If you are pre-vet (or any pre-health professional), I highly encourage you to attend the Pre-Health Professionals Conference at UC Davis this year!
Last year I attended the conference, learned a TON, made new friends (even pre-vets from other states!), and simply had a great time from beginning to end. It was awesome to meet so many other students who were equally ambitious, hard-working, and passionate as I about vet med (shout-out to Amanda C. and Meredith F. !), and am ridiculously excited about attending again this year. You don't have to be a UCD student to attend-- better yet, UCD offers free housing and, in some cases, free transportation to the conference. Right now the ticket is $45 for both days, but rises as the conference date approaches. You can even become a conference volunteer to attend the conference for free (even if you are not a UCD student)! Check out www.ucdprehealth.org for conference info, and read on for some strategic advice for attending getting the most out of the conference.
Last year I attended the conference, learned a TON, made new friends (even pre-vets from other states!), and simply had a great time from beginning to end. It was awesome to meet so many other students who were equally ambitious, hard-working, and passionate as I about vet med (shout-out to Amanda C. and Meredith F. !), and am ridiculously excited about attending again this year. You don't have to be a UCD student to attend-- better yet, UCD offers free housing and, in some cases, free transportation to the conference. Right now the ticket is $45 for both days, but rises as the conference date approaches. You can even become a conference volunteer to attend the conference for free (even if you are not a UCD student)! Check out www.ucdprehealth.org for conference info, and read on for some strategic advice for attending getting the most out of the conference.
**Strategic advice for attending the conference**
1. If you are a planning to apply to vet school NEXT year, focus on attending the workshops that prepare you for applications the upcoming year. You can attend the conference again the following year, and just go to the fun and hands-on workshops! In other words, your priority this year is to learn how to be the best candidate for veterinary school you can be.
2. Bring a notebook and write down everything you did/attended and learned.
3. Talk to other pre-vets, and exchange contact info with those you click with. One thing I hate is when pre-vets see each other as "competition". Look at it like this instead: we are all working hard to become each other's classmates, and further down the road, professional colleagues. In other words, don't burn bridges; build them.
What I did at the conference last year:
Saturday: Check-in and Breakfast (breakfast burrito, muffins, fruit and coffee) 8-9:45am Keynote speakers (didn't attend) 10-10:45am One Health Initiative: Vet/Human Medicine 11-11:45am Research in Veterinary Medicine 12-12:45pm Lunch (Turkey sandwich, salad) 1-1:45pm Financing Your Veterinary Education 2-2:45 pm Professional Tips for Pre-Vet Students 3-3:45 pm DVM/PhD Dual Degree Program 4-4:45pm Aquatic Vet Med 5-5:45pm West Nile Virus-The Impetus for One Health 6pm Dinner (penne pasta in red sauce, salad, bread and butter) | Sunday: Breakfast, same options as yesterday 10-10:45am VMCAS Application Information 11-11:45am How to be a Competitive Vet School Applicant 12-12:45pm Lunch (bean burrito and salad) 1-1:45pm Specializations in the Vet Field Panel (dermatology, cardiology, anesthesiology) 2-2:45pm Veterinary Mentors 3-3:45pm Small Animal Veterinary Medicine 4-4:45pm None 5-5:45pm Letters of Recommendation from University Faculty |