You recently completed the Vet Prep program. How’d it go?
Great! I really appreciate having gone through it.
Why is that?
It really increased my confidence for the rest of my education here at Ross Vet.
When you immediately start your DVM, you have a lot thrown at you all at once. With Vet Prep, it was nice to slow down a little bit. I was able to not just learn terminology and be introduced to things I’ll learn in first and second semesters, but I also learned how to study and what works best for me.
Sounds like you’re thrilled to have gone through it.
Oh, I’m very grateful. I’ll be able to go into my first semester with knowledge other students won’t have. That gives me and the other students who went through Vet Prep an edge.
Honestly, I’m ridiculously confident after going through the program.
That’s great to hear! So, do mind telling us a little of what you experienced in the program?
We really gained an understanding and knowledge of what it’s going to take to be successful. We got to learn how to take block exams, which was something I’d never experience before. I was so intimidated by that at first. So I severely over prepared, but I’m glad I did, because it again gave me confidence.
Did you get any hands-on experience?
Oh yeah. We had some great experiences.
We had one class that was all hands on with the kennel dogs on campus. We had a feline lab; learning how to lower an animal’s stress while handling. We even have ovine and bovine labs where the professor was explaining and teaching us things that seventh-semester students have issues with.
Now, be honest, were you disappointed when you were offered Vet Prep instead of right into the DVM program?
I had mixed emotions, but I just reminded myself that it’s still a chance to pursue my dream. All I wanted was a chance.
Did you have other opportunities to go to school elsewhere?
Actually, I just wanted to come to Ross Vet.
I didn’t know anything about Ross Vet, but I had a mentor in California who was an alum, Dr. Kate Bahnke. She told me all about how hands on the school was – which was something I really wanted – and how the culture was like a big family. She really sold it to me.
So when I found out I was offered Vet prep, she really helped me see it as a great opportunity, and it was.
Sounds like you’ve made the most of your opportunity. Did you also get to do anything beyond the classroom?
Oh yeah. I was given a ton of opportunities. I’m on the board of the Wildlife Disease Association Club, and I volunteered to assist with various research opportunities. The research is especially exciting, as it’s allowing me to start pursuing lifelong goals while still here.
