Help for every stage of your veterinary career
Once you’ve identified mentors to write you a letter of recommendation (LOR), the next step is to reach out to them to ask that they write said letter. In that process, you might want to write a cover letter which provides them with some information to help them write the LOR. Why write a cover
I’ve spent a lot of time writing about personal statements. There are general rules, which I’ve written about here and here. Also, there are important and simple grammar rules to pay attention to, like these and these. I’ve provided some examples of poor letters of intent, so now it’s time to look at some good
I participated in the interview and selection process for a vet school this year, and we had another amazing pool of applicants. Nonetheless, the three faculty conducting the interviews generally agreed to place some applicants on the “do not offer” list. This is not out of any malice- we just needed a way to reduce
Although time consuming, I greatly enjoy reading the intern application packets we get. They are packed full of interesting stories, and the accomplishments of these applicants honestly amazes me. Many of them have faced serious personal hardship- cancer diagnoses, generational poverty, fleeing war-torn countries. Many of them are truly inspirational. Most of them are just
I turned out to be a huge Stephen King fan as an adult. Growing up, my sister loved his horror stories, but I don’t really like horror, so I never read any King. Until, that is, I read The Dark Tower. That sold me. Now Stephen King is a go-to for me, particularly when I’m
Every year when I conduct interviews and evaluate applicants, I try to reflect on what I have learned and find tidbits to share with you all to improve your applications and interviews. Here are some thoughts from reading dozens of VMCAS applications and then conducting interviews for vet school. I have made these anonymous when
Except for faculty/real world job positions- where the interview is THE way you get the job– I think the interview does not meaningfully distinguish candidates, except to weed them out. I think it’s incredibly hard to positively distinguish yourself in the short time vet school, internship, and residency interviews give you (i.e. less than a
I have served on intern selection committees for more years than I care to count. Although there are a lot of similarities year-to-year, there are also some interesting differences. This is my first year reviewing intern applicants at my current institution, and there is always some variability in applicants from program to program. Below are
Most universities offer a centralized writing assistance service as well as a career assistance service. The writing service often helps students with class assignments, but can also be used to help with letters of intent and essays for vet school. The career assistance can help with CVs and applying for positions such as unpaid experiences
I have some bad news. Life is not a meritocracy. We all wish we lived in a world where, if you are the best candidate for a position, you get the position. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. In our world, who you know has a tremendous impact on your ability to get