Dr. Landfried has wanted to be a vet since she was 5 years old. She got into Kansas State University and 2 other schools on her 2nd application cycle. In her first cycle, she only applied to 1 instate school and was still in undergrad. By the time she was ready to apply the 2nd time, she had gained much more animal experience as well as being enrolled in a Master’s program.
30 questions with a Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Grad
- American College of Veterinary Beha (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 07/20/2021 (Publication Date) - Harvest (Publisher)
Name, veterinary school attended, and year that you started.
Bekah, Kansas State University, 2010
What was your major in undergraduate college?
Biology, Spanish Minor at Davidson College.
At what age did you first apply to vet school?
22
How many schools did you apply to?
6
How many application cycles did you apply to, before being accepted?
2, but I applied to limited schools. For round one I only applied to my home state.
What were the main things that you did to strengthen your application between round 1 and 2?
I got a Masters in between and worked in a veterinary ER while in school
How many schools invited you for an interview?
3
How many of those gave you an acceptance letter?
3
Since You Got Accepted to 3 schools, What Made You Choose KSU Vet School?
I thought that I may want to do large animal, and Kansas State University had a strong program.
They were the cheapest.
Getting Into The KSU Vet School Program!
Do you remember any specifically challenging interview questions?
Most of the interviews were similar to those you would get when applying for a job. Be prepared to answer an ethical question. There is no right or wrong answer but commit to your opinion. Be prepared to answer content questions based on your background. IE. If you had a thesis on E.Coli diarrhea in the bovine, be prepared to answer questions about it. Otherwise, I had no broad/general knowledge based questions.
What was your GPA (in undergraduate)?
Around 3.5
What was your GRE score?
Eek! I’m not sure where I would even find this, but I was in the top ¼ percentile.
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Did you apply for vet school after, or during your Bachelor’s education?
During/after
Did you attend grad school?
Yes. I got a Master’s in biology from the University of Rochester.
What Types of Paying Jobs Did You Have Before Getting into Kansas State University Veterinary School?
Every paying job I’ve ever had was working with animals. I had around 1700 hours of paid/nonpaid veterinary experience to put on my application. I also worked with equine, bovine, and small animal GP and specialty practice.
How many people read your personal statement before submitting it?
Around 3
Did You Volunteer Before Getting Into KSU Vet School?
I did volunteer work with animals at a shelter, and in the community with children.
There are many reasons to become a veterinarian, when did you decide to become a vet?
Age 5 and I never waivered.
Did you interview any vets before starting the application process?
I worked in a specialty and ER practice so there were constantly new graduates who were residents and interns. I mostly spoke with them about their experiences around the application time. However, I always asked each veterinarian I worked with if they had any pearls.
Were you a member of the pre-vet club at your school?
Yes
Did you join student clubs in your DVM program at Kansas State? If so, which ones? Were they helpful?
I was in VBMA which was the business group. You earned an additional business certificate which is nice. SCAVMA is the student version of the national AVMA which is required at most schools. I also worked in the clinic at Kansas State and did research with the internal medicine department.
Who gave you your letters of recommendation? Did you know them well?
I got them from Professors and veterinarians. I went to a small liberal arts school and all my Professors knew me well.
Are you happy that you chose this career?
I cannot imagine doing anything else. But it’s not a prestigious or financially secure career. You also have to be prepared to dedicate a lot of hours.
Do You Have Any Advice For Students, Applying To KSU Vet School?
I went into veterinary school thinking was going to do dairy medicine, but currently, I am completing a small animal rotating internship. Keep an open mind and don’t assume that you’ll just go get a job and C = DVM. I saw plenty of my classmates get burned when their interests change.
Do You Have Any Study Tips for Life at KSU Vet School?
It’s a lot of volume. Not much of the information is complicated or abstract, but repetition and starting early are key.
Have There Been Any Classes, Within Your DVM program at KSU Vet School That Were Especially Relatable to Your Current Position?
Working in the clinic at KSU vet school helped remind me why I was sitting in a classroom and learning from books. However, you need the book learning. It seems tedious when you are in it and now if you could do it all over again knowing what I do from experience, it would mean all that much more. You need books and clinical and there is no way to get one before the other.
- Hardcover Book
- Karol A Mathews (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1360 Pages - 11/22/2024 (Publication Date) - LifeLearn Inc. (Publisher)
What Are Some Things That You Liked Most About KSU Vet School?
I felt well supported by the staff and my classmates.
Manhattan was a good place to be for 4 years (I wouldn’t live there, but good for 4 years😊)
I met my husband there…not related to vet school…but keep your head up, everyone. Things happen for a reason!
What was the most challenging class, in your DVM program at Kansas State?
I think each school has a humdinger. Surgery was one of the ones at my school. They lost 12 students one year who failed the course.
As a Doctor, has there been any particular case that was your favorite?
The odd ones stay with you, but each time you reach a diagnosis is satisfying.
Do you have a specialty or are you working towards one?
Emergency and critical care
What has been your most challenging case?
Day 1 out of school they all are hard, even an ear infection! Some are challenging because of finances, others for patient temperament, more often than you’d think client temperament, and then there are those that stump you intellectually.
Do you frequently have to research cases, on off hours?
Yes and ask my colleagues for opinions.
Do you have any last words of wisdom?
Get a variety of advice. What works for someone else may not work for you. Be your own advocate and be proactive.
How can people find you?
belandfried@gmail.com
