What to Expect as an Incoming Freshman

***As a Frederik Meijer honors college pre-veterinary student at Grand Valley State University, my experiences are limited to their program; but I imagine that it relates to most colleges or universities.***

As you will find out, the undergraduate process for a student hoping to pursue veterinary medicine is pretty much laid out and their is very little deviation from it. Veterinary schools have very specific requirements for applicants and thus students begin their freshman year at GVSU with a slightly different experience than the average student. 

When I walked into freshman orientation during the summer of 2010, I really had no idea what to expect. I was given a tour, wrote some essays, and most importantly registered for my classes. I was assigned to a group of students who were interested in the medical-related fields and a faculty adviser went over my class schedule with me. He handed me a piece of paper and on it was every class I needed to take over the next four years in a precise order. There I was with my schedule basically in hand, while the rest of my peers were choosing which classes they wanted to take. Some may argue that this is a good or bad thing. For me, it certainly made things extremely easy because I was out of the scheduling session in five minutes, while other students took over two hours to piece together their schedule. (for specific veterinary school curriculum requirements, see my website)

It is important to know that you will not really be learning anything specifically related to veterinary medicine during your undergraduate career. Potentially the closest you will get is the required animal nutrition course, which many colleges do not offer. Most of the courses you will be taking are either general education courses or required science courses that will build your knowledge base for veterinary school. Your freshman year will be comprised of classes like general biology, inorganic chemistry, humanities courses, and a writing class. However, every single class is very important because it adds to your GPA, furthers your knowledge, and gets you one step closer to applying to veterinary school. 

While you definitely need to focus more on your studies than the average student because of the high requirements set forth by veterinary schools, you still need to remember to have fun and get involved on campus. A great place to start is Campus Life Night, which is an event held during the second week of classes that showcases all 300+ organizations at GVSU. You could join an honors co-ed fraternity like Phi Sigma Pi, become a member of the pre-veterinary club, learn how to swing dance, play quidditch with a group of friends, or even make your own organization. The choices are endless and it helps make you a well-balanced student.

No matter the college you attend, always know that there are people there to help you through the process. Your first year can be really tough, whether you struggle academically or emotionally. Transitioning from a senior in high school to a freshman in college is just the beginning of making immense changes in your life and you will need help along the way. Talk to your friends, professors, student services, professors, counselors, and your parents. You should never have to go through anything alone, so make sure to reach out and get help when you need it.

Getting Started

If you are reading my blog, then this is a great place to get started on the long path towards becoming a veterinary student. If you are someone who has already started researching into this career, then I commend you and I hope that my website will be of great use to you.

Why do I want to be a veterinarian? This is one of the most important questions to ask yourself whether you are simply starting out or years into the process. Continuously looking inside to make sure you are making the right life choice is imperative because in order to be a veterinarian you should be one hundred percent committed and passionate. A great way to learn about yourself is to talk to your family, friends, veterinarians, professors, or your college advisor. The more you talk about your life goals, likes, dislikes, passions, and fears the clearer your path will become. 

The next step is getting experience. A lot of people love animals, especially cute little kittens and puppies, but there is a big difference between an animal lover and a veterinarian. Learning which group you fall into early can save you a lot of wasted time and the best way to do that is shadowing in veterinary clinics. Starting as early as high school is extremely encouraged, but if you were like me and did not decide until senior year of high school to pursue veterinary medicine then you still have time. I've spoken to many veterinarians who have seen young students become queasy at the sight of blood or faint during a surgical procedure. Now this does not immediately mean that you are not right for this profession, but it is a good indicator that it might not be the best career out there for you. Making sure that you can handle the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of the professions is a must. Another really important aspect is that you can see yourself performing the examinations, building relationships with the clients, diagnosing illness, and performing surgical procedures. If you cannot see yourself enjoying the daily duties, both the pleasant and unpleasant, of a veterinarian; then maybe you should pursue another career path and find an animal shelter to volunteer at to fulfill your passion for animals. 

I also highly suggest doing at least basic researching into the eight plus year process of becoming a veterinarian. Some good places to start are looking into the requirements for undergraduate curriculum, animal and veterinary experience, community service work, scientific research, grade point average, and standardized tests. The biggest mistake that many students make going into their undergraduate career is not being properly prepared for the rigorous requirements of a pre-veterinary student. 

Ask questions, get experience, and do research! After all of that, you will hopefully have a better understanding of the profession and yourself.