A Letter To My Dogs

To ALL of my dogs, We may not have met under the best of circumstances. Some of you were lost, some of you had no home, and an increasing number of you had your home run away from you. I know little of your history but I know I love each and every one of Read More …

Q&A: Failing Chemistry

I am so glad I found a blog dedicated to what vet school is like because I am trying to get into vet school.  Unfortunately, I am having serious trouble with my general chemistry course (I am just finishing up my freshman year).  I was wondering if you could provide me with any helpful advice.  Read More …

Pros & Cons of Living in Davis, CA

First some context: I am a New York native who lived in Southern California for ~8 years before moving to Davis for vet school and I’ve been here for over 2 years. Pros: Lots of food options. Despite being a small town, there is no shortage of food. Everything from Thai, Chinese, Indian, Nepali, and Read More …

Student Debt Now Exceeds All Credit Card Debt

I attended two talks this week regarding the future of the veterinary profession. During each of these unrelated talks, there was a news flash: STUDENT DEBT IN THE UNITED STATES NOW EXCEEDS ALL CREDIT CARD DEBT IN THE UNITED STATES. Don’t be fooled, it’s not that we’re simply getting a really good handle on credit Read More …

Everything Sucks

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog should be surprised by the title of this post. So if such a negative attitude is uncharacteristic of me, why a negativity-inspired post? I’ll be honest, vet school isn’t all puppies and kittens (and most of you will not be surprised to hear that), but it seems Read More …

What Is The Best Pet For A Vet Student?

Regardless of how many times I’ve been asked to write about it, I’ve been reluctant to specify a particular pet that would be best for a vet student. Why is that? First of all, we don’t all have the same preferences (furry vs. scaly, high maintenance vs. low maintenance) or even allergies. As someone who Read More …

The End of Subsidized Loans

Anyone who frequents this blog knows that I am very upfront about the costs of veterinary school and the debt that the vast majority of veterinary students must face to pursue the career of their dreams. Debt is virtually unavoidable for veterinary students, that is, unless you happen to have money yourself or in your Read More …

UCD SVM Class of 2015: We’re Ready For You!

In just a few days, the Class of 2015 will arrive early in the morning on the vet school campus at UC Davis to begin their journey to becoming veterinarians! I know there will be feelings of excitement and anxiety in those first days, and those feelings will predominate throughout their time in vet school, Read More …

Learning to Live with Student Debt

I am confident that each student mentally grapples with their debt (and the prospect of paying it back) in vastly different ways. There are likely some who become mentally obsessed with the money and live very carefully and economically so as to not accumulate more debt than absolutely necessary. These students may work during school Read More …

How to Pay For Vet School

Unless you have money saved up or someone to help you out, such as a spouse or parent, debt is inevitable when it comes to vet school. The rising costs of education are forcing us, students, to accumulate “negative money” in the form of student loans. Using the FAFSA form online each year, the government Read More …