)."

You own a snake? How big is it?

What I said: "Yes! He really likes to wrap around people's necks. He's only around 2 years old right now, so he's not quite 2 feet long yet." This was just in response to my butchered answer about the python ethics. They seemed to think it was kinda strange that I liked snakes so much. I don't really think I could have answer it any differently.

You mentioned a lynx declaw in your application. Why was it declawed? How do you view declawing?

What I said: "Yes, the lynx was an animal at the camp I worked at, and because he was going to be around children, his owners thought it would be best to declaw him when he was a kitten to prevent him from seriously injuring anyone. He will never be released into the wild or anything." The next part I really messed up on.. the freaking ethics questions were the ones I practiced most, yet I still stumbled on them... "I think if a cat is declawed when it is young and if the declaw is done properly, there isn't really a huge issue, and I understand why some people would want to do that. But I'm not sure if I would be willing to declaw an older cat."

What I should have said: I think the first part of the response was okay, but the second part... I was being honest, but I should have provided more explanation. For example, "If a cat is declawed properly when they are young and heal faster, I don't think it is a huge issue (assuming that the cat will be kept inside for the rest of its life). Although it is not a medically necessary procedure, I understand why many people wish to have it done to their cats, but unless very good reasons were given, I'm not sure that I would feel comfortable declawing an older cat, as many more complications and issues could arise." I mean, that's probably not the greatest answer either, but it's better than what I said.

What is the California blackworm?

What I said: (This question was based on a research project I did.) "I'm sure I learned more about it when I researched the species, but all I really remember is that it is known for and used for it's regenerative properties." And then I tried to remember more, but failed and looked stupid.

What I should have said: What I said minus the wasting time by trying to pull things I didn't remember out of thin air.

How did you feel about your comparative anatomy class?

What I said: "It was one of my favorite classes. It was definitely challenging, but I learned so much, and I completely loved it."

What I should have said: Basically what I said. I probably could have sucked up more.. especially since one of the interviewers was the anatomy professor at the school, but I didn't want to push it. Especially since I was having issues with wording things correctly..

You grew up on a farm? What kind of farm? What did you help with on the farm?

What I said: "Yes, it is a cattle farm, but we raise other types of animals as well. I have helped with the cattle ever since I was little. My job used to be just opening gates and collecting testicles when we worked cows, but as I've gotten older, I've helped with giving vaccinations, castrations, dehorning, and whatever else needs to be done. We normally don't have a vet come out to help unless we have a specific issue that needs to be dealth with."

What I should have said: I think my answer was okay, but maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the testicles thing...

What are some vaccinations that you give cattle?

What I said: "Um... I don't really know."

What I should have said: The freaking answer: blackleg, respiratory, tetanus, etc. I don't know why I said I didn't know. I do know what vaccinations we give cattle. I guess I was afraid I would say something wrong? I don't know. I'm really angry with myself about this one. Luckily the guy was cool about it. He was like, "So you kinda just give them whatever you're given to give them?" It made me feel a little less ashamed of my pretend ignorance.

You mentioned trichomoniasis on your application. What is that?

What I said: "I had no idea for quite a while, but I asked one of the vets I was working with, and she basically told me that it is a bovine STD."

What I should have said: What I said, but I should have added something about how it causes infertility and miscarriages. 

So you've had a lot of experience with horses?

What I said: "Not exactly. I have a horse, but apart from everyday care and routine health things, I haven't worked with them all that much. We don't use our horses for roping/ranching or anything."

What I should have said: The truth, which was my answer. I didn't want to pretend I knew things that I didn't (which may have prompted further questions on the matter).

What is a Coggins test?

What I said: "It's a blood test done on horses. I know that they have to have it before they travel anywhere (especially out of state or to places where other horses will be), but I'm not exactly sure what it is for. I think it is to test for some type of anemia."

What I should have said: I think my answer was okay for this one. I told him what I knew, and therefore, did not embarrass myself or look like an idiot. I knew I was right about the anemia, but that's all I knew, so I didn't want it to seem like I was super confident about the topic, which might have prompted more questions about it.

What is the most important trait that you think you possess that will help you succeed in vet school?

What I said: "Probably my determination. I know that's a pretty cliche answer, but determination and drive are what you have to have to succeed, especially in such a demanding field. As long as I have this determination, I can continue to work through whatever challenges come my way without even thinking about giving up."

What I should have said: I mean, I kinda wish I would have said something more creative, but it wasn't a horrible answer, I guess.

Name four areas in which you can become involved as a vet.

What I said: Oh god. This one was miserable. I had practiced this, but I didn't really expect to be asked about it, so the answers didn't exactly flow out of my mouth (in other words, there was a lot of "umm"ing). "Private practice, working for the USDA, working at a zoo, and working for the military/in public health."

What I should have said: What I said minus the hesitation and unsurity. I probably should have gotten a little more creative, too, but other answers just weren't coming to me. I almost started naming groups of animals vets could work with and specializations, but I'm glad I didn't because I don't think that's what they were looking for.

If you become a vet, what would you like to be doing in ten years?

What I said: "I would really like to be a mixed practice vet working near my hometown, but there are so many things I am interested in that I'm not entirely sure. I love working with all types of animals (exotics, wildlife, reptiles), so I really want to keep my options open."

What I should have said: "I would really like to be a mixed practice vet working near my hometown." I answered the question, and then I kept going, and it was probably super annoying and rambley. I should have just stopped there.

If you don't get into vet school, what are your plans?

What I said: "I will continue to attend college to finish my degree, and then I will reapply next year." Then I was asked, "What if you never get in?" I said, "I will probably try to find a job as a vet tech."

What I should have said: That. I guess I could have expanded a little bit by saying something like, "This is really the only field I think I would be happy in. If it comes down to it, I'll do what I need to do to support myself and my family, but it's going to take a lot for me to give up on my dreams." Maybe not quite so girly sounding, though.

Who is Sonia Sotomayor? Who is (some other dude whose name I don't remember)?

What I said: "I'm sorry, I honestly do not know."

What I should have said: What I said. Because I didn't know who they were. Apparently Sonia is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and I'm guessing the other guy was something related to that. Before we went in, we were warned about this (or a current events) question, but the admission's lady told us not to worry because not knowing won't cause them to count off points. I hope she was right. 

What is the camp that you worked at?

What I said: "It's a science camp for kids that has a variety of really cool activities, but it also has a small zoo that is kind of its main focus. They also have a Jr. Vet program, which is what I was most involved with. The classes are mostly taught by pre-vet students, and the kids are taught how to do some things relating to veterinary medicine (things vet techs would usually do). A vet also comes out once a week to perform surgeries, and the kids get to watch."

What I should have said: First of all, I should have worded things a little better. Then I feel like I should have talked more about the things I did when I worked there. Because I got to do a lot. And I wasn't just involved with the Jr. Vet program. I was running it and coordinating everything with the vet. I was also in charge of the entire zoo part of the camp. And I ran the adoption program. On one hand, adding those things doesn't really do anything to answer the question, but on the other hand, it was a great opportunity to talk myself up a little bit (because that's kinda what you should do in an interview) and make them aware of everything I've done. And I completely missed it.

What interesting species did you work with there?

What I said: "Well, there was the lynx. They also had a lot of primates to kind of teach kids that monkeys are not good pets. One of the most difficult ones to work with was the vervet monkey. He has just reached sexual maturity, so he's a little temperamental."

What I should have said: My answer was okay, I guess, but again, I should have expanded (and I probably should have left out the sexual maturity thing, but they seemed to think it was funny... so maybe it was a good thing?). It would have been a great opportunity to talk about Marmie, the paraplegic monkey I cared for. Because that's not something you hear everyday. I think it might have made me stick out a little more.  

What is one major issue effecting vet students today? How will you deal with it?

What I said: "I'm actually a part of a vet forum on the internet, and it seems like one of the main concerns is debt. It adds up to such a huge amount, that a lot of people have a really hard time paying it off. I think it will definitely be a struggle, and I know that a lot of people find it very discouraging, but this is what I want to do with my life, and you only have one life to live.. I want to spend mine doing what I enjoy."

What I should have said: I think my answer was okay. I probably would take out the part about the forum. I'm honestly not sure why I brought it up. I didn't really answer the second part of the question, so I guess I should have said something about searching for other types of financial aide. I also could have said something about how I have accepted that debt will be a part of my life if I pursue this career, but that isn't going to hold me back.

What is the average student loan debt of graduating vet students? How much do vets usually make starting out?

What I said: "I think it's usually between $150,00 and $250,000 of debt, and I think the average yearly income of a vet starting out used to be around $80,000, but now it is lower (around $50,000, I think.. depending on where you live)."

What I should have said: That. Except the $50,000 is actually closer to $60,000. My bad. 

Name a famous Veterinarian. What did he/she do?

What I said: "I am actually reading a book by a veterinarian right now... James Herriot." (This prompted the question, "Oh really? Which one?) "I'm reading the first one he wrote, 'All Creatures Great and Small'."

What I should have said: That. I'm actually a little impressed that I didn't completely forget about it in my nervousness. That would have been a very easy question to blank out on. (By the way, thanks aunt Cathy for letting me borrow those books! You saved me on this one!)

Is the forum you are on the Student Doctor Network? (This was asked because I mentioned being part of a forum in another question, and apparently the committee goes on this one to read what students say about them.)

What I said: "No, it's actually just a small subgroup of a larger site." I said the site's name, and I wish I hadn't. If any of them know what it is, they might judge me (not that it's a bad site.. it's just known for being biased and super liberal... not the vet subgroup... just the other parts of it). 

What I should have said: "No, but I have heard of that one, too." 

Why should you be chosen for acceptance into vet school?

What I said: "This is what I want to do with my life. I have the determination, and I'm ready to devote my life to this career." Except super flustered/rambley sounding (I probably had other stupidly placed words in there somewhere). I thought I was done, and I was seriously about to get up before this question was asked, so it took me by surprise a little.

What I should have said: Something more elegant and profound. I mean, it's an okay answer, I guess, but super cliche, and that would have been my chance to really win them over. Buuuut I blew it.

Do you have anything that needs to be updated on your application?

What I said: "Yes, I've continued to job shadow, and I've gotten an additional...." (I named off my extra hours in each category.) "I've also started an internship at the zoo with the vet there, I was invited to apply to an honor society (they haven't processed applications yet), and I have begun doing pet therapy with my dog, but he's still in training right now."

What I should have said: I guess that, but I probably gave them more information than necessary. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Do you have any questions for us?

What I said: "I don't think so." I said it far too cheerfully because I was ready to get the hell out of there.

What I should have said: I was sooooooo mad at myself for not asking them anything!! And I had thought about how to respond to this question over and over again, and I had what I thought to be a fairly good question to ask them. But I didn't ask it. After all that time I spent rehearsing it over and over again. I guess I was just so ready to leave that it completely slipped my mind. Anyway, I was going to ask, "Regardless of whether or not I get into vet school this year, what are some things I should do to help better prepare myself for vet school and this career (or re-application)?" Because it's kinda suck-upish, but would also be very helpful to know the answer to.

So there it is. The story of the most horrifying day of my life. It might not sound that bad, but trust me, the amount of stuttering, "um"ing, poor word choices/explanations, and dumb mistakes I made are cringe-worthy. 

And now I have a full month (at least) to brood over all of that before I get my letter of acceptance or rejection. It's going to be a long month.