The Last 10 Years

This post is geared toward aspiring veterinary students. For those reading who have not experienced the joy of approaching vet school, it is important to know that those who are preparing to submit their application are very interested in knowing the history and 'stats' of folks who have been admitted, as it gives them an idea of what experiences, grades, and characteristics are conducive to admission.

I have spent the last 10 years trying to get into vet school. Here, I will give a chronological outline of what I have done throughout the last decade that has lead to this point. Grab a stiff drink (like whole chocolate milk) and enjoy...

• April, 2008 - I finish three years of employment at Chick-fil-A. I want to be a dog trainer. After months of looking for a dog-oriented job, a friend helps me gain employment as a kennel assistant at a small animal hospital in Jefferson, Georgia.

• August, 2009 - At some point in the last year, I decide that dog training is lame and that I must become a veterinarian. I begin college.

• Summer, 2011 - By now, a lot has happened. In college, I discover that science/mathematics is awesome. I am also entrusted with the responsibilities of a technician at the clinic. Most importantly, due to owning our own cows and goats, I develop an interest in food animal (cows, goats, pigs, etc.) medicine, which motivates me to seek a volunteer position with a local large animal veterinarian named Dr. Frosty-Pants. Also, I have a severe mental breakdown for which I am admitted to a psychiatric hospital (this will be discussed in a separate post in the future). This has a profoundly negative affect on my academics, it will be two years before I successfully return to school.

• September, 2012 - Management at the small animal clinic at which I am employed greatly declines in quality. I begin to question my career path, leave the clinic, and take a job at a laboratory researching honey bees.

• December, 2012 - I am accepted to intern at a well-known farm in Virginia. I leave the honey bee job.

• July, 2013 - I spend a month at the farming internship, which turns out to be a total sham. I go home and lament the absence of veterinary medicine in my life.

• October, 2013 - I am finally back to school. After a few months of hoping to get back into the veterinary game, I am miraculously contacted by Dr. Frosty-Pants who offers me a job at his practice. I accept.

• September, 2014 - I meet a special lady.

• October, 2015 - I marry a special lady.

• September, 2017 - Due to the undying love and mental, spiritual, and financial support of the special lady, I finally submit my application to veterinary school.

• February 16th, 2018 - After almost 10 years, I receive notice that I am accepted to the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine for the class of 2022.

• April 2nd, 2018 at 9:03 AM - I am typing this sentence.

Radical.

In the Beginning...

My name is Nic Rinke. In August of this year, I will begin my studies at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine. Getting to this point has proved challenging, but here I am. The primary purpose of this blog is to document the next four years of my life as I train to become a veterinarian. However, I may occasionally take some side roads to discuss topics such as biological science (physiology, genetics, disease, etc.), agriculture, education, religion, farming, and corgis.

Enjoy.