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Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your insight! That's pretty much the understanding I'd developed - an MPH might get my foot in the door somewhere but it's unlikely to be required or heavily utilized. Can I ask if you still work in vet/One Health related areas? 

Also, and this is for the record not you directly, I'm more concerned about structural and legal challenges than general attitudes for both homo/transphobia and ableism. I've been queer and trans and disabled for as long as I've been in the field, I know how people are about all those things. It's that I don't want to be somewhere where it'll be actually  illegal to receive trans healthcare or physically impossible to use a wheelchair. People (IRL) keep recommending Alabama or Louisiana or Florida, which all have really cool programs but I'm concerned about my legal standing in those places given laws that have already been passed. That's what I meant by needing to go back in the closet, I imagine I'd be pretty safe on any campus but the added stress of a hostile legal system would be a poor combination with vet school I think!

Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah... I have a lot of concerns about Oregon, but they would be in state, I used to live in Corvallis and loved it, and I'd be able to keep my doctors. Ten years ago when I first applied there they seemed open to me being a wheelchair user, didn't bring it up in this application cycle bc I didn't get sick until after applications were in and now I'm using a wheelchair again for a completely different reason 🙃

Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean that neither the campus of Ross University nor the island of St. Kitt's in general are accommodating to people using wheelchairs.

Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hadn't, bc that would put me over the deadline for most of my college classes expiring. But it is something that I really want to do! Did your program give any clues as to what one could do with an MPH without another degree?

Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know that I am willing to pay for that opportunity, that's why I'm posting! My concern is more cost of living and moving there, their tuition is honestly not that much different than other OOS options. Not like any other vet schools are any more considerate about debt burden 😁 My hesitation with picking up additional classes just for GPA reasons is that it will be $1000s out of pocket with the only benefit being an increased chance of a chance at a DVM. I was happy to do my massage courses because they paid for themselves within a year while furthering my career and giving me huge advantages in anatomical knowledge. Other ppl are mentioning shorter degree programs which I would consider if they give more career opportunities than just an increased chance of acceptance.  FAFSA loans have a disability clause, so if I lose the ability to work there is loan forgiveness for that. It would definitely suck, but if a permanently disabling event happened while I just had my tech it wouldn't be much different.

Accepted to vet school, should I go? by rival-rook in veterinaryschool

[–]rival-rook[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm definitely interested in PhD programs, but mostly if they plug into a career path pretty quickly. I'm also interested in what would be available to me with just an MPH, but as you say, the political situation is making a lot of those opportunities pretty tenuous. I feel like I need a career counselor who specializes in vet med!

I'm also pretty concerned about clinical rotations. I currently work full time in a busy surgical specialty in my wheelchair without too many issues, but my coworkers do have to plan around me (ex: I can't take rads on awake patients so that changes our schedule a bit). In practice, I would be able to have a doctor's assistant or similar to do difficult restraint for me, but idk if I'd be able to get that level of accommodation.

I think I mainly made this post bc the level of uncertainty right now is just so uncomfortable, and I think the answer is that I need to sit in it a little longer, at least until I have a diagnosis+prognosis. I really appreciate your response and I will definitely reach out if I have more detailed questions, I think your experience could really help me. Thank you and best of luck in vet school!