I disagree with the idea of specializing early on. I'm a lab animal person, but I enjoy learning about all species covered in the curriculum. Several of our food animal profs have pointed out that, no matter what your specialty, veterinarians are considered to be the 'go to expert on all things animal.' This means that a client may show up at the door to your SA clinic, asking your opinion about confinement stalls in commercial pork production or the presence of antibiotics in meat. It's important for all veterinarians to have at least a basic understanding of these issues, and the ability to convey the facts to the general public. That responsibility alone should motivate your desire to be attentive in your large animal classes.
To the OP...have you ever worked directly with cows, pigs, poultry, etc.? How do you know that you won't enjoy this work if you've never tried it? Vet school is a lot about exploring the many opportunities that are out there. I routinely attend seminars and wet labs related to all sorts of specialties. The way I see it, this extracurricular exposure supplements my core education. I like the idea of the veterinarian as generalist. Since when did we as a profession become so species-centric? I get that technology advances as a pretty rapid clip, but it's wise to remember that back in the day, veterinary medicine was established for the express purpose of caring for the health of economically important species- namely, food animals and working horses. Companion animal medicine didn't come a long until much later.
I would also add to the OP, that if you intend to attend a state-funded school of vet med here in the US, it is likely that much emphasis will be placed on food animal species that are important to the state in which you reside. There will be talks on global and local demand, pricing strategy, production costs, etc. Veterinary medicine at it's introductory levels (which is what vet school is) is broad by design.
I would argue that yes, your focus is too narrow. Many SA people on this board (who have already graduated, and are way ahead of me) seem to disagree, so perhaps mine is no longer the majority opinion. It irks me when I hear people in my class (and yes, most of these folks do fall into the SA camp) complain re: learning about non-SA species. Vet school is an amazing experience and remarkable opportunity to broaden yourself.
If you simply 'grin and bear' 1/3 to 1/2 of your vet school curriculum because you only want to work with cats, is it really worth doing? What if that career path doesn't work out for you? Lab animal is my first love, but if it doesn't happen to work out, I have other areas of interest that would also make me happy. Any time a person's focus is too narrow, he or she sets him/herself up for disappointment because things are rarely what we project them to be in our minds. Setting specifics on a pedestal often ends in disillusionment.
It's not my goal to dissuade you from the profession. Just remember, when you graduate from vet school you're an 'animal doctor.' Remember, real doctors treat more than one species.
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Is my interest in vet med too limited?
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