The deadline for your VIRMP application to be in is a a month away.
I'm not gonna lie, if you're just now deciding on applying and getting your ducks in a row, you're in for a lot of stress. And, realistically, your chances of producing a great application when compared with others that have been working on this for a while are, most definitely, lower.
Should I even bother then?
I'm not here to crush your dreams. Sometimes it takes time to make a decision, or maybe you completely changed your mind and have decided to move forward. And That's ok. Just remember you'll likely be at a disadvantage, but it is still possible for you to match.
The goal of this post is to bring additional awareness to the fact that you really need to prepare to end up with a top notch application! It doesn't depend just on you - you'll want people to have time to review your material and write you letters of recommendation.
On the other hand, if you knew you wanted to pursue advanced training and have been procrastinating, there are simply no excuses.
Your application is a reflection of you as a candidate. Most internship programs don't offer interviews per se because there are so many people applying. You'll be compared to other people based on what you look like on paper. If I'm looking at a neatly put together application vs a rushed one, which one do you think I'll pick?
Yes, of course there will be other factors to consider. Letters of recommendation are the single most important factor in getting a position. But, if your letters are similar to another candidate (ie. really good), I'm going to pick the other person because you've "shown" that you might not care as much about yours. Which translates to: does this person really care about getting a position, and how committed is she?
It's a very competitive world out there - don't have "red flags" on your application for things you can absolutely control!
what to do now
This list will appear easy to follow, but keep in mind this is the fast track to getting as good as an application as possible in the short amount of time you have available.
1. Talk to the people that you want to serve as references. And by talk, I mean actually talk to them in person. Don't ask via email or phone. You want to know they are willing to write you strong letters in support of your application. Do this as soon as you can!
2. Work on and finish your CV and letter of intent. Your letter writers above will want to take a look at these as well (and you should be the one offering/asking if they'd like to do so). Do this this weekend!
3.Get others (not necessarily with a veterinary background) to review your CV and letter of intent. You can also ask your references to do this. Spelling and grammar errors must be avoided on a finished application. Whatever you do, don't give people drafts. Give them the final version!
4.Review the available programs and decide which ones you're interested in. There is a difference between applying and ranking - make sure you know it and what you're supposed to do at each stage of the Match.
5.If the programs you're interested in offer interviews, learn about what to expect. We have a series of posts on this, and you can find some more information on the Vetducator website.
Terrific summary and advice, as always! It is getting down to the wire for this year. If someone is unsure, I would just encourage them to apply. I suppose there’s a chance to find something during the scramble, but going through the match is probably less stressful and certainly less time-pressured!
I agree. Might as well get everything ready to go and if you change your mind simply don’t rank any programs. There’s no way you’ll match without a ranking list being submitted.
If you’re still confused about applying and ranking read the post mentioned above (https://vetmedsurvivalguide.com/applying-vs-ranking/)