The Non-Traditional Pre-Vet

Welcome to my blog! I'm a non-traditional pre-vet who graduated in 2019 with a business degree. I currently work full-time as a Vet Assistant while finishing up Pre-Requisites for Vet School. Feel free to reach out! :)

[non-trad-pre-vet]

Ever Feel Like You’re In Over Your Head?

Hey everyone! 

I’ve been taking THREE summer classes while working full time this summer, so as expected I haven’t been able to update much. Do you ever feel like you’ve put way too much on your plate that you don’t know what to do?

As some of you know, summer semesters move much faster than fall and spring. You have two weeks’ worth of content all smushed into one week. I’m taking Bio 2, Chem Lab 1, and Biostatistics this semester. Biostats has been a breeze for me as I’m typically good at math, however, my bio and chem classes have been a little more difficult for me. Bio has been difficult because it’s been online and double the information in half the time, and chem lab has been difficult because I am particularly challenged in chemistry lol. All of this on top of working a full-time veterinary hospital schedule. I have two weeks left, and I’ve managed to hold onto A’s in all of these classes! 

This past weekend I took some time to “evaluate my life choices.” I’m finishing my classes and applying to veterinary school next fall. My family has been constantly hounding me about how I can’t afford to be a veterinarian. I should take another job in another field making more money (I already have a business degree) and be happy with that. I can’t say my family has been very supportive in any decision I’ve ever made, but this one definitely hurts the most. However, I genuinely cannot see myself doing anything else. And because of that, I have to persevere. I hate the stress of school and tests, but I’m putting myself through it all over again just so I can be a doctor and live the life I love. 

I’d love to hear from you all about how you’ve funded your veterinary education. I’ve even gone so far as to consider joining the US Army to help with my costs of veterinary school. I love this profession more than anything I’ve ever loved before, and I’m determined to turn it into a reality. I am a firm believer that anyone can be a doctor, regardless of their financial status, and I wish there were more resources put out there for us. 

[non-trad-pre-vet]

Hey guys! Thanks so much for your patience while I was finishing up some final exams! My first semester of “going back to school” while working full-time is now complete! Only three more semesters and I’ll be applying to vet school! Good luck to all of you who are still doing exams and studying!

I have a question for you all: what would you like to see more of in a veterinary-focused blog? Let me know and I will try to make it happen for you!

[non-trad-pre-vet]

Today Sucked.

Today while driving to work, I was brainstorming some blog post ideas that I could add to my blog. I thought I would talk about what a great day I would have today, talk about how to be great at going to school and working full-time at the same time, but in reality, today sucked. I neither felt like a good worker, nor a good student. In fact, I cried in the bathroom at work, and then cried again over school after I got home. I want this blog to reflect REAL life as a non-traditional student, not the fluffy “happy” parts. 

I knew it would be a challenge to juggle a high-stress job as a vet assistant along with rigorous pre-vet courses. I was starting to get the hang of it until today. Without going into too much detail about work, I had a bad morning and I felt as though I wasn’t good enough to do my job. I cried it out in the bathroom for a few minutes, but I got right back up and went about my day determined to do well and ended up having a better day in the end. 

Then after work, I went home to attend my Zoom class for my Bio Lab. I had a presentation today that I worked SO hard on. I practiced my presentation during lunch and I was ready to ace it. Turns out, I had completely misunderstood the assignment and completed it incorrectly. I panicked, immediately emailed my teacher, and did not attend the zoom class tonight since I did not have a correct project to present. I’m terrified to open my email because I was so embarrassed to tell my teacher that I didn’t read the instructions properly and don’t want to see her response. I’ll get a zero for my presentation, but as long as I complete the final project and have it turned in by the due date next week and receive at least a B, I’ll have a B as my final grade. I had an A locked in, but my stupid mistake cost that for me.  

So, my life is definitely not all sunshine, puppies, and rainbows (although I did have a vaccine room today with the CUTEST golden puppy I’ve ever seen). While taking my dog for a long walk tonight to clear my head, I reflected on the day. I like to look at the bigger picture, and think “will how I’m feeling now REALLY matter in the future?” In the future when I’m a doctor, will it REALLY matter that a coworker made me cry in the bathroom? Will it REALLY matter that I messed up a project and got a zero in my Intro to Bio Lab? The short answer? ABSOLUTELY NOT. None of my future clients or employers will ask me what my grade on my Biology project was. So all there is to do now, is learn from my mistakes and keep pushing forward with the end goal in mind. 

This is my first semester juggling school with a full-time job, and I’ve definitely got to get a better system in place to stay more organized. If any of you have any tips for keeping yourself on track, let me know! I hope you all had a better day than me, and remember, tomorrow is a brand new day! 

[non-trad-pre-vet]

Welcome to my Blog!

Hi there! 

I am a pre-veterinary student, but a non-traditional one. I graduated in 2019 with a degree in Business Management and Music Business. Due to COVID, I had to make a career change and find a job ASAP. I’ve always loved animals and always was interested in working with them full-time. I began working as a Veterinary Assistant at a small animal clinic and I’ve fallen in love with veterinary medicine. After losing one of our horses last year, I became determined to be a veterinarian. I wanted to be the person to help horses like him who were such a medical mystery. While working full-time at the clinic, I attend school at nights/online to complete my pre-requisites to apply to veterinary school. I’m interested in doing mixed animal, but most interested in equine. In this blog, I’ll be taking you all along my journey and crazy life of working in vet med full-time while trying to get into veterinary school. Follow me for study tips, inspiration, and community. I want this page to be inspiring to all pre-vet students, especially the non-traditional ones. Feel free to reach out to me at any time! 

Some more about my animal experience:

- I’ve been working full-time as a Veterinary Assistant at a small animal general practice for 9 months. 

- Straight out of college, I worked full-time as a barn manager and assistant trainer for a boarding/lesson facility. 

- I was a competing member on my college’s IHSA Equestrian Team all four years, and served as our Barn Manager my senior year. 

- I’ve been a volunteer at a local horse rescue for 9 years and serve as a lead volunteer and trainer. 

- I’ve been riding horses for 16 years with experience in colt starting, hunters, jumpers, dressage, eventing, competitive trail, and natural horsemanship.