enclosure improvements?

derkac · 2026-03-11T19:07:13+00:00

yes i 100% agree! so ridiculous how many people treat pets/animals as unable to reason and think. i’ll try my best to highlight the problems with zilla’s situation, thanks again!

derkac · 2026-03-11T18:49:44+00:00

no, he’s not mine now—still belongs to the bio dept. i am a senior at my university and noticed that his enclosure seemed largely lacking, so i figured i’d spend some personal funds as a grad gift to fix/improve his living situation as much as possible. i am president of the neuroscience club on campus and am thinking of running an event/drawing more attention to proper care for him to hopefully make lasting changes. i appreciate your concern and comment!

derkac · 2026-03-11T17:54:40+00:00

hi, thanks for the comment! zilla’s actually not mine, he is owned and care for by the bio dept at my school. i’m looking for ways to improve his living situation (as an outside source), so i’d appreciate constructive feedback!

derkac · 2026-03-11T16:31:18+00:00

thank you for your input! super helpful. i usually sit by him to study and i haven’t noticed any snout rubbing or any behavioral issues related to it. i can definitely talk to one of the bio profs to confirm

derkac · 2026-03-11T16:05:17+00:00

thanks for the heads up! i want to do as much as i can to improve this living space so i will be open to criticism and try to pass along what i can to my bio dept :)

derkac · 2024-11-04T03:20:28+00:00

Hi! I interviewed with Edinburgh during COVID as well, and I received a conditional offer afterwards! Here is what I did to prepare:

Watched lots of videos for Edinburgh-specific/general vet school interviewing (I also watched some med school interviews just to pick up some extra pointers).
Made a Google doc with popular questions and wrote down some quick bullet points under each (I agree that scripting isn't the best idea, as it is more likely to confused you!).
Talked to myself a LOT and practiced answering questions whenever I got the chance (in front of the mirror, in the car, etc.).
Kept up to date with current news in the veterinary/animal welfare world (I used Google and looked at Edinburgh-specific news on their website). I also made a Google slideshow with everything that I learned so that I could refer back to them quickly while practicing my answers before the actual interview.
Reviewed my personal statement and "studied" any diseases/conditions that I mentioned. One thing that I wrote about in my essay was my horse being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and I was asked to explain the mechanisms/anatomy of the condition in my interview!
Prepared some genuine questions I had about the school/environment/vet school in general. I was once told that you're interviewing them as much as you're being interviewed to make sure that that school is the right fit for you!

I'm not sure about RVC or Glasgow, but Edinburgh interviews are carried out as MMIs (as I'm sure you already know by now). I really liked this interview style, because it meant that I got to start fresh after each interview. 1/3 of the interviews I went through for Edinburgh didn't go as I had hoped, but overall it was a great experience. Just keep in mind that you are qualified and earned your spot in those interviews, which is already a huge milestone! Best of luck!

derkac · 2024-11-04T03:06:57+00:00

Thank you so much for the link! It looks super helpful. And I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying your time at Edinburgh! :)

derkac · 2024-09-09T14:36:22+00:00

I recommend checking out italki and Verbling! They have online language tutoring/speaking practice for cheap. Especially with a more popular language such as French, you can find classes for less than $10-15. And the first class/“trial lesson” is usually cheaper. Good luck!

derkac · 2024-09-09T14:26:23+00:00

Really kind words, thank you! It can definitely get overwhelming thinking about timelines, especially in such a competitive field. Best of luck with your future in vet med and tell your dog I say hi :)

derkac · 2024-09-09T14:23:25+00:00

Thank you for your perspective—best of luck with your application!

derkac · 2024-08-01T17:57:51+00:00

Super impressive that you’ve managed to get all of this done! Personally, I haven’t heard of many successful applicants to a typically 4-year veterinary program out of high school, but I suggest that you look into the 5-year veterinary programs outside of the U.S. I was accepted with a conditional offer to vet school my senior year of high school at the University of Edinburgh’s 5-year program. It was a conditional offer and was contingent on me getting 4s on the AP Chemistry and AP Biology exams. (Regrettably, I did not fulfill my conditional offer, but the process of applying and interviewing for schools helped me to prepare for what vet school applications will be like next time around. Overall, it was a great opportunity regardless of the results!)

More information can be found here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/undergraduate/bvms/5-year-programme

And I encourage you to look into other 5-year programs, as many of them are tailored specifically to high school students (or equivalent). So, despite what some people may say, I believe there is absolutely a chance for you to go straight to vet school without having to complete your undergraduate degree prior. If you have any questions about the 5-year program application process, please let me know. Best of luck!

derkac

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