Vet School Coach

02/19/2025

Student debt for veterinarians has been an important topic of conversation for those considering entering the field and those already in it trying to manage their loans. Currently, several of the programs for repayment with forgiveness are in danger.

We need bright and capable veterinarians in our country. For those pursuing this career and requiring loans, please choose your least expensive option for undergrad and vet school. Apply for scholarships, have a small PT weekend job to help with expenses and work during breaks if possible to help decrease the amount you borrow.

These are challenging times to pursue one’s dream in vet med, but it can be done with careful planning. I have seen new graduates aggressively pay off their loans in under 10 years. Others pursue income driven plans. Each person has a unique set of circumstances so it is best to speak with a financial advisor who specializes in student loans and is staying current with the fast changing rules.

A federal appeals court issued a new ruling on Tuesday that would imperil student loan forgiveness under several popular repayment plans.

02/13/2025

Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a 2 day open house in April. What a great opportunity for the public and school groups to explore veterinary medicine and see this college!

MSU CVM Annual Open House
The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Open House is an excellent opportunity for community members and school groups to explore the field of veterinary medicine. This event offers interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and educational experiences designed for visitors of all ages.
School Group Day: Friday, April 4, 2025 – Schools are invited to attend for a guided experience showcasing the college, its programs, and the veterinary profession. Registration is required for school groups. Please visit link, https://www.vetmed.msstate.edu/outreach/open-house, to sign up.
General Public: Saturday, April 5, 2025 – The Open House will be open to the public, and no registration is required. Visitors can explore exhibits, meet veterinary professionals, and participate in engaging activities at their own pace.
We look forward to welcoming you to this exciting and educational event!

02/06/2025

Mental health has been a topic in the veterinary community for many years. Watch this excellent piece on PBS to see how some schools are making changes in the ways they address mental health for their students to help prepare them for the challenges the profession presents.

Caring for beloved pets as a veterinarian can be satisfying and rewarding, but it can also bring mental health challenges that some feel haven’t been adequately addressed. Now, some veterinary schools are trying to do something about it for the next generation of vets. John Yang reports. Warning: ...

02/04/2025

I have seen a lot of questions recently about when particular vet school waitlists will start to move. Until people who have multiple acceptances choose and decline the others, the schools will not pull from their waitlist as they do not want to over enroll. Therefore, the most movement will be seen in the week after the deadline mid April. I know the waiting is hard. Have patience, keep busy and work on your plan to improve yourself as an applicant now- do not wait until April in case you don’t get the news you are hoping for. Good luck!

01/21/2025

VMCAS 2025-2026 opens tomorrow January 22! For those applying or possibly reapplying, open your application ASAP and get started.

Pace yourself over the next 8 months and set deadlines for yourself on the different sections.

Use the official VMCAS current cycle guidelines to make sure you are completing every section properly.

If you would like professional guidance and support, I am available and ready to help you on this journey with expertise at every stage of your application. Now is the time to determine whether there are additional classes or experiences you should be adding. Now is the time to develop your timeline. Now is the time to start brainstorming your personal statement. It may seem overwhelming, but I can help you make it manageable! You’ve got this!

Dr. Michelle West, DVM. Coaching for Veterinary School acceptance. Avoid costly mistakes, select the right school, help prepare for your interviews and more guidance.

01/19/2025

Great opportunity for aspiring veterinarians in college currently. Check out this Veterinary Intensive Program at Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine!

Are you a current college student aspiring to enter the veterinary profession?

We invite you to apply for one of the ten exclusive seats in our week-long summer Veterinary Intensive Program (VIP). This program is designed to prepare prospective veterinary students and promote cultural representation within the veterinary field.

⚠️𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗯. 𝟳: https://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/summer-vip/

Georgia Aquarium
Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.

01/12/2025

One of the fun parts of veterinary school is joining clubs and making friends with people who share similar interests! Be sure when you are choosing a school that they have outside interests that you could see yourself getting involved in. Check out this club at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine

01/05/2025

Are you nervous about your first vet school interview? Or maybe your first one didn’t feel great? It is not too late to get professional help with interview prep or mock interviews designed for you. Contact me and let’s build your confidence to ace your interviews! You’ve come too far to go back.

www.vetschoolcoach.com

01/02/2025

Great opportunity to check out Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine for high school and college students!

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!
Let’s work together to make 2025 the year you get into vet school!

12/27/2024

The New Year is just around the corner and so is the 2025-2026 veterinary school application cycle! I recommend getting an early start on your application when it opens in VMCAS mid January. Don’t procrastinate! Set a timeline for yourself that works through the entire cycle. Try to put in a few hours every week working on it! If you want guidance on describing experiences, brainstorming essay ideas or selecting the best schools for you to apply to, reach out to me on my website contact form and let’s have a complimentary 20 min consultation to see how I might be able to help you be successful this cycle!

12/21/2024

Traveling with your pet this holiday season? Check out Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences safe travel tips!
Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

If your pet will be joining you for holiday travels this year, there are several things to keep in mind, whether you're traveling by car or plane.

Get tips on keeping pets safe and happy on the road or in the air: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/tips-for-traveling-with-pets/

12/20/2024

What is behind your stats?

It is common and understandable to want to compare gpa, hours of vet experience, animal experience and volunteer hours to other applicants who are getting interviews or even acceptances. But what’s behind those numbers is where the real story lies.

Consider Sandra and Dave; two fictitious applicants.
Here are their stats:

Sandra cGPA 3.9, 1000 vet hours, 1000 animal hours and 2000 extracurricular/volunteer hours.

Dave: cGpA 3.5, 400 vet hours, 600 animal hours, 1000 volunteer/extracurricular

It would seem based on stats alone that Sandra has the higher numbers in all categories and therefore has the better stats.

But what if I told you that Sandra has 1000 vet hours with 500 in one SA GP practice and 500 in an ER clinic all small animal. Dave has 230 hours working in a SA GP, 80 shadowing an equine vet, 50 shadowing a mixed animal vet and 50 shadowing a vet who works for the USDA.

Some admissions committees would say Dave has greater breadth of experience and likely a better understanding of the profession as a whole.

We could do this same exercise for animal hours and volunteer hours. The point being that it is not a matter of more hours is always better, but what did you do in those hours? What were you exposed to? What skills did you learn? What responsibilities did you have? This is why the descriptions you write for each experience are so important!

When I reviewed applications for admissions, I only looked to see if the applicant met the minimum hours. Many schools do not even state a minimum. Beyond that, I was only interested in reading about what they did and not a total number of hours. That being said, a balance between breadth and some depth at one location is important as well.

If you are wanting help in planning your future experiences or improving your descriptions on your application, set up a complimentary 20 min zoom with me and we can discuss how I may be able to help you.

12/10/2024

Interview offers and denials are coming out for quite a few schools in the next few weeks. This can be a time of great excitement, nerves and disappointment. For those looking for individualized interview preparation, please consider a complimentary meeting to see how I can help you feel confident in acing your interview! For those feeling discouraged from receiving denials, reach out and let’s plan how to make your next application cycle the one that gets you an acceptance. Working with applicants in their second or third application cycle is one of my favorite challenges. Really trying to look at what can be improved, how are admissions committees viewing your application and are you applying to the best schools for you.

Dr. Michelle West, DVM. Coaching for Veterinary School acceptance. Avoid costly mistakes, select the right school, help prepare for your interviews and more guidance.

12/01/2024

Rural veterinary medicine is a critical area of need. Many vet schools are developing new ways to increase the number of vets going into rural areas.

We are excited to share that the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is expanding clinical facilities! The new Center for Rural Veterinary Practice will help address the shortage of veterinary services in Mississippi and throughout rural America. An $18 million appropriation for the first two phases allows work to begin within a year, with meticulous planning already underway. Read more: https://tinyurl.com/4vc6cpzp

11/26/2024

Internship opportunity agricultural research LSU AgCenter

Internship Opportunity:

The family of Charles and Rose Broussard have graciously funded a program in the name of their parents that provides an opportunity for a paid internship at one of three research stations within the LSU AgCenter system.

The internship program is open to both high school and college students and provides an opportunity for the student to gain practical experience with agriculture research being conducted at one of three research stations – the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, the Iberia Research Station, or the Dean Lee Research Station.

Interested students should complete an application form and return it along with a resume to Dr. Kurt Guidry ([email protected]) by February 21, 2025. Download the form here: https://tinyurl.com/2025AgCenterInternship

11/22/2024

Linguistic diversity across the U.S. is an important consideration as we strive to become a more diverse profession in order to better serve local communities. See the AVMA article below for data and more information on this topic. Exposing young people from diverse backgrounds to the career possibilities within veterinary medicine is one important step. Breaking down barriers on the path to veterinary medicine is another. Vet schools and many organizations are working to make a difference through camps, workshops in urban schools and experiences for specific groups of young people. Admission policies have become more holistic as well.

11/21/2024

Lots of veterinary school applicants are asking questions online regarding how best to prepare for interviews. Preparation is important for everyone, but might look different depending on the type of interview. Is it open vs closed, 1 interviewer or a panel, traditional of MMI? It also might depend on your confidence and experience with formal interviews. At Vet School Coach, I personalize your preparation based on the school(s) you are interviewing at as well as your personal experience. Together we will prepare for the interview style, types of questions you might be asked and how you can use the stories/facts about yourself that you want to share as the answers to a variety of questions. I offer interview preparation as well as mock interviews. The latter comes with written feedback for each question as well as a recording of your interview. Reach out through my website contact page for a free 20 min consultation to see how we might work together to reach your goal of an acceptance into vet school!

Dr. Michelle West, DVM. Coaching for Veterinary School acceptance. Avoid costly mistakes, select the right school, help prepare for your interviews and more guidance.