mid-30 career changers?

[BatDog]

Hello!

I'm very new to this forum, and was looking for pre-vet folks in their mid-30's pursuing a career change. If you fit the profile I'd like to hear about your motivation for career change, your experience(s) thus far with respect to completing the pre-requisites, vet experience, applications, etc.

I'm currently 34, live in a very expensive metropolitan area, and work in the criminal justice system. I'm interested in returning to school in the fall to take some math classes, but I'm finding myself increasingly apprehensive about quitting my job to pursue vet school b/c of the outrageous cost of living here. It won't be a problem to finish the pre-requ's, but I've found that although the local shelters welcome volunteers, they're only open Mondays-Fridays 9am-5pm--when I'm typically at my paid employment. I'm sure I can come up with something creative in order to get more experience.

Thanks, BD

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[BatDog]

Is ANYONE changing careers to veterinary medicine?

 

[kander]

Hey,

I'm not in my mid 30's, but I will be when I finish vet school. I started my pre-reqs at 27 and now I'm 29 and I'll be starting vet school this fall. I used to live in the Bay area and relocated to NYC to take my pre-reqs.

My road to vet school was long (like most post-baccs) and there's so much I could share with you, I'm not sure where to begin. I guess the most important thing for me was being 100% sure that I wanted to be a vet. I had the initial interest from childhood rekindled by a sick dog I took in during college so I started volunteering at the SF SPCA to see what vet med was like. I had a great job I didn't want to give up, but the more I volunteered, the more I loved it. Quitting my job has been the hardest part of this whole process. That's when I knew I had to commit completely or I was never gonna make it. Once I started classes, things flew by and I'd be happy to share what that was like, but I don'w want to write a novel here.

I'm sure you can find places to volunteer on Sat or Sun, as I mentioned, the medical recovery division of the SF SPCA has weekend hours. You could even do 6am-8am, there is work to be done that early. You might find more information on vetmedicine.about.com in the pre-vet forum. I think there were some threads about places to volunteer in California.

Good luck...

Kate

 

[BatDog]

Kate:

Thanks for your reply. It seems I'm going through something similar. I have a good job in SF--excellent benefits, vacation, flex-time, etc. It's really tough to consider quitting at this point--at least from a financial standpoint. I'm extremely interested in vet school, and this past weekend I attended a volunteer orientation at the SF SPCA. Since my employment is so close to the SPCA & because they have weekend hrs in the vet clinic, I think it's the best place to start volunteering. With my flex time, I should be able to go to the SPCA a couple times during the week--either on my lunch break or after work--in addition to weekends. In the mean time, though, I plan to continue with my job and save, save, save, for the likelihood that I may one day quit my job.
Also, I've been in contact w/ a few posters from about.com regarding volunteering at the SPCA in SF--it seems there's a lot of SFSPCA folks around.

Also, I'm looking into volunteering at an equine surgical center.

What kind of work did you do before pursuing vet school? Where do you plan to apply?

At the moment, I'm taking the liberty of brushing up on my math skills & hope to start a college algebra & gen chem class at City College in the fall. I may consider taking a leave of absence from my job for one-year and pursue this pre-rec business. Admittedly, I have this fear of failing the pre-recs. I also have this feeling that once I start on the science classes, I'm going to need a lot of time to study. I'm certain that the bio sequence and any math I need will be no problem for me b/c I completed a bio sequence roughly 7 years ago and math up to pre-calculus. The other classes will be a challenge.

What else can you tell me about completing the pre-recs? Did you have a science background prior to starting? How many math classes did you take?

Thanks, BatDog

 

[kander]

BatDog:

I was in a very similar spot three years ago, my how time flies?
Sounds like you might not need to take algebra if you've taken it before. I was never a science person and I hadn't taken math since high school. I brushed up on algebra on my own over the summer and started a combined precalculus/physics/chemistry class in the fall. I'd recommend a book called ?The Math Workshop: Algebra? by Deborah Hughes-Hallett--it's the best math book I've ever used and the base I got from it served me well through pre-calculus, gen chemistry, and physics.

Someone with a humanities background that went to vet school told me way back in the beginning (and I think it?s true) that at first everything seems new and different, but you soon realize that you?re learning the same thing over and over again, just in more detail each time.

In my opinion, it's good to start slow and ramp up with the course work. Schools want to see that you can handle more than one science class (with lab) per semester. I worked (at a temp job on Wall St.)about 20-25 hours a week all the way through and took two classes with lab per semester except for the first. Many people make the mistake of being gung ho and wanting to get through it as fast as they can since they're older, but doing it right the first time, even if a little slower, sounds better to me. Of course, only you know how much you can handle.

Have you bought the VMSAR (Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements)? It's on Amazon. Since you're in CA, Davis will be your best shot, but start looking into other options too. Make a plan for yourself based on what the specific schools require and if something is unclear, call them up and ask. You don't want anything to come out of the blue when you apply. It may seem far away now, but it goes fast.

Network with other post-baccs at City College, find out who the good profs are and find someone to study with. Having friends at school helped immensely--three or four brains are always better than one. Find other pre-vets and compare notes on requirements, animal experiences, anything and everything.

I was worried about not doing well in the pre-reqs too and worked super hard in the beginning. But I've found that the amount of time I've spent studying has slowly decreased each semester. You will figure out what works for you and it will get easier as you go along. Don't let organic chemistry scare you, I loved it.

Now that I?ve finally made it to vet school I realize how little I really know. So much to learn in the next four years! I hope some of my ramblings help you?please feel free to ask me questions anytime.

Kate

 

[BatDog]

Kate:

Wow! Such good info. I'll continue to work on my math review throughout the spring and summer. I was reviewing the class schedules from City College and some of the other junior colleges in the area. I noted that CC quit offering the entire gen chem sequence at night--they offered it in the evenings last year. With the exception of biology, everything appears to be offered in the mornings, now. Ouch!

As far as the science classes getting easier as you go along, this is the second time I've heard someone say that about the classes.

Regarding O-Chem scaring me, well, that's not really my worry. My worry is physics! However, one of the junior colleges offers a supplementary class in pre-cal & physics calculations review that folks can take if they feel they need the extra help. Also, there's a similar supplement to the gen chem series.

Anyway, I'll check-out the math book you recommended, as well as the VMSAR. BTW, where'd you get accepted for Vet School?
BD

 

[kander]

BatDog:

I was accepted to Cornell and I have interviews at Tufts and Penn over the next two weeks.

Don't let physics worry you. The best advice I got was to do lots and lots of problems (same for general chem). General college level physics problems are basically very simple, there are always a certain number of variables and the solution usually requires solving for one or more of them.

Make a 3x5 card for yourself of all the important equations and start each problem by listing what you are given and what you need to solve for. Drawing a picture (esp. force diagrams) always helps too. Once you get the hang of it, nothing on the test will be a surprise. I used a book called Schaum's 3000 solved problems in addition to the one's assigned from our text book. Also, ask your prof for more practice problems or old tests and that will help you get used to their style. I know that the textbook helped some people, but to be honest, I never read a single page of it. I went to lecture, took good notes, and then just did a mess of problems.

Okay, this sounds silly, but the other thing I did that helped was to use lots and lots of paper. I had a notebook just for practicing problems and sometimes I would do each problem a couple of times until it was second nature. I know that may sound obvious, but it really helped me.

It sounds like you are very sure that this is what you want to do and that's wonderful, you'll do great. I just wanted to say that being 100% sure that this is for you before starting classes is important (at least it was for me). There are many hoops you will have to jump through and if you're not sure if the final goal is what you want, it can be very hard. I'm not questioning your motives, but having a solid series of events that lead me to the decision really helped in the application process. The prof who wrote my committee letter said that my actions showed my thought process and the choice that I had made. In other words, that my dream of being a vet was backed up by experience. Of course, you have to get experience anyway as part of the requirements, but really use that time to evaluate the career and what it will really be like. Show them that you've made an informed decision. I'm sure you've thought about all these things, but I just wanted to share my perspective in case it helps you in any way.

Again, good luck!

Kate

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

BatDog,

My aunt graduated from UC Davis Vet Med in 1988 at the age of 33. Her decision to attend veterinary medical school was not a career change decision, but nonetheless it came later in life. She applied to UCD multiple times despite interviewers repeatedly telling her that she should apply to "human" medical school. She is glad that she chose her career path. And she's made a great vet.

I have a 47 year old classmate at UHS-COM and many in their mid to late 30s. They are all aware of the age issue, but decided to pursue the careers that they've always wanted to have. Don't let people talk you out of what you want to do.

WBDO

PS, my aunt used to have a mutt that she claimed was a "bohemian bat hound," so I think she'd approve of your screenname and your career pursuit.

 

[BatDog]

Originally posted by WannabeDO
BatDog,

She applied to UCD multiple times despite interviewers repeatedly telling her that she should apply to "human" medical school. She is glad that she chose her career path. And she's made a great vet.

I have a 47 year old classmate at UHS-COM and many in their mid to late 30s. They are all aware of the age issue, but decided to pursue the careers that they've always wanted to have. Don't let people talk you out of what you want to do.

Wannabe:

Thanks for the reply.

Although I would thoroughly enjoy vet school, I think the issue right now is convincing myself that this career change is the best thing for me at this point in my life. My concern is that I was a late bloomer--didn't finish college (BS & MS) until 31, and I'm now 34. My degrees are in something completely unrelated to veterinary medicine or animals. In reality, I'd probably have a much easier time convicing an admissions committee at human med school of my interest than I would a vet school, especially considering that my current job is social work/legal/people oriented (no, I'm not a cop). If I return to school for the pre-req's I'd be 36 or 37 before I could apply & possibly end up applying more than once, perhaps twice before being accepted. There's something uneasy about this feeling of starting over "again." Especially since I spent my 20's working horse farms, doing the military gig, etc--I just kinda jumped from job to job.

I keep weighing the pros & cons of this career choice versus remaining in the legal realm where I could easily attend law school part-time and continue working. My debt load would certainly be much smaller, though. In essence, law school would open doors in the legal profession for me without going completely out on a limb.

Right now, I'm seriously considering everything before jumping head-on into something that may not be right for me.

BD

 

[catdoctobe]

BatDog-

I am 32. I have a BFA in painting and photography I received in 1995. I decided about 3 years ago that I wanted to go to vet school. I thought the best way to do that would be to get a job at a University and take pre-reqs for cheaper and go from there. I got a job at Northwestern University and they happened to have a School of Continuing studies program for people interested in Health careers. So basically its a pre-med program with all of the science basics. I am finishing up my first year of pre-reqs, am planning on taking the GRE this summer, then am planning on doing an extra year after next year of biology classes and to get more animal experience. i hope to get in to vet school at 34, but we shall see.

CatDocToBe