Umn Vet School Behavioral Questions

Front 1

How would you describe yourself, your background, and your future goals in three minutes or less?

Back 1

I am a dedicated student and animal enthusiast. I have desired to be a veterinarian since age 3 and I have not waivered in my decision thus far. I grew up with a wide variety of pets and they helped to further my interest in the animal medicine career path. I became extremely interested with marine life throughout my years at the U of M, mainly from my 4 study abroad programs, and hope to somehow in the future incorporate my enthusiasm for marine life with my passion of becoming a veterinarian, possibly in aquatic animal research.

Front 2

What past experiences have made you want to be a veterinarian?

Back 2

The first experience that made me want to be a veterinarian was when I lost my pet cat when I was 3. The Veterinarian Dr.Libby inspired me. He allowed me to see the body and though it was traumatic it made me realize that I wanted people to never feel the way I felt, losing a pet so dramatically. Obviously pets die, but that was the moment that inspired me the most. Others include the time I watched a shark being sutured, and working with Iggy the Iguana in Belize. I got to do eye flushes everyday for this iguana and even though it was a small task it gave me adrenaline each and every time. And I knew that this type of thing was what I wanted to do everyday. (also the suture practice, and tube feeding). And working at UMEC and LAH.

Front 3

What skills are essential to be a successful veterinarian? Why are these skills necessary?

Back 3

Communication, Organization, sympathy but ability to make tough decisions.

Front 4

What traits do you possess that make you qualified to be admitted into veterinary school?

Back 4

Hard worker, great communicator, dedicated to my studies, ability to make critical decisions and be a leader.

Front 5

What are your plans if you are not accepted into this program?

Back 5

Go to Ross. Look into other options, Grad School, Take a year off and Reapply next year/get more experience.

Front 6

What do you think your biggest challenge will be in the veterinary program? Why?

Back 6

Accepting that I will not be the top of my class/accepting that straight A's are very hard to attain. Perfectionism in coursework will be my biggest challenge.

Front 7

What responsibility do veterinarians have in assuring food safety?

Back 7

Make sure the cows aint dyin. To determine the health of the animals that go into our processing plants. They are extremely important in the protecting the source of animal products that a large part of the population chooses to consume.

Front 8

What is a key piece of legislation affecting the food animal industry today?

Back 8

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. FSMA aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination of the food supply to preventing it. The law applies to human food as well as to food for animals, including pets.

Front 9

What is the biggest challenge facing veterinary medicine right now? How would you overcome it?

Back 9

1) Overpopulation of animals and, as a result, increased numbers of homeless pets.

2) People abandoning/dumping their animals at the vet's because they can't afford to keep them or to treat an illness (this could also possibly be related back to #1).

3) Zoonoses- diseases that can spread from animals to humans, such as Rabies (from wild animals, mostly), Leptospirosis, and Giardia.

4) Conservation of endangered species of wildlife.

5) Client Concerns

6)keep on top of changing standards, emerging trends and new drugs, therapies and treatments in the field. Health challenges related to heartworm, diabetes and cancer continue to grow.

7)Debt

So many things. I'll just be a boss. (but actually figure out how to answer one of these.

Front 10

Describe a new method, procedure, or technology in veterinary medicine.

Back 10

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING: MRI technology has been extremely influential in the progression of human neuroscience. Vets are now using the imaging technology to look into the brains of pets and other animals. However, the powerful technology is not limited to brain scans. MRIs are also very effective for getting scans of orthopedic and soft tissue structures prior to surgery. By being able to see what is going on inside the animal before going in for surgery, a vet is able to reduce the chance that anything will go wrong during the procedure.

ULTRASOUNDS: As powerful as MRIs certainly are, they are also very expensive. In order to get an accurate image, the animal must remain completely still, thus anesthetics are required. The high cost and need for anesthesia makes it difficult for MRI procedures to be widely adopted. Ultrasound imaging technology, however, is much cheaper and has the potential to become universally adopted by vets. You may recognize the word “ultrasound” if you or anyone you know has become pregnant. The ultrasound is the preferred method of creating images of fetuses as they develop inside the mother. However, they are now being used to take 3-D and even 4-D images of patients’ hearts by cardiovascular specialists. Ultrasounds have the advantage of not requiring anesthesia and being relatively cheap to perform.

LAPAROSCOPY: Laparoscopic procedures use a small camera and light source that can be inserted into the abdominal or thoracic cavity to see inside the body. This is yet another example of a human medicine technology being adapted to the animal kingdom. These procedures are less invasive than most surgical operations and produce a clear image. The first widely reported laparoscopic procedure was in 2011 when the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland used it to remove diseased gallbladders from moon bears.

MICROFRACTURE DETECTION: One of the greatest threats to the health of thoroughbred racehorses is bone failure.During training, horses will often develop microscopic bone fissures that can quickly turn into fatal full-fledged fractures. In order to prevent this from happening, researchers have developed a method of detecting the sonic waves that these micro-fissures produce. Early detection is key to the successful preventative care of equine bone health.

3-D PRINTING: The ability to print three-dimensional objects is one of the most often-discussed topics in technology today. This rapid-prototyping process has been applied to veterinary practice to create animal bone models from the information gathered from computed tomography scans. Doing so enables vets and surgeons to have a solid grasp of a patient’s internal bone or muscle structure before going in to operate. In addition, the models help educate pet owners about the anatomy and physiology of their pets.

RECOMBINANT DNA: Recombinant DNA has laid the groundwork for a whole host of biotechnological advances. Before its discovery, protein drugs such as insulin, somatotropin and prolactin were somewhat difficult to produce. rDNA not only allows for cheaper and more efficient drug production, it also opens up the possibility of gene therapy. Such a procedure would allow vets to replace missing or broken genes in animals to treat a range of different maladies. However, they have been met with a range of ethical concerns as experts debate the possible effects of altering animal genomes. While the discussion rages on, rDNA technology continues to become more advanced, to the point where scientists are now discussing the ability to bioengineer not only animals, but their feed as well.With the development of new veterinary technology comes the greater need for those with specialized training. Being a veterinary technician is a rewarding career for anyone who has a passion for animals. Vet techs work closely with the veterinarians to ensure that animal patients are properly cared for. In this challenging yet exciting line of work, you will be responsible for many tasks including maintaining medical records, collecting laboratory specimens and assisting with radiography and dental prophylaxes. Since the job is very demanding, it requires individuals with high levels of training. Successful vet techs will need to have completed substantial theoretical work in chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology as well as practical work on live animals and animal simulators. Upon graduation, students need to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam to become a fully certified vet tech.

Front 11

What is the difference between animal rights and animal welfare? Why does this matter?

Back 11

Animal Welfare, as defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia. Animal welfare proponents seek to improve the treatment and well-being of animals.Animal welfare proponents believe that humans can interact with animals in entertainment, industry, sport and recreation, and industry, but that the interaction should include provisions for the proper care and management for all animals involved.Animal welfare proponents support self-regulation of animal sports, including rodeo, polo, three-day eventing, FFA competitions, horse racing, field trials and endurance riding.Animal welfare groups utilize scientific evidence to base animal care and handling guidelines.

Animal Rights is a philosophical view that animals have rights similar or the same as humans. True animal rights proponents believe that humans do not have the right to use animals at all. Animal rights proponents wish to ban all use of animals by humans.Animal rights proponents support laws and regulations that would prohibit rodeos, horse racing, circuses, hunting, life-saving medical research using animals, raising of livestock for food, petting zoos, marine parks , breeding of purebred pets and any use of animals for industry, entertainment, sport or recreation.Animal rights proponents believe that violence, misinformation and publicity stunts are valid uses of funding donated to their tax-exempt organizations for the purpose of helping animals.Arson, vandalism and assault are common tactics used by underground animal rights groups to further the animal rights cause. Groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, which have been classified as terrorist by the FBI, routinely use criminal activities to further their cause.

Front 12

How would you describe integrity?

Back 12

the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Doing what you believe is right and staying true to that.

Front 13

What ethical dilemmas may you encounter as a veterinarian? How would you handle them?

Back 13

What a client wants vs. What you think is right for the animal. I would try to offer as many different solutions as possible and use my expertise of the field to try and change their minds. If they did not I would recommend them to find another veterinarian who would be ok with pursuing their decision.

Front 14

How do you show others that you are genuinely listening to them?

Back 14

Eye contact, supply questions to the topics they are talking about, refer to things they previously said and make connections to other things you've heard them say or from other people.

Front 15

Do people trust you? Why?

Back 15

Yes. I have been told I am very trustworthy as a person. I am reliable, dedicated and I have extremely strong moral values. I treat others as I would want to be treated and I have lived by that motto for my entire life.

Front 16

Who is your primary role model? What traits do they have that you would like to emulate?

Back 16

My mother. She is the most amazing woman I know. She is compassionate, dedicated to helping people, an extremely hard worker, intelligent, caring, she has a way of soothing those around her.

Front 17

Why have you been successful this far into your academic career?

Back 17

Because I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today. I do not take shortcuts on my learning because being educated is important to me. I like to learn, I thrive on absorbing new information that I will be able to use someday. And that has made me a very successful student. As well as my hands on approach to college. I like to be completely immersed in my studies in order to learn as much as possible (like study abroads).

Front 18

How do you make decisions?

Back 18

I have pretty good instincts and I usually follow them. Sometimes they tell me that I know what to do and sometimes they tell me that I definitely need to examine the pros and cons of my decision before I make it.

Front 19

Tell me about a time when you handled a situation where you had to work with a difficult co-worker or customer.

Back 19

Clay in MBC. Or the Lady at the Lake who freaked out and I worked with to help her.

Front 20

Tell me about a time when you demonstrated your personal priorities.

Back 20

Last semester, The MBC success was extremely important to me and I put it before having a social life of any kind.

Front 21

Tell me about a time when you worked independently on a project.

Back 21

???????

Front 22

Tell me about a time when you wanted to give up.

Back 22

Sophomore year, after my nephew and Grandpa died. Nothing felt important anymore. It all felt so trivial.

Front 23

Tell me about a time when you made a split second decision

Back 23

scuba diving? deciding mechanisms to fix a certain error??????????????

Front 24

Tell me about a time when you had to follow the guidance of a supervisor

Back 24

Working at the Zoo in Australia, I had to do everything under their supervision because I was an intern and some of the animals were dangerous.

Front 25

Tell me about a time when you adjusted to a teammate’s working style or personality to achieve an objective

Back 25

Maybe use the Scuba diving girl for this one too? Went super slow to make her feel comfortable with the equipment and being underwater??? Or with Clay to finish this financial form.

Front 26

Tell me about a time when you used empathy to help another person cope with a difficult experience

Back 26

Kori, losing her sister. Steve, losing his son. My Father losing his Job- heard him out repetitively.

Front 27

Tell me about a time when you didn’t know the right answer to a question

Back 27

??????????????????????

Front 28

Tell me about a time when you reached a positive compromise

Back 28

Meeting with Clay and Sehoya, compromise- I needed to delegate more and he needed to be more positive.

Front 29

Tell me about a time when you changed your course of action mid-project

Back 29

???????????????

Front 30

Tell me about a time when you had to trust your own judgment

Back 30

Choosing a college freshman year? Or picking a course to study over another.

Front 31

Tell me about a time when you completed a tedious task

Back 31

Helping mom scan, entering data for work.

Front 32

Tell me about a time when you delegated responsibility to others

Back 32

Hello, President of club. That's my job

Front 33

Tell me about a time when you made a significant contribution to a team while utilizing your strengths

Back 33

Basketball, emotional contribution and passing skill? Or my editing skills in my last group paper in genetics. And my organizational skills to make sure it met all of the requirements.

Front 34

Tell me about a time when you adapted completion of a project to better fit your personal strengths

Back 34

????????? Ummm Idk?????

Front 35

Tell me about a time when you had your values challenged

Back 35

Always. Vegan. And Scientologist.

Front 36

Tell me about a time when you broke down a large goal into manageable tasks

Back 36

Last semester with the club, we had very large goals but we broke it down. Or my application to vet school? Or becoming Dive Master.

Front 37

Tell me about a time when you took an action that put the needs of the team over your personal desires

Back 37

research lab? Not wanting to harm animals but slicing them open anyway for research?

Front 38

Tell me about a time when you modified the message you were sharing based on your audience

Back 38

Outreach, different ages.

Front 39

Tell me about a time when you conformed to a policy with which you didn’t agree

Back 39

Doesn't usually happen.... Maybe Vetouch? the vaccines? but that's a super touchy subject.

Front 40

Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond what was expected of you

Back 40

Surveys for actual research in Mary's Class, or the last semester of MBC, we did more than any club on campus.

Front 41

Tell me about a time when you used tact in addressing an issue

Back 41

telling clay he was too negative? Or..... idk

Front 42

Tell me about a time when you needed to be assertive to get your point across

Back 42

During debate class? Backyard Chickens are cool ok.

Front 43

Tell me about a time when you put aside personal feelings to handle the task at hand

Back 43

Working at my research lab every day.

Front 44

Tell me about a time when you delivered bad news

Back 44

clay about his complaints from members of the club? Idk......

Front 45

Tell me about a time when you passed up one activity to complete another

Back 45

Pass up Europe to complete SRD?

Front 46

Tell me about a time when you failed to complete all of your commitments on time

Back 46

I don't do that. Or when I almost missed the ross deadline?

Front 47

Tell me about a time when you asked for advice on an important project

Back 47

I always ask for the advice of professionals. Uncle Jim professionally Proof reads and I always ask him to weigh in. If I'm doing any time of project involving health I run it by my mother for advice because she is a healthcare professional.

Front 48

Tell me about a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures

Back 48

Planning like every marine bio event, helped remind vet students what next protocal was at VeTouch vet clinics.

Front 49

Tell me about a time when you made a decision that affected someone else more greatly than it affected you

Back 49

Planning for next fall semester for the club right now when I won't be here. Attending outreach events, using my own gas and time.

Front 50

Tell me about a time when you set an achieved an aggressive goal

Back 50

Freshman year, I wanted to get above a 3.7 and I achieved a 3.8.

Front 51

Tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work and how you handled the situation

Back 51

I make mistakes, I'm human. I asked my superiors what the proper handling was and got it handled immediately. Ex. An incorrect measurement added to a sample.