You all know it is coming, the unavoidable exam near the end of your vet school experience. It seems so far away, until it isn’t.

Once it is over you will be acutely aware of what you could have done differently to prepare. But why wait? I’m sharing what I wish I had known, a pro-active NAVLE review guide of sorts. Essentially, my hindsight can be your 20/20!

I wish I had known right from the start the value of truly understanding veterinary medical terminology.

Now, this may sound a little crazy, but there was no formal course on this foreign language in my vet school curriculum. “Look up the words you don’t know” was the chant of my instructors. Sure, with enough exposure you can learn almost anything, but how much easier would it have been to have a real grasp on medical prefixes, suffixes and root words from the get-go?

When it comes to NAVLE test prep, terminology is your best friend. If you are able to break down the words, the questions are much easier to understand and the answers become easier to identify.

My tip: invest in a veterinary medical terminology textbook, and then use it to master the language. You will be thankful for the rest of your veterinary career.

I wish I had spent more time learning and less time cramming for exams.

Vet school is a crazy experience filled with numerous tests and content volume that can be overwhelming.   And it’s fun! But even if your undergrad study habits are keeping you above water in your veterinary courses, you probably are not retaining the volume you need for successful NAVLE test preparation.

Specifically I’m talking about Parasites and Pharmacology. Mastering drugs and bugs really does require you to first memorize an enormous volume of information. Sure, you can “look this up” for the rest of your career, but you can’t look it up when taking the NAVLE. The last thing you need to worry about during NAVLE review is memorizing facts.

My tip: memorize now so you can focus on application when answering NAVLE prep questions.

I wish I had reviewed NAVLE preparation questions on a regular basis from the first day of vet school.

In the beginning it seems like you have plenty of time before you have to worry about the NAVLE, but in reality, the time zooms by and out of sight, out of mind. Exposing yourself to these questions early on really will help you learn the material.

Technology provides the opportunity for a NAVLE question of the day to be delivered directly to you!

My tip: Sign up for VetPrep’s Daily Dose RIGHT NOW! This is an amazing resource designed to decrease NAVLE stress than by exposing you to NAVLE style questions and review throughout vet school. And it’s FREE!

Best wishes to you vet student as you continue the path toward your veterinary career. If there are things you wish you’d have known about the NAVLE during school, we’d love you to share!

How to Land Your Dream Job

They say getting in is the hardest part.

“They” don’t know how challenging veterinary school can be.

But you are in the middle of it and you know that it is very difficult; lots of late nights studying, worrying about your patients, mountains of debt, a giant board exam to pass prior to graduation and then, oh yeah, I guess you should think about getting a job too.

We put together a list of what you should be considering when looking for that DREAM JOB:

• Know what Employers are Seeking in a Vet
• The Top Tips for Finding a Job
• Tips for the Interview
• ...and more!