What are some differences between applying to medical school and applying to vet school?

The processes for applying to veterinary medical school and human medical school are both rigorous.

1) For both you must complete prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry and physics... just to name a few. When I was completing my pre-vet classes, many of my fellow classmates were pre-med. Each individual school will have their own prereqs, so you must do research on the school(s) you are most interested in.

2) Both require experience. Vet schools have a MINIMUM requirement of 500 hours, but a competitive candidate will have more, or they will have research experience. Med schools may or may not have a minimum requirement but the admissions committee DEFINITELY want to see a commitment to volunteering at clinics or (again) doing research.

3) The purpose of getting experience (volunteer, work or research), is primarily so you know that this is the field you truly want to be in. The idea you have in your head of what it is like to be a veterinarian or a physician may be vastly different from what it actually is like to practice in those respective fields. But if you have some hands-on experience, then you have a better chance of learning what you like and don't like about that type of work. ADDITIONALLY, this is your opportunity to make connections and find mentors in the field. People that can advise you and support you along the way. Both vet school and med school require that you have letters of recommendation. The better you letter writers know you and what your goals are the stronger the letter they write for you.

500 hours is really not that much. That's about 63 eight-hour days. If you volunteer every Saturday for over a year you can do it. Or if you work or volunteer 5 days a week during the summer, it will take you about 3 months. Better yet find a professor who is doing research on topics/subjects you're interested in and work/volunteer as a research assistant. This can sometimes give you course credit and hours of experience.

Most importantly, try and figure out whether you like veterinary medicine or human medicine. They have their similarities, but they are quite different fields.