Practical Experience: Pre-Veterinary Advising: Health Sciences Advisory Committee: St. Mary's College of Maryland

Pre-Vet Advising: Practical Experience

Practical experience is perhaps the most important part of the veterinary school application. Veterinary schools may or may not require a certain number of hours to even consider you for admission, but either way it is wise to start early and get as much hands-on veterinary experience as possible! Make sure you keep a detailed log of all of your hours both volunteer and paid-- this will make your life much easier during application time.

Veterinary schools are looking for...

Hands-on experience with animals.
- General service (like lifeguarding or tutoring) is not enough.
Experience with both large and small animals.
Established connections to veterinarians or animal scientists.
- It is in your best interest to have at least one veterinary practitioner who can write a solid letter of recommendation for you.
A passion for animals and the veterinary profession: logging a large number of hours helps show your dedication to the profession.

Some ways to get experience

Volunteer in an animal shelter, humane society, zoo, kennel, boarding stable, racetrack, or livestock farm
Work/Volunteer on a farm or a rural veterinarian program
Shadow a veterinarian
Volunteer at an animal hospital
Find an internship in the field
Talk to your HSAC advisor, a career center advisor, or a former SMCM student about ways to get involved!
Consider using MentorNet to connect with SMCM alums in the veterinary medicine or animal sciences field.
Consider using OpNet to connect with potential employers or internship supervisors.