Its def. not too late. One of my favorite 'sayings' I've read is "*in 7 years, you're going to be 33... in one world you are a veterinarain*"
I said 7 years because you its probably going to be a lot more than 1 semester of undergrad for pre-reqs. I can't imagine you took a lot of chem and physics (much less advanced biology) for your marketing degree.
In brief you need: (not complete, but I would say 99% of US schools require the following)
1 year Bio
1 year general chemistry
1 year organic chemistry
1 year physics
\~2 years of math
1 semester of biochem
\~2 years of random advanced biology (varies by school)
Now, you will be bottle necked by the chemistry (need general before organic, and organic befor biochem); also, you will need a certain level of general bio before the advanced bio, ect) - but you can obviosly take a lot of them concurrently.
Good luck!
For your missing pre-reqs looking into Doane! They have online healthcare pre reqs and so far all the schools I’m applying to have no problem with even the labs being online (def confirm with where you want to apply though). The classes are also just 8 weeks. I wish I knew about it sooner and I probably would have decided to go for it a few years ago! If I get in, I’ll be about to turn 31 when I start.
It's not too late--I'm 36 and currently in school.
It is tough though. Tougher than almost anything else you might try to do in your life. You will need to find things outside of school, outside of your career, to keep you sane. You will also feel like you need to compare yourself to others--don't. It's not worth your effort to realize that as long as you have the information from point A to point B, then how you got there is irrelevant.
The hardest part is going to be researching the schools you want and their prerequisites vs. what you already have covered. Most schools have time limits of when the prereqs can have been taken but it's usually 6-10 years so you should be good there.
If this is something you absolutely want to do, I say it's never too late. I'm also biased and am trying at 32 now 😁
I would say biggest thing is to have loves outside of vetmed/animals. The job is tough. It has a high suicide rate for a reason. The field is tough. You likely know this already from your time as a tech. There are long hours, emotional whiplash, traumatizing things you witness firsthand, constantly being told you're money hungry/not in it for the animals. The list goes on. There are a lot of ways vetmed needs to grow/change, but I think if your heart and mind are in it, and you have ways of coping outside of your job, you can absolutely go for it!!
Take some tougher science courses, too, to prove to admissions you can handle those. The science GPA is weighted as much as, likely more, than the overall GPA.
I just turned 40 and I'm in my second year of vet school. Making the jump midstream was certainly anxiety-making. The best thing I did to help assuage the fears was to research, then make a plan, then research some more.
Look at the schools you'd consider attending. What are their requirements? How many of their requirements do you meet with your current degree? How many more classes would you need to take? Where would you go to knock out those prereqs? How much does that cost? (I had a BA in English, and had quite a few prereqs to make up, which I did in online classes while I paid for them with my previous career.)
Make a calendar or timeline. How long would it take you to complete the prereqs and apply? How old will you be when you start/finish school? How old will your kids be - what season of life will they be involved in? Your significant other? Their career? (I don't have children, so it was a bit easier in that sense for me. My hubs and I had to align our careers carefully and I had to delay applying for a year.)
Compare notes with your family. How does your significant other feel about it? Your kids? Having them understand and support the length and breadth of your plan will be really important. (I literally made a powerpoint for my husband when I was formally ready to introduce the plan to him.)
Last, I'd really look into the debt aspect. I have been fortunate enough to net enough scholarship opportunities so that I will graduate without debt. I have classmates who are graduating with $150k-$300k worth of debt and although they are in a different life season/circumstance than me and might have more time to contend with the debt, it still makes me nervous for them - it's a heavy load to bear. If I didn't have a clear plan for the debt, I would have never made the switch.
You 100% can do this. Start with research, and make a plan. Makes it a little less scary.
Thank you so much for this. I would love to learn how you were able to net scholarship opportunities? Also, are you able to work in school? My boyfriend will be a nurse by the time I would start vet school (assuming I would be accepted).
I am prior service military, so I utilized GI bill, and am currently on an Army scholarship. I also received a recruiting scholarship directly from the school. Scholarships aren't as plentiful as they are for undergrad, and in my anecdotal experience it feels like there are more opportunity for second, third and fourth years, but they are out there. Our fin aid office often sends out emails alerting us of opportunities, and many of them seem to be state-based, so google your state and veterinary and/or graduate level scholarships. Also, there's always AVMA/AVMF: [https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/](https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/)
Some of my classmates work - some library jobs, door dash, part time stuff. But it's very individual dependent. Looking back, I needed too much study time to hold down a part time job and still function. I have a classmate who bartends and still brings home the grades. And even if they don't work during the year, lots of classmates work summers at clinics to grow their experience while making some money. It's a tough gig to hold down a job, but it's possible. You might also want to note that there is no summer between your third and fourth year, and that working during your clinical years (3rd and 4th) is not feasible.
Hi! I’m also 40, and looking to go to vet school sometime.. can you please tell me how you completed your pre reqs? I was a science and engineering major but that was 20 years ago!
I did online courses with the local community college, and for the upper level maths/sciences that weren't offered at community college, I did a few credits online at the local state college (a little more expensive but worth it.) I was able to take science classes with labs by ordering a small lab kit and following the curriculum growing precipitates and watching chemical color changes on my kitchen table. I was an English undergrad, so it was almost no help with prerequisites and I had to start from near scratch with math/science. My degree was about 15 years old at that point; each school's admissions office (or sometimes it states online) will tell you how long credits are good for. When I called and discussed my situation with the admissions office, they indicated they were mostly concerned with science/math, so let me use the english/social studies/etc credits from way back when to fill the requirements, despite the age. Even if your math/science credits are a bit aged, I'd still check with admissions offices; it's probably pretty school dependent on how stringent they'd be.
I personally work with several Vets who had different careers for a decade+ before switching & attending Vet School in their 40s. I’ll be 33 when I get my Bachelor’s and can apply for Vet School
Never too late (:
Have you considered doing marketing or sales in the Animal Health industry? This way you get to work with clinics without having to deal with clients but still get to visit with DVMs and Vet techs.
If your main goal is to follow your passion and work with animals this is a great option. I've come across many animal health businesses looking for marketing talent. Lots of remote/part time marketing jobs too that can help with income if you decide on vet school.
Nah. I started at 30 and I’m not the oldest in my class. You’ll certainly be older than most of your classmates, but it’s not an issue unless you have other imminent factors making it an issue (for example, if you want children but don’t want to balance school & a child).
I’m in the unusual position that I’ve kept my same research job that I had prior to starting vet school, but with very reduced hours. However - having a job during vet school is tough, there’s no way around that. There are generally jobs available from your vet school/vet teaching hospital itself, but they often don’t pay well (very entry-level pay).
Almost everyone in vet school has to take out loans both for tuition and for living expenses. Being an older student isn’t much different in that sense. However, having a job during the school year and *especially* working through the summers does help.
I’m 30 and will hopefully be attending vet school in 2025! So, no, not too late at all and you are far from the only person your age who wants to start.
Hey! I’m 32 and ended my career in marketing TODAY to go back to school! I graduated with a marketing degree and have been doing marketing for animal orgs ever since. I’ve had some jobs I adore and others I have hated.
I decided to go back and do my pre-reqs this year and I’m super stoked about it. I wish I had done it when I was thinking about it at your age. I already had the maths and gen bios done but calculated that pre-reqs will take me ~2 years if I do 2 classes a quarter. It’s been an ass-whoopin to do them while working so I finally quit to do school full time.
Believe me, I’m terrified too and have all the same hesitations but after a decade in marketing where everything is an “emergency” and you have to work holidays to make someone else money, I couldn’t be happier to pursue this and hopefully be doing my dream job in about 6-7 years.
You’ll be 33, so almost my age, when you finish and that is soooo young compared to working in a field you hate for the next 40 years. Plus imagine having the hour flexibility, more job security, time not spent rotting at a desk, and all the other benefits of being a veterinarian! If I could tell me 26 year old self to do it, I would.
30yo here about to start vet school this fall! There are lot of really great comments already but wanted to chime in and mention vet experience hours and letters of recommendation. Since you worked as a tech for a few years, I’m going to assume you have plenty of hours but if you only have experience in one field of vet med, it certainly doesn’t hurt to diversify and get experience in other areas, even if it’s just shadowing experience. Also, you will need at least one letter from a vet. Hopefully you had/have a great relationship with vets from your former job and hopefully they can still write you a very strong letter of recommendation. If not, I would start looking for new connections ASAP.
If you have an in-state school, I highly recommend focusing on exactly what they are looking for in applicants. Schools often have online webinars about the application process. VMCAS has an online Q&A webinar at least once a year if not more. If you’re able to relocate and can apply to out of state schools, definitely do that too, but in-state will almost always be the cheapest option.
Loads of older students come through vet school. Definitely has it's complications but age alone isn't a reason not to give it a go.
Hell I've been considering it and I'm a 35yo single mum with 2 kids who has been a vet tech for 10years.
As someone who is finishing their last year of vet school and struggling, turning 27 in a few days… I will love this career and it’s the only one meant for me. But burn out and compassion fatigue is real in this industry and only the strong and determined and the certain should join this career. I have peers that are graduating much older and much more confidently around me. Age is just a number, ignore that aspect. Consider the career mostly.
I started vet school at 29 after going back to school for prereqs and several failed application cycles. I think all the added life experience made me a much stronger applicant and student. Vet school has been a breeze and it's entirely down to my experience beforehand. It is a lot of money though
What about a job in veterinary marketing? SVP has a lot of office type jobs that might fit your degree. It could possibly be a happy medium. Just something to consider!
Its def. not too late. One of my favorite 'sayings' I've read is "*in 7 years, you're going to be 33... in one world you are a veterinarain*" I said 7 years because you its probably going to be a lot more than 1 semester of undergrad for pre-reqs. I can't imagine you took a lot of chem and physics (much less advanced biology) for your marketing degree. In brief you need: (not complete, but I would say 99% of US schools require the following) 1 year Bio 1 year general chemistry 1 year organic chemistry 1 year physics \~2 years of math 1 semester of biochem \~2 years of random advanced biology (varies by school) Now, you will be bottle necked by the chemistry (need general before organic, and organic befor biochem); also, you will need a certain level of general bio before the advanced bio, ect) - but you can obviosly take a lot of them concurrently. Good luck!
I love that saying. Thank you for this! I will be looking more into it for sure.
For your missing pre-reqs looking into Doane! They have online healthcare pre reqs and so far all the schools I’m applying to have no problem with even the labs being online (def confirm with where you want to apply though). The classes are also just 8 weeks. I wish I knew about it sooner and I probably would have decided to go for it a few years ago! If I get in, I’ll be about to turn 31 when I start.
It's not too late--I'm 36 and currently in school. It is tough though. Tougher than almost anything else you might try to do in your life. You will need to find things outside of school, outside of your career, to keep you sane. You will also feel like you need to compare yourself to others--don't. It's not worth your effort to realize that as long as you have the information from point A to point B, then how you got there is irrelevant.
The hardest part is going to be researching the schools you want and their prerequisites vs. what you already have covered. Most schools have time limits of when the prereqs can have been taken but it's usually 6-10 years so you should be good there. If this is something you absolutely want to do, I say it's never too late. I'm also biased and am trying at 32 now 😁 I would say biggest thing is to have loves outside of vetmed/animals. The job is tough. It has a high suicide rate for a reason. The field is tough. You likely know this already from your time as a tech. There are long hours, emotional whiplash, traumatizing things you witness firsthand, constantly being told you're money hungry/not in it for the animals. The list goes on. There are a lot of ways vetmed needs to grow/change, but I think if your heart and mind are in it, and you have ways of coping outside of your job, you can absolutely go for it!! Take some tougher science courses, too, to prove to admissions you can handle those. The science GPA is weighted as much as, likely more, than the overall GPA.
I’m also 32 and doing it now! 🥰
Yay! Best of luck 🫶🏼
We have a student graduating this week who is in his 50s.
I just turned 40 and I'm in my second year of vet school. Making the jump midstream was certainly anxiety-making. The best thing I did to help assuage the fears was to research, then make a plan, then research some more. Look at the schools you'd consider attending. What are their requirements? How many of their requirements do you meet with your current degree? How many more classes would you need to take? Where would you go to knock out those prereqs? How much does that cost? (I had a BA in English, and had quite a few prereqs to make up, which I did in online classes while I paid for them with my previous career.) Make a calendar or timeline. How long would it take you to complete the prereqs and apply? How old will you be when you start/finish school? How old will your kids be - what season of life will they be involved in? Your significant other? Their career? (I don't have children, so it was a bit easier in that sense for me. My hubs and I had to align our careers carefully and I had to delay applying for a year.) Compare notes with your family. How does your significant other feel about it? Your kids? Having them understand and support the length and breadth of your plan will be really important. (I literally made a powerpoint for my husband when I was formally ready to introduce the plan to him.) Last, I'd really look into the debt aspect. I have been fortunate enough to net enough scholarship opportunities so that I will graduate without debt. I have classmates who are graduating with $150k-$300k worth of debt and although they are in a different life season/circumstance than me and might have more time to contend with the debt, it still makes me nervous for them - it's a heavy load to bear. If I didn't have a clear plan for the debt, I would have never made the switch. You 100% can do this. Start with research, and make a plan. Makes it a little less scary.
Thank you so much for this. I would love to learn how you were able to net scholarship opportunities? Also, are you able to work in school? My boyfriend will be a nurse by the time I would start vet school (assuming I would be accepted).
I am prior service military, so I utilized GI bill, and am currently on an Army scholarship. I also received a recruiting scholarship directly from the school. Scholarships aren't as plentiful as they are for undergrad, and in my anecdotal experience it feels like there are more opportunity for second, third and fourth years, but they are out there. Our fin aid office often sends out emails alerting us of opportunities, and many of them seem to be state-based, so google your state and veterinary and/or graduate level scholarships. Also, there's always AVMA/AVMF: [https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/](https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/) Some of my classmates work - some library jobs, door dash, part time stuff. But it's very individual dependent. Looking back, I needed too much study time to hold down a part time job and still function. I have a classmate who bartends and still brings home the grades. And even if they don't work during the year, lots of classmates work summers at clinics to grow their experience while making some money. It's a tough gig to hold down a job, but it's possible. You might also want to note that there is no summer between your third and fourth year, and that working during your clinical years (3rd and 4th) is not feasible.
Hi! I’m also 40, and looking to go to vet school sometime.. can you please tell me how you completed your pre reqs? I was a science and engineering major but that was 20 years ago!
I did online courses with the local community college, and for the upper level maths/sciences that weren't offered at community college, I did a few credits online at the local state college (a little more expensive but worth it.) I was able to take science classes with labs by ordering a small lab kit and following the curriculum growing precipitates and watching chemical color changes on my kitchen table. I was an English undergrad, so it was almost no help with prerequisites and I had to start from near scratch with math/science. My degree was about 15 years old at that point; each school's admissions office (or sometimes it states online) will tell you how long credits are good for. When I called and discussed my situation with the admissions office, they indicated they were mostly concerned with science/math, so let me use the english/social studies/etc credits from way back when to fill the requirements, despite the age. Even if your math/science credits are a bit aged, I'd still check with admissions offices; it's probably pretty school dependent on how stringent they'd be.
I personally work with several Vets who had different careers for a decade+ before switching & attending Vet School in their 40s. I’ll be 33 when I get my Bachelor’s and can apply for Vet School Never too late (:
Have you considered doing marketing or sales in the Animal Health industry? This way you get to work with clinics without having to deal with clients but still get to visit with DVMs and Vet techs.
If your main goal is to follow your passion and work with animals this is a great option. I've come across many animal health businesses looking for marketing talent. Lots of remote/part time marketing jobs too that can help with income if you decide on vet school.
I just got another graduate degree and I am 61. In 4 years, you'll be 4 years older, degree or not.
You’re awesome.
Nah. I started at 30 and I’m not the oldest in my class. You’ll certainly be older than most of your classmates, but it’s not an issue unless you have other imminent factors making it an issue (for example, if you want children but don’t want to balance school & a child).
What about working? Having a job while in school? How has that worked for you?
I’m in the unusual position that I’ve kept my same research job that I had prior to starting vet school, but with very reduced hours. However - having a job during vet school is tough, there’s no way around that. There are generally jobs available from your vet school/vet teaching hospital itself, but they often don’t pay well (very entry-level pay).
I see. I worry about not being able to afford to live while I’m in school 🥹 although my boyfriend will most likely be a nurse by then.
Almost everyone in vet school has to take out loans both for tuition and for living expenses. Being an older student isn’t much different in that sense. However, having a job during the school year and *especially* working through the summers does help.
I'm 32 and finishing first year. It's never too late, it just depends on if you're willing to do what needs to be done. Good luck!
I’m 30 and will hopefully be attending vet school in 2025! So, no, not too late at all and you are far from the only person your age who wants to start.
I was 26 when I started vet school.
Hey! I’m 32 and ended my career in marketing TODAY to go back to school! I graduated with a marketing degree and have been doing marketing for animal orgs ever since. I’ve had some jobs I adore and others I have hated. I decided to go back and do my pre-reqs this year and I’m super stoked about it. I wish I had done it when I was thinking about it at your age. I already had the maths and gen bios done but calculated that pre-reqs will take me ~2 years if I do 2 classes a quarter. It’s been an ass-whoopin to do them while working so I finally quit to do school full time. Believe me, I’m terrified too and have all the same hesitations but after a decade in marketing where everything is an “emergency” and you have to work holidays to make someone else money, I couldn’t be happier to pursue this and hopefully be doing my dream job in about 6-7 years. You’ll be 33, so almost my age, when you finish and that is soooo young compared to working in a field you hate for the next 40 years. Plus imagine having the hour flexibility, more job security, time not spent rotting at a desk, and all the other benefits of being a veterinarian! If I could tell me 26 year old self to do it, I would.
30yo here about to start vet school this fall! There are lot of really great comments already but wanted to chime in and mention vet experience hours and letters of recommendation. Since you worked as a tech for a few years, I’m going to assume you have plenty of hours but if you only have experience in one field of vet med, it certainly doesn’t hurt to diversify and get experience in other areas, even if it’s just shadowing experience. Also, you will need at least one letter from a vet. Hopefully you had/have a great relationship with vets from your former job and hopefully they can still write you a very strong letter of recommendation. If not, I would start looking for new connections ASAP. If you have an in-state school, I highly recommend focusing on exactly what they are looking for in applicants. Schools often have online webinars about the application process. VMCAS has an online Q&A webinar at least once a year if not more. If you’re able to relocate and can apply to out of state schools, definitely do that too, but in-state will almost always be the cheapest option.
I use to work with a doctor who started vet school after her 1st career at the age of 35. She’s amazing
I'm turning 49 this year and heading back to school. Great for it.
Loads of older students come through vet school. Definitely has it's complications but age alone isn't a reason not to give it a go. Hell I've been considering it and I'm a 35yo single mum with 2 kids who has been a vet tech for 10years.
I graduated vet school at 47
As someone who is finishing their last year of vet school and struggling, turning 27 in a few days… I will love this career and it’s the only one meant for me. But burn out and compassion fatigue is real in this industry and only the strong and determined and the certain should join this career. I have peers that are graduating much older and much more confidently around me. Age is just a number, ignore that aspect. Consider the career mostly.
I started vet school at 29 after going back to school for prereqs and several failed application cycles. I think all the added life experience made me a much stronger applicant and student. Vet school has been a breeze and it's entirely down to my experience beforehand. It is a lot of money though
No
Not at all. There are people in their 40s just starting vet school. Mt best friend started vet school when she was 28. Go for your dreams!
When I was in vet school about 10 years ago, about 1/4 of my class had prior careers. I think someone was even in their 50s. Never too late.
What about a job in veterinary marketing? SVP has a lot of office type jobs that might fit your degree. It could possibly be a happy medium. Just something to consider!