Archive for tag: electives

So what a lot of people might not know about vet school classes is that for our first two years, we don't get to choose any of them! We have so many core classes that we all need as foundation for our later learning, that your schedule is planned for you. Now don't get me wrong, all of our classes are really critical for learning how to be the best vets possible, but there is something very cool about getting to choose your own classes for the first time. Well for the Class of 2014, our time has come!  Several weeks ago, we were passed out a list of around 60 elective courses that we could choose from. By an elective, I mean a class that we get to choose to take from a list of options. Each elective is typically worth 1 class credit (a few are 2 or 3), and they only meet for a couple of weeks during the year. Each third year student has to take a minimum of 14 credits worth of electives, but there isn't technically a maximum (just the maxim... (Read More)

There comes a time in every person's life when it is time to figure out your path in life and just stick to it.  … Right?  Well, sometimes.  I am the kind of person who has a general idea of what I want to be when I grow up, and then I play the rest by ear.  I have a goal - "Plan A" - I want to become a board certified zoo veterinarian and then later go into a private practice or an academic setting.  But if circumstances change, I have a "Plan B," "Plan C," and "Plan Z."  It's just a good idea. But right now, I get to play and explore the many avenues of veterinary medicine.  I am a third year student; I finally reached the point where I can choose my electives.  As third year students, we are required to take a minimum of 14 hours of electives, spread throughout the year.  Most electives are worth one or two hours of course credit.  I just couldn't help myself, so I signed up for 18 hours.&nbs... (Read More)

One of the questions that I commonly get asked as a tour guide is "Do vet students have time to do anything other than study and take tests?"  Well, yes and no.  We are in class from roughly 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, but some lucky students have shorter variations of that schedule.  Then we all go home and study.  This might sound rough, but it's what we need to do to become great veterinarians.  I would say about 90 to 95% of the vet students in this school have dreamed of becoming veterinarians since they were little kids, and all of us have worked hard to get to where we are now.  We have a passion for working with animals and a devotion to helping both animals and their humans.  But as with any "job" it's easy to get overwhelmed.  This is why each and every veterinary student finds a way to let loose and enjoy themselves on a regular basis.  Personally, I have two handsome cats at home to play ... (Read More)