Pre-Vet

Alright, so you think you want to be a vet “when you grow up.” First and foremost, understand that this is an extremely competitive field. There are only 28 vet schools in the nation, and there are plenty of students vying for these few admission seats every year. Don’t get discouraged though – just realize that becoming a vet requires a lot of passion and determination. If you think this is the area you’d like to go into for your career, start preparing NOW! Go talk to your local vet and ask them if you can volunteer. Shadow a large animal veterinarian in your area. And when you get to college, start animal-related research projects.

This is where CALS at NC State can help you. CALS faculty are constantly looking for undergraduate help in research projects. Though some of these projects may be unpaid, you can instead receive class credit in most situations. Personally, I became involved in research the summer before my freshman year, and have continued working in the lab ever since. I participated in the HHMI RISE Program, a 6-week summer research internship for incoming freshman, and began working in a poultry genomics lab on main campus in Scott Hall. Since then, I have presented three times at undergraduate research symposiums, and have even traveled to Australia to present my research at the 2008 World Poultry Congress.

But obviously research is not the only thing you need to focus on when it comes to building your resume for vet school; you also need to have a well-rounded body of veterinary and animal experience. This includes everything from assisting a large animal vet with restraint of a patient during an exam, to walking dogs for your neighbor. Just make sure you keep a log of how many hours you’re accumulating in each of your experiences – this will make applying to vet schools (and even filling out your resume) a much smoother process later!

When it comes to finding these fantastic internships, CALS Career Services is an invaluable resource. CALS is constantly sponsoring workshops to help guide you in your quest for internships, and networking events to help connect you with a professional who may be able to provide just that. The key here is that CALS Career Services is what you make of it. None of the events are mandatory; but of course, the more you participate, the more you will get out of them. So be proactive and take advantage of the resources made available to you! Coming this fall to CALS is an exciting new program called VET Pac! The program will reside in Riddick Hall, and will essentially be a mentoring program strictly for pre-veterinary-focused students. Faculty in the program will help students find internships, connect with local veterinarians, and most importantly, perfect those vet school applications!

My best advice is just to get out there and try things. Dabble in small animal medicine, give large animal practice a try, and even explore the field of exotic animal care. What is even more important than getting into vet school is making sure that being a veterinarian is really your dream career. And after all of that experience you decide you really do want to be a veterinarian, then you will already be well on your way!