Classes to Prepare you for Veterinary School

Okay, sou you've learned about the importance on experience and grades when applying to veterinary school.


Now I’m just going to list a few classes that I have found (or heard of) that help prepare you for veterinary school. This is not a complete list of classes that is required for vet school. Please contact your perspective schools to find out what classes are required for you to be accepted to veterinary school.


Biology

Well I’m sure you already guessed this one, but it really helps in so many ways. If you have a strong understanding of the basics, then it makes learning the complicated, veterinary stuff so much easier. I guarantee you will see the fundamentals taught high school and college biology classes again in veterinary school. Learn it now, so it’s one less thing you have to stuffy for in vet school. Plus, if your school requires the Biology GRE, then obviously it is good prep work for it. In my opinion the Biology GRE is basically random questions that they pull from a Biology text book. I will have more info on the standardized tests later.


Physiology:

Many veterinary schools have at least 10 hours of physiology in their 1st year curriculum, so if your school offers a undergrad class that focuses on physiology I recommend you take it. Many 1st year students struggle with physiology, so any previous experience can help you. Heck I had physiology as a high school elective, and it helped me in first year veterinary school.


Meat Science:

I’m not sure how many schools offer these kinds of classes, but they are surprisingly helpful. I never took it, but friends that have tell me it has really helped with anatomy ( often the hardest class you will ever take in vet school). Particularly with transverse sections, which are pretty much what all the muscles look like when you take a slice horizontally though a leg. So really, they are just raw streaks. In meat science classes you learn these muscles that are found in various streaks, err go you are better prepared for anatomy later on. I have heard many times in the anatomy lab students saying, “I remember this from meat science class in undergrad”, while I’m struggling to keep all the muscles strait. So, learn form my mistakes and try to enroll in this class if given the chance.


Parasitology/ Entomology:

Any class in which you study parasites or arthropods is a good thing. I have a buddy that took “Ruminant Arthropods” and says it really helped in Parasitology (personally my least favorite/ worst class in vet school). The sooner you learn to identify and name parasites the better.


Anatomy

Could be called anything depending on where you go to school. Really any class in which you have to learn bones, organs, and muscles is great. If you have to dissect stuff, even better. Seriously, if you have to opportunity to take classes like this, no matter how hard the class is, I suggest you take it. Your hard work will pay off and make your first year of veterinary school that much less stressful.


Biochemistry

This class can be very boring, I know, but really learning glycolysis, the Krebs cycles, and all that good stuff really helps out in physiology. For some reason I liked biochem in undergrad, so when were tested on theses subjects in vet school I did very well. Meanwhile, many other struggled.


Microbiology

I remember how much I hated learning about gram negative and gram positive walls. Also, plasmids, codons, RNA polymerase, and other microbiology terms. However, I saw that all again in vet school, and kicked myself for not learning it better in undergrad. So, when your in this class pay attention and study hard, it will really pay off for you later on.



Well that’s it for now, if I think of any others I will post them. To give everyone a break from all this boring, academic stuff I my next post will describe the highs, lows, and all fun that veterinary school has given me.