From a young age, Megan’s love for animals was undeniable. Whether riding horses or caring for family pets, she always knew that her future lay in working with animals. “I’ve always known since I was little that I loved animals, and I just had to work with them,” Megan says. This passion carried her through undergrad, where she couldn’t picture herself pursuing any other career path.
When Megan first applied to veterinary school, she faced one of the biggest obstacles many students face when achieving their veterinary school dreams: a competitive GPA. “I didn’t have a GPA I was the proudest of,” she admits. But instead of being discouraged, she took immediate action, “I was like, ‘A lot of people don’t get in their first try, how can I improve for the next?’” This forward-thinking led her to enroll in the Master of Veterinary Science (MVS) degree program, a step in her journey that allowed her to enhance her academic credentials and deepen her knowledge in the field she loved.
The program offered her the flexibility she needed. She took it online and at her own pace, ensuring she could complete the program by the next application season. “I really liked that I could sit down with advisors and pick what kind of classes I wanted,” she says, appreciating the tailored approach of the program that allowed her to focus on large animal science. Megan also fondly remembers instructors from the MVS program who took a personal interest in her academic progress and the status of her veterinary school applications. Through her hard work and determination and the support of her new academic community, Megan saw a notable improvement in her grades, maintaining a high GPA in the MVS program.
During this time, she also travelled from upstate New York to Texas where she worked for Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses, a big name in the industry. “We had an outstanding roster of 12 stallions, including some of the best in the reining and AQHA industries,” she says. Her experience at Tom McCutcheon honed many of the skills she would need in veterinary school and her career, such as giving shots, monitoring horses’ health, and most notably, foaling out mares and working with the foals.
“I really liked that I could sit down with advisors and pick what kind of classes I wanted,” she says, appreciating the tailored approach of the program that allowed her to focus on large animal science.
Despite her enriching experience in the field, the challenge of gaining additional veterinary experience was far from over. “For me, getting vet experience was hard, especially with COVID,” she says. She noted how difficult it can be as an unemployed student finding hours at a clinic, but she persevered and eventually landed a position as a veterinary assistant in a small animal clinic. The doctors employed there played a significant role in expanding her knowledge of her field. Ultimately, her hands-on experience allowed Megan to apply her MVS course content to real-world situations and vice versa.
Megan equates her experiences during the Master of Veterinary Science program with a different outcome in her second application to veterinary school, and this fall, Megan will be attending veterinary school at Iowa State University. While she is excited to start a career in veterinary medicine, she also looks forward to building up her clientele. Whether it’s the regulars who frequent the animal clinic she works at, or professionals in her field, Megan shares that “you get really close to the same people and their pets, and they kind of become your family.”
For future veterinary school applicants, Megan recommends documenting experiences and hours as you get them. “Everything you do counts in some way,” she says, but she also emphasizes that it’s not solely the hands-on experiences veterinary schools are searching for in their applicants. “They want to know you’re a person beyond wanting to be in vet med—your hobbies, things you can do outside of your career, having work-life balance.”
Megan’s journey to veterinary school is a testament to perseverance and passion. Her dedication to the field, despite the challenges along the way, will undoubtedly serve her well as she embarks on this new chapter at Iowa State University.
Learn more about the Master of Veterinary Science degree here and see what other students are saying about the MVS program.