Best vet school for cat/feline medicine?

[latetothegame]

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I'd like to be a cat specialist, and I've tried searching around online for an answer to this, but the answer seems to always be "any place is fine for small animal medicine." Certainly, there must be some schools that stand out for more comprehensive feline/cat programs or better cat electives? The only one I've noticed is Cornell (with its Feline Health Symposium), but I'm assuming Cornell is everyone's first choice, and I'll have very little chance of getting in. (I'll apply, but I'm certainly not putting my emotional/hope eggs in that basket.)

I've had two different cat specialists pick up rare/difficult diagnoses on my own cats, and now I won't take a cat anywhere but a cat-only vet. One multi-animal vet clinic had misdiagnosed FIP as recurring bladder infections, another diagnosed hyperthyroidism and nearly sent my cat to get a radioactive injection when he actually had pancreatitis. Both correct diagnoses were spotted within a few minutes by a cat specialist giving me a second opinion, and I'd love to be that sort of cat doctor one day.

 

[breenie]

I think most SCHOOLS are going to be fine. I think if you really want to be a cat specialist, getting that extra experience is going to be on you. There is a cat-only vet in my home town, and I believe they did a significant amount of continuing education relating to cats. I know you can't get "boarded" in cat medicine, but there is some additional credentials relating to feline or canine medicine that I think you can acquire.

I'd look into those things. Internships, residencies, etc are what make specialists, not vet school. I wouldn't expect any one program to transform you into the the Feline Messiah-- that's going to take a lot of time and use of extra resources. If you're approaching it in that you want to be a "specialist" like opthalmologists, neurologists, etc, then I think you need to do the same sorts of things they do. Get involved with shelter med (so many cats) and other feline-centric things. That will go farther in making you a great feline practitioner than picking one specific veterinary school.

 

[Coquette22]

I know you can't get "boarded" in cat medicine, but there is some additional credentials relating to feline or canine medicine that I think you can acquire.

You can, actually. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners has a category for Feline Only.

www.abvp.com/certification_faqs.htm
http://www.abvp.com/categories_feline.htm

But you're a long way off that. Like breenie said, for now, your focus should probably be on outside experience and getting into a vet school period. There won't be a school catering to feline only practice, so if you end up with a few acceptances in hand, maybe try to narrow it down to schools with a high small animal caseload, or that employ known feline practitioners. (Of course, there's always the oft-repeated advice of choosing the cheapest school too. You can make up a lot of ground with outside experience.)

 

[breenie]

You can, actually. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners has a category for Feline Only.

www.abvp.com/certification_faqs.htm
http://www.abvp.com/categories_feline.htm

But you're a long way off that. Like breenie said, for now, your focus should probably be on outside experience and getting into a vet school period. There won't be a school catering to feline only practice, so if you end up with a few acceptances in hand, maybe try to narrow it down to schools with a high small animal caseload, or that employ known feline practitioners. (Of course, there's always the oft-repeated advice of choosing the cheapest school too. You can make up a lot of ground with outside experience.)

I thought for some reason ABVP species stuff wasn't on the same level as say, pathology, neuro, onco, etc...? I was aware of it, but was under the impression it was different.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I thought for some reason ABVP species stuff wasn't on the same level as say, pathology, neuro, onco, etc...? I was aware of it, but was under the impression it was different.

hey now, don't be so specialist-ist! you might get that impression because you don't necessarily need to go through a residency for ABVP, but it takes way more years to go that route. It is a legit specialty.

 

[cowgirla]

hey now, don't be so specialist-ist! you might get that impression because you don't necessarily need to go through a residency for ABVP, but it takes way more years to go that route. It is a legit specialty.

👍
I've also seen a few feline only practicioners who go the ACVIM- SAIM route, and focus on felines via that. Either way, it's a long way down the road, and who knows, you might change your mind before then. Keep an open mind through vet school- you still have to learn about all the other species on the planet, and be able to remember that information for your NAVLE

Most of your cat experiences in vet school are going to be extracurriculars- AAFP club meetings, wetlabs, etc. I have yet to touch a cat in my vet school's general curriculum... I also can't think of any schools with "Feline only electives." Most electives that I've heard about tend be either small animal or not small animal- hence where the extracurriculars come in.

 

[breenie]

hey now, don't be so specialist-ist! you might get that impression because you don't necessarily need to go through a residency for ABVP, but it takes way more years to go that route. It is a legit specialty.

Ahhh! Not trying to be "ist" anything! I admit I don't know a lot about it and am relying on things other people have told me!!! Arrrghhh!!

 

[EllieGirl89]

Ohio State has what seems to be a pretty active feline club, as well as at least one or two feline electives. I know for sure we have a feline anatomy elective.

 

[latetothegame]

Thanks for the replies and information thus far! I know it's a ways off for me, but I'd still like to plan my class schedule for the next 4 years to include any "special" pre-reqs required by only some schools (like doing the distance animal nutrition course). I figure the earlier I know where I most want to go, the better I can try to cater my undergrad work to those schools. (I'll be happy to get into any vet school, though.)

 

[Minnerbelle]

Ahhh! Not trying to be "ist" anything! I admit I don't know a lot about it and am relying on things other people have told me!!! Arrrghhh!!

lol no worries, i figured as much.

And true that cowgirla. My research mentor was actually ACVIM - SA and specifically, Feline.

To the OP though, if you're really into something, you can make it work wherever you are (esp for something as broad as feline medicine). There's got to be at least someone at the school who is into feline medicine. And along those lines, I'd also say it's not so much about where you go, but who you get to know, and being able to convince that person that you're worth investing in with whatever you're passionate about. No point in finding a place that's famous for something, if you don't get to participate fully in it.

 

[nyanko]

UCDavis has an awesome Feline Medicine Cub - not biased being one of the president-elects or anything. (one of the current presidents is also a SDNer!)

 

[Coquette22]

AVC seems to have a lot of cat stuff going on (I don't partake in it; I regard cats as aliens 😛). There's blood donor cats that need to be played with, and there's Cat Action, which is a feral cat spay/neuter program. There's a feline club too, but I have no idea what else they might do.

(Aren't I just a bundle of information? Yeah, physio has sucked the life out of me.)

 

[pooter]

I'd like to be a cat specialist, and I've tried searching around online for an answer to this, but the answer seems to always be "any place is fine for small animal medicine."

They say that because it's true--cats are one of the basic species that every vet school focuses on. Just evaluate a program by the strength of its small animal curriculum and you're guaranteed to see enough kitties that you'll be sick of them by the end. Join the feline club, see some lectures, shadow clinicians, and sign up for wetlabs if you want that extra exposure (this is a good idea for non-specialists too).

This is just one measure, but you can get some idea of the quality of the program by the number of patients seen at the small animal hospital each year.

And if you're just dying to see something cool, at-Penn-we do feline renal transplants. Just sayin'. 😎

 

[Minnerbelle]

Is there a school out there that doesn't have something cool pertaining to feline medicine out there?

 

[su_grad2007]

Is there a school out there that doesn't have something cool pertaining to feline medicine out there?

I doubt it. Texas A&M has a feline med club and a feline only internal medicine rotation.

 

[BlacKAT33]

If you're near the philly area our feline club always hosts a meet and greet with a cat doctor http://034929c.netsolhost.com/our-staff/our-doctors/ You tour her hospital and can ask her questions in a personal atmosphere. She is so nice!! If you live far from PA but have questions you should email her. She is extremely friendly and informative!

 

[PppermintTwist]

And if you're just dying to see something cool, at-Penn-we do feline renal transplants. Just sayin'. 😎

Really?! That is cool!

 

[LetItSnow]

I keep reading the topic as "Bet vet school for caffeine medicine"... Sigh....

 

[sunnex3]

And if you're just dying to see something cool, at-Penn-we do feline renal transplants. Just sayin'. 😎

one of the patients at the hospital i work at right now had undergone this procedure at penn. sadly, the cat is no longer with us, but it was pretty cool hearing about what he went through.

 

[nyanko]

And if you're just dying to see something cool, at-Penn-we do feline renal transplants. Just sayin'. 😎

The first place in the US that did them, however, was a veterinary school in northern California that shall remain nameless. 😉

 

[pooter]

The first place in the US that did them, however, was a veterinary school in northern California that shall remain nameless. 😉

😛

 

[latetothegame]

Thanks for the replies! More things to put down in my slowly-developing list of pros and cons for each school.

If you're near the philly area our feline club always hosts a meet and greet with a cat doctor http://034929c.netsolhost.com/our-staff/our-doctors/ You tour her hospital and can ask her questions in a personal atmosphere. She is so nice!! If you live far from PA but have questions you should email her. She is extremely friendly and informative!

I'm on the West coast, but her bio is indeed impressive.