VetPAC, a resource created for students and alumni interested in veterinary medicine and veterinary school, has been revamped. VetPAC is an online advising portal for students and alumni interested in attending the college of veterinary medicine. N.C. State is currently ranked 5th out of the 28 veterinary schools in the United States. According to Barbara Kirby, associate director for programs in the agricultural institute, a lot of CALS students want to go to the college of veterinary medicine. VetPAC will be a resource center for students, according to Kirby. ”There are going to be a lot of books, both textbooks and veterinary journals,” Kirby said. ”The veterinary college is working with us. When the veterinary school doesn’t need journals anymore they lend them to us to put on VetPAC.” Using VetPAC, students can make appointments with directors and advisors. ”Students can make appointments to discuss career goals and what they need to do to be competitive to get into the vet school,” Kirby said. A new spring course, ANS 495, is being offered in conjunction with the new veterinary online advising center VetPAC, or Veterinary Professions Advising Center. An important resource is the seminar series provided to the students. Shweta Trivedi, associate professor in the department of animal science and VetPAC director, said, “The seminar series offers insight into the many internships and research opportunities that are available to the pre-veterinary students. The seminar offers students who attend the option to learn about such diverse occupations and experiences that could prove invaluable to successful admission into a veterinary school.” Another unique opportunity provided by VetPAC is its Interns Program, in which pre-veterinaryt track students participate in developing different programs and opportunities alongside Trivedi to earn up to two credit hours of On-Campus Learning Experience electives (OCLE). ”Through VetPAC, students can make appointments with directors to talk about career goals, internships, research opportunities, study abroad programs and about how to get into vet school,” Trivedi said. Interested students have just about a week to register online before the fall seminars kick off on Sept. 2. Seminars include visits from practicing clinicians, industry vets and veterinary school professors. ”It is surely a great way to meet and associate with people across the spectrum of veterinary science,” Kirby said. Apart from counseling and advising, VetPAC students have access to a lot of study material — textbooks as well as journals. The intent is to expose the pre-veterinary track students to the expanse of the veterinary professions while building in opportunities for gaining the competitive portfolio for a successful application.
Talking about the new course, ANS 495, Dr. Trivedi emphasized that the objective of the course is to introduce students to the scope of veterinary profession, current issues affecting the vet profession and to help them gain a detailed understanding of the vet school application procedure. Students will learn about VetPAC and its resources, online DVM application system — VMCAS, vet school interviews, financing a DVM degree and a host of diverse experience opportunities.
Proving that N.C. State’s leadership in veterinary medicine, the American PreVet Medical Association, or APVMA, has a chapter on campus. APVMA is an organization established by pre-veterinary track students and mentors to promote awareness of veterinary profession among interested students.
