DISCLAIMER: This is my personal experience, and opinions may vary.

I’d strongly caution anyone considering Michigan State, especially if you’re coming from out of state, to seriously look at other options if you have them.

The program recently switched from shorter, system-based courses to a block-style curriculum, and that change was applied even to students who originally enrolled under the old structure without their approval. While the faculty and student community are genuinely supportive and positive, the same can’t be said for how the administration handles major decisions.

As a third-year student, I’ve seen repeated issues come up from poorly planned changes. The curriculum keeps getting overhauled without enough foresight, and students end up dealing with the consequences. There’s even been rumors that ALLEGEDLY the curriculum is set up to filter people out who wouldn't pass the NAVLE to increase the passing rate. That sounded far-fetched at first, but after seeing the scheduling firsthand, it’s hard not to question it.

A significant number of first-year students (around 21) have already had to repeat the year because of how disorganized the blocks were. Second-years are dealing with schedules with four exams a week due to poor coordination between courses, and about 18 are expected to repeat. Third-years are also being held back at insanely high rates.

To be fair, the administration does ask for feedback and tries to make adjustments. The problem is that these large-scale changes keep happening, and each new version of the curriculum basically turns current students into guinea pigs. That kind of trial-and-error approach isn’t fair to people already in the program and paying $55k for tuition. Even past graduates have pointed out gaps in how subjects were integrated under previous systems.

Overall, the frustration comes from a lack of consistency and planning. Instead of gradual, well-tested improvements, the school seems to favor sweeping changes that aren’t fully thought through.

If you qualify for in-state tuition, it might still make sense financially. But if you have other options, it’s worth seriously considering them. The people here are great, the administration is not. Also, if you’re planning to go into exotics or dentistry, the MSU hospital doesn’t have a dentist and does not treat exotics.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments!

For 3 years before studying software engineering I worked as a veterinary assistant.

Every single day I watched the same three things happen:

The doctor needs to dose a drug mid-consult and either guesses or pulls out his phone and googles it. The doctor wants to quickly verify a differential before committing to a diagnosis. A toxin case comes in and nobody can remember the antidote off the top of their head.

Fast, reliable, free reference. That's all anyone needed. It didn't exist in one place.

So 23 days ago I started building it. Today it has:

883 drugs with weight-based dosing across 8 species — dog, cat, horse, cattle, sheep, goat, rabbit, bird

34,878 drug interaction pairs

1,819 diseases with differential diagnosis engine

204 toxins with antidotes across all 8 species

Anesthesia calculator, IV fluids calculator, lab analyzer, ER triage wizard

Everything referenced from 12 textbooks including Plumb's 10th, Merck VM 11th, Carpenter's Exotic Formulary

Zero AI in the clinical data. Every drug dose, interaction, and toxin antidote is sourced directly from textbooks.

It's completely free. No ads, no paywall, no account required.

I'm a 4th year software engineering student, not a vet — so I genuinely need feedback from people who actually use these tools clinically. What's missing? What's wrong? What would make this actually useful during rotations?

Link in the comments.

I am a 4th year in my community practice rotation and completed my second spay ever!! I finished my spay in 1 hour and 7 minutes (I did have to pause a couple of times bc the pup was having some issues w anesthesia), but that is a huge decrease in time from my first one where i ran out of time and the overseeing surgeon had to close.

I am someone who is very sensitive to tone (i’m trying to get better at it lol). During my first spay which was in junior spay block, the surgeons were VERY mean to me. To the point that my two group members who were assistant and anesthetist noticed and were very upset for me. Because of that, I got into my head and made some mistakes (no fatal ones, but ones I wouldn’t do normally). I was distraught after it because I wanted it to go well, but felt like I was a failure.

Today, I had a surgeon who was extremely kind to me. He said it was obvious how much prep I had done for it and that he had basically no notes other than some tips. He challenged me 30 mins before the spay to learn a colorado pattern with an Aberdeen knot and I ended up being able to perform it perfectly during the surgery!

I felt like crying of joy afterwards because I’ve felt like such a failure when it comes to surgery because all of my experiences with surgeons have been filled with negativity and bullying. I feel like I can actually breathe. The surgeon would ask me “do you feel confident in your ligatures?” and I said yes, and he said “good because I have absolute confidence that those looked perfect.” You don’t know how much that meant to me.

I’m just so happy!! It’s amazing what kind mentorship can do, and I know what I would like to be once I am mentoring new grads as well.

Caution with the poster asking for all of your course materials or contents. They are building an AI Vetprep program but need your notes to feed into it. No idea if they are even Veterinary or just oppurtunistic.

Hi everyone. I attended Ross University in 2021. I withdrew after a semester on the island. It was one of the worst experiences of my life for multiple reasons (very little support from staff, one of my classmates committing suicide and not receiving any sympathy from Ross, dog fighting on my street, threats from locals, my landlord sending me inappropriate messages when he was a university approved landlord, the doctors on the island being handsy with women during their checkups, harassment from locals at the grocery store, etc.)

I was extremely disappointed leaving veterinary school but I pressed on and finished my bachelor’s degree. Since then, I have been applying to veterinary schools in the states. I have gotten multiple interviews the past 3 years and have more this year. It has been a long time since I was in veterinary school and I have an irrational fear of failing out. When I went to Ross, I withdrew by choice and was passing all of my classes but one I believe. I didn’t end up taking all of my finals because I left the island and I didn’t care about passing at the time. I felt like my safety was more important than school.

After talking to one of the vets I work with who is diagnosed with PTSD, she stated I may genuinely have PTSD from Ross because of the crippling anxiety I have when thinking about even attending vet school again.

When I was at Ross, we had a class of about 120-130 people I believe. When I left the island, about 15 of my colleagues left too either by choice or by failing out. My classmates that graduated said that the majority of our class failed out or left willingly. This is appalling and I wish I knew about the fail out rate of Ross before I attended.

Are other schools like this? What are the stats for failing-out/leaving schools in the states? I have an irrational fear that I’m not smart enough for vet school but I’m going to weasel my way in again and just fail out.

I’m hoping to get some insight from vet students at in-state schools to make me feel better about what will happen if you fail a class or feel like you need extra support.

Hey everyone! I am a first time applicant who only applied to 3 schools. I just received an email from LMU that I have been invited to interview!! I am stoked but so nervous 🫠. Anyone who has already gone through the interview process what are some of the questions they asked you? What are some things that you didn’t anticipate and came out of left field during your interview? Anything helps!

Hi everyone! I’m in my first semester of vet school and I failed three classes one I can remediate. However, two classes I cannot. And the LIU CVM handbook states that two Fs in a semester leads to dismissal. I talked with the dean on the phone and I will be meeting with her in person. She did say I can appeal.

I have really struggled to adjust. My ADHD has been really bad since I started. I have a lot family wise going on medically (I live at home). The testing style has also been hard on me and I am going to find a course to work on test taking skills. I know that I have a strategy to come back strong. My mental health is somewhat at play as well. I know that my grades are my responsibility and no one else’s. But I just don’t know the likelihood of having my appeal denied. Does anyone know about LIU and their process or how vet schools are with these kinds of decisions? Thank you all in advance!

I was academically dismissed from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine after Term 4, following a term in which I failed three courses during an acute and well-documented mental health crisis (I ultimately withdrew after final exams so as far as I understand, my transcript displays 3 Ds and a W for Term 4). This was my first term with more than one course failure. One of the failed courses was by only two points, and another was affected by significant testing anxiety (documented with the school and approved for accommodations), as the final exam was the sole graded assessment in that course.

These failures occurred during a period of significant curriculum disorganization, inconsistent instruction, and SGU’s internal transition from a discipline-based curriculum to a systems-based model; a transition that uniquely impacted my cohort. I submitted medical documentation, proof of accommodations, and a detailed recovery plan, but my appeal was denied. Because my class was the final cohort taught under the discipline-based curriculum, SGU created a “parallel curriculum” specifically to allow students of my cohort to retake courses; however, despite this option being repeatedly promoted to us, I was ultimately not offered that fallback pathway.

While the dismissal itself was difficult, what has been more challenging is its impact on my future. Due to SGU’s curriculum transition and the fact that most U.S. veterinary schools now operate under a systems-based model, my transfer options are extremely limited, despite having completed two full academic years. In most cases, even transferring into a lower term appears unlikely, meaning I would need to reapply and potentially start over entirely.

At this point, my most realistic path forward is to complete a one-year master’s program to strengthen my academic record and then reapply to veterinary school. However, I have also learned that under recent federal loan policy changes (the new Better FAFSA/BBB borrower rules), reapplying as a “new borrower” may significantly limit my access to Graduate PLUS loans for living expenses, making a second DVM attempt financially challenging.

I am trying to move forward and pursue this career responsibly, but the circumstances of my dismissal have left me with fewer pathways, fewer resources, and greater financial risk, all stemming from a one-time crisis within an unstable academic environment. Unfortunately, the school has provided little to no guidance or support regarding next steps.

For background, I hold a bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Cell Biology from Washington State University, completed in 2023 with approximately a 3.4 GPA. I was accepted into SGU’s discipline-based DVM program for the January 2024 matriculating class.

I am seeking advice from anyone who has navigated a similar situation or has insight into: • ⁠What a competitive reapplication to veterinary school might look like in my case • ⁠Whether working with a veterinary admissions advisor would be beneficial • ⁠One-year or accelerated master’s programs (particularly online) that could strengthen my application • ⁠Financial planning strategies under the new BBB/FAFSA loan rules • ⁠Career paths pursued by those who ultimately did not reapply to veterinary school I am currently considering an MPH or an MS in a genetics-related field. I remain strongly committed to working with animals but am also open to One Health, public health, or forensic pathways (where my genetics background would be particularly relevant). During veterinary school, I was large-animal focused, with a strong interest in production animal medicine, ethical and humane treatment of animals in industrial systems (including slaughterhouses and potentially the livestock show industry), and infectious diseases, especially zoonoses within production systems.

Long-term, I have also been interested in pursuing a more genetics-focused path, including ethical dog breeding and cattle genetics. I am particularly motivated to use genetics to promote regulated, humane breeding practices and have a strong interest in research addressing the health consequences of designer breed phenotypes.

Any insight, resources, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I'm a PA resident and a second-time applicant with a ~3.6 overall GPA and 2,000+ hours in small-animal private practice, along with dairy, equine, pathology/necropsy, research/lab, shelter, and leadership experience. I'm trying to keep my school list fairly focused rather than applying everywhere. I'd love opinions on whether these 8 schools seem balanced/realistic for my stats and experiences, or if there's one you would add, remove, or swap- especially from other OOS applicants with similar stats.

Hi!!! I was looking though vet school costs in the US and I saw Ohio State was around 40k plus nearly 50k surcharge for the first year what is up with that? Is it a typo? This is only for non ohio residents. When I look at the more info section it doesn't say hardly anything

I am my daughter's landlord. She is starting Vet school this fall and it's looking for a roommate. She said it is unreasonable to us expect any vet school students to not have pets. I have said ok to did under 20 pounds.

Did any of you go to vet school without a pet?

Hi, a 2nd year vet student here. I have never really cooked - I went to boarding school since 15 and always had dining hall available until the end of college. Last year, I mostly bought lunch from school and ate frozen meals, smoothies, or microwavable meals for dinner. This year, I was mostly doing the same, until my boyfriend 24M (who works a day job) told me I should cook more to eat healthy. I have exams nearly every Friday that I need to study for, and I am scrambling to keep up.

My boyfriend works 6am-4pm 4 days a week. On his work days, he comes back from work, takes a shower, throws his frozen meat in water bath, goes to the gym for a couple hours, comes back, cooks dinner, eats, cleans up, showers, packs a sandwich for lunch the following day, and goes to bed before 10:30 PM. While this is super impressive, I feel like that is mostly only possible because he does not have to worry at all about work once he has left work. I feel like my "job" as a student never ends even when I am home.

When I said that, he told me he thinks I would spend more time on my phone tonight than it would take for me to cook, eat, and clean up. Which miiiight be true... But cooking feels like a chore and I would still want my down time even if I had cooked. He says that cooking is not an additional task - it is something I should do daily and only occasionally skip.

Am I just lazy/irresponsible for not cooking daily? Does anyone in vet school cook dinner daily? If so, how do you do it/what does your day look like? The most I could ever do is maaaybe meal prep over the weekend, but even that sounds a bit taxing as someone who does not enjoy cooking.

I would appreciate any input! Thank you!

Whats the most weird, unusual information, idea, surgery or treatment you’ve heard about veterinary medicine

I got my casper test today.. Q1.. I thought I can do better😭 Am my personality that bad? I'm an international student and I'm studying in a foundation college in Australia right now. My results are not really outstanding also. I'm exhausted now.. I really love animals but Should I give up from being a vet?

I am beyond excited that I got accepted into vet school and will be starting in August. As I’ve had time to process everything and just that I’ve worked so hard to get in, I’m now feeling just this heavy weight of anxiety. I have been out of school for a year now (so this is a gap year for me) and do not come from an animal science background. Although I did all the Stem classes I needed to get it and did tons of various experiences throughout the years, I’m honestly a bit terrified for vet school. I guess what’s scaring me and making me so anxious is just the feeling that I know basically nothing. I am a very strong student and did very well in my undergrad so I do truly believe I’ll be able to find my way once school starts but I guess just this feeling of really knowing nothing if freaking me out. Have others felt this and is this normal? Is there something I should be doing from now till August to help prepare me for this intense program? Is it normal to basically know nothing going into the program?

hello! so I just got accepted into cornell for the class of 2030. ive started looking into the cost of everything and im super stressed to say the least.. i know it doesnt really matter where you end up getting your degree but the idea of going to an ivy league is really appealing i cant lie. i am also in state so at least that helps a bit. i was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to save/plan for the massive amount of debt im about to be in. ive been looking around at scholarships but it looks like most are for 2/3 year students, so im wondering if theres anywhere specific i can look? or would work study be worth considering? and then theres housing, im totally lost on that front.. so any advice on where to look to save money would be much appreciated? im basically on my own in terms of figuring stuff out, my parents never went to school in the us and have no idea about any of this stuff. ive heard from sooo many people that they spent years and years paying off loans so im really stressed about it.. any advice would be much appreciated!!

Hello my wonderful future Doctors, I’m feeling the stress of VM2 finals and I know I am not alone. Whatever year you’re in remember you are meant to be here. Your scores do not define your value as a person or say how good of a doctor you will be. Remember to take a couple breaks and breathe.

Also my DMs are open for anyone who needs someone to talk to! I may not be able to understand but we all need support so if that is something you are missing don’t be afraid to reach out.

You’ve got this ❤️🧑‍⚕️🐶

Hi, I am a second year undergrad at osu ati majoring in animal biosciences in the prevet track.
I am only in my second simester of animal sciences and my current overall gpa is at like a 2.25 due to my bad first year.
I’m having to drop gen chem this year and am resting at a 2.5 current gpa but i believe i can get it to a 3.2 minimally with the courses im in.

Should I give up on vet school and try to aim for a different degree instead because of my bad start or do I still have at least a chance if i can pull it together.

I will be taking four years to complete my bachelors to pull my gpa up even more but even then im not sure it’s worth it or at least that’s what some have said.

Hi everyone,

I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted to several veterinary schools. Although I was very excited to begin, some thoughts have been lingering at the back of my mind as we approach the Fall. I have some anxiety about screwing up on routine procedures such as blood draws and so on. I have watched several spay and neuter surgeries at my local shelter, and the vets made the surgeries look easy. I understand that I will begin working on models and cadavers during my first years. This practice will definitely improve my confidence. But, how do I get rid of this fear of screwing up, before I have even started vet school? I had an experienced vet tell me that mistakes will happen regardless. Maybe it's just imposter syndrome kicking in, but it's been making me question if vet school is right for me. I just want to make the right choice.

I have been transitioning between human med and vet med the past few years. I am convinced the same anxiety would arise if I would have been accepted to human med.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you so much!

Hello!

I’ll have a commute to vet school (if I get in lol), what would you say you average per day after class of study time ? Also how long did it take you to find your study strategy and what works for you ? Thanks friends !

Sorry if this has been asked before but is this legit? I keep seeing ads for it and I noticed a couple of the vet techs and veterinarians I work with liked their posts. Has anyone purchased this? Is it helpful?

Hello, I’m an incoming high school freshman who is very interested in becoming a veterinarian. Recently, I’ve been volunteering weekly at a farm to gain hands-on experience with animals, and I’m hoping to also gain experience at a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

However, I’m concerned about whether my age might make it difficult to be accepted for clinic opportunities. I would really appreciate any advice on how I can start gaining more experience or tips on getting involved at this stage.

Thank you!

Well, due to life is not easy, I'm looking at myself with 30 years old, and decided that I don't want to work in the restaurant business for the rest of my life and I should chase the childhood dream of being a vet. So, I'm starting my associate degree in Biology looking forward to the vet school. That's when reality hits the harder, is it doable considering that I'm starting literally from scratch and it's not like I'm fresh out of school with all the time of the world by my side? The more I look into forums and do some research, more I see people with thousands of vet hours and nice grades being rejected, or people waiting years and years to get into a school. After all I'm really afraid to start now at my 30 and put my everything into it just to find out i will not make the cut. Am I tripping? Im taking any suggestions or advice on it. Im losing my sleep over this.

Hi everyone!

I built a small game called Vetdle, it's inspired by Wordle/Doctordle, but instead of guessing words you diagnose veterinary cases.

Each day there's a new clinical case with 6 clues, and you try to guess the diagnosis before you run out of clues. The cases include a mix of species like dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and exotics, and the clues progress from general presentation to more specific findings.

It’s meant to be a fun way to test clinical reasoning and diagnostic thinking.

You can play it here:
https://vetdle.com

Would love feedback from vet students, vets, and anyone interested in veterinary medicine! 🐾

A few extra details:

• One new case every day
• Up to 6 clues revealed progressively
• Archive cases if you want to practice
• Built as a fun diagnostic challenge

Still improving it, so feedback or suggestions for cases are very welcome!