Dr. H's Advising Page
Kerry A. Hansknecht, Ph.D.
Department of Biology
Lander University
Want to see if a course will transfer between schools?
Visit SC TRAC - the South Carolina Transfer and Articulation Center (click "Search for Course Equivalencies" at the upper left)
Want to calculate your nursing program prerequisite courses GPA?
Dr. H's nursing prereq. GPA calculator - Plug in the grades you got to calculate your current prereq. GPA; you can also plug in grades you MIGHT get to see how they would affect your GPA; tinker with this all you want - you can't break it, and even if you could, you can just delete your file and download it again
Want to calculate your current GPA or see how possible grades might affect your GPA?
Dr. H's big ol' GPA calculator for biology majors - Plug in the grades you got in all of your classes to calculate your current overall GPA; you can also plug in grades you MIGHT get to see how they would affect your GPA; you can also just plug in your biology classes to calculate just your biology GPA or just all your science classes to calculate your science GPA; tinker with this all you want - you can't break it, and even if you could, you can just delete your file and download it again
Want to schedule an appointment with me?
Examine the calendar below (you can view different weeks by clicking the arrows at the top left).
Find an open time that works for you to meet with me (up until 5 p.m.) WELL before your registration date.
Email me (khansknecht@lander.edu) with the date and time you want to meet.
When I receive your message, I will update the calendar. Keep in mind that I might not get your email messages and update the calendar immediately, so the calendar might not be current. Someone might have already emailed me and taken the open slot you're trying to get. I will do my best to check email often and update the calendar immediately.
Feel free to drop by my office to schedule your appointment instead.
Useful Links for Students Interested in Veterinary Medicine
General Information about The Profession and Vet School
Occupational Outlook - Information about veterinarian jobs from the U.S. Department of Labor
AAVMC Student Portal - Information about the veterinary profession, and how to get into it, from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)
Veterinary Medical Colleges - Find descriptions of colleges of veterinary medicine and brief outlines of their specific admission requirements using this convenient list provided by the AAVMC. I recommend that you directly visit the web pages of those colleges in which you are interested in order to get more details about specific prerequisite course requirements, but this AAVMC list is very handy and a great place to start.
AVMA-accredited Colleges - Here's another list of colleges of veterinary medicine, this one being the official list of only those schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE). Most or all colleges in the AAVMC list are accredited by the AVMA COE.
Do's and Don'ts of Applying to Vet School - A message-board thread containing lots of tips on what to do and what not to do
Information about Specific Vet Med Programs
REGIONAL CONTRACT PROGRAMS
SREB Contract Program - Information about the Contract-for-Services program that provides for specified numbers of seats for South Carolina residents at the three schools of veterinary medicine listed immediately below (follow the links on this website to get to the form required for residency certification)
UGA CVM - Information about admission requirements for the DVM program at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the three schools that is contracted to accept a few students from South Carolina (at in-state tuition rates)
MSU CVM - Information about admission requirements for the DVM program at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the three schools that is contracted to accept a few students from South Carolina (at in-state tuition rates)
Tuskegee CVM - Information about admission requirements for the DVM program at the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, one of the three schools that is contracted to accept a few students from South Carolina (at reduced tuition rates)
OTHER PROGRAMS
St. George's University DVM - Information about admission requirements for the DVM program at the St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine
Ross University DVM - Information about admission requirements for the DVM program at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
Auburn University DVM - Information, including admission requirements, about the DVM program at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
Online Animal Science and Nutrition Courses - Some veterinary programs list Animal Science and/or Animal Nutrition as prerequisites; some of them will accept online courses (such as those offered by OK State) if an on-campus course isn't available (such as at LU).
NOTE: In order to be competitive for most veterinary schools, you will need outstanding grades in all prerequisite courses (nothing less than an A or B will do, and you'll really want very few B's) and outstanding GRE scores.
You will likely also need upwards of 250 hours of clinical experience under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
Useful Links Pertaining to the Physician Assistant Profession
Occupational Outlook - Information about PA jobs from the U.S. Department of Labor
PAEA - Find PA programs using the Physician Assistant Education Association's directory of PA programs in the USA (use the Resources dropdown or scroll to the bottom of the page and select Program Directory)
ARC-PA - check the status of accreditation of PA programs (also see when programs were established and when they are again up for review)
MUSC - Information about the PA program at the Medical University of South Carolina
AAPA - Information about the PA profession from the American Academy of Physician Assistants
NCCPA - The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
NOTE: In order to be competitive for PA school, you will need outstanding grades in all prerequisite courses (nothing less than an A or B, mostly the former) and excellent GRE scores.
You will also need between 500 and 3,000 hours of health-care experience involving direct patient contact (consider a short course to get EMT Basic certification or perhaps a CNA certification).
Useful Links Pertaining to Medical Technology (Clinical Laboratory Sciences)
Occupational Outlook - Information about laboratory technologist jobs from the U.S. Department of Labor
ASCP - Info about the laboratory sciences from The American Society for Clinical Pathology.
ASCP BOC - Info about credentials from the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification
Lexington Medical Center - Lexington's School of Medical Technology
Other Useful Links
Sleep Tips - 7 steps to better sleep, from the Mayo Clinic
More Sleep Tips - How to Get a Good Night's Sleep, from the University of Kansas' counseling center
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